More than a Few Words: Recent Episodes
Lorraine Ball | Digital Toolbox
A marketing conversation for business owners. The brief episodes of this marketing podcast are filled with practical tips from business owners and marketing professionals from around the world.
If you've been around here for a while, you already know—I’m an email marketing geek. Not the kind of geek who builds robots in her basement, but the kind who gets excited about subject lines and open rates the way some folks get excited about the first tulips of the season. That’s why chatting with Ellen McDowell Strauss felt like talking to an old friend who also happens to alphabetize her spice rack. Ellen and I first connected over our mutual affection for email, but our latest conversation had a more urgent tone—thanks to Microsoft’s recent announcement that could throw a wrench in the way we all send emails. If email is your small business’s secret weapon, it’s time to sharpen it.
Main Points from the Conversation:
- Microsoft’s Email Policy Changes
Microsoft has announced stricter deliverability rules—emails that don’t get opened or clicked may not make it into inboxes at all, even if the sender is marked safe. This shift will force marketers to pay more attention to engagement metrics like never before. - List Hygiene is No Longer Optional
Holding onto disengaged subscribers could hurt your deliverability. Cleaning out your list—removing folks who haven’t opened or clicked in 6–12 months—isn’t just good housekeeping, it’s mission critical. - Quality Over Quantity
Big lists are out, and meaningful lists are in. A smaller, engaged audience is far more valuable than a bloated list of people who aren’t paying attention. - Smaller Campaigns, Better Results
Ellen suggests sending smaller, staggered campaigns to improve sender reputation. Large blasts might raise red flags, even if your content is solid. - Strategic Email for Every Stage
Email can’t be one-size-fits-all anymore. You need tailored messages for prospects, new clients, and past clients—each stage should feel intentional and personal, not like you're just checking a box.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Audit Your List: Check who’s been opening and clicking. If someone’s been snoozing for over 6–9 months, it may be time to let them go—or offer a re-engagement path.
- Segment Your Sends: Break your list into smaller groups and stagger your email sends to improve visibility and avoid being flagged.
- Lean on Third-Party Tools: Ditch BCC blasts. Use trusted email marketing platforms (like Constant Contact, Mailchimp, or Robly) that work hand-in-hand with email providers to boost deliverability.
- Craft Content with a Purpose: Make every email part of a bigger story. Whether it’s educating, engaging, or asking for a review, know your audience and meet them where they are.
- Rethink “Set It and Forget It”: Email marketing isn’t a crockpot dinner. It’s more like sourdough—needs regular attention, care, and a little love.
You know, I’ve spent years telling business owners to get laser-focused. Find your niche, talk to your niche, sell to your niche. It’s like that old saying: “You can’t please everyone, so pick your people.” But every once in a while, someone comes along and flips my perfectly organized marketing world on its head.
That someone was Matt Diamante, founder of Hey Tony, a marketing agency that helps small business owners tackle SEO and social media in ways that actually work. When Matt pitched me the idea of going broad to find your niche, I raised an eyebrow — and then I leaned in. Because sometimes, you have to plant wildflower seeds everywhere before you find out which patch of soil will let your business bloom.
Start Broad to Get Noticed
Matt shared how narrowing his content too quickly meant missing out on visibility. Early SEO how-to videos flopped because algorithms didn’t know where to send them. By widening his content to appeal to a broader audience, he started generating massive reach — and, surprisingly, attracting the exact people he wanted.
Make Social Content Personal and Entertaining
The trick isn’t just broad topics, it’s how you deliver them. Matt started adding humor, behind-the-scenes moments with his wife, and simple SEO tips framed like secret hacks. This authentic, entertaining style helped his videos go viral while quietly establishing his expertise.
Convert Viral Attention with Consistent, Niche-Focused Follow-Ups
Even though viral videos brought millions of eyeballs, the real strategy was in publishing one to three pieces of content daily, mixing broad appeal with posts targeted to DIY business owners. Those niche posts turned casual viewers into inquiries and, eventually, paying clients.
Work Within Your Capacity, But Stay Consistent
Matt emphasized that your content output depends on your business goals and available time. When he had more time, he posted several times a day. But the real advice is to do as much as you realistically can, because marketing is often the first thing people drop — and the last thing they should.
People Buy from People, Not Logos
Matt’s final nugget: don’t outsource your social media presence. Especially for small businesses, people want to see the face behind the brand. A good example? Judy’s Family Cafe, where the owner turned goofy viral clips into personal invitations to her restaurant. It’s proof that personality-powered content connects.
Try These Simple Steps to Launch Your Go Broad Campaign
Test wide topics to see what gets attention, even if it feels unrelated to your core niche at first.
Infuse humor, personal moments, and relatable scenarios into your content. People want to connect with people, not textbook tutorials.
Balance broad reach with targeted follow-up posts aimed at your ideal customer. Viral reach brings them in — niche content converts.
Commit to a realistic, consistent posting schedule. If you can manage a post a day, great. If it’s twice a week, start there. Just don’t disappear.
Own your presence. Your followers want you, not a generic brand. Show up, be seen, and let them get to know the person behind the business.
We've all had those “seemed like a good idea at the time” moments. Hers involved a Voxer coaching program, and in the spirit of learning from those detours, we unpacked what happened, what she learned, and how there might still be life in that idea yet.
Main Points:
- Great ideas don’t always land the way you expect. Danielle created a Voxer-based coaching program for personal brand support between sessions. Despite promotions and enthusiasm from peers, it never gained traction with clients.
- Sometimes it’s not the audience — it’s the offer. Danielle realized her clients come to her for hands-on, real-time messaging work, not asynchronous voice messages. There was a disconnect between what she offered and what her brand promised.
- Experimentation is always valuable, even when it “fails.” Danielle isn’t sad she tried it. Every experiment, whether it works or not, is a chance to learn, adjust, and discover what truly fits your business and community.
- Ideas can evolve. Lorraine suggested reframing the Voxer access not as a standalone product but as an add-on to existing branding packages — a “bonus touchpoint” for clients craving extra access and faster feedback.
- Never give up on a good idea too soon. Danielle’s takeaway was that an idea that flops in one format might thrive in another. It’s all about the packaging, pricing, and timing.
Actionable Takeaways:
- If a new offer isn’t resonating, ask yourself whether it aligns with how clients see you and your core strengths.
- Surround yourself with a trusted business circle — fresh eyes can spot opportunities and blind spots you’ll miss.
- When something doesn’t work, don’t toss it immediately. Consider whether it belongs as part of something else, or if a tweak in messaging or positioning could turn it around.
- Remember: there’s no such thing as a wasted experiment. Every trial leaves breadcrumbs for your next big win.
In this edition of What Went Wrong, I got a chance to explore mistakes, missteps, and the humbling reality that even seasoned pros can land flat on their face with repeat guest Robin Waite. This time, he didn’t come with a polished pitch or a shiny success story. He brought a cautionary tale about Facebook ads, cold leads, and a £9,000 lesson in what happens when you trust the algorithm more than your instincts.
Key Points from the Conversation with Robin WaiteEven Experts Trip Up
Robin isn’t new to marketing—he ran an agency for 12 years. But when it came to Facebook ads for his own coaching business, he got caught in the allure of automation and scale. What started strong eventually crashed, all because the warm audience he’d been nurturing for years dried up.
Your Audience Isn’t Infinite
Facebook ads worked—until they didn’t. The moment his familiar, friendly audience was exhausted, the leads stopped flowing. Robin kept the campaign running for three more months, hoping it would fix itself. It didn’t. Turns out, if you don’t refill your marketing funnel, it doesn’t matter how clever your copy or shiny your creative.
Know Enough to Stay Dangerous
Robin outsourced the nitty-gritty to so-called ad experts, trusting they’d fix the problem. But no one could explain what was going wrong. That blind spot cost him. The lesson? You don’t need to be the expert, but you need to know enough to ask the right questions.
When in Doubt, Go Back to What Works
With his budget blown and confidence shaken, Robin went back to basics—his podcast, speaking gigs, and book. Instead of chasing cold leads, he rebuilt slowly by focusing on brand-building and trust, knowing that meaningful connections take time.
Marketing is Just One Big Science Fair
Like any good experiment, sometimes things blow up. And that’s okay. Robin reminded us that failure is part of the formula—especially in marketing. The trick is not to avoid mistakes, but to make better ones next time.
Takeaways for Business Owners
- Warm audiences are wonderful—but they won’t last forever. Always be adding new people to the top of your funnel.
- Facebook ads can be powerful—but only if you understand the mechanics. Don’t hand over your entire budget without oversight.
- Track what’s working, and don’t be afraid to pivot. If your gut says something’s off, it probably is.
- When the fancy stuff fails, go back to your roots. Relationships, conversations, and trust still matter most.
And maybe most important of all: Marketing isn’t magic. It’s messy, imperfect, and beautifully human—just like us.
About Robin WaiteRobin is the founder of Fearless Business, a Business Accelerator for Coaches, Consultants and Freelancers.
Having spent 12 year’s running a digital marketing business, Robin pivoted in 2016 to focus on the part of his business he liked the best; training business owners how to be better in business. In 2016 Robin founded Fearless Business, a unique Business Growth Accelerator for Coaches, Consultants and Freelancers so help free them from the sales cycle of doom!
LEARN MORE ABOUT ROBIN
And be sure to look for Robin's new book THE FEARLESS BUSINESS OWNER'S BLUEPRINT
You know, I’ve always believed marketing should feel more like a warm hug than a high-pressure sales pitch. So when Alesia Galati and I got to chatting about social media burnout (oh yes, that nagging, energy-draining beast), it was like she reached into my cluttered content calendar and whispered, “There’s a better way.” We laughed, we nodded, and somewhere between SEO tips and podcast rants, I found myself ready to trade reels for real conversations. If you’re teetering on the edge of social media fatigue, wondering if there’s an off-ramp that doesn’t lead to oblivion—good news. There is. And Alicia’s got the roadmap.
Main Points from the Conversation:
- Podcasting as a Stress-Free, Strategic Alternative to Social Media
Alicia hit a nerve with so many of us—social media can feel like a hamster wheel with no off switch. Podcasting, by contrast, offers a calmer, more intentional way to share content, connect with your audience, and still build your brand without dancing in front of your phone. - Guest Appearances as Powerful SEO and Exposure Tools
You don’t have to do it all yourself. By guesting on other people’s shows, you tap into new audiences who already trust the host—and just might trust you too. Bonus? Those appearances show up on Google, helping your digital footprint grow without a single trending hashtag. - The Magic of Names and Smart SEO Practices
Don’t underestimate the power of your own name in a podcast title. Whether it’s your show or a guest spot, making your name searchable helps you get found. Retitling old episodes or refreshing descriptions is like giving your content a second wind—and Google loves it when you freshen things up. - Newsletter Love and Thoughtful Repurposing
Alicia and I both agreed: newsletters are the unsung heroes of content marketing. Sharing new and old episodes, linking to guest features, and curating themes gives your audience a reason to stick around—and gives your podcast episodes a longer shelf life. - Pick Your Lane, and Stay There (Happily)
You don’t need to be everywhere. Really. Pick one platform you like (mine’s LinkedIn), build a cozy corner on your website, and focus on podcasting and newsletters to draw people in. When you stop chasing the algorithm and start owning your message, marketing becomes a whole lot more enjoyable
When a Great Idea Doesn’t Get a Second Chance
This is another one of my What Went Wrong? conversations, and I love these because we all have ideas that don’t turn out the way we hoped. Sometimes, they’re just bad ideas. Other times, we give up too soon. That’s exactly what happened to Nina Froriep, who had a smart, scalable concept for video production—but abandoned it after a rough first attempt. Years later, she watched someone else build a thriving business using the same model.
What Happened
Nina came up with the idea of a video assembly—a streamlined production process where multiple business owners could shoot professional videos in a single session, saving time and costs. It seemed like a brilliant, efficient approach. She lined up her first participants, booked a location, and prepped everything. Then reality hit. Clients showed up late, skipped the pre-work, or ignored the schedules entirely. The result? Chaos. A few usable videos, a ton of frustration, and an idea that never got a second chance.
Key Takeaways from Our Conversation:
Preparation Sets the Stage for Success – Nina assumed experienced business owners would come prepared, but they didn’t. In hindsight, she realized they needed more structured guidance before the shoot, including clear deadlines and rehearsals.
Investment Creates Commitment – The low-cost nature of the offer meant clients weren’t as invested. If they had paid more—or had to complete the required pre-work—they might have taken it more seriously.
Persistence Matters – Nina scrapped the idea after one frustrating attempt, only to realize later that it could have worked with some adjustments. Success often comes from iteration, not perfection on the first try.
Timing Can Be Everything – Sometimes, an idea is solid, but the execution or the market isn’t quite ready. A little patience and a few tweaks can make all the difference.
Learn From the First Failure—Then Try Again – Instead of assuming the concept was doomed, Nina could have analyzed what went wrong, adjusted, and given it another shot. Many great ideas need a few failed attempts before they take off.
The Bottom Line: Just because something doesn’t work the first time doesn’t mean it won’t work at all. The real trick is knowing when to refine and try again versus when to walk away.
Yes, we’re talking about AI again because, let’s be honest, it’s everywhere, everyone is using it and most people are using it wrong. It’s easy to feel like you’re just throwing AI at problems without a real plan. That’s why I was excited to talk to Melissa Reeve, an expert in agile marketing, about her TRISS framework—a simple way to decide where AI can make the biggest impact in your business.
If you’ve ever caught yourself bouncing from one AI tool to another, hoping something sticks, Melissa calls that “random acts of AI.” And just like random acts of marketing, they rarely lead to success. Instead, the TRISS framework (Time, Repetition, Importance, Satisfaction, and Standardization) gives business owners a way to filter through the hype and focus on AI applications that actually save time and improve efficiency.
Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:
- Time Matters – If a task doesn’t take much time, it’s probably not worth automating. But if something eats up hours of your week, AI might be the perfect solution. Before jumping in, do a quick cost-benefit analysis.
- Repetition is Key – AI works best for tasks you do over and over again. Think about activities like writing social media posts or summarizing documents. The more predictable the process, the better AI can handle it.
- Importance and Risk – Not every task is created equal. If something is high-stakes (like legal or financial summaries), you may want to keep AI in the background and add a human review step. But for low-risk tasks, AI can be a huge time-saver.
- Satisfaction Counts – We all have those tedious tasks we dread. If something drains your energy, it’s a great candidate for automation. But if it’s a task you love and excel at, AI might not add much value.
- Standardization Simplifies Everything – AI thrives on consistency. If your process follows a clear set of steps, it’s easier to automate. The more standardized your workflow, the better AI can support your business.
Melissa’s advice is clear: AI isn’t about jumping on the latest trend—it’s about making smart choices that help you work more efficiently. If you start by evaluating your tasks with the TRUST framework, you’ll avoid random acts of AI and focus on real improvements that free up time for what truly matters.
Want to learn more? Check out Melissa’s free five-day email course on identifying high-impact AI use cases and follow her on LinkedIn for even more insights.
Most small business owners dream of growing our small businesses into something bigger. But scaling comes with challenges—hiring, infrastructure, and managing processes without losing control.
I sat down with Anthony Franco, a serial entrepreneur who has launched, scaled, and sold multiple businesses. He’s also the host of How the Founder, a podcast where he and his co-host dive deep into the challenges business owners face. In this conversation he shares his insights on scaling the right way.
- Ask Yourself: Do You Really Want to Scale? – Growth isn’t for everyone. Some businesses thrive at 5-10 employees, and scaling beyond that requires a different mindset and willingness to delegate.
- Systems and Processes Are Essential – Once you decide to grow, you need to document how things are done. A business can’t scale if key processes exist only in the founder’s head.
- Communication and Organization Matter – As teams grow, structured communication through tools like Slack, Teams, and shared knowledge bases ensures everyone stays aligned.
- Founders Must Learn to Let Go – The biggest roadblock to scaling is often the founder. Delegation is crucial, and tasks don’t have to be done exactly how you would do them—just well enough to keep things moving.
- Hire for Culture and Performance – Bringing in the right people is vital. Prioritizing A-players and being quick to remove underperformers keeps your business strong.
My guest today is Iris Goldfeder, founder of Gas Stove Creative. Iris and I are two out-of-sync New Yorkers who somehow ended up in Indiana, crossing paths in the small business community for years. But today, instead of swapping stories about pizza and city life, we’re talking about something every business owner faces at some point: the growing pains of change.
Iris recently had a lightbulb moment—she’d evolved her business, but she’d forgotten to tell people! So while she had moved on to working with established companies, her network was still sending her the startups she used to serve. This realization kicked off a strategic shift, one that every business owner can learn from. How do you reposition yourself without alienating past clients? How do you make sure people know what you do now? And how do you avoid pricing conversations that make you want to bang your head against the wall?
- Communicate Changes Early & Often: Don’t assume people know your business has evolved. Proactively update referral partners, past clients, and your online audience.
- Use Video & Social Media: A simple video post explaining your shift can go a long way in reshaping how people think of your brand.
- Create Structured Packages: Offering clear service levels makes it easier for clients and referral sources to understand where they fit.
- Be Confident in Your Value: If a potential client balks at your pricing, they may not be the right fit. Stick to your worth and don’t be afraid to refer out.
- Learn From Every Experience: If you learn something, it’s not a mistake—it’s a lesson. And next time you shift, you’ll know to start the conversation sooner!
We’ve all done it—Googled ourselves or our businesses, only to find something outdated, inaccurate, or just plain wrong. And the scary part? Most people believe whatever Google tells them. If Google says you’re permanently closed (even when your business is booming), potential customers won’t bother double-checking. They’ll just move on. That’s why it’s so important to take control of what Google says about you. I sat down with Andrew Laws founder of Yeseo, to talk about how business owners can make sure Google gets it right—because if we don’t do it, who will?
So how do you do that? Andrew Suggested:
- Google Isn't Always Right – While we rely on Google for information, even Google admits its results aren’t always accurate. This means businesses need to take control of their own online presence.
- Claiming & Maintaining Your Google Business Profile Matters – Business owners can significantly improve how their company appears online by ensuring their Google Business Profile is up-to-date and consistent across all platforms.
- Consistency Is Key – Small variations in how your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) appear online can confuse Google’s algorithm, making it harder for customers to find you.
- Engagement Builds Trust – Regularly updating your profile, responding to reviews (good and bad), and keeping business details accurate helps Google and potential customers see you as a reliable business.
- Respond to Reviews – Whether they’re glowing or grumpy, replying to reviews signals to both Google and potential customers that you’re engaged and trustworthy.
- Download the Google Business App – It makes updating your profile easy, plus Google will prompt you to keep your information fresh.
- Audit Your Online Presence Regularly – Don’t assume Google will always get it right. If something looks off, fix it before it costs you business.
Marketing is all about connections, but too often, we skip over the most important piece—people. Sure, we love talking about product, price, place, and promotion, but what about the humans behind the strategy? That’s why I brought back Dave Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, for a lively chat about the Four P’s of People—peers, pros, patrons, and promoters. Spoiler: your next marketing breakthrough might come from focusing less on what you’re posting and more on who you’re talking to.
Peers Are Your Marketing Wingmen
Think of your peers as your brainstorming buddies—the business owners and marketers walking the same path. Sure, they might be in your industry, but they’re not your competition. Instead, they’re allies who can share insights, lessons learned, and even a little encouragement. As Dave put it, peers can help you grow by sharing their own roadmaps to success.
Pros: Your Marketing Role Models
These are the businesses that make you say, “I want to do that someday.” Dave suggested following pros for inspiration—whether it’s how they craft campaigns or how they interact with their audience. Even better, engaging with their content can lead to new connections with like-minded people. Think of pros as your north star for what’s possible.
Patrons Keep the Lights On
Your customers are your patrons, the folks who not only pay the bills but also provide a goldmine of feedback. Whether you’re creating posts to entertain, educate, or answer their questions, keeping this group engaged can spark deeper loyalty. And when they engage with your content, their networks notice, bringing you closer to your next batch of clients.
Promoters Are Your Secret Weapon
Promoters are the people who sing your praises, often loudly and without being asked. They may not even be customers themselves, but they believe in what you’re doing and love sharing it with their communities. Dave reminded me that it’s worth nurturing those relationships—comment on their posts, cheer them on, and show them the love they show you.
Remember, success isn’t about shouting your message into the void. It’s about listening, building relationships, and connecting with the people who matter most to your business.
Dave CharestDave Charest is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, the online marketing leader trusted by millions of small businesses. In his role, Dave acts as an educator and an advocate for small business leaders, marketing professionals, and nonprofits by providing practical marketing advice to help them achieve their goals.
He is a dynamic leader, speaker, creator, and award-winning marketer who strives to inspire small businesses by simplifying the complex world of online marketing. Dave also hosts the Be a Marketer podcast, a 2024 Webby Awards Honoree.
Tina Bakehouse is living proof that even the best teachers are always learning. As an intuitive communication coach, she’s built a reputation for helping others communicate with confidence and authenticity. But as she shares in this conversation, her early days in business were filled with valuable lessons—especially about getting clear on her offers. Like many of us, Tina learned that trying to be everything to everyone only leads to confusion. It’s a little like showing up at a potluck with five half-baked dishes—your guests won’t know where to start, and chances are, nothing gets devoured.
Here are some key insights from Tina’s journey:
- The Power of One Clear Offer: When Tina launched her first five-day workshop, she tried selling both group and individual coaching simultaneously—at the same price. The result? Mixed signals and fewer sales. Her big takeaway? Pick one lane, get crystal clear on your ask, and make it easy for people to say yes.
- Align Offers to the Audience and Platform: Tina now tailors her approach depending on the audience—whether it’s small business owners, corporate teams, or C-suite executives. It’s about tuning in and delivering what feels right for the moment.
- Seasonal Strategy: Business has rhythms, just like nature. Tina takes a softer approach in the summer, reserving her high-energy keynotes and workshops for colder months. That shift keeps her inspired and energized throughout the year.
- Stay True to Yourself: Above all, Tina believes in showing up authentically. By leaning into her identity as an intuitive communication coach, she naturally draws in the right clients and builds meaningful connections.
For business owners juggling multiple products or services, Tina’s journey is a reminder that less is often more. Get clear on your offer, tailor it to the moment, and align your work with what fuels your energy. When you do, success stops feeling like a chaotic balancing act and starts to flow naturally.
Tina Bakehouse is passionate, experienced, intuitive communication consultant & coach, storyteller, creative, and NEW AUTHOR of the book Discovering Our Magnetic Speaker Within.
A few years ago I sat down with Wayne Mullins, founder of Ugly Mug Marketing, to dive into his unique “3-5-3” formula for turning your website from a static space into a real business driver. If you missed the original release of this episode, you want to be sure to catch it now.
His approach is all about honing in on what users need, and it starts with capturing attention in the first three seconds. The truth is, visitors aren’t "browsing" anymore—they’re "hopping" from one page to the next, and you need a hook to keep them around.
Next up are the five critical questions to ask on every page. Who’s visiting this page? What’s the exact action you want them to take? And maybe most importantly, why would they take that action, from their perspective? This exercise of stepping into the visitor’s shoes can completely transform how each page is designed to serve them.
The final three elements, or “three C’s,” of effective design wrap it all together: composition, contrast, and content. Wayne’s big takeaway here? Lead with the content. Instead of designing for looks first, start with what you’re trying to communicate, then build the design around it. Simple and actionable tips like these make the 3-5-3 formula a powerful way to evaluate your site and start getting better results right away.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
Sometimes, as business owners and marketers, we get so wrapped up in what excites us about our products or services that we lose sight of what matters to our audience. That’s exactly what Brad Koch, a coach and business strategist, discovered the hard way.
Brad talks about what went wrong as he shared a story of a marketing campaign that fell flat—and the lessons he learned about crafting messaging his customers really cared about.
Key Takeaways:
- Shift the focus to your audience’s needs. Brad’s original campaign focused on features and specs that excited his team but didn’t address the real pain points of his target audience. The "aha" moment came when he realized his messaging needed to solve his customers' problems, not highlight his product’s capabilities.
- Be the guide, not the hero. Effective marketing positions your customer as the hero of the story and your business as the guide who helps them succeed.
- Clarity beats complexity. Trying to say everything in your marketing only dilutes your message. Narrow your focus, be clear, and trust that a simple, specific message will have more impact than a long list of features.
- Get an outside perspective. Brad emphasized the value of fresh eyes. Whether it’s a trusted colleague, a coach, or an external consultant, feedback from someone outside your organization can help you see what your audience sees—and spot the gaps you’re too close to notice.
Actionable Insights:
Before launching your next marketing campaign, ask yourself:
- Does this message solve a problem for my audience?
- Am I guiding them toward their success?
- Is my message clear and focused?
- Have I sought feedback from someone outside my team?
Learn more about Brad
And if you have enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out all the resources for small business owners at More than A Few Words
Let’s face it: whether it’s a middle school rumor or a scathing online review, negative feedback stings. As business owners, those harsh words often hit close to home because they’re not just about our work—they’re about us. In this episode of More Than a Few Words, I chatted with David Oates, a seasoned crisis communications expert, about how to handle negative reviews and comments with grace. David shared practical advice on how to respond with "empathy and action"—a simple yet powerful approach to defuse tension, protect your brand, and show others that you care about making things right.
Key Takeaways:1. Empathy and Action Are Key: When responding to negative reviews or comments, show understanding without immediately accepting blame. Apologize for the experience and offer to make things right, which reassures current and potential customers of your commitment to service. 2. Avoid Ignoring or Arguing: Ignoring negative feedback implies indifference, while arguing online escalates conflict. Both approaches can harm your reputation. Instead, focus on resolving the issue calmly and professionally. 3. Use Reviews as Insights: Positive and negative reviews are goldmines for understanding your customers. Positive reviews can inspire marketing language, while negative ones offer valuable lessons to improve. 4. Solicit Feedback Proactively: Regularly ask for customer feedback and make it easy for satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google or Yelp. This helps balance out any negative comments with authentic, glowing endorsements. 5. Think Old-School, Act Online: Just as local shopkeepers once chatted with customers over the counter, business owners today can build relationships and trust through online interactions. Approach these conversations with the same care and humanity you’d show in person.
Actionable Tips:* Monitor reviews and social media mentions regularly to stay on top of feedback. * Respond promptly and empathetically to negative comments, signaling your commitment to customer care. * Encourage happy customers to leave reviews to showcase your strengths. * Remember: every interaction, even online, is a chance to build trust and loyalty.
Want more great advice? Check out David's website and connect with him on LinkedIn.
For additional resources to grow your business, head over to More Than a Few Words.
We've all been there, when a great idea turns out to be, well, not so great? We’ve all been there, right? That lightning bolt moment where we think, “This is it! This is the idea that’s going to change everything.” And then reality sets in. To share her own “What Was I Thinking?” moment, I’ve invited my friend Jen Edds, the head brassy boss at Brassy Broadcasting Company. Jen had a vision of launching a daily podcast—short, punchy, and everywhere. But just before jumping in, she took a step back and asked herself the tough questions: Was this the right show? Was this sustainable? And most importantly, was this for her audience? What she discovered might just save you from your next over-ambitious content plan. So, grab a cup of coffee and get ready for some laughs, lessons, and a little tough love on making your marketing work for you.
Key Takeaways:
- Just because an idea is exciting doesn’t mean it’s the right fit—evaluate sustainability before diving in.
- Content should serve your ideal audience, not just chase algorithms.
- Marketing your content is just as important as creating it—don’t forget to promote!
- Be flexible! You can always pivot and adjust your content strategy as you learn more about what works.
Whether you’re launching a podcast, writing a blog, or creating video content, Jen’s story is a reminder that strategy matters more than sheer volume. And sometimes, the best decision is to scale back before you burn out.
Jenn Edds is the Head Broad in Charge at the Brassy Broadcasting Company
Let’s face it—if you’ve been in business for a while, you’ve got knowledge people would pay for. Years of experience, hard-won lessons, and insights that could save someone else time, money, and frustration. But turning that wisdom into a profitable business? That’s where things get tricky. It’s not enough to just “know stuff.” You need a structure, a system, and a way to package your expertise so that it delivers real transformation—not just another downloadable PDF gathering dust on someone’s hard drive.
That’s exactly what Mary Henderson and I tackled in this conversation. She breaks down why the wisdom economy is booming and how experts can build e-learning businesses that are more than just scattered courses and offers. The key? Start with a strong foundation. Instead of jumping straight into selling, take the time to unpack your full inventory—your skills, experiences, and even personal challenges—because that’s where real value lies. Then, create a framework that simplifies complex ideas, delivers results, and ultimately builds a business that can scale.
If you’ve ever thought about monetizing what you know, Mary offers a roadmap to get started. Focus on solving a macro-level problem, define who you serve (beyond a single niche), and build a structured path that leads clients to real outcomes. Because in the end, people don’t just pay for information—they pay for transformation.
About Mary Henderson
Mary Henderson is an internationally recognized Online Business Coach and Digital Business Specialist, helping clients build personal brands.
Mary helps Service Based Business Owners, Coaches, and Consultants systematize, digitalize, and commercialize their knowledge, wisdom, and skills into a scalable and profitable online business and brand so they become an authority in their niche or industry.
Mary Henderson has 20+ years’ experience building 7 and 8-figure businesses and building high-performance sales teams in the IT sector and 15 years delivering online solutions for large and small businesses. She has been featured in many publications and is regarded as a thought leader in the Digital sector.
Mary’s point of difference is her Personal Branding technology, a SaaS Platform that can define a person’s brand essence with the precision that can be applied across all communication touch points. She is also the founder of Lights Cameras Action an end-to-end coaching program that delivers tangible outcomes.
When you engage with Mary Henderson, you access 39,000+ hours of experience, knowledge, and wisdom in Personal Branding, client profiling, lead generation strategies, online course development, sales leadership, content development, and digital acumen.
Mary embraces technology and social media in a big way, and her followers are growing daily.
Mary is a heart-centered, compassionate, and tenacious entrepreneur who thrives on human transformation and witnessing people fulfill their dreams.
As a business owner, decision-making comes with the territory. But some people do it better than others. What sets them apart? That’s what I talked about with Andrea Liebross, a business and life coach who helps female entrepreneurs think and manage like CEOs. She shared insights from her book She Thinks Big: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and Into the Extraordinary, breaking down what it really takes to be a big thinker.
4 Steps to Thinking Big1. Choose Your Thoughts Intentionally
Your thoughts aren’t fixed—they’re options. Andrea compares them to hors d'oeuvres at a party: you get to pick what you consume. If a thought isn’t serving you, swap it for one that leads to confidence, determination, or action.
2. Identify the Real Problem
We tend to blame external factors—bad timing, the economy, difficult clients—when, in reality, the real issue is often our own discomfort. Avoiding hard decisions because they make us uneasy only keeps us stuck.
3. Embrace Uncertainty
Business ownership comes with unknowns—there’s no getting around it. Instead of waiting for perfect clarity, big thinkers move forward despite uncertainty, knowing they’ll never have all the answers.
4. Find Support
Entrepreneurs don’t have the safety net of a boss or corporate structure, which makes a strong support system essential. Whether it’s mentors, coaches, or peer communities, surrounding yourself with the right people helps navigate challenges with confidence.
Big thinking isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about making decisions based on where you want to be, not where you are. If you’re ready to think bigger, Andrea’s book She Thinks Big is a great place to start. You can find it at shethinksbigthebook.com.
In another of my continuing What Went Wrong series I chatted with Tracy Brinkman, a business success coach, podcast creator, and host of the Dark Horse Entrepreneur podcast. Tracy shared a story that every business owner can relate to: the time he created something he was certain people would love—only to be met with silence.
Years ago, Tracy poured his heart into developing a goal-setting seminar. He thought he had all the pieces in place—a clear concept, valuable insights, and a hungry audience. But when he launched, there wasn’t a ripple of interest. Why? Tracy realized he had skipped the most crucial step: asking his audience what they actually needed.
It’s a classic trap. Like Tracy, many entrepreneurs try to appeal to everyone, believing that casting a wide net will bring in more fish. But in reality, it’s the focused approach—speaking directly to a specific audience—that truly resonates. Tracy's story is a powerful reminder that vague messaging and generic offers often get lost in the noise. His hard-won lesson? Focus on a niche. The smaller your target, the sharper your message, and the more likely you are to connect with those who matter.
For Tracy, this meant shifting from talking to “all entrepreneurs” to addressing parents balancing corporate jobs and side hustles. He found that by narrowing his focus, he wasn’t just reaching people; he was solving their specific problems, turning listeners into raving fans.
- Know your audience before you create. Talk to potential customers, ask questions, and listen. Insights from these conversations will guide your product or service in the right direction.
- Be specific in your messaging. A narrow focus on a well-defined audience leads to stronger connections and better results. Instead of shouting to the crowd, speak directly to the people you’re best positioned to help.
- Resist the urge to please everyone. Trying to appeal to everyone dilutes your impact. Focus on solving a specific problem for a specific group.
- Show your value clearly. If your product or service has unique benefits, highlight them. Don’t assume your audience will figure it out on their own.
- Start small to grow big. Building a loyal niche audience may seem limiting at first, but it’s the foundation for sustainable growth.
Whether you’re starting a podcast, launching a product, or marketing your services, Tracy’s journey is a great example of why less is often more. If you’re looking for inspiration and practical tips, be sure to check out The Dark Horse Entrepreneur podcast!
And if you are looking for more resources for your business check out all the Tools at More than a Few Words
Using AI to add a neighborhood feel to your marketing may sound contradictory, but it’s possible when approached with the right mindset and structure. In this conversation with Peter Murphy Lewis, a fractional CMO and founder of StrategicPete.com, we explored how AI can actually make your messaging more authentic and personal. Peter shared actionable strategies for turning AI into a trusted assistant that speaks in your voice and resonates with your audience.
Key Points from the Conversation:
Ask the Right Questions: Start by compiling questions that generate the best AI responses. Document both the questions and the resulting answers to build a repeatable process. This is like creating a cheat sheet for future prompts that keeps your AI interactions consistent and productive.
Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Develop clear instructions for different content types, whether it's a LinkedIn post, newsletter, or blog. Think of this as choosing the right outfit for the occasion—what works for a networking event is different from a casual weekend gathering.
Define Your Voice: Record yourself answering key questions about your business, approach, and audience. This raw audio becomes an invaluable resource to train AI to mimic your voice and tone. It also makes fantastic content for marketing if you’re up for a little editing.
Tailor Communication to Different Audiences: Just as you adjust your language and attire depending on the crowd, your messaging should adapt too. Peter highlighted the importance of speaking differently to a private equity client versus a startup founder while staying true to your core personality.
Select the Right Tools: Peter recommended several AI and marketing tools. His advice? Keep experimenting, but maybe limit the subscriptions to avoid upsetting your spouse!
Actionable Takeaways:
- Document Everything: Create a context library with your best prompts and responses to streamline AI usage.
- Record Your Voice: Answer questions about your business on audio—it’s gold for both AI training and raw content creation.
- Segment Your SOPs: Different tasks need different instructions. Fine-tune your processes for content types and audience segments.
- Stay Curious: With new tools emerging constantly, explore options to find the ones that best fit your workflow—but keep that budget in check!
About Peter Murphy LewisPeter Murphy Lewis, founder of StrategicPete.com and seasoned fractional CMO, steps in when CEOs are swimming in data but struggling to convert it into growth. Known for his dynamic approach and hands-on expertise—built from scaling and selling companies across continents—Peter specializes in turning metrics into revenue across industries like travel, software, media, banking, and even zoos. With two TV shows and documentaries to his name, Peter’s credibility in driving impactful narratives is unmatched. Supported by his team of 15 specialists, he partners with clients to break through growth barriers, establish powerful strategies, and leave behind a self-sustaining marketing system.
I know you think you know everything there is to know about LinkedIn, but trust me—there’s always more to learn. That’s exactly what I found when I chatted with Sam Swirsky, a LinkedIn coach and writer who’s helped some of the biggest content creators build hyper-engaged fan bases. He shared actionable advice on how small business owners can do more than just collect followers—they can cultivate real, engaged communities on the platform.
Key Takeaways and Actionable Insights:
- Engagement is a Two-Way Street: Comment thoughtfully, respond to messages, and create posts that invite genuine discussions. Make your audience feel seen and valued—relationships build loyalty.
Try This: Start or end your next post with a question that sparks conversation. - Avoid Engagement Pods: They might give you vanity metrics, but they won’t build meaningful relationships or generate business results.
Try This: Focus on interacting authentically with five new people every week. - Go Live (Even if it Scares You): Whether live or pre-recorded, streams are a great way to showcase expertise and start meaningful conversations.
Try This: Plan a 10-minute live session with 3 talking points. Invite a colleague or client to keep the conversation natural. - Sharpen Your Profile: Be specific about who you help and the results you deliver.
Try This: Review your profile headline—does it clearly state your offer? If not, rewrite it with a focus on outcomes. - Consistency Beats Perfection: Showing up regularly builds trust. Aim for good, not flawless.
Try This: Commit to posting at least once a week, even if it's a simple post sharing a lesson learned or industry tip.
Whether you're fine-tuning your profile or experimenting with live streams, the key is showing up as your authentic self and focusing on meaningful connections. Those relationships are the foundation for real growth on LinkedIn.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SAM
He has been a LinkedIn coach & writer since 2021 & have worked with many of the largest creators on the platform, including: Justin Welsh (Currently ranked as the #1 creator on LinkedIn), Alex & Leila Hormozi, & Tasleem Ahmad Fateh who recently named me as the “Hardest Working Creator” on LinkedIn. My specialty is in growing a hyper-engaged fanbase for businesses & founders.
In every sales conversation, there comes that moment when you're so excited about what you do, you want to share everything you know. But that is often a mistake, as Janice Porter, a LinkedIn trainer and relationship marketing strategist explained in our conversation, for the What Went Wrong Series
Janice found herself giving away premium insights during free webinars and initial consultations. Like many of us who started as educators, her natural instinct to teach was getting in the way of building a sustainable business.
During our conversation, Janice shared her journey of learning to balance generosity with strategy, walking the fine line between offering value and undervaluing your own work.
Here are the key takeaways from our discussion:
Stop Giving Away the Store - The key is to give enough value to demonstrate expertise while leaving room for clients to want more.
Finding Balance in Presentations - Instead of solving every problem upfront, focus on sparking curiosity. Let potential clients see what you can do without showing them how to do it all themselves.
Master the Art of Listening - Whether you’re pitching a product or networking, ask thoughtful questions and tailor your responses to what the other person truly needs. It’s not about overwhelming them with information but finding the right “hook” to keep them engaged.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for the Sale - Set expectations early in a conversation, like letting prospects know you’ll be discussing next steps, makes that final question feel natural instead of pushy.
Actionable Takeaway
If you find yourself “giving away the store,” step back and evaluate how much value you’re offering in your initial interactions. Practice holding back just enough to leave clients curious, and don’t shy away from asking for the sale. Balance teaching with selling, and you’ll see your efforts turn into results.
Looking for more resources for your business - check out all the tools at MoreThanaFewWords.com
If you’ve been playing around with ChatGPT to write a few social posts or even draft a blog, congratulations—you’re off to a good start. But let’s be honest, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In this conversation with Stephen Lewis, a seasoned marketer and head of Sydney-based agency Tailist, we explore how to make ChatGPT your marketing partner rather than just a copy assistant. With insights drawn from years of experimenting with AI tools, Stephen shares practical advice on turning ChatGPT into a research powerhouse, a strategic consultant, and a creative collaborator for your business.
Here are a few key takeaways from our conversation:
- ChatGPT as a Research Tool: Most people think ChatGPT just mimics human writing, but it's also a brilliant research assistant. Since it has "read" countless blog posts, forums, and articles, it can provide deep insights into audience preferences, fears, and motivations that people might not even admit in a traditional interview.
- Ask Better Questions: If you want valuable answers, start asking ChatGPT more thoughtful questions. For example, don't just ask why your target audience might want to buy your product—ask about the reasons they wouldn't admit to their friends or the hidden objections holding them back.
- Turn ChatGPT into a Consultant: Instead of treating ChatGPT like a task-driven assistant, let it ask you questions. Stephen emphasizes how this two-way conversation can reveal what's missing in your messaging and strengthen your overall marketing strategy.
- Synthetic Data for Customer Personas: ChatGPT can simulate interviews with your ideal customers, offering insights that are surprisingly comparable to real-life focus groups. This synthetic data can help you craft more accurate and compelling customer personas.
- It's a Partnership: AI isn’t magic—it’s a partnership. To get the most out of ChatGPT, you need to know what to ask and be ready to collaborate actively. Stephen describes this approach as "working in partnership" with the tool rather than expecting it to hand over all the answers effortlessly.
Ready to take your AI game up a notch? Stephen even offers a resource called the "Clarity Engine" to help business owners solve their biggest marketing problems with ChatGPT’s help. It’s a great next step if you’re eager to see just how much more this tool can do for your business.
E-mail marketing has changed, and so must your approach if you want to reach your audience in 2025. I chatted with MV Braverman, founder of Inbox Welcome, to talk about e-mail deliverability—a topic often overlooked but absolutely essential. While we all obsess over catchy subject lines and beautiful designs, none of that matters if your e-mails never make it to the inbox. MV shared practical advice to help you understand deliverability and improve your results.
Here are a few of the key takeaways:
- Authentication is Non-Negotiable
To combat spam, providers like Google and Yahoo now require senders to authenticate their e-mails. Tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC ensure your e-mails are verified and trustworthy. But here’s the catch: while platforms like MailChimp can help you authenticate campaign emails, that’s only part of the puzzle. MV recommends a comprehensive setup covering all your email streams—like invoices, auto-responders, and proposals. - Reporting Matters
DMARC doesn’t just verify your emails—it also provides detailed reports about where your emails are landing (inbox vs. spam) and how they’re being perceived by providers like Microsoft. These insights are invaluable for spotting problems early. - Focus on the Reader’s Experience
Your emails should be accessible, mobile-friendly, and readable in both light and dark modes. MV pointed out that ignoring dark mode—a preference for up to one-third of email users—can make your emails nearly impossible to read. - Don’t Rely Solely on Images
While image-only emails may look appealing, they’re a disaster for accessibility. Many readers (including me!) block images by default, and with AI tools summarizing content, text is more important than ever. Always include descriptive, clear text in your emails.
What You Can Do:* Review your email authentication settings across all platforms, not just your email marketing tool, to ensure full coverage. * Download MV’s DMARC guide to learn how to set up reporting and spot deliverability issues before they become major problems.
Email marketing isn’t just about what you say—it’s about making sure people actually receive it.
I sat down for a conversation with Vince Warnock, an 11-time bestselling author and one of Adobe's top 25 marketers in the world. But what made our chat truly special wasn't his impressive credentials - it was his willingness to share his biggest mistakes and what he learned from them.
Main takeaways from our conversation:
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Even accomplished professionals battle imposter syndrome. Vince shared how he sabotaged his first book launch by canceling major media interviews with Forbes and Entrepreneur because that inner voice kept telling him he wasn't good enough. The lesson? Those feelings are normal - even Seth Godin and other marketing giants experience them.
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The key to managing self-doubt isn't eliminating it - it's building a support network. Vince learned to surround himself with people who understand these challenges and can step in before self-sabotage takes hold. As he put it, "Imposter syndrome isn't bad. What's bad is what you choose to do with that information."
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Lead magnets need strategic alignment. Vince attracted 30-40,000 signups with a free marketing tools guide, but these leads weren't interested in his actual services. He transformed his approach by creating content that guides potential clients through their journey - from choosing what book to write, to learning how to write it, to getting help with the writing process.
The big lesson here? Success isn't about avoiding mistakes - it's about learning from them and building systems to handle challenges better next time. Whether it's imposter syndrome or marketing missteps, the path forward is through honest self-reflection and smart adjustments to your approach.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Before your next big launch or project, identify 2-3 trusted mentors who can support you when self-doubt creeps in
- Review your lead magnets: Do they attract people who want what you actually sell?
- Create a clear path from your free content to your paid offerings
- When collecting information from prospects, only ask for what you truly need right now
- Build your marketing funnel around solving your customers' real barriers and challenges at each step
Looking for more conversations and ideas for your small business? Check out www.morethanafewwords.com
I love podcasts! As a host and a guest, I’ve seen firsthand how they spark connections, showcase expertise, and open doors to new opportunities. But being a podcast guest isn’t just about showing up—it’s about building relationships, adding value, and promoting your appearance long after the recording ends.
That’s why I was so excited to chat with Angel Tuccy, who knows the podcasting world inside and out. With 15 bestselling books and a knack for connecting hosts and guests through her Need a Guest Facebook community, Angel shared some practical, no-nonsense advice on how to make the most of podcast guesting as a marketing strategy.
Key Points from the Conversation:Quality Over Quantity in Podcast Pitches: Instead of cold-emailing dozens of podcast hosts, focus on building genuine relationships. Engage with hosts by listening to their shows, sharing their content, and interacting meaningfully before pitching yourself as a guest.
Promote Your Appearances: Don’t let your podcast interviews fade into obscurity. Angel suggests creating a Google spreadsheet to track your appearances and repurposing the content through blog posts, social media, and email campaigns to keep the buzz alive long after the episode airs.
Be Relatable and Authentic: Great podcast conversations aren’t perfectly polished—they’re human. Be ready for unscripted moments, embrace the quirks of live dialogue, and let your personality shine through.
Add Value to the Audience: Whether it’s sharing actionable insights or telling stories that resonate, focus on providing meaningful content that helps listeners. This builds trust and encourages them to follow both you and the podcast host.
Leverage Communities Like Need a Guest: Joining networks where podcast hosts actively seek guests can dramatically improve your booking rate. Being part of a vetted community often leads to more natural connections and opportunities.
Your Next Steps: Build a database of your podcast appearances to reuse content creatively across platforms. * Prioritize meaningful connections with podcast hosts rather than sending generic pitches. * Promote your interviews through posts, emails, and even bundled articles on related topics. * Let go of perfection during interviews—authenticity wins over a polished script every time. * Explore communities like Need a Guest* to streamline your efforts and connect with hosts.
If you enjoyed this conversation sign up for our newsletter at MoreThanaFewWords.com - There you will find hundreds of conversations, just like this, along with white papers, webinars and so much more.
Consistency, Community, and CredibilityThere’s this common myth that as a business owner, you’ve got to do it all. LinkedIn can feel overwhelming, but today, Nina Froriep debunked that myth and showed us how to simplify and thrive on the platform. Her approach is a breath of fresh air—practical, doable, and built for business owners who’d rather spend time serving clients than battling algorithms.
Key Takeaways:Consistency Beats Frequency: Posting once a week at the same time and day yields better results than flooding the platform randomly. Think of it as training both the algorithm and your audience—regularity builds recognition.
Engagement Builds Credibility: Your LinkedIn feed is a virtual business card. Posts with thoughtful comments and genuine engagement show potential clients and collaborators that you’re active and respected in your field.
Small Groups, Big Impact: Nina’s LinkedIn engagement group thrives because members prioritize reciprocity and accountability. They comment on each other’s posts within an hour, creating authentic connections and visibility.
Invest in the Process: Paid groups tend to see higher participation. People value what they pay for, and Nina’s group offers more than just engagement—it’s a supportive community with resources and learning opportunities.
Actionable Next Steps:* Start by posting once a week consistently. Choose a day and time that works for you. * Build a small, engaged network of LinkedIn connections who genuinely support each other’s content. * Prioritize quality over quantity—focus on meaningful interactions, not just likes.
If you’re ready to elevate your LinkedIn strategy, connect with Nina Froriep on LinkedIn to see how her approach could work for you.
Looking for more resources for your business? Check out the MTFW Resource Page
You know that sinking feeling when you realize you’ve been ignoring great advice or giving up on something that actually worked? We’ve all been there, myself included. That’s why I loved this conversation with Matt Nettleton. As my most frequent podcast guest, Matt brought his signature blend of insight and candor to our “What Went Wrong?” series. Together, we revisited the missteps that taught us valuable lessons—like ditching a successful accountability group, setting goals that feel more like a prison sentence than a roadmap, and stubbornly resisting good advice. If you’ve ever tripped over your own decisions, this one’s for you.
Actionable Takeaways
- Stick With What Works: If a process, group, or habit is driving success, don’t abandon it just because things are going smoothly. Consistency beats complacency.
- Shrink Your Timeframe: Break those massive annual goals into manageable chunks. Try a “12-week year” approach to stay motivated, track progress, and pivot as needed.
- Listen to Advice (Even When It’s Hard): Pay attention to the advice of trusted colleagues and mentors—and maybe your spouse, too. The sooner you act on good suggestions, the faster you’ll see results.
- Celebrate and Course-Correct: Mark your milestones, reassess your direction, and give yourself permission to change the plan if it’s no longer serving you.
Want to hear the full conversation and laugh along at our shared “oops” moments? Tune in to this episode—it might just save you from making the same mistakes!
Look for more: https://podfollow.com/more-than-a-few-words
When I was Vice President of Creative Services at Conseco, we were always out of literature for key products. In the insurance business literature is all you have to sell, so these outages would cripple our sales team. Out out of stock list was routinely close to 300 different items and climbing. While we had numerous meetings on the subject nothing ever changed.
So I stopped talking about procedures and policy and asked a simple question "If our goal was a back order level of 100 what would we do?" Defining a specific target, instead of vague "get better" gave a focus to our discussions. Every day we knew exactly how far we were from our target.
As an added incentive, I offered to take the print team to any restaurant in town if we reduced our back orders to 100 by September. 1. The date gave us the sense of urgency we needed to keep this in the forefront of our discussions.
We kicked off every production meeting with a brief conversation about the back-order list and the ideas started flowing. We instituted a "red flag" for any project associated with back order items. Every team, editors, designers, writers and account executives agreed if a red tag landed on their desk it was their first priority.
Slowly the numbers started to improve; We posted the daily results on the way so we could see our progress in real time. . On September 1, we went to lunch at Cafe Nora. There are several important lessons for small business owners in this story:
- Define your goals, with a specific time line
- If you are serious create and follow an action plan
- Track your progress
- Involve others, do not assume you can do it on your own. We would never have succeeded with out the support of the printer, inventory team, and other managers.
I love games. Whether it’s playing cards with family, a quick round of trivia, or even the occasional video game, there’s something so engaging about the world of play. But I’ve never really thought about applying the principles of games to business—until I spoke with Rob Alvarez of Professor Game. Gamification, as Rob explains it, is about using elements of play to motivate action and achieve goals, and it’s not just for big companies. From language apps to skincare quizzes, the possibilities are endless.
- Gamification Defined: At its core, gamification uses elements of play and game design to achieve goals that would otherwise be difficult to reach. It’s not just about entertainment; it’s about motivating people toward meaningful actions.
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Two Approaches to Gamification: Rob shared examples of gamification in action:
- Duolingo: This language-learning app gamifies the process with streaks, leaderboards, and rewards, encouraging daily engagement in small increments rather than overwhelming sessions.
- Skin Care Quiz: A simple questionnaire that mimics personality quizzes (e.g., “Which Disney princess are you?”) to recommend tailored skincare routines, combining fun with practical marketing.
- The Player-Centric Perspective: Effective gamification starts by understanding what motivates your audience—what excites and moves them to action. Viewing your audience as "players" or protagonists can shift the way you design experiences and tailor your strategies.
- Psychological Strategies: Small changes can have a significant impact. For example, LinkedIn’s progress bar motivates users to complete their profiles step by step, illustrating how even simple features can enhance engagement.
- Designing for Connection: Gamification can foster community and social interaction. Whether it’s forming teams in Fortnite or creating shared experiences at a gym or salon, the sense of connection can be a powerful motivator.
LEARN MORE
If you have enjoyed this conversation, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts - or to MoreThanAFewWords.com
Good marketing isn’t all one thing or another. It’s really about creating a hybrid approach, pulling together the best elements of different strategies to move your brand forward. In today’s episode, I spoke with Alex Thoric, a seasoned digital marketer and entrepreneur, about how combining organic content and paid advertising can create a winning formula. Our conversation reaffirmed something I’ve believed for a long time: successful marketing isn’t just about tools and tactics; it’s about understanding people—how they think, what they trust, and how they engage.
Here are the key points from our conversation:
- Trust Takes Time and Touchpoints
Alex shared a fascinating framework: on average, it takes 7 hours of content, 11 interactions, and 4 different channels for a potential customer to trust your brand enough to make a purchase. This means marketers need to think long-term, building relationships over time rather than chasing quick wins. - Short Content for Quick Wins, Long Content for Loyalty
Short-form content, like Instagram Reels and TikToks, captures attention quickly and builds initial interest. Longer-form videos, though, are where deep engagement happens. Alex found that people who stick around for 5- or 10-minute videos are much more likely to convert into loyal customers. - Boost Organic Content with Paid Ads
Organic content is essential, but it’s a guessing game in terms of reach. Adding ad spend to your best-performing posts ensures your message gets in front of the right audience, giving you more control and consistency. Plus, combining the two helps address today’s trust issues by showing up repeatedly for potential customers in authentic and helpful ways. - Hooks Are Everything
The first 3–5 seconds of any video are critical. Whether it’s a surprising visual, a bold question, or simply calling out your audience, grabbing attention early ensures your content has a fighting chance. - Retarget Strategically
Retargeting works best when it feels personal. For example, Alex suggested calling out the viewer directly with messages like, “Looks like you enjoyed our content—here’s something else you might love.” This approach makes your ads feel like an extension of your content rather than just another pitch.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Think beyond the immediate click or sale—build relationships with consistent, trustworthy content across multiple platforms.
- Experiment with both short and long-form videos to see what resonates with your audience.
- Use paid ads strategically to amplify your organic efforts and build trust faster.
- Always start your videos with a compelling hook—attention spans are shorter than ever.
- Make retargeting personal and helpful, not pushy.
Hybrid marketing isn’t just a strategy; it’s a mindset. It’s about meeting your audience where they are and guiding them step by step. If you’re curious about Alex’s work, check out his website https://www.buildingincomeondemand.com/
And if you are looking for other resources for your business check out https://morethanafewwords.com
Failure can feel like a four-letter word for entrepreneurs, but it doesn’t have to be. It can also be an opportunity to learn and grow, but let's face it failure is painful, so sometimes it is nice to learn from other people's mistakes. That's why I decided to launch the What Went Wrong series, I wanted to create a space for honest conversations about missteps and miscalculations—and the incredible lessons they teach us.
For the first episode, I invited Emily Aborn, a copywriter, speaker, and podcast host, to share her entrepreneurial journey. From opening a non-toxic mattress store to building a successful women’s entrepreneurship community before finding her true calling, Emily’s experiences are a masterclass in learning to pivot, listen to your gut, and embrace the opportunities hiding in what might feel like a dead end.
Key Points from the Conversation1. Follow Your Passion, Not Someone Else’s Path: Emily’s entrepreneurial journey began in health education but veered into unexpected territory when she ignored her instincts and tried to conform to others’ expectations. Her advice? Be honest about what excites you—and what doesn’t. 2. Mistakes Are a Roadmap: Whether it was running a retail mattress store or managing a large entrepreneurial community, Emily’s ventures taught her valuable lessons about boundaries, focus, and what she truly loves to do. 3. Pivot When It’s Not Working: Closing her store wasn’t a failure—it was a realization that led Emily to rediscover her passion for writing and helping others with their messaging. She emphasizes the importance of assessing what’s working and what isn’t before moving forward. 4. Test the Waters First: Before diving headfirst into a new business idea, gain hands-on experience. Emily credits working in a mattress store for showing her the potential—and pitfalls—of the retail world. 5. Create a Business That Aligns With You: Emily encourages entrepreneurs to design businesses that reflect their strengths and preferences, rather than forcing themselves into roles they dislike.
Actionable Takeaways* Assess Your Strengths and Interests: Take the time to understand what you love and what drains you before launching a business. * Learn from Others: Work in a similar business or shadow an expert to understand the industry’s day-to-day realities. * Embrace Mistakes: Look for lessons in every misstep. Each failure is an opportunity to refine your approach. * Be Willing to Pivot: If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change course. Closing one door often opens another. * Trust Your Gut: Listen to your instincts when making big decisions, even if they lead you away from the original plan.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about avoiding mistakes—it’s about learning from them. Emily’s journey proves that even when things go sideways, there’s always a way forward.
If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe or sign up for a newsletter, and never miss another episode https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo
Stand Out by Finding Your Unique Flavor
How often have you been told that the first step to creating marketing is getting crystal clear on your customer. Who are they? What do they need?
That's just the starting point. The real magic happens when you figure out how to be different. And I'm not talking about different for the sake of being different. I'm talking about leaning into what makes you unique.
It's like choosing what kind of apple you want to be. If you just say you're an "apple" in general, you'll get lost in the crowd. But if you decide, "You know what? I'm going to be a Honeycrisp" - now you're really getting somewhere.
Because the pears and oranges of the world can't compete with your Honeycrisp flavor. You've carved out your own niche, and you're owning it.
The same goes for your business. When you get clear on what makes you special - your origin story, your values, your signature process - that's when the magic starts to happen.
Sure, it might mean turning away some customers along the way. But you can't be everything to everyone. And the funny thing is, when you stop trying to blend in and instead lean into your unique flavor, that's when the perfect-fit clients start to find you.
They're drawn to your authenticity, your confidence, your refusal to be like everyone else. And there's nothing more powerful than working with people who truly "get" you.
So, the next time you're tempted to play it safe, ask yourself - what makes me different? Because that's where the real magic lies.
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If you’re like me, you’ve probably found yourself working so hard on your business that burnout feels inevitable. That’s why I was excited to talk with Rob Tracz, a performance coach who helps entrepreneurs transition from burnout to breakthrough. With his holistic Prime Performance Coaching framework, Rob tackles the physical, mental, and emotional hurdles entrepreneurs face. Together, we unpacked strategies for navigating burnout, building resilience, and sustaining success.
3 Key Insights from the Conversation1. Avoiding Burnout Starts with Awareness
Rob shared that the first step in overcoming burnout is recognizing where you are on your journey. Reflect on the stressors you’ve been managing, how long you’ve been juggling them, and how much longer you can keep going. Setting clear deadlines can create a mental finish line, helping you endure challenges more effectively. As Rob reminded me, you’ve survived 100% of your tough moments so far—you’re stronger than you think.
2. The Team Triangle: Your Built-In Support System
Rob’s "Team Triangle" framework is a game-changer. At the top, you have your coach—a mentor to guide and inspire you. In the middle, there are captains—peers who collaborate and keep you moving forward. At the base is your crowd—cheerleaders who provide motivation and encouragement. Each plays a unique role, and knowing who to lean on and when can make all the difference.
3. Slowing Down to Break Through
When life feels overwhelming, Rob advocates for slowing things down and focusing on what’s essential. Prioritize the tasks that matter most and set your own timelines to regain control. This approach not only prevents burnout but ensures you’re working smarter, not harder. His mantra? Don’t let timelines dictate your life—take control and build your business on your terms.
Actionable Takeaways* Set Clear Deadlines: Whether it’s a short-term goal or a break in sight, having an endpoint can give you the stamina to keep going. * Identify Your Team: Lean on your coach, captains, and crowd for guidance, collaboration, and encouragement. * Prioritize and Simplify: Focus on one or two tasks that move the needle, and don’t hesitate to delegate when needed. * Invest in Yourself: Rob’s “looking good, feeling good, doing great things” philosophy reminds us to prioritize physical and emotional well-being. Fuel your body with nutritious food and your mind with uplifting media to stay strong and focused.
Rob’s insights are a reminder that success isn’t about grinding endlessly—it’s about creating a sustainable path forward. If you want to learn more about his Prime Performance Coaching program, you can find Rob at robtracz.com and across social media.
Feeling inspired? Look for conversations and so much more at www.morethanafewwords.com for practical advice and insights to grow your business.
Why did I invite Lisa McDonald, a certified career coach to join me for a conversation? You are not looking for a job, but you are probably looking for employees,
And Lisa is probably working with those potential employees, telling them not to apply for a job with your company.
In this lively conversation, we talk about the mistakes employers make starting with job descriptions that don’t really reflect the company to interviews that go completely off the rails.
This is one conversation you need to listen to, before you try to hire your next employee.
Lisa explains that crafting a compelling job description is as much about storytelling as writing a great ad for your business. It’s not just a list of tasks; it’s your chance to paint a picture of what it’s like to work with you. And let’s be honest, if you’re on the hunt for a “purple squirrel,” you’re setting yourself up for frustration.
Here are the key takeaways:
Ditch the Bucket List: Stop trying to find the impossible candidate who checks every box. Instead, focus on the core skills and values you need. Hiring for potential can often yield better results than sticking to an unrealistic wish list.
Think Like a Candidate: Just as you’d tailor your resume to highlight your strengths, craft your job description to attract the right person. Use language that reflects your company’s personality, values, and culture. A good job description should read more like an invitation than a set of rules.
Avoid the Extremes: Don’t sound too outdated or overly trendy. The goal is to sound authentic—like the kind of team a candidate would actually want to join.
It’s All Marketing: Your job description isn’t just a list of responsibilities; it’s an ad for your company. Think about the words you’d use to sell your product or service and apply the same principles to your hiring process. Remember, you’re selling the idea of working with you.
Mirror Your Culture: Make sure your job description aligns with how your team communicates and operates. If your workplace is warm and collaborative, let that shine through in your wording.
If you’re struggling to hire, take a hard look at your job descriptions. Are they telling the right story? Or are they pushing people away before you’ve even had a chance to meet them? Start fresh, focus on the essentials, and don’t be afraid to let your company’s personality come through. You might just find that the right candidate has been waiting for a job posting that finally speaks their language.
If you enjoyed this conversation, look for More - more conversations like this, workbooks, whitepapers, webinars and so much more https://www.morethanafewwords.com
I bet you're thinking this is going to be another marketing tip. Well, not today. Instead, I want to tell you about something I'm working on that I'm really excited about.
We all learn best from our mistakes, but mistakes can be painful. So I want to help you learn from other people's mistakes. That's why I'm inviting back some of my favorite guests to share stories of their adventures through entrepreneurship.
We will talk about what were they hoping would happen, what went wrong, and what did they learn.
Curious? Ready for a couple of lessons? Then join me every Sunday morning for a new series called What Went Wrong. Then be sure to check out the other conversations during the week filled with marketing tips to help you grow your business.
NEVER MISS ANOTHER CONVERSATION
Content Co-Creation with AI: The Human Touch Makes It GreaterYou know, when it comes to creating standout content these days, the real magic happens when you get humans and AI working together. Now, I know what you might be thinking - "But Lorraine, won't the AI just do it all?" Well, let me tell you, that's not the case at all.
You see, while AI is getting smarter every day, there's still one thing it can't quite replicate - the unique human perspective. And that's the secret sauce of content co-creation.
If you just hand an AI a prompt and let it go, sure, you might end up with something slick and well-written. But is it going to have that special something that really resonates with your audience? Probably not.
That's where you, the human, come in. By collaborating with the AI, by guiding it, by infusing your own experiences and creativity, you can take that initial AI-generated output and turn it into something truly remarkable.
It's like baking a cake - the AI can give you the recipe, but it's up to you to add that secret family ingredient, that perfect pinch of spice, that artful decorative flourish. That's what takes it from good to great.
So, the next time you're staring at a blank screen, don't be afraid to lean on AI for a little creative boost. But remember, the real power lies in that human-machine partnership. Because 50% human + 50% AI is always greater than 100% AI alone.
That's the kind of content that's going to leave a lasting impression on your audience. And that's the kind of content I'm here to help you create.
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There’s a common myth that as a business owner, it’s your business, so you must do it all. Carolyn Bisaleeski’s journey shows just how limiting that mindset can be. A former accountant turned coach and author, Carolyn shared her story on More Than a Few Words about breaking free from micromanagement, finding clarity, and creating a business aligned with her true purpose. Her insights are a must-listen for anyone feeling stuck in a role they’ve outgrown.
Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:
- Recognizing the Red Flags
Carolyn explained how feelings of dread, stress, and misalignment with her work signaled that she was no longer in the right place. For her, the daily grind became unbearable, and she realized it was time to reevaluate what she truly wanted. - The Power of Clarity
Once Carolyn became clear on her goals, she made decisions quickly. Within a month, she let go of her accounting firm, resolved her commitments, and transitioned to a career that felt meaningful. Clarity, she said, makes decision-making straightforward. - Trust and Delegation
A major hurdle for Carolyn was learning to trust others with her business. Her micromanaging tendencies were both a cause of stress and a barrier to growth. Letting go and building trust created space for transformation. - Creating a ‘Shopping List’ of Dreams
Carolyn’s practical advice for gaining clarity? Write a “shopping list” of everything you want, even the seemingly impossible. This act helps push beyond comfort zones and visualize new possibilities. - Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies
Carolyn emphasized the importance of balancing action-driven "masculine" approaches with intuition and flow. This holistic mindset shift empowered her to navigate change and find joy in her work again.
Actionable Takeaway:
If your business no longer feels like the right fit, start by carving out 30 minutes to reflect. Write down your goals—no matter how far-fetched they seem. Use this clarity to make decisions that honor both your vision and yourself. Remember, you can build a business that works for you.
For more inspiration, check out Carolyn’s podcast, Inspired Choice, and her new book, Inspired Chronicles.
And if you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out More than a Few Words.
Every great story starts with a spark—an idea that captures attention and draws people in. But to tell a story that truly connects, you need more than just inspiration. You need a clear picture of your audience and the problem you’re solving for them.
Whether you’re talking to customers, your team, or the world at large, a good story is your secret weapon for building relationships that matter. These conversations, full of practical tips and real-life example will help you unlock the art of crafting a great story.
Feedback in our listener survey indicated an interest in deeper dives on specific topis. So what do you think? Do you like the format? I would love to hear from you!
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
You know the feeling - you're staring at a blank screen, desperately searching for inspiration. The creative well has run dry, and no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to come up with any fresh, innovative ideas. Been there, done that, right?
Well, my friend, the solution is simpler than you might think. Just like your car needs gas to keep going, your creative engine needs a little fuel to really get revved up and running.
So, how do you fill up that creative tank? Let me share a few of my favorite tips:
Listen More, Talk Less
It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to spark new ideas is to actually talk less and listen more. You see, when you're constantly running your mouth, you're not leaving any room for new information to seep in. And trust me, you never know when that random tidbit of knowledge could be the missing puzzle piece you need to solve a thorny problem.
So, practice being a better listener. Ask thoughtful questions, lean in, and soak up everything the other person is saying. You might be surprised by how quickly the creative juices start flowing once you get out of your own head and start paying attention to the world around you.
Visit Alien Cultures
Don't just stick to your own little corner of the business world. Instead, make it a point to learn from people and companies that seem completely foreign to what you do.
Pick up a magazine about an industry you know nothing about. Chat with the barista at your local coffee shop. Heck, strike up a conversation with the stranger next to you at the airport. You never know what little nugget of inspiration you might uncover.
And speaking of airports, why not turn your commute into a rolling "university on wheels"? Pop in those earbuds and listen to audiobooks or podcasts that have nothing to do with your day job. It's amazing how quickly your brain can make unexpected connections when you expose it to new and different information.
Creative Environments
Of course, it's not just about what goes into your brain - your physical environment plays a big role in stoking your creative fire too. That's why I always encourage the folks I work with to create dedicated "idea hubs" in their offices.
Fill these spaces with comfy chairs, colorful decor, and all sorts of inspiring materials - from books and magazines to videos and technical samples. Then, make sure your team knows they're free to escape to these zones whenever they need mental refresh.
And don't forget to sprinkle in a little fun too. I'm talking about the occasional water gun battle or impromptu dance party. Because when you create an atmosphere that's equal parts productive and playful, that's when the real magic starts to happen.
If you have enjoyed this marketing tip, look for longer episodes, wherever you listen to podcasts .https://apple.co/3O3sJmt
If you’re trying to grow your business, one of the best places to go is where other businesses hang out—and that’s LinkedIn. But maybe you’re there already and just not getting the results you want. That’s exactly where Deanna Russo, founder of Leverage Up, comes in. Deanna took her LinkedIn following from a modest 400 to an impressive 30,000 and counting. She joined me to share her best tips for building a LinkedIn presence that actually works—no jargon, no gimmicks, just practical advice grounded in her own success. As someone who's been experimenting with LinkedIn myself, I couldn’t wait to learn more . Here’s what I learned from our conversation:
- Start with Your Profile
Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just a page—it’s your billboard. Deanna emphasized the importance of customizing your profile to speak directly to your target audience. Think of it as the foundation for all your LinkedIn activity; without a solid base, everything else wobbles. - Understand the LinkedIn Triangle
Deanna’s LinkedIn strategy revolves around three pillars: profile, engagement, and content. Your profile draws people in, engagement builds connections, and content amplifies your voice. But here’s the kicker—they all depend on each other. You can’t skip one without weakening the whole structure. And for long-term success, consistency is the secret ingredient that transforms this triangle into a sturdy pyramid. - Engage Like You’re at a Networking Event
LinkedIn engagement isn’t about throwing out generic comments like "Great post!" It’s about starting real conversations. Deanna encouraged listeners to comment as if they were chatting in person—ask thoughtful questions, share insights, and be genuine. - Consistency Beats Quick Wins
Growth on LinkedIn doesn’t happen overnight. Deanna shared how sticking to a twice-weekly content schedule—and showing up in the comments—helped her build momentum. The key is to stay visible without obsessing over views and likes, which she called the “gremlins” that derail your focus. - Think Organic, Not Spammy
Tagging random people in posts for visibility? Hard pass. Deanna prefers organic growth through meaningful interactions. Instead of spamming tags, send a direct message to someone genuinely interested in your content or topic.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Treat your LinkedIn profile like your elevator pitch—clear, concise, and targeted.
- Show up consistently, both in your posts and in the comments.
- Engage like a human. Ask questions, answer thoughtfully, and skip the jargon.
- Focus on building relationships, not just growing numbers.
Want to see Deanna in action? Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn.
As a small business owner or consultant, creating consistent marketing content can feel like yet another task on your already long to-do list. That’s why I invited Sally Loftus, an expert in human resources and organizational improvement, to share her practical approach to using themes to simplify content creation.
By organizing her marketing around key topics tied to her work, she developed a system that keeps her messaging clear and aligned with her audience’s needs throughout the year. Whether you’re a one-person operation or managing a team, her tips are easy to adapt and implement.
Key Points from the Conversation:1. Use Themes to Anchor Your Marketing: Sally structures her marketing around a few central themes tied to her expertise. This helps her create consistent, targeted content throughout the year that speaks to her audience's evolving needs. 2. Adapt to Timing and Trends: By aligning her themes with seasonal shifts and key industry dates, Sally ensures her content stays relevant and timely, such as focusing on pay equity during Equal Pay Day or lighter topics during summer months. 3. Repurpose and Recycle Content: Long-form pieces, like blogs or newsletters, serve as a foundation. Sally breaks them into bite-sized content for social media, email, and other platforms, maximizing visibility without constantly reinventing the wheel. 4. Tailor Content for Each Platform: Recognizing different audience preferences, Sally adapts her content for platforms like LinkedIn (professional tone), Instagram (personal and visual), and YouTube (a mix of short and long videos). 5. Engagement Fuels Visibility: Sally emphasizes the importance of being active on social media—commenting, sharing, and reacting—to boost her content’s reach. Regular updates to older content with new insights also help maintain its relevance.
Actionable Takeaways:* Identify 2–3 core themes that align with your expertise and your audience's interests. Use these themes to guide your content planning for the year. * Repurpose long-form content into smaller pieces to save time and reach audiences on different platforms. * Align your marketing efforts with seasonal trends and industry milestones for maximum relevance. * Engage with your audience by responding to comments and staying active on your chosen platforms—it’s not just about posting but participating. * Keep a mix of evergreen and timely content in your arsenal, ensuring a balance between enduring value and immediate impact.
With thoughtful planning and a touch of creativity, your marketing can feel less like juggling torches and more like conducting a symphony.
About Sally
Sally Loftis, a consultant specializing in human resources, organization improvement, and social change, has made significant contributions in the realm of pay equity. This includes her new book, The Pay Equity Guide for Nonprofit Organizations Sally’s mission is to co-create workplaces where humans feel valued through living wages and healthy human connections. Her work with Loftis Partners emphasizes racial and pay equity, appreciative inquiry, and building on human strengths within organizations. Learn More - https://www.loftispartners.com/Connect with Sally on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyloftisloftis/
On a cold rush hour morning, a good looking man, dressed in jeans and a baseball cap walked into a train station, carrying a violin case.
He opened the case, dropped a few dollars in to encourage others to do the same. Over the next 45 minutes, he earned less than $35 for his performance. Most people simply walked by, barely stopping to listen to the classical violin piece, played flawlessly by the young man.
Who was he? Joshua Bell, one of the world’s most renowned musicians. As part of a social experiment, arranged by a writer from the Washington Post, he played for 45 minutes to see what would happen. The results are depressing. More than 1,000 people walked by missing a chance to hear this amazing musician perform. Depressing not just because they missed a once in a life time chance to hear Joshua Bell, but because their behavior is very typical of how we live our lives. We get so focused on the end game; we miss so much along the way.
So the lesson for today, is not strictly business. Take a few minutes to listen to the music, explore something new, you and your business will be better for it.
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What if managing your marketing was more like hosting a party? That’s the premise behind the Party Principle, a concept Dave Charest of Constant Contact shared with me. As someone who loves both a good metaphor and a well-organized shindig, this approach clicked immediately. Social media becomes the lively main event, email is the cozy afterparty, and SMS? That’s your VIP lounge, reserved for your most engaged fans. Each channel plays its role, ensuring that your marketing not only entertains but also builds genuine relationships.
The Party Analogy
Social media is where your audience gathers, much like guests at a bustling party. It’s about meeting new people and sparking initial connections. From there, email brings a more intimate setting—your “afterparty”—where relationships deepen. SMS steps in as the exclusive VIP lounge, offering a direct, timely way to connect with your most loyal customers.
Tailoring Content to Each Channel
Avoid the mistake of treating all platforms the same. Just as you wouldn’t serve chips at a VIP lounge, your content on social, email, and text should fit the unique strengths of each medium. Social posts can drive discovery, email builds loyalty with in-depth value, and SMS stands out for its immediacy and exclusivity.
Building Relationships Gradually
Transitioning your audience from one channel to the next requires intentionality. Social posts can include calls to action for email signups, offering something valuable like discounts or guides. Similarly, SMS should deliver time-sensitive, exclusive perks to make it feel special—not just another notification.
Keep It Strategic
Your marketing channels should complement one another. For instance, use email to share resources about a webinar, social media to create buzz, and SMS to send timely reminders. Aligning your efforts amplifies your message without overwhelming your audience.
Actionable Steps:
- Create a Value Ladder: Start by offering engaging content on social media, followed by incentives for email signups like discounts or helpful resources. For SMS, save it for urgent, high-priority messages that your audience will appreciate.
- Map Your Party Flow: Think about how each channel leads naturally to the next, just as a host guides guests from appetizers to dessert.
- Respect Each Space: Tailor your tone and content for each channel. Give your audience a reason to engage in multiple ways, keeping their experience dynamic and rewarding.
By reimagining your marketing as a well-hosted party, you’ll not only draw people in but also make them want to stay. And let’s be honest—who doesn’t love a great party?
Dave CharestDave Charest is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, the online marketing leader trusted by millions of small businesses. In his role, Dave acts as an educator and an advocate for small business leaders, marketing professionals, and nonprofits by providing practical marketing advice to help them achieve their goals.
He is a dynamic leader, speaker, creator, and award-winning marketer who strives to inspire small businesses by simplifying the complex world of online marketing. Dave also hosts the Be a Marketer podcast, a 2024 Webby Awards Honoree.
From The Archive -
Online advertising can feel like navigating a dense forest without a map—especially for businesses trying to sell nationally without the resources of big-name competitors. That’s why I invited Krystal Covington, to share her expertise. Originally released in September 2022, Krystal's tips are still relevant today. Together, we explored how businesses can use geo-targeting and smart collaborations to stretch their advertising dollars further and stand out in targeted markets.
Here are the highlights of our conversation:
- Focus Your Efforts With Geo-Targeting
Even for businesses that can sell anywhere, narrowing the focus to specific regions can make a big impact. Tools like Google Trends help identify where demand is strongest, allowing companies to allocate their budget effectively. For instance, a $500 geo-targeted ad campaign in high-interest areas can yield better results than a $3,000 national campaign competing against industry giants. - Collaborations and Partnerships Pay Off
Building "power partnerships" with complementary businesses can expand your reach without blowing your budget. From co-branded sweepstakes to shared promotions, partnerships allow you to tap into each other’s audiences and grow your contact lists while creating mutual value. - Creative Strategies for Audience Growth
Krystal shared her experience using tools like Gleam.io to run contests that reward participants for actions like visiting websites, following social media accounts, or joining email lists. This approach not only engages audiences but also helps both partners grow their visibility in meaningful, measurable ways. - Adapt These Strategies Locally or Nationally
Whether you're targeting your hometown or a far-off market like Baltimore, the principles are the same. Find either local partners in your target area or collaborate with nearby businesses to enter new regions together.
I teach marketing at a local university, and this week I was talking to my students about Ansoff's Marketing Matrix. In this structure, he identifies four ways that you can grow your business.
1) Sell more of what you're already selling to your existing customers.
2) Sell more of what you're selling, but to new customers.
3) Develop a brand new product and sell that to your existing customers.
4) Sell a new product to a new group of customers.
Of the four strategies, that last one, diversification is really hard to do because you're in uncharted waters with people who don't know and love you. So my recommendation if you're ready to grow, figure out whether you have a product that has broader appeal and you just haven't introduced people to it, or if your current customers are ready for something new.
What did you think of the episode? I would love to hear from you. Please take a quick minute to complete the listener survey I can create shows that that keep you coming back, with a few laughs and a lot of practical tips along the way. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
Whether you’re running a business, managing a nonprofit, or just trying to share your message with the world a good story is the key to connecting with people. Stories bring ideas to life, giving them color and shape that facts and figures alone just can’t match. That’s why I was so excited to chat with Shaté Hayes
.
She is a creative strategist with a fascinating background as a professional dancer and choreographer. Her career has been built on crafting stories—first on the stage and now as a tool for business leaders looking to inspire action. Our conversation was a wonderful reminder that, whether you’re working on a stage or in a boardroom, storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in your toolkit.
Here are the key takeaways from our chat:
- Start by Collecting Your Puzzle Pieces
Before you can craft a great story, you need to gather all the raw materials. Building a story is like assembling a puzzle—laying out data, testimonials, and even permissions to use specific anecdotes. The more pieces you collect, the easier it is to see the full picture and decide what’s most compelling.
- Choose Stories That Align with Your Purpose
Not every story or element you collect will make the cut. Pick stories that reflect your business’s core mission and goals. Think of it like packing for a trip: you don’t need to bring everything, just the essentials that will get you where you want to go.
- Focus on the Human Element
Some of the most impactful stories aren’t about big numbers or dramatic events—they’re about small, relatable moments. Look for human moments that connect people, it is not about a bland testimonial of how they liked working with your, but a compelling explanation of how you helped them solve a problem and how that felt for both of you.
- Tailor Stories to the Right Platforms
From Instagram Reels to LinkedIn posts, stories shine when they’re shared in a way that fits the platform. Shaté reminded me that we don’t need to be everywhere—just where our audience is—and to play to each platform’s strengths, like video for TikTok or text posts for LinkedIn.
- Every Business Has a Story Worth Sharing
Forget the myth that stories must be extraordinary to be meaningful. Even seemingly simple experiences—like how you overcame a challenge or found a creative solution—can resonate with your audience. It’s about being real and relatable.
In this episode, I sat down with Johnny Cooper to tackle a big question: Who is your ideal client? If you’re like most business owners, you’ve probably wrestled with this at some point, worrying about whether narrowing your focus means missing out on other opportunities. Johnny, who runs the popular community Johnny Hates Marketing, had a refreshingly straightforward take on the subject. With his British wit and practical insights, he laid out a simple approach to targeting the right people without overcomplicating things or getting stuck in “what-if” thinking.
Here are the big takeaways from our conversation:
- The Value of Defining an Ideal Client: Aiming to please everyone dilutes a brand’s appeal. Instead, identifying a specific group with distinct needs creates a stronger, more targeted message.
- Overcoming Fear of Exclusion: Business owners often fear losing out on clients if they narrow their focus. Defining an ideal client doesn’t exclude others—it simply helps businesses attract the most compatible clients. Adjustments can be made over time if necessary.
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Johnny’s Three-Legged Stool for Ideal Clients: He outlines three essential traits for an ideal client:
- They have a pressing, significant problem you can solve.
- They are visible or identifiable by certain markers, making it easy to connect with them.
- They have the financial means to invest in your services.
- Simplicity in Targeting: Take a straightforward approach, avoid over-complication and make adjustments
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
You probably don’t want to hear this. I’m going to do it SEO wrong. You’re spending all your time focused on what search engines want, worrying about stuffing your pages with keywords, inbound links, and outbound links.
But search engines don’t buy from you, people do
So I want you to think about SEO differently. Start focusing on content that answers questions real people have about your product and service. If you do that, and you do that, well, the search engines will pay attention.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BUILDING YOUR OWN CONTENT BASED SEO PROGRAM
Sometimes, managing social media can feel like you are on a hamster wheel. As a small business owner you’re running fast, but it doesn't seem as if you are getting anywhere? In my chat with Peg Fitzpatrick, we focused on simple and practical tips. From rethinking which platforms are worth your time to using Pinterest as a hidden traffic booster, we covered a lot of ground in just 10 minutes
Here’s what Peg had to say:
- Skip TikTok—It’s Not Worth the Hassle
Peg tackled TikTok head-on and made a great point: while TikTok can be fun, it’s also a huge time commitment. And with ongoing political concerns around the platform, it could disappear tomorrow. If you’re already stretched thin, focus on Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts instead. Both offer the same short-form video format but require less time and carry fewer risks. It’s like choosing a dependable truck over a flashy sports car—you know it’ll get you where you need to go. - LinkedIn: Your Secret Networking Goldmine
LinkedIn isn’t just for job hunters; it’s a hidden gem for business networking, especially if you’re a local business owner. Peg’s advice? Update your profile, use a recent photo, and write a bio that clearly tells people what you do. Then, connect with other local businesses. You may find partners, collaborators, or even just a circle of business friends who get what it’s like to run a small business. Think of LinkedIn as your digital chamber of commerce—you never know who you’ll meet. - Pinterest: The Platform That Keeps on Giving
Now, here’s a platform many of us overlook. Unlike the high-maintenance world of Instagram or Facebook, Pinterest is like planting a garden. You plant a pin, and months later, people are still finding it, clicking on it, and visiting your website. And the best part? Every pin links directly to your site, making it one of the few places on social media where traffic flows your way. Peg described Pinterest as a slow simmer—it might not be the flashiest way to build traffic, but it’s steady and long-lasting. If you’re already creating content, pinning it on Pinterest is a simple, low-effort way to extend its reach. - Perfect the Art of Short-Form Content
Don’t let short videos fool you—creating great short-form content takes skill. Peg pointed out that keeping things concise is actually harder than it seems. Think of it like writing a postcard instead of a letter; you need to get to the heart of your message fast. But with people’s attention spans shrinking, investing the time to master short videos can make a big difference. Whether it’s Reels, YouTube Shorts, or those Pinterest clips, focus on being clear and engaging in 10-20 seconds.
I know you own your own business. You're in there working it all the time, but I'm going to let you in on a secret, smart business owners don't do it alone, we. We find partners who are focused on the same markets and have similar objectives. Sometimes that's an interview on a podcast, and sometimes it's collaborating on a bundle.
I wanted to know more about what makes bundles so effective, so I spent some time chatting with Jennie Wright, co-founder of Many Bundles. Talking with her gave me new ideas for how to partner with others, bundle resources, and build stronger connections with audiences.
Bundles and Summits: What's the Difference - Summits are essentially collections of expert interviews shared over a few days, with contributors promoting the event to their audiences. Bundles, on the other hand, skip the interviews and focus on offering high-value products—like courses, masterclasses, or tools—available exclusively for the bundle's duration. Both approaches drive organic growth, giving participants access to new audiences without the expense of paid ads.
Why Bundles Work So Well - They create a "leapfrog effect," accelerating your business growth by putting your offers in front of highly targeted audiences. Jennie emphasized that this strategy builds credibility and grows your email list more effectively than traditional lead magnets, which often get lost in the noise of today’s crowded digital landscape.
The Game-Changing Ultra Bundle Model - Jennie’s Many Bundles team has reimagined the typical bundle format with a 90-day model. Instead of a short burst of promotion, contributors get three months of exposure. New products are continually added, increasing the bundle’s value and giving participants more time to market at their own pace. This slower, steadier approach creates opportunities for long-term discovery while reducing the stress of traditional bundle deadlines.
Keys to Bundle Success Jennie shared practical advice for anyone looking to participate in a bundle: ensure your audience aligns with the bundle’s target market, prepare a strong product or freebie that isn’t already freely available elsewhere, and be ready to promote. Having professional assets like a bio, headshot, and lead magnet prepared is essential to standing out.
Bundles Build Community - Beyond lead generation, bundles foster collaboration among contributors. Through contributor hubs, participants can connect, network, and even swap podcast guest spots. This community aspect transforms a marketing tactic into a relationship-building opportunity. For me, being part of a bundle isn’t just about leads—it’s about relationships.
The Many Bundles 90-day model has been a fantastic way to connect with new audiences and collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs. If you’re looking for an organic, low-cost way to grow your business, bundles might just be the perfect fit. Want to learn more? Check out the link in the show notes and explore how you can get involved. GET THE BUNDLE -
I've noticed lately that no matter what social platform I'm on there is lots of video. There are video shorts and more video and more video.
Obviously it's being driven by the rise of TikTok as every other platform is trying to get in on that short format and the shorts are great. They get a lot of engagement. And so it becomes a little addictive. The more you do, the more engagement you get ... until you don't.
I have noticed everybody is doing it and all the video looks alike. So we are starting to see a little bit of video fatigue setting in.
I've always been one to recommend going against the grain, but I'm not telling you to stop doing video. Clearly, I'm doing video, but I want you to do is mix it up. Start dropping more long form content into social media articles, for example longer introductions to your video.
Then do something else. Take the extra five minutes, to edit your video into Canva or some other editing tool to put a distinctive frame around it. Make your video look different and avoid the fatigue.
If you need a little help or some suggestions let's chat - https://morethanafewwords.com/office-hours/
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Every message you send shapes your brand—make it count
Chris Moore and I explored the importance of crafting communication that aligns with your company’s vision. Chris is a leadership expert who has spent over 25 years guiding both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses toward building strong, results-driven cultures. As he explains, every message you send—whether it’s to a customer, employee, or partner—has the power to shape how people see your brand. But how do you make sure those messages truly reflect your vision?
Here are the main takeaways:
Vision Is More Than a Dream
We often think of our vision in terms of personal goals or financial success, but a powerful vision includes everyone it touches. When you expand your vision to benefit your customers and team, it becomes a shared mission, making it easier to bring people on board and turn that vision into reality.
Communicate Consistently and Clearly
Business owners sometimes assume that repeating their message is overkill, but if you think you’re overcommunicating, you’re probably just beginning to hit the mark.
Ask the Right Questions
There are four key questions that act as guardrails, helping to keep messages aligned with the company’s mission and brand identity.
- Does this represent our vision?
- What does this say about us?
- What does this say about our team?
- And finally, what does this say about our customers?
Pause Before You Post
Social media often feels like it demands instant reactions, but it doesn't; Take a moment to review your response and maybe get a second opinion before you post or hit send to be sure the message reflects your values accurately
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Your vibe attracts your tribe. Show up with purpose every day. Chatting with Jaclyn Strominger had me rethinking what it means to build genuine connections with an audience. Her energy is infectious, and her insights are spot on. In her decades of coaching, she’s seen one thing over and over: real business growth isn’t about flashy marketing tactics or big ad budgets—it’s about the vibe you put out and the community you create. If you want people to buy from you, they need to feel drawn to your energy and know who you are at your core.
Here’s what stood out to me most in our conversation:
1.Crafting a Magnetic “Vibe: We all radiate energy, whether we realize it or not, and that energy can either attract or repel. Building a community starts with putting out a vibe that feels welcoming, confident, and authentic. This isn’t about pretending to be upbeat all the time—it’s about intentionally choosing the energy you bring into interactions, especially on tough days. That consistent, positive vibe is what builds trust and draws people in.
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The LEAP Framework: Offers a roadmap for ambitious professionals to reach their next level:
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- Leveraging Communication : Keeping your vision, mission, and values front and center, both for yourself and for others, keeps you aligned and focused.
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- Energy : Energy is the secret sauce. Using an energy assessment tool with her clients, Jaclyn helps them tap into this inner resource so they can create a magnetic presence.
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- Action : A good vibe without an action plan doesn’t take you far. Align their daily tasks with their goals.
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- Performance: Apply the “MMA”—measure, monitor, and adjust—to make sure you’re on the right path and hitting your goals.
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Mindset Matters: In every situation, we can choose how to show up, and that choice sets the tone for everything that follows.
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These days, content has jumped off the page. There are podcasts, there are videos and pros and cons to those formats. You don't have to worry about your grammar and your spelling. You can just talk and that's great. And, you can let a little bit of your personality come through.
But there is a line. As I listen to podcasts, I listen for that line. Is there a moment where they go from sharing a little bit of who they are, their sense of humor to just talking about themselves?
So as you're creating content, especially if you're doing it for your business, you must watch that line. You don't want to be too stiff. Nobody wants to see that. But you also need to respect that your viewers are coming to you for information. Make sure that you're balancing personality with content.
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Do you ever find yourself lying awake, thinking of all the things you need to do tomorrow? Elizabeth Louis, neuropsychology expert and mindset coach, has a solution. In this conversation she breaks down why planning your day the night before is a game-changer, especially for high achievers who can’t seem to switch off. Along the way she shares practical tools to stay focused, adapt to change, and, yes, finally get some good sleep.
Here are a few of her best tips:
- Plan Your Day Before Bed: Instead of running through tomorrow’s to-dos as your head hits the pillow, jot down three to five tasks before you leave work. Not only does this clear your mind, but it primes your brain for a more relaxed, productive morning.
- Tap Into “Sensory-Based Thinking”: The brain’s quick, sensory-based thinking mode is four times faster than verbal reasoning. Planning ahead helps shift tasks into that mode, so your brain’s already working on solutions while you sleep.
- Be Adaptable: When your day goes sideways (as it does!), don’t let it throw you. Be flexible, remember a rigid schedule can leave us spinning, while a looser grip lets us stay nimble and calm.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Think of your goals like mile markers on a road trip. Instead of stressing over the full journey, celebrate hitting each marker, keeping up momentum and making the whole experience more enjoyable.
- Catch Your “Thinking Traps”: Ever notice that you tend to expect the worst? Many of us have mental patterns that pull us down the same rabbit holes day after day. Elizabeth’s advice? Recognize them, greet them like familiar visitors, and then get on with the work that matters.
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About Elizabeth Louis
She Helps High-Achievers Transform Their Psychology & Business To Generate Impact & Income in Less than 6 Weeks. She works as an Executive Performance Coach and have two graduate degrees in psychology. She is a professional coach and therapist specializing in performance/sports psychology, positive psychology, CBT, and Neuropsychotherapy.
Elizabeth is an executive performance coach for corporate powerhouses and innovation-driven entrepreneurs across the globe. I have spent the last 7-years studying and working with high-performers to help them make the impossible possible.
Sitting down with Robert Downey, CEO of Simply Be Found, I discovered a new way of looking at AI—not just as a marketing tool, but as a powerful sales ally. We dove into how AI can help small businesses boost their local SEO, streamline social media efforts, and make the most of website content.
Robert’s insights on AI’s role in digital marketing made me think back to the early days of the internet. Back then, businesses were just dipping their toes into the online world, figuring out how it all worked. Now, though, it feels like the pressure’s really on. With AI reshaping the entire landscape, companies have to keep up with these changes—or risk getting left behind.
Key Takeaways:
- Make AI Your Sales Partner: AI can enhance sales strategies, from drafting follow-up emails to refining content for better lead generation. But Robert emphasizes that AI should be used as a tool, not a replacement for genuine interaction.
- The SEO Pixel Advantage: Robert's SEO pixel is a game-changer, tracking real-time user behavior on your site and making instant updates to improve SEO. It’s like having a 24/7 SEO expert refining your content and making it work harder for you.
- Website Revival: Far from being outdated, websites are central again as primary sources of business data for AI. Effective SEO, social media, and even local listings all feed off the information your website provides.
- AI with a Human Touch: While AI can generate content, it still needs a human eye to review, adjust, and make it authentic. Robert likens AI to a calculator—it’s only as good as the input and oversight you provide.
- Stay Engaged: AI isn’t set-and-forget. For best results, businesses should stay engaged with AI tools, guiding them to meet specific goals and adjusting output to maintain a personalized touch.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT ROBERT
Robert Downey is the co-founder of Simply Be Found, a leading platform that helps small businesses improve their local SEO and online visibility. With nearly three decades of experience, Robert has led over 1,000 successful marketing campaigns and developed more than 5,000 websites. As a fourth-generation entrepreneur, he has a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in the digital landscape. Robert's passion lies in helping local businesses grow by connecting them with their communities, and his innovative strategies have transformed the way companies approach local marketing and SEO https://SimplyBeFound.comhttps://youtube.com/@simplybefound
Some of the content that's doing really well on LinkedIn right now are the multi image posts putting together two or three related images and putting that in your feed like a carousel or just a collage really grabs the attention because it's different than the single images that everyone else is putting out there. Those multiple images allow you to tell a more complete story.
The second thing that is dominating LinkedIn right now is video. Video, video. The beautiful thing is that you do not need to create video just for LinkedIn. You can use the same shorts that you're putting on YouTube and TikTok and Facebook and share them. On LinkedIn to create that brand exposure and deliver your message.
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I had so much fun welcoming back Kendra Corman back to the show. An accomplished marketing strategist whose insights are as practical as they are powerful. Kendra’s worked with everyone from small businesses to global brands like Jeep, bringing her marketing expertise to a range of clients. Today, we dug into the ever-evolving world of AI and how it can be a real game-changer for social media and email marketing.
Now, if you know me, you know my relationship with AI is complicated. I love the possibilities, but I’m a bit wary of giving up too much control, especially when it comes to my voice. But Kendra shared some great tips and tricks to get the best of both worlds—leveraging AI to streamline content creation while keeping it uniquely “you.”
- Training AI in Your Voice: Start by “teaching” AI how you sound. Share real content, like podcast transcripts to help AI learn your unique tone. The result? Content that’s in your voice, whether you’re crafting a LinkedIn post, a Facebook update, or an email newsletter.
- Setting Boundaries with Words: Create a “do not use” list for words or phrases that feel off-brand. In fact, she shares my distaste for terms like “maximize” and “utilize,” which can make marketing feel pretentious. Providing AI with these specifics helps produce content that stays true to your brand’s personality.
- Tailoring Content for Each Platform: Just as you would guide a new employee, give AI instructions to adjust tone and style depending on the platform. That way, each post feels like it fits naturally in its environment—LinkedIn reads more professional, while Facebook is a bit more casual.
- Refining AI Prompts Over Time: One word can dramatically alter AI’s output. For example, the term “conversational” yields a friendlier tone than “informal,” which sometimes comes across as overly relaxed. As you work with AI, make notes of these little discoveries, as they’ll save time and improve content quality down the road.
- Final Editing is Essential: AI can be a great partner for draft creation, but it’s not quite ready to go live on its own. Adding that last layer of polish ensures your content sounds natural and true to your voice.
If this conversation has peaked your interest be sure to check out Kendra’s book, Mastering AI in Marketing Communications, which goes even deeper, offering practical prompting tips for anyone looking to harness AI effectively without losing that human touch.
What did you think of the episode? I would love to hear from you. Please take a quick minute to complete the listener survey I can create shows that that keep you coming back, with a few laughs and a lot of practical tips along the way. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
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If you've been around business as long as I have—or even half as long—you know the cycles are inevitable. There are highs, there are lows, and the real question is: how prepared are you for the downturns? That’s the heart of this conversation from my archive, with than Matt Nettleton, a sales powerhouse and founder of DTB Sandler Training. Matt’s seen it all, from both the trenches and the boardroom, and he knows exactly how to help salespeople elevate their game. In fact, he’s the reason my own business took off years ago when he was my sales coach.
Here are just a few of the key points from our conversation:
- Maximize Your CRM: A CRM only helps if it’s used effectively. Make sure it’s tracking meaningful data and guiding your sales efforts—not just sitting idle.
- Follow a Consistent Sales Process: Having a structured sales process moves prospects predictably from strangers to loyal clients. Don’t rely on luck; create repeatable steps for success.
- Refine Your Story: Your story should resonate with your ideal clients. Know why customers choose you and use that narrative to build stronger, lasting relationships.
- Prepare for Business Cycles: Sales isn’t immune to economic cycles. Anticipate downturns and use the right tools (CRM, process, and story) to protect your business when the market gets tough.
- Know Your Target Audience: Understand your “elephants” and “squirrels.” Don’t chase big clients without the right resources, and don’t over-invest in smaller ones. Tailor your approach to fit each customer’s scale.
If you are like me, you work hard to get a prospect. There's marketing to get them interested and usually a series of conversations and proposal before you close the sale. So when you have an interested prospect, it is hard to let go, but sometimes you should.
Years ago I was approached by the marketing manager at a fairly large company looking to outsource some of their work to a smaller firm, like mine.
He was very impressed with his credentials and the fact that he had this big company behind him. Right from the beginning of our conversation he began to throw the weight of his company around. He was arrogant and quite honestly, a bit rude. I started out being polite, trying to overlook his rudeness. After a few minutes, however, my internal alarm began to sound. I realized our communication was not going to improve if we worked together.
The warning bells rang louder and louder in my head. I didn’t like him. I didn’t like his arrogance or his attitude or his unrealistic expectations that I would drop everything, and jump as high as I could whenever he called.
I agonized for a bit because I never like to turn a prospect away. But I remembered I went into business for myself so I could spend time doing work I enjoyed and with people I liked and respected. In the end, I sent him a nice note, thanking him and telling him there wasn't a good fit.
What I wanted to say was it was his approach, not the project that sent me running in the other direction. But I didn’t. He had been behaving like that for a long time, and he wasn’t going to change. I didn’t want to invest my time attempting to teach him a better way. It is like someone who eats with his hands on the first date. He isn’t going to be using silverware after the wedding.
So I lost a sale, but I wasn’t sad. I knew if I didn’t like him during the sales process when we were both putting our best foot forward, I would really dislike him as we began to work together. I didn't mind walking away from a bad fit because I knew there is always another prospect and another opportunity.
What did you think of the episode? I would love to hear from you. Please take a quick minute to complete the listener survey I can create shows that that keep you coming back, with a few laughs and a lot of practical tips along the way. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
I had a chance to sit down with Facebook ad expert Carol Kabaale to demystify Meta's advertising platform. Whether you’re a social media newbie or someone who’s been burned by past ad campaigns, Carol offers practical advice on how to navigate the Meta algorithm and create ads that actually work. As an advocate for women entrepreneurs, Carol breaks it down step by step, making Facebook ads less intimidating and more accessible for business owners at any level.
Start with What’s Already Working
Carol’s first piece of advice is simple: look at your best-performing organic content and turn it into an ad. Whether it's a reel, carousel, or post, your winning content is likely already sitting on your page. Why reinvent the wheel when you can put a small budget behind what’s proven to resonate?
Pay to Play: Why It’s Worth It
Meta platforms are no longer a free-for-all when it comes to organic reach. Even a small budget—think as little as $5—can make a significant difference. It's about getting more eyes on your content without spending hours creating posts that no one will see.
Tackle Business Manager with a Plan
If the Facebook Business Manager gives you a headache (like it does Lorraine!), Carol encourages taking it slow. Focus on one simple campaign, and start with a clear goal—whether it’s gaining leads or building your email list. Meta actually wants you to succeed, and their system offers plenty of tutorials and support along the way.
Target the Right People
When it comes to audience targeting, start with the people you already enjoy working with. Let Meta’s algorithm expand from there. It’s not about creating rigid, specific categories; it’s about giving Meta a direction and letting the algorithm do some of the heavy lifting.
Reels and Engagement Strategies
Reels can be powerful tools for growing your page or even generating leads. Use a "soft ask" approach, like inviting viewers to comment on the reel to receive a free resource via DM. This way, you're engaging people in a low-pressure conversation that can lead to bigger actions later.
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In this episode from the archive, the topic is mentors, how to find one and how to be one. Why? Because even if we think that we're running our business' completely on our own it helps to have people to turn to for advice and information.
That is why I loved chatting with Kate Bradley Chernis, about the transformative role of mentors in business. Kate’s journey—from rock-and-roll DJ to brand-building expert—has been guided by powerful mentorship insights that helped her stay true to herself while creating a company that maximizes social engagement. Here are a few key takeaways from our conversation:
A Safe Space to Fail
One of the most valuable aspects of mentorship is having a supportive environment where it’s safe to make mistakes. She emphasizes that true growth only happens when you’re allowed to fail and learn from it, and mentors play a crucial role in creating that space.
Embracing Authenticity
Kate’s mentors taught her the importance of showing up as her real self. Early in her career, she tried to fit into a “corporate” mold that didn’t resonate with her, only to realize that being genuine was far more effective. This lesson helped her shed pretenses and build authentic connections.
Constructive Criticism with Purpose
As a mentor, you need to deliver feedback that focuses on outcomes, not negativity. Learning to approach critique as a tool for growth, helps team members develop without discouragement.
Diverse Mentorship
Seeking mentors from various backgrounds, genders, and experiences. Rather than limiting yourself to similar-minded people, value guidance from those who challenge your perspective and expand your view.
Are you taking advantage of the LinkedIn newsletter tool? If not, you're missing a huge opportunity. Sure, you've been creating newsletters for years and you have your audience. But there are people you are connected to on LinkedIn who will never subscribe to your newsletter.
By taking that same content and moving it to this platform, you have an opportunity to deliver your message to a much wider audience, connecting and engaging with an entirely different group of people.
When you are using the LinkedIn newsletter tool your newsletter is delivered from LinkedIn. So you have that umbrella of a much larger organization backing and supporting your content. In a way they are endorsing your message.
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In this conversation from my archive, I discussed the power of authenticity with Sasha Willis. In all her ventures, Sasha’s authenticity shines, proving that showing up as yourself is the key to a resonant, successful brand. Here’s what she had to share on making authenticity your superpower:
- Consistency Across Platforms
Sasha emphasizes that being your authentic self is not just simpler; it’s more sustainable. Whether it’s your website, social media, or face-to-face interactions, showing up consistently helps people know, like, and trust you—three essential ingredients for turning followers into customers. - Professionalism Redefined
Authenticity doesn’t mean sacrificing professionalism. For Sasha, it’s all about treating people with respect. How you present yourself—whether you’re rocking colorful hair or keeping it classic—doesn’t undermine your expertise or professionalism. - The “Like-Know-Trust” Factor
Sasha builds on this principle, noting that authenticity is central to creating genuine connections. She advises against hopping on trends that don’t feel right or portraying a persona for “likes.” Showing up as yourself keeps engagement and consistency natural, rather than forced. - Social Media Isn’t Everything
While social media is essential, it’s only part of the picture. Sasha underscores the value of extending your brand to all touchpoints, like adding personal values and beliefs to your website or showcasing your real-world interests. It’s this holistic approach that makes your brand a relatable, trusted experience everywhere people find you.
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Are you curious about the power of curiosity itself? If so, this conversation with Emily Aborn, an experienced copywriter, speaker, and podcast host, will draw you in. Emily shares her insights on the art of curiosity marketing—a strategy that builds intrigue by inviting people to wonder, engage, and connect deeper. In our interview, she unveils the process of creating content that is compelling, relatable, and keeps people coming back for more.
Key Takeaways:
- Curiosity Marketing Defined: Emily describes curiosity marketing as the creation of a gap between what we know and what others are curious about. She emphasizes that striking the right balance between curiosity and clarity avoids confusion and keeps audiences engaged and wanting to know more.
- Knowing Your Audience: Understanding your audience’s background is essential. Emily shares that by grasping what your audience already knows, as well as their challenges, you can build content that speaks directly to their interests and keeps them intrigued.
- Four Types of Curiosity: Emily outlines four curiosity styles—fascinated, empathizer, problem solver, and avoider. These styles provide insight into how individuals engage with content. By identifying your audience’s curiosity style, you can create more tailored, compelling content.
- The Power of Specificity: Using vivid, specific examples creates memorable and engaging content. Specificity resonates with readers by evoking real emotions and imagery, which, as Emily explains, is often what sets human-created content apart from AI-generated content.
- Leaving Loops Open: Good content doesn’t close every loop or answer every question. By inviting readers to draw their own conclusions or reflect, curiosity marketing allows individuals to connect personally with content, making them eager for the next post, episode, or story.
Curiosity isn’t just about asking questions but about fostering a genuine connection that makes people want to return for more.
What did you think of the episode? I would love to hear from you. Please take a quick minute to complete the listener survey I can create shows that that keep you coming back, with a few laughs and a lot of practical tips along the way. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
I love running my own business, getting to do things “my way” … most of the time. But I learned that to be successful, I need to also listen to the opinions of others. Who are these “others?” They are people who compliment my weaknesses and have skills to fill my blind spots. They are the Yang to my Yin.
What Is Yin-Yang?With roots dating back to China in 1300 BCE, Yin-yang refers to a concept where opposite forces are seen as interconnected and counterbalancing. Together the two halves make a whole, and while one is mostly dark and the other is mostly light there is a little bit of each in the other.
Yin, represents darkness, passivity, and the earth. Yang represents light, activity, and the heavens.
Do you have a Business Yin-Yang?Whether it is your next hire or a member of your advisory board, expand your input by bringing people into your circle who brings a fresh perspective and different set of skills. Remember even someone who seems to be your complete opposite, should share some common ground with you.
For example, I tend to be more of a Yang, positive, active, and always looking ahead. I have always relied on at least one Yin, who is more grounded and practical to help me think through the potential obstacles. With a more methodical approach, sometimes my Yin makes me a little crazy but our shared interests in growing entrepreneurial enterprises gives us a common language and starting point.
How do you find your other half?Start with a little introspection and make a list of all your weaknesses. Be honest, or this won’t work. Pick one or two weaknesses you know you aren’t likely to change. For example, I am always going to be bored by the fine details of contracts, procedures, etc. I can promise, make resolutions, and try to focus on the extremely fine print, but I am not going to do it well. So the alternative is to find someone who is the opposite, who loves to dot every “i” and cross every “t”.
Once you start bringing people into your business who have different styles, perspectives, and talents be prepared to compromise. You are going to bump into the conflicting opinions. If you commit to building a complete business, you will need to face some uncomfortable conversations.
There will be tough questions to answer. The ideas you can defend are the ones worth pursuing. This works when you approach each conflict by looking for the common ground. It is there, somewhere. And finally, you will need to accept the idea you don’t always know the best answer but you can find it with the Yin to your Yang.
I had a great conversation about what it really takes to start a business and build it into something successful—even if the odds seem stacked against you. My guest Jeanne Omlor, went from being a 54-year-old single mom in debt to a multi-seven-figure online business owner—all without spending a dime on ads! Key Takeaways:
Take the First Step: Instead of getting overwhelmed by a to-do list, focus on the one thing you can do today to start moving forward. Jeanne calls it "getting your foot in the door."
Focus on Revenue-Generating Actions: Before worrying about websites or business cards, prioritize actions that lead directly to a sale—like talking to people and making offers.
Start Without Ads or Fancy Tech: Jeanne proves you can scale a business without expensive ads or complicated tech. Use free tools like social media to connect with your audience. The Power of Imperfection: Don't wait for things to be perfect. Start selling your product or service now, and perfect it as you go.
Embrace Fear as Motivation: A little bit of fear is a good thing—it keeps you motivated and pushes you out of your comfort zone. Just don’t let it paralyze you! Jeanne’s story is a powerful reminder that anyone can succeed with the right mindset and strategy.
What did you think of the episode? I would love to hear from you. Please take a quick minute to complete the listener survey I can create shows that that keep you coming back, with a few laughs and a lot of practical tips along the way. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
Let’s face it, people buy from people, and those connections don’t just happen by magic. When it comes down to closing, people buy from people. So before you can make a sale, you almost always need a relationship. In B2B sales one of the best places to build that relationship is on LinkedIn. Relationship pro, Janice has some seriously smart (and surprisingly simple) strategies to share that will take your networking game to the next level.
She believes LinkedIn is underutilized by many sales professionals, who miss the opportunity to make quality connections by interacting authentically on the platform. Here's how
LinkedIn Is More Than Just a Profile: Janice emphasizes that having a LinkedIn profile isn't enough. To truly leverage the platform, you need to actively engage with your connections, build relationships, and reconnect with past contacts. It's a form of "networking on steroids."
Personalized Outreach Matters: Instead of generic messages, Janice suggests sending personalized, warm messages, especially to existing connections. A simple "How are you doing?" can reignite conversations and open doors to new opportunities.
Breakthrough Messaging with Video: Stand out in a crowded inbox by sending video messages through LinkedIn’s mobile app. It grabs attention and fosters a more personal connection.
Tailor Your Approach to LinkedIn’s Algorithm: Posting from LinkedIn’s mobile app can reach a different audience than the desktop version. Mixing up how you engage on the platform can boost your visibility.
Nurturing Relationships with Value: Building rapport isn’t enough—you need to offer something valuable. Whether it’s a helpful article or a resource, make sure you’ve earned the right to share it by first establishing a genuine connection.
Janice's approach to LinkedIn is all about being strategic, genuine, and thoughtful—proving that relationships are the foundation of business success.
Janice is a returning guest to MTFW. You can listen to our first conversation
What did you think of the episode? I would love to hear from you. Please take a quick minute to complete the listener survey I can create shows that that keep you coming back, with a few laughs and a lot of practical tips along the way. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
I've been podcasting for 15 years. And in the early days of the show, I experimented with a lot of different formats.. But I have to admit over the last few years, I've kind of fallen into a rut. And when I look at my listener data, it shows.
So it's time to shake it up a little bit with feedback from you. What would you like to hear? What would get you excited about another episode of more than a few words in your feed?
DM me on any social platform, drop me a note at hello@morethanafewords.com or take a minute to complete this survey https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW
Many small business owners might think that outdoor ads are only for big brands or political campaigns with massive budgets, but Charlie breaks down how businesses of all sizes can benefit from this often-overlooked channel.
We talked about the creative flexibility of outdoor advertising—it’s not just billboards! From wrapping cars to printing ads on pizza boxes, the opportunities to grab attention in unique ways are endless. And here’s the best part—outdoor advertising is measurable. Gone are the days when you'd throw an ad out into the world and hope for the best. With today’s tools, you can track impact, using methods like mobile IDs and even pixel tracking on websites.
We also dove into the importance of simplicity in outdoor ad creative—sometimes less is more. For a billboard, you've got about five seconds to make an impression, so a concise, punchy message works best. And no, don’t even think about using long URLs or QR codes on highway billboards—Charlie and I agree that’s just dangerous!
Overall, it was a great conversation about thinking outside the digital box and exploring new ways to connect with customers in the real world. If you want to learn more about outdoor advertising, Charlie recommends checking out OneScreen.ai to see how they can help businesses of any size.
I have often been told that I have a strong personality and it kind of came through in my business but I never really thought about the fact that all businesses have personality.
Guest Naomi Gora talks about the importance of including ourselves in our business strategy. So many business schools teach us to get to know our ideal customers and competitors but none that I’ve seen start the process of looking at ourselves first – how can our businesses thrive based on what works for us as well as our customers.
Yes, your business has a personality, and how you understand and align with it can make a huge difference. As a self-identified Torchbearer personality type, Naomi spent years in media and advertising, feeling like an outsider until she embraced her own strengths and values to build a business that truly fit her.
She begins by explaining that business personalities aren’t always discussed, but they’re crucial. Too often, entrepreneurs build businesses that cater to their ideal clients or competitors, but end up hating their own creations. She urges business owners to first look inward, asking themselves, “Can I do this every day?”
She introduces the concept of business personality types—like her own, the Torchbearer, and others like the Empire Builder or Station Master. These types reveal how you naturally operate. Some people thrive on systems and structure, while others, like Naomi, find those elements exhausting. When entrepreneurs try to mimic personalities that don’t match their own, they often face burnout.
Naomi explains that knowing your business personality helps you work more authentically and reduce stress. She uses a metaphor called the “car model,” where your brain is like a car with a driver, co-pilot, and backseat passengers (a 10-year-old and a 3-year-old). If you let the backseat drivers (stress and overwhelm) take control, your business suffers. By understanding your strengths—your “driver” and “co-pilot”—you can operate in your genius zone, making your business flow more easily.
Naomi’s advice? Don’t fight your nature. Align your business with your true self, and you’ll find running it becomes more enjoyable and sustainable.
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If you've been in business for any length of time, what I want you to do is answer a simple question. If you could only work with three clients, who would it be? Go back, look at all of the companies that you've worked with, all the people you've worked with, and pick your top three.
It's not easy because there might be lots of favorites. When you narrow it down and you identify those three customers, because of the projects that you did with them, because of who they were, or how you worked together whether you realize it or not, you've identified your niche. This is your your sweet spot.
Now what you need to do is figure out how did they become clients and how can you get more customers just like them? If you're ready to start narrowing in on your niche, give me a buzz. We can set up an office hour conversation and figure it out together.
https://morethanafewwords.com/office-hours/
Everybody loves a getaway, and retreats offer the perfect opportunity to renew, refresh, and learn something new. But what if you're a coach or consultant looking to host a retreat? How do you package your knowledge and skills into a transformative experience that draws in your ideal clients? Michelle Perad, an intuitive guide, consultant, and founder of Multi-Dimensional Leaders (MDL) shared her expert tips on planning a successful retreat that’s not only impactful but also a five-figure opportunity.
Collaborate to Share Costs and Expertise
Planning a retreat can feel overwhelming, especially when you think about all the logistics—location, content, and invitations. Michelle suggests considering a collaborative retreat model. By partnering with someone who complements your expertise, you can share costs and responsibilities while offering attendees a more holistic experience. This not only eases the financial burden but also allows both you and your partner to play to your strengths.
For example, if you're an educator at heart, you might focus on delivering classroom-style sessions, while a more adventurous partner handles the exploration and experiential activities. This approach can make your retreat more dynamic and engaging for participants.
Know Your Brilliance and Build Around It
Before you dive into logistics, it's crucial to understand your strengths—or, as Michelle calls them, your “brilliance archetypes.” Whether you’re an educator, explorer, or something else, knowing your archetype helps you design a retreat format that feels natural and fun for you, which in turn enhances the experience for your attendees.
If you're an educator, your retreat might lean towards workshops and learning sessions. If you’re an explorer, you might integrate activities like local tours and cultural immersions that tie into your teachings. Designing the retreat around your strengths ensures that you deliver an authentic and enjoyable experience.
Scout Your Location—It’s More Than Just a Venue
The location of your retreat is more than a backdrop—it can help shape the entire experience. Michelle emphasizes the importance of visiting the retreat site beforehand. Seeing the space in person can inspire new ideas for activities, help you plan the flow of events, and even give you creative ways to use the environment to enhance the retreat.
For example, maybe the venue has a perfect spot for a fireside chat or an ideal space for a morning yoga session. The location can often dictate how you structure your schedule, so it's essential to understand the logistics and feel of the space before you finalize your plans.
Attracting the Right Audience
Once you’ve nailed down the details of your retreat, the next challenge is filling the room with the right people. Your marketing message should align with your retreat’s purpose and the experience you’re offering. If you’ve clearly defined your "brilliance" and chosen a location that supports your retreat goals, the right people will naturally be drawn to it. As Michelle points out, understanding your own expertise and conveying that in your messaging is key to attracting attendees who will resonate with your retreat.
Start Small and Scale Up
If this is your first retreat, Michelle advises starting small to reduce pressure. An intimate group of 10-15 people allows for deeper connections and easier logistics. As you grow more comfortable with retreat planning, you can scale up and incorporate more elaborate programming. Remember, the goal isn’t necessarily to have a massive retreat but to create a memorable, transformative experience for your attendees.
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In this encore episode I sat down with Lewis Dalton, a copywriting pro and co-founder of Pine, to dig into the magic behind writing copy that actually converts. Lewis shares some fantastic, down-to-earth advice about finding the sweet spot between short-term and long-term benefits in your messaging, how to blend emotion and logic to really hook your audience, and why getting specific with your target market matters more than ever. Whether you’re working on sales funnels or just trying to write better emails, you will find some great tips to help you turn prospects into customers.
ere are 4 key points from the interview with Louis Dalton on copywriting:
- Balance Short-Term and Long-Term Benefits: When writing copy, focus on both short-term wins (quick, immediate benefits) and long-term outcomes. Short-term gains help keep potential customers engaged and excited, especially when selling products with delayed results.
- Use Both Emotional and Logical Appeals: Effective copywriting taps into emotions to create interest, but it must also provide logical reasons—such as proof or data—to convince people to buy, especially for high-ticket items.
- Tailor Copy to Your Audience: Different audiences respond to different tones. For example, engineers might prefer more logical, fact-based copy, while creatives or coaches may engage more with emotional appeals. Understanding your audience helps strike the right balance.
- Qualify Prospects: Breaking down larger commitments (like a 16-week course) into smaller, more digestible steps can help qualify the right prospects. It prevents you from trying to "twist arms" to get clients who aren't truly invested, saving time and effort.
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Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorraineball/
Check out video versions of these interviews https://www.youtube.com/@MTFWPodcast
I am a LinkedIn junkie, but unlike people with other addictions, I'm not looking for a 12-step program to cure me of my habit because I think LinkedIn is healthy for my business. Instead, what I've done is developed a six-step process that allows me to simplify content creation and improve the quality of the content I'm creating.
The six steps are easy.
Define your objective. Figure out why you're really on LinkedIn and what you can realistically accomplish. Build out your profile and becoming someone people want to get to know.
Identify who your target audience really is and getting laser focused on putting messages out there that are relevant for them.
Spend the majority of my time engaging with the content that other people put out there, strategically connecting with other individuals.
And finally, when you do all those five things well, creating content is easy.
Looking for a more detailed look at this process? Watch the Video Now
This time of year, we always start thinking about the holidays and holiday marketing. That's why I was so excited to chat with Caroline Balinska on holiday marketing. Here are 5 key points from my conversation with Caroline
- Plan in advance: One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is not planning holiday campaigns early enough. Starting at least three months in advance to set up social media posts, emails, and design imagery is not too early
- Focus on relevant holidays: Not all holidays are relevant to every business. It's important to pick holidays that align with your products. For instance, World Animal Day is more relevant for pet-related products than Valentine's Day.
- Stand out with unique content: For holiday campaigns, businesses should create fresh and themed content, including new imagery and emotional trigger words that resonate with their target audience.
- Leverage post-holiday opportunities: Businesses can continue benefiting from holidays even after they pass by extending promotions or using SEO strategies like Pinterest for long-term visibility.
- Budget for ads: Caroline advises putting ad budget behind special event days, especially niche holidays, to maximize marketing.
Learn more: moreclientslesshustle.com
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FROM MY ARCHIVE - In this conversation I asked the question “Why should I write a book?” Let's face it writing a book may seem overwhelming, especially if you don’t think of yourself as an author. But my guest, Kim Thompson-Pinder, overcame her own challenges to become an author and publisher, shares her insights into why a book can be a game-changer for entrepreneurs.
Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:
Credibility and Authority: Being an author gives you instant credibility. As Kim shared, "Authors are seen as experts," even if that’s not always true in reality. Perception matters, and holding a book with your name on it can open doors that may have otherwise been closed.
Targeted Marketing Tool: Kim emphasized the importance of writing a book tailored to your target audience. By addressing their specific problems, your book becomes a tool to build trust and convert readers into clients. The more targeted your content, the more effective it is at overcoming objections and positioning you as the go-to expert
Self-Publishing for Control: If you're serious about writing, Kim strongly advises self-publishing to retain control over your message, book design, and profits. The traditional publishing route often leaves authors with little control and lower financial returns. But she highlights the importance of hiring professionals for editing and cover design to ensure a polished, professional product.
Writing the Book: The process of writing can seem daunting, but Kim offered a simple formula: break the book down into manageable sections. Think of each chapter as a smaller problem your target market faces, and by solving them, you create a clear, engaging narrative that speaks directly to your audience.
Positioning the Book: A book is not just about getting your name out there—it’s a powerful marketing tool. You can use it to generate leads and establish long-term relationships with potential clients, leveraging its authority at every stage of your business growth.
Kim’s journey from being told she wasn’t a writer to becoming an author of five books (with two more on the way) and helping over 200 entrepreneurs write theirs is incredibly inspiring. Whether you’re considering writing for the first time or looking for ways to amplify your marketing, this episode offers invaluable insights.
Discover other episodes and more: https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
One of the questions that I get asked on a regular basis is, what's the best marketing platform? Where should I be spending my limited marketing dollars and time? And every time I hear that question, I think about something my boss said to me way back in my corporate days.
Rick told me a mediocre idea executed well would outperform a brilliant one executed poorly every single time. And I really took that message to heart. It has been the basis of my marketing through my whole career.
So my advice to you as you're trying to find that one perfect platform, stop! Stop looking for the one perfect marketing venue and instead find one thing to execute perfectly.
Looking for some help on developing your execution plan? Give me a buzz. I'd love to work with you.
https://morethanafewwords.com/office-hours/
Your Website: More Than Just Pretty – It’s a Salesperson That Never SleepsYour website isn’t just a pretty face for your business. Done right, it’s a 24/7 salesperson, constantly working to attract and convert leads even when you’re not. But how do you make sure your website pulls its weight? I sat down with Lori Highby, owner of Keystone Click, to get to the bottom of what makes a website not only visually appealing but also a powerful sales tool. Here are some key takeaways:
Speak to Your Customer’s Pain
Your website’s primary job is to solve your customer’s problem. Lori emphasized the importance of understanding your ideal customer and addressing their pain points right from the start. Visitors are looking for solutions, and if your site speaks directly to their problems, it will grab their attention immediately.
Tip: Each page of your website should focus on one problem or pain point. Avoid overwhelming your audience by trying to solve everything on a single page.
Pass the “Billboard Test
Lori introduced a great concept: the "billboard test." You have just seven seconds to capture someone’s attention when they land on your website. If your message isn’t clear, they’re gone. So what should you focus on? A unique value proposition and proof of your work.
- Unique Value Proposition (XYZ Statement) - Clearly define what you do, who you do it for, and what benefits your customers get by working with you. For example, "We build websites for contractors, helping them attract more business.
- Proof of Your Work: Instantly build trust with visitors by showcasing testimonials, client logos, or press mentions. People need reassurance that you can deliver.
Make It Easy to Convert
Once you have their attention, it’s critical to make the next step obvious. Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, booking a consultation, or making a purchase, your call to action (CTA) needs to be clear and compelling.
Tip: Don’t make your visitors work to figure out how to engage with you. Have multiple, easy-to-find CTAs on each page guiding them towards conversion
Craft Your Homepage as a Gateway
Your homepage is like the cover of a book — it introduces your brand, but more importantly, it should act as a gateway to the rest of your website. Lori suggested thinking of it as a “choose your own adventure.” Make it easy for visitors to navigate to different sections of your site based on their needs, but keep the overall message simple and clear.
The Post-Conversion Experience Matters
What happens after someone fills out a form or takes a desired action on your site? This is often overlooked but incredibly important. Lori pointed out that the follow-up, like a thank you page or an automatic email, should continue to build trust and confidence in the decision they’ve just made.
Tip: Reinforce their decision by providing additional value, like testimonials or next steps, and ensure the entire process feels seamless and professional.
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From my archive, a great conversation with Denise Praul
If a prospective customer is introduced to you by someone they trust, you're far more likely to close that sale than if they stumbled upon you on Google. That’s the beauty of referral marketing, and it goes beyond traditional word of mouth. But how do you create a system that consistently brings in high-quality referrals? That’s what this conversation is all about.
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Referrals = Borrowed TrustWhen someone is referred to you, you’re borrowing the reputation of the person who made the referral. This is a game-changer because the new client comes in with a built-in level of trust that makes closing the sale much easier. They’re not starting from scratch—they already believe in you because someone they trust vouched for you.
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Focus on the Benefits, Not Just the FeaturesIt’s easy to get caught up in the technical details of your product or service, but customers are more interested in how it benefits them. Denise points out that for referral partners to help you, they need to know exactly who you want to work with and why someone should choose your services. Focus on solving pain points, not just listing features.
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Start with the Relationships You Already HaveInstead of constantly trying to build new relationships, Denise suggests focusing on the network you’ve already developed. People who already know, like, and trust you are your best advocates. Train them on how to refer you by clearly explaining your target market and the benefits of your services.
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Give to GetReferrals are a two-way street. You can’t just expect to receive them without offering something in return. Be proactive in asking others how you can help them, and genuinely try to send referrals their way. A good question to end any meeting with is: “How can I help you?” This opens up a deeper conversation about how you can support their business too.
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Tell StoriesPeople remember stories. If you want your referral partners to easily explain what you do, share real-life examples of clients you’ve helped. These stories make your work more relatable and easier to understand, making it more likely they’ll think of you when they come across a potential referral.
Building a referral system isn’t just about luck—it’s about being intentional. By focusing on trust, relationships, and storytelling, you can create a steady stream of high-quality referrals. And the best part? When someone comes to you by referral, they’re already primed to buy.
Looking for more networking tips? Grab a copy of my book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3BMD6JW
We often get advice about how we should interact and engage on social media. You need to be subtle. Don't be too pushy. Don't jump to offering your product and services right away.
That is all good advice. I would never want to walk into a networking event and start talking to the very first person I meet about how I can help them without finding out a little bit about them.
But, sometimes that advice to be subtle takes us in the wrong direction. We're so careful not to promote our product or services that people don't know what it is we really do.
I know I can be guilty of this and so today I'm going to tell you I work with businesses that have spent money on marketing and are not satisfied with the results. They're looking for a quick independent assessment of what they're doing and how they can do it better. Sound like you? Well then book an appointment today.
Oh, and come back and listen to longer episodes of More Than a Few Words wherever you listen to podcasts.
BOOK AN OFFICE HOUR -
Loved chatting with Helene Gidley, founder of A2 Agile Incorporated, about how an an agile approach can help small business owners stay organized, adapt to change, and avoid burnout. Here are a few key takeaways:
- Agile is about visibility and adaptability: Helene emphasizes the importance of making your work visible and breaking it into small, manageable chunks. This allows you to respond to changes quickly and see progress incrementally.
- Keep tasks visible: She suggests using physical tools like sticky notes to keep tasks front and center. This old-school method helps you stay focused and track your progress more effectively.
- Treat time as a valuable resource: Helene discusses the importance of scheduling time not just for meetings but also for completing tasks, ensuring that you prioritize and protect your time as a valuable resource, just like your budget.
- Break tasks into smaller steps: Large tasks can feel overwhelming, so Helene recommends breaking them down into smaller, actionable steps that can be done in short time increments, providing a sense of accomplishment as you check them off.
About Helene
Helene Gidley, founder of A2Agile Inc. is a vibrant entrepreneur and agile coach celebrated for her extraordinary ability for getting things done. Drawing on 40 years of experience, Helene shows you how to use powerful Agile Project Management techniques to get things done and build your best life.
Learn More https://www.a2agile.com/agileliving
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One of the things I love about having a podcast for 15 years, is my archive. Buried in there are hundreds and hundreds of amazing conversations that I want to share with my current audience
This conversation from early 2020 with Dr. Yamilette Willams ( Dr. Yam) is a great example. Here are the key takeaways from my interview on communication styles:
Dr. Yam identifies four main communication styles, which are divided into two categories: outgoing vs. reserved and people-oriented vs. task-oriented. These include:
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- D (Dominant): Outgoing and task-oriented.
- I (Influential): Outgoing and people-oriented.
- S (Steady): Reserved and people-oriented.
- C (Compliant): Reserved and task-oriented.
She goes on to explain how recognizing the communication style of the person you're interacting with is key to effective communication. For example, task-oriented individuals prefer concise, direct communication, while people-oriented individuals respond better to engaging and emotional conversations.
Understanding communication styles is helpful when pitching ideas or building relationships with clients. By listening to the type of questions people ask (e.g., "what," "how," or "why"), you can identify their communication style and tailor your message accordingly.
Business owners and managers can also use this information in their hiring, team building and leadership development processes.
The four styles are not equally distributed across the population. S (Steady) personalities make up the majority (69%), followed by C (Compliant) at 17%, I (Influential) at 11%, and D (Dominant) at only 3%. This highlights the importance of focusing communication strategies toward S and C types in most interactions.
It’s hard to keep up with all the changes in digital marketing and still run a business.
Stay one step ahead with resources, tools and links to conversations with industry leaders from around the world about marketing, social media, design, technology and life as a business owner. Never miss another conversation, tip or tool:
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I am a serious coffee drinker. A typical morning starts with two full mugs of coffee, after which I’m ready to face the world. So when I was in Italy a few weeks ago I was worried that the little cup of cappuccino they put in front of me wouldn’t be enough.
Funny thing, it was. The rich full flavor satisfied my coffee taste requirement and that expresso packed a powerful punch. So as I sipped my little cup of cappuccino it occurred to me there was an important lesson in that cup. It was a lesson that applied to life and business.
It isn’t about quantity. It’s about quality. When it comes to delivering a service, instead of doing a lot of mediocre projects do fewer better projects and charge what you’re worth. For marketing spend your time crafting one memorable blog post or powerful podcast instead of one hundred silly social media updates to deliver the punch your marketing needs.
As you think about your next business step go have a cup of cappuccino. Not that tasteless vente they serve at Starbucks, but a real high quality small cup of cappuccino with a powerful punch.
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If you're a player in the digital space today, you need to know what it takes to get the attention of Google and encourage them to drive people to your website. To dive into this topic, I invited Barb Davids, founder of Compass Digital Strategies, to join me.
She started our conversation by emphasizing that small business owners shouldn't panic when they hear about changes in Google's algorithm. The digital landscape is constantly evolving, but immediate drastic actions are unnecessary. Patience is key. Here are a few more tips from that conversation .
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The S.W.E.E.T. Framework: Barb introduces her S.W.E.E.T. framework for optimizing websites for SEO, which includes:
- Select a target keyword: Identify what people are searching for and align your content accordingly.
- Work on a blog post: Create or update blog content to address the target keyword directly and provide clear, useful answers.
- Enhance with summaries: Optimize meta titles and descriptions to attract clicks from search results.
- Establish trust: Add elements like bios, contact pages, and testimonials to build credibility.
- Tell the world: Distribute and promote your content consistently to maintain visibility.
- Content Refresh and Distribution: Barb advises regularly updating old content and continuing to promote it. Content shouldn't just be published once; it needs ongoing attention and promotion to stay relevant and visible.
- Handling AI and Search Changes: With the introduction of AI-generated content summaries by Google, Barb suggests that small business owners shouldn't worry too much. Currently, these changes don't significantly impact most small businesses, and maintaining good content practices will still help websites perform well.
- Focus on Fundamentals: Despite technological advancements, the basics of SEO—like answering user questions, selecting relevant keywords, and building trust—remain crucial. These fundamental strategies help businesses maintain a strong presence in search results.
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Listening to episodes from my archive, is a great reminder of how somethings in marketing don't really change . In 2018, I had a conversation with Jennifer Crawford about hosting your own conference. Her advice is as relevant today.
Hosting a conference isn’t as difficult as you think and Jennifer Crawford believes the pay off can be huge.
Planning an event for 200 or fewer attendees gives you a chance to meet face to face with people you may only know through online events. The interactions allow you to build deeper connections with your community of customers, prospects, referral partners, and yes, even competitors.
Don’t try to be all things to all people. Keep the focus narrow and you are more likely to attract the right people to the event.
About Jennifer
Jennifer’s passion is helping people grow their businesses. In addition to business and conference consulting, she is also the co-founder of a recently launched company, Sparent–a virtual temp agency staffed by stay at home moms with skills to spare.
She lives with her hunk of spunk husband, Thor and their 140 lb. drool beast, Meatball in Fairfax, VA.
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I am sure you think this headline is a mistake, that I meant to say something else, but I really mean this. If you want to build a successful business in a vibrant marketplace, you will grow faster if you help your competitors. Before you decide I am completely crazy, consider the following:
- You don’t know everything. Hanging around with other business owners in the same industry gives you a chance to learn a few things in exchange for sharing a few tips of your own.
- Improve the quality and perception of your industry. If a customer has a bad experience with a service provider in your industry, it’s easy for them to assume that all companies who do what you do are the same. Getting involved with trade associations which offer training, professional and business development will improve the overall industry in which you are a participant.
- Everyone is not your customer. Getting to know companies who provide similar services to yours in slightly different niches gives you an chance to set up a referral relationship where each company actually gets more of the kind of customers they want to work with.
- Customers need education. This is particularly true when you are trying to build awareness and demand for a new or different product or service. Customers may be unwilling to try your product or service if you are the only company talking about this approach, but when multiple companies all tout the same benefits, all of you have an easier time making a sale.
- Everyone needs a little positive karma. Sometimes it’s just nice to pay it forward. When I started Roundpeg, I reached out to a few business owners who had been running marketing firms for awhile. They graciously gave me time, tips and tools to help me get started. Today I do the same. I like being able to look around the community and know that I played a role in helping other businesses get their start.
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I've been podcasting for a long time, but if I had to classify my podcast, it's an enjoyable hobby. However, there are ways to make money with your podcast, and that's what I talked with Darren Saul about.
Here are some key takeaways from the conversation
- Sponsorship Opportunities: Podcasts don't need to have thousands of episodes to attract sponsors. Even from the beginning, podcasters can approach companies aligned with their content to collaborate. This approach can lead to mutually beneficial partnerships where both parties promote each other.
- Premium Content: Offer exclusive, premium content that listeners have to pay for. While the main podcast episodes remain free, additional in-depth content, resources, or even behind-the-scenes access can be monetized through platforms like Patreon or a subscription model on the podcast's website. The key is deciding what information to give away, and what to put behind the paywall
- Consulting and Coaching: As podcasters build their audience and establish themselves as authorities in their field, they can leverage this position to offer consulting, coaching, workshops, and even keynote speaking. This not only generates revenue but also enhances their credibility and brand.
- The Power of Podcasting as a Marketing Tool: Darren reiterates beyond direct monetization, podcasting is a fantastic way to build trust and credibility. It can serve as an effective marketing strategy that draws people to a business, offering long-term benefits beyond immediate financial gains.
About Darren
Darren Saul is a Serial Podcaster, Strategist, Trainer, Coach, Keynote Speaker and Student of Human Attention.
He started using the Power of Podcasting to build his photography business and was so amazed with the results he never looked back!
He is now a Podcast Junkie who consults with organizations to help them get serious business results integrating Podcasting into their marketing strategy.
LEARN MORE: https://suspendedanimation.com.au/ ---Discover other episodes and more: https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo
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As small business owners, we work so hard to find each client. We nurture them through a sales process and then they sign on the dotted line and we start doing business with them. Often, once we have closed the sale, we turn our marketing attention to the next prospect, and the next and the next.
Back in 2017 I had a conversation with Nick Cavarra, who argued that was a huge mistake. Why? Because the people who already know you are significantly easier to market to than a group of strangers.
We talked about easy strategies small business owners can use to stay in touch with these valuable customers. From simple notes and emails to using affordable tools like Send Out Cards, small business owners can build loyalty, making their customers feel special for a very small investment of time and money. Just a few of the best tips from the conversation: Make it personal. Remember, even in business-to-business transactions you are dealing with people. So use follow-up activities to interact personally. One of my favorite tips from our conversation was to take a picture of the person and include it in a follow-up note. Particularly if you deal with a younger consumer, they are unlikely to print photos on a regular basis, so your note or card will hang around.
Segment your list. Odds are your customers are not just one large homogenous group. Take the time to segment your list based on their interests, hobbies or the products they use. Don’t send messages about dog food to cat owners, or invitations to a beef barbecue to a vegetarian. Sure this takes work, but the payoff comes when customers who feel valued come back time and time again.
Send something tangible. If it takes 6 – 7 interactions to make an impression, it helps to switch them up. Send an email, but also call and occasionally send something in print. It is easy to dash off an email, but it is also easy to delete it as soon as it arrives and forget the message just a moment or two later. But printed information, a card, a note or a brochure, is likely to be kept around a bit longer. Just the act of opening the envelope engages your customer with the contents of the message. Also, there is the perception that mailing a letter took more time than dashing off an email (and it does). Time is a precious commodity and people are impressed when they think you took extra time.
Discover other episodes and more: https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo
Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn
Recently, I had to clean out all of my closets because we were replacing the flooring. The process was interesting because buried deep in those closets were things I hadn't used or thought about in years. And quite frankly, I hadn't missed.
Every now and then I ran across something that made me stop and say, "Wow, that's really cool, I should use that again. And it made me thin about my marketing.
When you look at all of the different things you've done over the years, you've got a marketing closet. From time to time, you need to take it all out and evaluate each piece. Is it still adding value? Is there something you forgot about that you used to do that worked really well? Are there things you just need to let go of?
If you haven't done it in awhile, it is time to clean out your marketing closet. And if you need a little help, give me a buzz. Set up an office hour and we can talk about what should be in your marketing closet.
$38 Billion! Yes that is billion with a "b". That is the impact women have on the global economy. If you want a piece of that market, you need to learn how to connect with female consumers. Robyn Newton joined me for a conversation about selling to women. Here are the key points from the conversation:
- Women as Powerful Consumers: Women control over 85% of purchases in the U.S., making them a key demographic for businesses to understand and cater to. They are not just the shoppers but also major influencers in the purchasing process.
- Understanding What Women Care About: Brands need to understand the specific values and concerns that resonate with women, such as family, health, mental well-being, the environment, inclusion, and safety. A brand's message should authentically reflect these priorities to connect effectively with female consumers.
- Avoiding Common Mistakes: Many businesses fail to consider women's unique buying habits and preferences, often making them feel overlooked or undervalued. It's crucial for companies to acknowledge and respect women's purchasing power and preferences, avoiding outdated stereotypes and practices.
- Successful Brand Examples: Robin highlights brands like Subaru and Bumble, which have successfully integrated values important to women, such as safety, inclusion, and empowerment, into their marketing strategies. These brands have built strong connections with female consumers by aligning with their values and needs.
- Personal Connection and Storytelling: Integrating women's stories into marketing and showcasing the people behind the brand can create a more personal and relatable connection with consumers. Women are more likely to engage with brands that celebrate and uplift other women, creating a sense of community and trust.
In this episode from my archive, Merit Kahn explains how you can transform any sales conversation with four simple words :
- Shift from Selling to Selection: To be selected as the right solution focus on guiding potential customers through their decision-making process rather than pushing a sale.
- The Power of "Are You Open To?": These four words help you figure out if the prospect is open to hearing new ideas and reduces resistance, making the conversation more collaborative.
- Self-Reflection and Openness: The sales process is about you as well. Are open to new possibilities. This mindset can positively influence how you present your solutions and connect with others.
- Inclusive Decision-Making: This approach makes the customer feel in control. Instead of forcing decisions, asking questions like "What would you like me to do now?" allows the customer to guide the next steps, creating a more comfortable and empowered experience.
There are three questions you need to answer before you launch your next marketing campaign. The questions are simple, but the answers may not be.
Who is your customer? Too often, business owners try to go really broad as they define their target. If you want to create an effective marketing campaign, narrow in on a specific niche. You can always target a different audience with your next campaign.
Who is your competitor? This is not a time to puff up your chest and say, I don't have any competitors because you do. And sometimes they don't even do exactly what you do, but they're competing for your customer's attention and cash.
What is it that you want to accomplish with this campaign? I know you want to sell more, but do you want to sell more of a specific product? Do you want to sell more high-priced products? Are you trying to attract new customers or get your old ones to come back time and time again?
Each of those objectives will lead you down a path to a very different campaign. So before you start working on your next marketing campaign, think about those three questions.
And if you need help with the answers, go ahead and set up an office hour appointment with me
Donna Peterson, CEO of World Innovators and I chatted , about the importance of growing and maintaining a high-quality email list. Here are a few key takeaways:
Quality Over Quantity: Donna emphasizes that when it comes to email lists, having a smaller, highly-targeted list is much more effective than a large, unfocused one. A clean and updated list ensures that your messages are reaching the right audience, which can significantly improve engagement rates.
Know Your Audience: Understanding your audience goes beyond just their job titles or industries. It's about knowing where they prefer to receive their content and what types of messaging resonate with them. This insight helps tailor your communication strategies for better results.
Creative Engagement: Donna highlights the effectiveness of unique approaches like LinkedIn Live series to attract new subscribers. By offering valuable, easy-to-digest content, businesses can provide high perceived value without demanding a large time commitment from their audience.
Cross-Promotion and Authority by Association: Collaborating with other entities that serve your target market can be a powerful way to grow your list. Using lists from industry-specific publishers can also lend credibility and ensure compliance, as these sources have already vetted their audiences.
Consistency and Accountability: Regular engagement with your audience, whether through frequent meetings or consistent content delivery, helps maintain interest and accountability, encouraging ongoing interaction and growth.
Look for More than a Few Words, a Marketing Conversation for Business Owners wherever you listen to podcasts https://morethanafewwords.com
Would you like to be a guest on a podcast? If so, you want to pay attention to what Kelly Mosser has to say about pitches.
The biggest mistake most potential guest make is the emphasis of the pitch. The message boils down to “I want airtime on your show. Here’s why I deserve it. Here’s why you should give it to me.” This one-sided approach misses the key detail that podcasts are a business collaboration. When you focus on what you can get, and what the audience might take away, the host and the show are kind of forgotten. Put yourself in the shoes of the host. Why would they want someone on their show who doesn’t care about them.
If you understand you are entering a business partnership with the host together it is easier to think about how can you help the host achieve his/her goals. Then you need to explain what you bring to the audience. When you start with that approach you are much more likely to be invited to be a guest on the show.
Every woman has that little black dress in her wardrobe. Classic in design it is not too trendy and not too stodgy. It is incredibly versatile. With the right accessories, jackets, scarves or cool shoes it is perfect for every occasion, year in and year out.
And every smart marketer knows that email is their little black dress. It goes well with all of the other elements in your marketing wardrobe. From the hottest marketing trend to the most basic marketing campaign, email makes all your other marketing more effective.
Updating your website? Promote it on email. Building your social community? Reconnect with your audience through email.
As you’re planning your marketing wardrobe for next season, don’t forget email, your little black marketing dress.
I enjoyed chatting with Jackson Calame about the importance of having a clear vision for your business. Here are some key takeaways:
- Vision Beyond Profits: Jackson emphasizes that a business vision should go beyond just making profits. He talks about creating a balance between personal well-being and professional success and highlights his mission to bridge the economic gap between North and South America.
- Thriving vs. Surviving: Jackson distinguishes between a survival mentality and a thriving mentality. Instead of just reacting to problems, thriving involves focusing on solutions and being your best self to achieve the best results.
- Power Branding: Becoming a market leader, or a "power brand," isn't about being better than others but about being the best version of yourself. Jackson shares the importance of having a strong support system, much like Batman has Alfred, to handle the technical details and allow business owners to focus on their strengths.
- Tools and Mechanics: He advises entrepreneurs to focus less on the specific tools and more on finding the right experts to help build their brand. It's about having the right team in place to support and elevate the business.
- Language and Mindset: The language we use shapes our mindset. Jackson and Lorraine discuss the power of words and how shifting from controlling language to more empowering language can improve relationships and business outcomes.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
I’m an extrovert. I love people. I love being around people and talking to people. But there are a whole bunch of people, introverts, who really don’t enjoy interacting they way I do. Here’s the trick, you’ve got to be able to reach both of those audiences. And if you’re an introvert you have to learn how to participate in the world.
This week’s guest Amanda Watts share some great tips on how introverts can be effective, and maybe even enjoy of networking.
It stars with understanding where your energy comes from. An extrovert, she explains, will wake up in the morning and even though they are well rested they will be a little low on energy. They actually gain energy with every interaction they have with someone. Each conversation is like a coin in your energy bank. So you gain coins throughout the day and at the end of the day if someone suggests you go out partying you’re ready to go.
In contrast, an introvert starts with the most energy at the beginning of the day. Every time they interact with someone they “lose” a coin of energy. So if they have had multiple meetings throughout the day, their energy bank is depleted, and they would rather go home to recharge, the go out partying and have more interactions. It is not that they don’t like people. They just need time to recharge.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
Wouldn’t it be nice if we all just got along. That might seem like a good idea but it really isn’t. You can’t eliminate conflict completely. and you shouldn’t.
Well-managed conflict actually cultivates discussions and create opportunities to uncover new and innovative solutions. Accept conflict as a natural part of your relationship with employees and with all of the people in your life.
It isn’t necessarily good or bad. It can be very healthy if the conflict occurs when people have different ideas on how to solve a problem and they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. The conflict resolution process leads to open and honest conversations often about more than just the issue on the table. It can be messy and it might take time to work through some of the conflicts but the end result is going to be a great solution.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
I had a wonderful conversation with Josh Elledge about strategies for generating inbound leads and moving away from outdated, spammy marketing tactics. Here are the key points from their conversation:
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Shift from Outbound to Inbound Marketing:
- Traditional outbound methods like sending unsolicited emails are no longer effective. Consumers, including business decision-makers, are overwhelmed and turned off by spam.
- Josh emphasizes the importance of creating an inbound funnel that attracts potential clients naturally, reducing the emotional toll on marketers.
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Noble Intent and Authenticity:
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Success in modern marketing requires leading with noble intent and genuine empathy. Businesses should prioritize the needs and desires of their customers over their own sales goals.
- Transparency and authenticity are crucial. Consumers can detect when a business's primary motive is self-serving, which can drive them away.
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Utilizing Platforms for Networking:
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Platforms such as podcasts, YouTube channels, or Facebook groups can be powerful tools for building authority and networking. By highlighting and celebrating others, businesses can create reciprocal relationships with leaders and potential clients.
- Josh has successfully launched many B2B podcasts, which he describes as the ultimate networking tool for building relationships and authority without needing to sell aggressively.
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Generosity as a Strategy:
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Leading with generosity and providing value upfront is essential in today's business environment. Creating a "butterfly garden" of valuable content and resources can attract clients more effectively than chasing them down with aggressive sales tactics.
- This approach involves understanding and empathizing with the target audience's values and pain points, offering solutions that resonate with them.
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The Power of a Platform:
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Building and leveraging a platform allows businesses to earn time with high-level leaders and create opportunities for collaboration. This can be done by using one's own platform or collaborating with others.
- The key is to focus on serving and celebrating others, which naturally leads to reciprocity and business growth.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
I am an email marketing fan so I was excited to invite Kendra Corman to join me for a conversation on how to make email marketing effective.
She started by explaining why email is so important. Sure it is great to build a community on social media, but what will you do if Facebook goes down or cuts off your profile. You are stuck. But if you have email addresses, you own those contacts and can take them wherever you want.
You have the flexibility to contact them when you want and to share information they want and need to know.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
Every parent knows, It takes a village to raise a child. Each of the adults in the child’s life, relatives, teachers, coaches, brings a different perspective. The same is true for your business. No matter how smart you are or how much you know about your business, there are gaps in your skill-set.
Your business village should be filled with smart, talented subject matter experts to help you fill in the gaps. If you are running a small business your village won’t be comprised of employees, but an advisory board comprised of professionals, who provide information and guidance in their areas of expertise.
Who Do You Need in Your Business Village? (On your advisory board)
Your AttorneyYour attorney’s primary objective is to protect you and your business from risk. As you start you business your attorney can advise you on the right structure for your business and submit appropriate state and federal documents. As you business grows turn to your attorney for a range of legal documents such as contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and non-compete agreements with employees. An attorney who is familiar with your business makes the process of creating new documents much more efficient because you won’t have to start each review by explaining what your business is about.
Your AccountantThere are bookkeepers, financial accountants and tax accountants. Which do you need? Well that depends on your comfort level with the numbers of your business. A bookkeeper keeps your day to day operations on track, paying bills and invoicing clients. A financial accountant is someone who can provide guidance not just bookkeeping assistance.
Your accountant should prepare financial reports on a monthly basis and review key numbers with you. Your accountant should be able to help you predict if you have enough cash to meet future obligations and growth goals.
A tax accountant does more than just prepare your tax returns, understanding your business, he/she can help you make decisions about when to invest, when to pull back, and how to avoid paying more than you should in taxes each year.
Your BankerThe worst time to establish a banking relationship is when you need money. As you start your business get to know your local business banker. He/she will advise you on the types of accounts you will need, develop a cash management strategy, and secure funding when you need it.
Your Financial PlannerFor many small business owners, the business is your retirement plan. The question is will this be enough? Don’t guess. A good financial planner will look at both your personal and business finances to make sure you have what you need when you are ready to walk away from the business.
Your IT and Marketing SupportSure, you can manage your computers and software on your own. You can post content on social media and call it marketing, but just like every other element of your business, you need to stop and ask yourself, should you? Is this the best use of your time, and do you really have the expertise to manage those roles in house. If not, it is time to add these professionals to your team. In both cases, the industry is changing rapidly. You need people on your advisory board who understand both the trends and your business objectives. Lean on them to make the right suggestions about where and when to invest so you can focus on growing your business.
Build Your Business VillageSure you may own your own business, but you don’t have to do it all on your own. Start building your village today. Don’t try to do it all at once. Find someone in one of these categories and enlist their aid in filling the other slots on your advisory board.
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Mickey Kennedy, founder of eReleases joined me for another conversation about building your authority and online visibility. This time we talked about the importance of using surveys and studies to stand out as a subject matter authority.
Why does this strategy work? First of all the media loves data. Fresh data from industry-specific surveys can attract media attention. You can use a platform like SurveyMonkey to create a 16-question survey, including some fun or unusual questions to capture interest.
You don't need to do it on your own. consider partnering with small or independent trade associations to distribute your survey. These associations often seek media attention and can help amplify your survey in exchange for being mentioned in the press release.
This strategy works because the survey results helps position you as an industry expert so once you are done conducting the survey, create a dedicated page on your website with all questions and responses. Highlight key findings in your press release and direct journalists to this page, potentially leading to more coverage. . Share resulting media coverage on your website, social media, and newsletters to build trust and credibility with potential customers as well.
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What is the fastest least expensive way to get clients? Guest, Gall Doby suggests there is one strategy that people often ignore, and it’s right in front of them.
Looking for new sales? Start with your current clients. Almost every single client ( assuming you are doing a good job) will be willing to do business with you in a different way. Maybe it is an add-on to their project, a few more things and they hadn’t originally considered or an entirely different project.
It’s so much easier to go to your current clients and try to add something on to a project. Then right behind that group are your past clients. Both of these groups know, like and trust you so it is one of the easiest, fastest and the cheapest ways to get more business.
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Let’s go on a buying journey. Think about the last item that you bought, where you spent more than $100. Maybe it was something for your business or home. Write down the item you bought and work backwards through your buying journey. Describe why you chose that particular product. Did you see an ad? Did someone recommended it? Was there information on social media which made you curious? Write down all of the things you remember related to that purchase.
For example, we recently installed new windows in our house. Before we bought the windows, we talked to a few of our neighbors, checked. Angie’s List, and then we went to the company website.
Do this exercise two or three times for different types of purchases, so you get a better picture of your typical buying process. What information sources to you rely on and what influenced you?
Next, build your customer’s buying journey the same way. Evaluate your marketing based on your typical buying process. If you were a customer for your product or service, would you notice your marketing? If the answer is yes, that’s great. if you are your target customer.
If you’re not your target customer, you got some work to do. Ask several of your customers about their buying journey and see how that lines up with your marketing. Make sure you are spending money on marketing to enhance their buying journey.
The trick for small business owners is not to spend more money, but to spend well, making investments designed to motivate customers to pay attention to you.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
Janine Liston, a business strategist and pricing expert, joined me for a conversation about the complexities and strategies behind setting the right price for products and services.
Here are a few key takeaways:
- One common myth is that the lowest price always wins. Many business owners believe this, but it’s not true for most products and services. Targeting the right customer who values your product is more important than simply offering the lowest price.
- When you set your price, you need to put the customer first. Rather than developing a product and then finding customers, businesses should understand their customers' problems and create solutions tailored to them. This approach ensures that prices reflect the value delivered to the customer.
- What's a fair price? It is actually a balance between what customer are willing to pay, and what is profitable for the business. Many businesses overlook customer value and willingness to pay, focusing too much on costs and competition. Sometimes, customers are willing to pay much more than you think.
- Price can often communicate messages about your quality. A higher price signals higher quality, but this only holds if the product or service meets those expectations.
- Pricing is not a one-time task but a continuous process. Be open to adjusting pricing over time and don't be afraid to raise them when necessary.
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Did you miss this conversation with Connie Jones about limiting beliefs? Then you want to check it out now.
We create these upper limits for ourselves fueled by messages we have received starting early on in childhood about who we are and who we are not. And who we are supposed to be. We create patterns of playing roles that are consistent with those messages, but sometimes the messages are wrong and the pattern becomes a trap.
To break the cycle of limiting beliefs, you must first identify the belief, recognize it is creating your reality and chose to change what you believe. Often it stars with simply acting “as if” until the new behavior becomes natural and you being to believe you can do or be more.
Words have the power to move, motivate, inspire, frighten, and cheer. What you say and how you say it can have a profound impact on another person. And some words, called power words, have more impact than others. These words have a strong meaning which is likely to trigger a psychological or emotional response. They are persuasive, pushing people to take action.
Power words fall in to one of three categories: seductive, emotional, or sensory (visual). As you write web copy, email communication, and social media status updates, employing these powerful phrases will help you grab and hold the attention of a reader.
Seductive Power WordsThese terms have the ability to “seduce” readers, overriding logical reasoning and compelling them to take action. Examples of seductive words include:
- New – People often equate new with better. When you offer something new, they assume it is better than what they already have.
- Free – We are conditioned to respond to the word “free.” That promise reduces the resistance to action.
- Because – Simply giving people a reason is all they need to give you a try.
- How To – This is a common search phrase for almost every product category. The phrase “how to” promises practical information. If you use it, be sure your content delivers on the promise.
Emotional Power WordsTapping into human emotions with your headlines is more challenging. There isn’t a short list of emotional words that always works. Instead you need to consider the emotions themselves and find ways to tap into them.
Common emotions which will drive action include fear, jealousy, curiosity, joy, surprise, anger, disgust, trust, and anticipation. Not all emotions will work the same way. For example, anger may cause someone to share something on social media, but not purchase a product or a service. In contrast, fear or jealousy may drive someone to take action and buy.
Some studies indicate people are more likely to take action to avoid negative outcomes than to achieve positive ones. Example: What do your competitors know that you don’t? That question is designed to elicit fear from the reader.
Sensory Power WordsSensory words paint a picture in the mind of the reader. These descriptive words are designed to activate one or more of the senses. They describe how we experience the world: how we smell, see, hear, feel, or taste something.
Engage the eyes with words related to colors, shape, or appearance. For instance: gloomy, dazzling, bright, foggy, or gigantic.
Make something tangible when you describe textures. These same words can be applied to feelings and abstract concepts also such as gritty, creepy, slimy, fluffy, or sticky.
When you read words like cha-ching, kaboom, or pow, you can almost hear the sounds. Other descriptive words such as crashing, pounding, or ringing will engage the reader’s auditory sense.
Especially helpful if you are writing about food, words related to taste and smell may get your prospective reader salivating for your product. Many of these words like zesty, tantalizing, sweet, stinky, or stale will transform bland copy.
Remember that motion is sensory, too. Active words such as vibrating, soaring, mind-boggling, staggering, or bumpy take the reader on a journey with you
I love chatting with Lindsey Anderson, and it has been awhile since this seasoned online business consultant, bestselling author, and podcast host, dropped by for a chat.
It this conversation we talked about her experience as a play in a reality TV game ( The Trust) and what she learned about using social media effectively as a business owner rather than as an influencer.
Lindsey introduced her VEMS model, which is designed to help business owners build a compelling social media presence that drives sales and engagement. The model consists of four key components:
- Vibe: Share personal aspects of your life to help people connect with you. Choose three consistent elements to showcase, such as your location, family, or health interests. This humanizes your brand and helps potential clients relate to you.
- Experience: Regularly share client stories and experiences. This demonstrates your expertise and shows potential clients what working with you is like. Authentic, real-time updates about client interactions can be particularly effective.
- Methodology: Highlight your unique methods and structured approaches. This gives potential clients confidence in your systematic process and distinguishes you from those who offer ad-hoc strategies.
- Skills: While it's important to share tips and skills, balance this with other elements to avoid appearing one-dimensional. This prevents you from giving too much away for free and helps maintain interest in your services.
About Lindsey
indsey Anderson is an accomplished online business consultant with over 20 years of experience as a digital marketing business owner. She is also a best-selling author and podcast host. Leveraging her deep knowledge in marketing and sales, Lindsey helps brands reach their dream clients and scale their business online through her proven strategies, systems and sales methodologies. LEARN MORE: https://www.lindseya.com/
As business owners try to grow their business they assume they have to do it organically. The problem with the organic approach is you have to be patient. It takes time for the business to mature and grow.
But that is not the only way to grow. Your path to success might include merging with another company or through the acquisition of another business. Deb Curtis, an expert in SBA-Supported Business Acquisition Loans & Smooth Ownership Transitions shares a few tips and things to consider before you jump into acquisition mode
What do you want people to say about you when you're not in the room. What do you want them to tell people. who are looking for someone who does what you do?
All of those comments add up to your personal brand. Now a lot of business owners are under the misconception that somehow they control their brand. But they don't.
Your brand is something that exists in the mind of your customers. All you can do is influence it with your marketing messages and your actions and over time you will create a brand representative of who you are.
Looking for more resources on branding and positioning? Start with the position statement workbook
If you’re a woman business owner or thinking about becoming one, there are unique challenges you’ll face compared to your male counterparts. However, success is achievable, as demonstrated by Sharon Gillenwater, a tech startup founder who sold her company, Boardroom Insiders, for $25 million. Here are a few key points from our conversation.
Funding and Networking Obstacles:
Women receive only about 2% of venture funding. Additionally, if you’re not part of the entrepreneurial network, gaining access to funding and talent can be tough. It’s crucial to build a network of contacts who can guide and support you.
Importance of Clear Planning and Communication:
If you are preparing to seek funding, be sure you can clearly articulate your business idea, model, and market. Talk to to as many knowledgeable people as possible to refine your plan and pitch
Keeping Financial Records Clean:
Sharon shared a personal lesson on the importance of keeping business finances separate from personal finances. The take-away - Proper record-keeping from the start can prevent complications when your business grows or when you’re ready to sell.
Customer Focus:
Despite skepticism from funders and industry experts, Sharon’s focus on customer satisfaction proved to be a key factor in her success. She advises ignoring the naysayers and listening to your customers.
One of the advantages of having more than 1,000 episodes in my archive, is the wealth of great information buried there. This week I dug way back, to find a conversation I had with Allison Carter back in 2013, when she was my regular co-host. We always had a good time, but I really loved this conversation about finding your brand voice.
- Just as you can recognize someone's speaking voice, their writing voice is unique too. It’s like a fingerprint. A strong, consistent voice can help a company build its brand and connect with its audience.
- Your writing should convey the essence of who you are, not just mimic how you speak. It's about creating a connection that feels genuine and consistent with your personality, whether you're warm and fuzzy or more reserved and snarky.
- Just like you wouldn’t talk to a child the same way you’d talk to your doctor, your writing should be tailored to your audience. This keeps your messages clear and relatable without coming off as condescending or overly complex.
- Even teams, with diverse individual styles can present a unified voice by defining parameters for each writer. For larger companies, formal guidelines can help maintain this consistency.
- Understanding and defining your company's voice is crucial. It shapes how you communicate on social media, in emails, and in all other forms of content. This reflection of your company’s personality can significantly impact how customers perceive and interact with your brand.
The Creative ProcessI am often asked, why I chose to name my company “Roundpeg.” The obvious answer was because I spent all those years in corporate, feeling like a square peg in a round hole, and this is where I fit!
But there is more to the story. I wanted to build a business around the ideas of creativity, collaboration, and positive energy, and for me, creativity begins with a “R.O.U.N.D” process.
R.O.U.N.D: Research, Originate, Unite, Nurture, Do It!ResearchIf you want creative output, you need creative input! Collecting a variety of information, without worrying how it fits, is the foundation of the research phase. Input comes from everywhere, what you read, what you see when you are out for a walk, what you learn from others.
- Explore your environment. Look for new ideas, trends and tools.
- Seek inspiration everywhere. Take a walk and really look around you. I often find inspiration from nature.
- Learn something new. Enhance your education, expand your talents, abilities and skills.
- Look back to move forward. Analyze data and study historical trends.
OriginateThe second step is the most fun. In this phase, everything is possible. The process works well with a diverse group, people with very different skills, personality styles, and experience. Make sure everyone in the room understands, there are no bad ideas and no limitations.
Keep the sessions short so the energy stays high, but remember some people are more comfortable thinking out loud and may overpower the more analytic folks in the room. To get all the best ideas look for ways to balance the conversation invite people to submit ideas in writing after the session.
Don't have group - Carrie Anton had some great tips on how to Brainstorm by Yourself.
- Connect to your inner child, don’t be afraid to be silly or outrageous. Sometimes in the craziest idea there is something worth exploring. Be creative, think, and daydream
- Bring people together to brainstorm and answer the “what-if” questions.
- Generate many, many ideas.
UniteThis phase involves reviewing all the ideas you have generated and selecting a few to explore in greater detail. You are still not completely critical, and crazy suggestions will still play a roll in this phase. Remember in this phase there are still no bad ideas and no limitations such as budget, time, or people.
There are however a few best ideas, and these are the ones you need to focus on expanding. As you embrace these ideas, unite related concepts, look for connections and ways to build on the ideas of others.
- Question the information you have collected. Is it relevant reliable and usable?
- Identify common threads and reoccurring themes.
- Borrow ideas from others, build on initial suggestions adding alternatives and enhancements.
- Select a few to take forward.
- Look for ways to take ideas to the next level don’t be afraid to invent and innovate.
NurtureIt is important to take a break between uniting and nurturing. It may be only a few minutes or a few days. This break marks the transition from wild ideas to critical review.
The time between the stages is important for the more analytic and introverted members of the group. It gives them time to process information, formulate responses and questions so they are ready to share their ideas with the group or individual members.
The nurture team may be expanded or changed as the real work begins, evaluating ideas with objective eye to improve and refine the concepts so they become actionable.
Identify and eliminate obstacles as you nurture the best ideas, giving them the chance to blossom and grow. Many ideas don’t survive this phase, as impractical or unworkable ideas are rejected, so the best ideas can blossom.
- Objectively evaluate ideas.
- Reject what doesn’t work.
- Simplify the over-complicated.
Do-ItTo move from concepts to reality, you must commit to a course of action. Develop action plans, timelines, deadlines, and measures. Success depends on your passion, commitment, enthusiasm, and your ability to learn from your mistakes.
- Market your idea.
- Deal with critics.
- Measure progress.
- Survive success.
- And Begin Again!
It is a round process, because, as soon as you think you are done, it is time to start again!
I had a great conversation with Jason Barnard ( @jasonmbarnard ) about online branding. Importance of Brand SERPs:
One of the standout points Jason emphasizes is the critical role of Brand Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). He explains how they reflect a brand's online reputation and visibility, and why businesses should prioritize optimizing their Brand SERPs for better recognition and credibility.
Knowledge Panels: Jason delves into the significance of Knowledge Panels, those information boxes that appear on the right side of Google's search results. He discusses how they can enhance a brand's authority and trustworthiness, offering tips on how to get your brand featured in these panels.
AI and Future Trends: The conversation also touches on the impact of artificial intelligence in digital marketing. Jason shares his thoughts on future trends, suggesting that AI will continue to shape the industry in exciting and unexpected ways, influencing how brands interact with their audiences.
Personal Branding: Lastly, Jason talks about the power of personal branding in the digital age. He offers practical advice on building and maintaining a strong personal brand, emphasizing its importance for professionals looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
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In this conversation from my archive, chatted with Matt Nettleton about the importance of practice and the danger of over practicing.
Have you ever done something for the first time, without prior knowledge and been able to achieve success? If so, you’re truly unique. Most humans find themselves meeting new challenges with a series of frustrations and failures. Imagine an infant as they decide to walk for the first time, they stand up then they stagger and inevitably they fall. To become consistent walkers they repeat the stand-stagger-fall cycle for a few weeks or months.
This pattern of stand-stagger-fall is repeated throughout our lives. Over time we learn that practicing tasks makes eventual success more likely. We also learn that preparation is a bit of a grind certainly not enjoyable and nearly always hard work. But learning to effectively gain new skills and improve performance with existing skills is the key task we all face as adults. So, we learn to practice.
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When it comes to marketing, it's easy to focus on activity. Just create a list of tasks and check them off as you complete them:
- Write five blog posts ✔
- Send an e-newsletter ✔
- Post status updates on Facebook and LinkedIn ✔
- Schedule ads ✔
- Create a landing page ✔
- Send postcards ✔
- Make phone calls ✔
As you check things off your list, you feel good about all you have accomplished. But when you focus exclusively on the activities of marketing, you're missing half the equation.
It doesn't really matter how much marketing you do if you're not getting results. Whether you are doing your own marketing or you have hired a company to do these tasks for you, don't settle for a list of activities. You need to hold your marketing accountable for results. You need to focus on the productivity of your marketing, and that's harder to do.
Productivity measures might include:
- Traffic or Interest: Did the actions create engagement on social media or drive traffic to your website or your storefront?
- Leads:Did people fill out a form, download information, or call for an appointment?
- Conversion: Did any of those people who came by or called become customers?
If you don't know the answers to these questions, stop wasting money on marketing. Put systems in place monitor web data and actual inquiries. Ask people how they heard about you or why the called. Study your closing rate. Once you have the numbers you will know have a better idea of what is working and where you need to be spending more time.
- Don't look at the numbers individually, because they work together. If your campaigns are driving lots of traffic but visitors rarely stay long or take the next step, look at both what you are offering in the campaign and the user experience when a visitor arrives.
- Lots of fans on Facebook may make you feel good, but if they don't engage with your content you might be offering the wrong thing, or you might not have great fans after all.
The bottom line: Anyone can look busy. As a business owner, you need to be sure that when you and your team spend time, it isn't just activity, but productive activity.
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If you’re looking to harness the power of testimonials for your business, this conversation with Danielle Klemm, a positioning and funnel strategist, is packed with insights.
She packed so much information into the short conversation: Here are just a few highlights.
There is a structure to a great testimonial
Testimonials should follow a story structure with a beginning, middle, and end. When asked to give a testimonial, customers usually describe their experiences from the end point, but that isn't where your next customer is in their process You need to guide the conversation starting from the problems they faced before using your product or service.
Ask specific questions to prompt customers to talk about their initial challenges, the aha moments they experienced, and how your product or service solved their problems. This approach not only enhances the testimonial but also provides valuable marketing language directly from your customers.
Do more with testimonials
Beyond just posting on social media or your website, testimonials can be used creatively across various platforms. This includes integrating them into blog posts, case studies, media publications, and even at physical booths using QR codes. The goal is to make these testimonials part of your natural sales process, helping to build credibility and trust.
Learn More https://www.danielleklemm.com
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Seven years ago, I chatted with Luke Magsamen, who was a member of the Roundpeg team at the time, about marketing automation. While tools have changed, the strategies we discussed are as relevant today to help you keep a business running smoothly, even while you sleep. Here are some key points from our discussion:
- Automated Messaging: Automated emails and messages can engage both new and existing customers without constant manual effort. This includes sending birthday wishes or reminding customers about abandoned carts.
- Essential Tools: To implement a successful automated marketing campaign, you need a good email program, engaging landing pages, and a comprehensive database of customer information.
- Personalized Campaigns: Personal touches, like birthday discounts or anniversary reminders, can re-engage customers effectively. Luke shared his experience with Dollar Shave Club, where a birthday discount prompted him to make an additional purchase.
- Ongoing Engagement: Automated emails can keep customers engaged over long sales cycles. For instance, sending a series of emails with different resources after a proposal can guide potential customers towards a purchase decision.
- Evergreen Content: Ensure your automated emails contain evergreen content that remains relevant over time. Avoid seasonal references or outdated information by linking to updated content on your website.
- Complementary Follow-up: While automation is powerful, it’s essential to complement it with personal follow-ups, such as phone calls, to maintain a human touch in customer interactions.
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Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with start-ups, as they look for name for their new business or product. The process is rarely easy, but always interesting.
The process should start with a look at the ultimate customer and the unique elements of the solution being presented. Even in traditional industries, looking for a unique twist will help set the business apart.
So what else should you consider on your quest to find the perfect name?
- Simple and Memorable: If the name isn’t short, punchy and relevant customers may struggle to remember it when it is time to buy! Prospective customers may do a Google or voice search for your business. If you name is hard to pronounce or spell, they may have trouble finding you.
- Relevant: It may or may not be descriptive, but it should evoke a feeling, perception, or impression in the mind of your target audience.
- Unique: If you want to trademark the name, it needs to be unique in the category.
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One of the things that happened during Covid was that virtual events exploded. And today, even as we return to in person activities, there is still a place for virtual events in your marketing. That was the topic I dove into with Michael Tucker.
Here are some key points from the interview with Michael Tucker about virtual events:
- Building Trust and Credibility: Michael loves virtual events because they are a powerful way to quickly build trust and credibility with an audience. They offer an opportunity to teach, engage, and build relationships, which can expedite the sales process.
- High Energy and Engagement: Successful virtual events require high energy and engagement. Keeping the audience's attention is crucial, and this is best achieved by showing up with passion and enthusiasm, even if you’re not naturally an extrovert. The content should be crafted with the audience in mind, focusing on what is relevant and valuable to them.
- Starting Small and Focusing on Quality: It's important to start with the resources you have, such as an existing email list or social media following. The goal should be to attract a quality audience, not necessarily a large one. A smaller group of highly interested and relevant attendees can be more effective than a larger, less engaged group.
- Crafting a Clear Goal and Transformational Content: Every virtual event should have a clear goal. The content should be designed to help attendees achieve their goals and should lead them to the next step in their journey, which could be making a purchase or booking a call. The content must create a transformation by shifting their beliefs and actions, rather than just providing value.
- Selective Value and Strategic Content: It’s important not to give everything away in the event. Instead, provide enough value to create a shift in the audience’s thinking and leave them wanting more. This makes them more likely to take the next step, such as hiring you or buying your product.
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In this conversation from our archive, I had a chance to talk with Brenden Kumarasamy from MasterTalk. Brenden shares practical tips to enhance communication and public speaking abilities. Here are four simple exercises you can add to your daily routine.
- Random Word Exercise: Pick a random word and create a 60-second presentation around it. This helps improve your ability to think on your feet and make sense of unexpected topics, which is crucial in business settings.
- Question Drill: Practice answering one question about your business every day. This prepares you for the unexpected questions you might face in sales calls or networking events and builds your confidence and expertise over time.
- Video Messages: Send 20-second video messages to people you appreciate without retakes. This exercise helps you practice spontaneous communication and strengthens relationships.
- Jigsaw Puzzle Strategy: When preparing for a big presentation, practice your introduction and conclusion multiple times before tackling the middle. This ensures a strong start and finish, which are critical for making a lasting impression.
Brenden emphasizes that these simple exercises can significantly improve your public speaking skills and overall communication effectiveness. For more tips, check out MasterTalk on YouTube.
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Social media is a lot like going to a singles bar. You’re going to meet a lot of nice people and have some interesting conversations. But at the end of the day your goal is to bring your date home.
In the world of digital marketing home is your website and your email list. This is where you can have that great one on one conversation without all the distractions like silly videos, cat pictures and baby images. This is where you can control the conversation.
As your creating marketing and advertising for social media, remember, you want to bring your date home.
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I enjoyed the time I spent with Deborah Bowers, a seasoned marketing expert, to discuss the essentials of digital advertising for small businesses. Here are a few key points from our conversation:
Importance of Digital Advertising: Deborah emphasizes the necessity of incorporating paid advertising alongside organic marketing to reach a wider audience and drive more sales
Starting with Digital Advertising: For those new to digital advertising, Deborah suggests focusing on directional advertising, targeting people who already know they want a product or service. Spending more of your budget on people who are closer to the point of purchase is an effective way to stretch limited marketing funds.
Digital Search Ads: These ads appear to users based on their search behaviors across multiple platforms, allowing businesses to target potential customers without the need for a separate budget for each platform.
Targeting and Budget Management: Deborah explains the importance of targeting specific demographics and setting limits on how often ads are shown to avoid overspending and annoying potential customers. She emphasizes the need to capture leads effectively through well-designed landing pages.
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Do you feel overwhelmed by social media if you do you're not alone but I've got some good news for you because there are things you can do to manage the chaos and make the time you're spending on social media productive.
Our guest, Andrea Jones explains one of the challenges with social media is that it's a mixture of our business and our personal life. She suggests dividing platforms by purpose—some for personal use and others strictly for business. This helps manage focus and reduce distractions. She has some other great suggestions in this lively conversation
Time Blocking: Instead of stressing over posting frequently, spend a set amount of time each day engaging with your community and creating content.
Content Strategy: Balance your posts between connection and conversion. Andrea recommends the 80/20 rule—80% of content should aim to connect with the audience, and 20% should focus on conversion.
Reflect Business Activity: Use real business interactions and questions as the foundation of your content, keeping your updates relevant and engaging
Define Social Media Goals: Understand what you want to achieve with social media, whether it’s building authority or driving sales. This clarity can help turn social media from a chore into a valuable tool.
For more insights, check out Andrea's podcast, the Savvy Social Podcast, and her website, http://onlinedrea.com.
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The internet is fueled by cats. Cute cats, funny cats, grumpy cats, cat photos and cat videos. It's cats, cats, cats, all day long. I'm actually okay with that because I like cats. We even had two cats, Clyde and Truman who lived Roundpeg and if you followed us on social media you would see them regularly featured. Clyde even had her own Facebook page and probably has more fans than I did.
And it is this love of cats that kind of inspired us to do a fun promotion for our marketing seminars. We designed an ad with a headline that said: Free Kittens with every seminar. If you read the fine print, we weren't giving away kittens but you did get a chance to play with our cats
It was a little bit out there, so we wondered how our audience would react, so we created a more traditional version as an alternative. We both graphics on Facebook and on LinkedIn, thinking we we knew exactly how this was going to play out. We expected the kittens to do well on Facebook and the more traditional version to score points on LinkedIn.
We were wrong!. The cats got barely got a ripple on Facebook, with few people noticing and interacting. It certainly didn't t get the viral shares I expected. Instead the traditional graphic, when reshared to my personal page with a bit of text telling friends and family where I was going to be in the next month got lots of engagement.
LinkedIn just the opposite. The traditional schedule got a few thumbs up but the cats went viral. The image was shared and reshared. People kept commenting and talking about it, long after the seminars were over.
The lesson we learned: Don't be afraid to shake things up. Be a little silly and to go outside your box or simply look for ways to do exactly the opposite of what everybody else is doing. If you can do that, you are more likely to get noticed.
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Monica Pitts, founder of MayeCreate Design and host of the "Marketing with Purpose" podcast brought her energy and humor to this conversation about your website. Like me, she considers it a critical part of your overall marketing.
- Authenticity and Realness: She emphasizes the importance of using real images instead of stock photos and writing website content in your own authentic voice. Being genuine helps customers connect with you.
- Storytelling: Your business is unique. Even in a cluttered industry, you need to find your unique stories and tell it on your website instead of using generic marketing language.
- Consistency: Once you embrace your unique voice, you need to maintain it is message across all platforms, from your website and social media, to in person interactions. This cohesive brand experience helps prospective customers understand who they will really be working with. Not everyone will appreciate your unique voice. That's ok, the ones who do, will make the best customers.
- Practical Tips for Content: Content is everywhere. One great source are you sales and customer service teams. Every day they hear the questions customers want answered. Use the questions and answers to fuel your content.
- Website Performance: Speed is everything. Beyond the great content and effective conversion forms, your website must be driven by a powerful and fast engine to deliver information to visitors quickly, before they click away
What To Put On Your Website - A page-by-page website content checklist. Learn what to put where and how to make it all come together for a website that’s as easy to use as a coffee cup. GET STARTED NOW
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I know you think we’ve talked SEO to death, but the field keeps changing and there are different approaches. My guest Meg Casebolt explains many people think think SEO is incredibly complex and you need to have an expensive team come in to fix your website for it. They also assume you must produce boatloads of content to be successful.
She doesn’t think either of those things is true. Today, the trick is not quantity, but content which clearly defines who you serve and how you help that audience. Here are a few simple tips that can easily improve your SEO
Optimizing Existing Content: Utilize tools like Google Search Console to identify what content is already performing well. Update and repurpose existing content, and create cornerstone pages that compile related resources, which can rank better in search results.
Link Building and Authority: Effective use of internal and external links can enhance SEO. Linking to and from reputable sites builds credibility and signals to search engines that your content is trustworthy and authoritative.
Creating Leads through SEO: Every piece of content should direct users towards further engagement, whether that’s filling out a contact form or accessing a lead magnet. This strategy turns SEO into a tool for generating and nurturing leads, not just driving traffic.
Content Strategy Alignment: Align content creation with your lead magnets and overall marketing goals. By reverse-engineering from lead magnets, you can create content that naturally leads users through the customer journey, ultimately converting them into leads.
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I'm sure you're familiar with the story of Prince Charming. He went trudging through his kingdom carrying a shoe looking for the prefect girl. He tried it on multiple people until he finally found his one true love.
Well, that's a fairy tale but it has real applications for your marketing. In a way you have to be like prince charming. You have to go trudging through different types of marketing until you find something that fits. You're going to consider and reject a lot of things before you find that perfect marketing for your business.
But here's the catch. Unlike prince charming you don't always get to live happily ever after. That dream solution is great this year but it may not be perfect next year and so you've got to be willing to go trudging through marketing solutions over and over again to continually find the best fit for your business.
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Your audience is out there. The people that are just dying to work with you. The problem is they don't know you exist. Being a guest on a podcast can help those ideal clients get to know you.
My guest, Jamie Atkinson, shared some great tips on how you can be invited to be a guest on more podcasts.
- Podcasting for Visibility: Podcasting provides an easy platform for organic conversations, helping entrepreneurs reach new audiences and make more sales.
- Finding Podcast Opportunities: Utilize platforms like "Need a Guest" on Facebook, connecting podcasters with potential guests, making it easier to get booked on shows.
- Crafting Effective Pitches: When reaching out to podcast hosts, be transparent, do research, leave a 5-star review, and emphasize how you can promote the episode for a win-win collaboration.
- Consistency is Key: Spend time daily reaching out to multiple hosts. Aim for two podcast appearances per week to maximize exposure and reach new audiences.
JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP
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If you missed my conversation with Jeff Felton about using email to build trust with prospects, take a few minutes to listen now.
Most people think about email marketing as a sales tool. But my guest, Jeff Felten thinks it is so much more. Email can play a valuable role as a way to build trust and relationships with your audience.
- Trust is the Currency of Business: This is especially for service-based professionals. While many talk about the impressive ROI of email marketing, Jeff believes that for service businesses, trust is even more critical than immediate sales.
- Social Proof and Generosity: These are the two main strategies to build trust. Social proof involves showcasing past successes and client testimonials. Meanwhile, generosity, such as providing valuable content and offering one's time, can also foster trust and engagement.
- Engage in Conversations: Encourage your email recipients to reply as a means of starting conversations. It humanizes the interaction and helps identify qualified prospects.
- Replies as the Holy Grail: While opens and clicks are important metrics, replies indicate genuine interest and can lead to meaningful conversations,
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A few weeks ago, I dropped a quick marketing tip about creating less content. That advice might seem counter intuitive when you are engaged in the battles of the content wars. But the trick is finding ways to expand your content. I shared some suggestions on how repurpose your content instead of reinventing the wheel.
Now, I have one more suggestion. Let AI do the work for you. Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating you actually publish that very stuffy, or all too bro style content. Instead, let AI do what it does best. Summarize transcripts of interviews and meetings. Create bullet lists, social shares or blog posts from your original content. Yes, you will still need to rewrite, but at least you have a starting point.
And my new favorite too is Opus Pro, which will transform a longer video, into a series of short, binge-worthy clips.
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Business owners often tell me they know some of their marketing is working they just don't know which part. So as a result, they waste a lot of money on the wrong types of marketing. So I invited Sara Nay, of Duct Tape Marketing to join me for a conversation about how business owners can stop wasting money.
She had some great tips.
- Strategic Approach Over Tactical Rush: Many business owners dive into marketing tactics without a clear strategy. Instead of blindly following trends or competitor actions, they should focus on understanding their target audience and crafting messages that resonate on the right channels. It's about thinking strategically about the entire customer journey, not just individual marketing tactics.
- Measuring Success and ROI: Another common mistake is not measuring the effectiveness of marketing efforts. Metrics like conversion rates, click-through rates, and customer retention are crucial for determining the success of marketing campaigns. Without proper tracking and analysis, businesses may continue investing in ineffective strategies.
- Holistic Marketing Hourglass Approach: The interview introduces the concept of the "Marketing Hourglass," emphasizing the importance of guiding customers through the stages of know, like, trust, try, buy, repeat, and refer. This holistic approach involves not only attracting new leads but also nurturing relationships, ensuring customer satisfaction, and encouraging referrals for sustainable growth.
- Customer-Centric Focus: Successful marketing starts with taking care of existing customers. If businesses fail to retain or satisfy their current clients, no amount of marketing can compensate for poor service or product quality. Prioritizing customer experience and satisfaction lays the foundation for effective marketing efforts.
- Continuous Optimization and Adaptation: Businesses should regularly evaluate their marketing strategies, track relevant metrics, and adjust their approaches based on data insights. Continuous optimization ensures that resources are allocated effectively and that marketing efforts remain aligned with business goals.
Go to: https://dtm.worldback/growth to learn more.
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A flywheel, builds energy, as you push it slowly over time it gets faster and faster and faster. A marketing flywheel will do that as well. With consistent action, the marketing flywheel will deliver more and more results.
In this conversation from our archive, Josh Ramsey explains the Marketing Flywheel revolves around three pillars.
- Building Lasting Impressions: Tell a clear story and have a unique design so customers remember you when they're ready to buy, even if they're not ready now.
- Easy to Find, Easy to Buy: Just as a product needs to be on the shelf in a physical store, it must also be readily accessible online. Competitive pricing, ease of purchase, and fast loading times are essential components of your easy to buy strategy.
- Reach Everyone: Connect with all kinds of customers, not just the ones already looking for you, to grow your business. Instead of focusing narrowly, cast a wider net while still targeting the most promising groups.
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I love working with entrepreneurs. They’re excited and enthusiastic and their energy is contagious as they talk about their great idea. Unfortunately, I often have to tell these amazing people I can’t help them because excitement and energy is not enough to make a business successful.
Usually it’s because their idea is only half-baked. There’s a good concept but they haven’t really done the homework to fill in the details. The gaps usually occur in one of several categories
- Not enough experience in the industry
- They haven’t thought through the fulfillment process
- Incomplete competitive assessment
In this episode, I share a few examples of how half-baked ideas could have been completed with a little work and a little patience but entrepreneurs are impatient.
Don’t let this happen to you. If you have an idea for a business do your homework learn about the industry, your competitors and your customers. Give your idea a chance to succeed by putting it back in the oven for a little while. When you’re ready to talk about your half baked marketing idea give me a call
If you are like many small business owners, you're probably laying awake at night worrying about your business, working all day long and in your spare time, thinking about your business Well, according to Joey Drolshagen that's not the way to get ahead.
He suggests:
Mindset Shift: From the traditional notion of hard work to a more strategic approach, Joey challenges the idea that exhaustive effort is the only path to success,.
Awareness and Alignment: Many business owners dive into tasks without considering alignment with their goals, leading to burnout and inefficiency.
Dynamic Vision: Your vision should inspire and motivate you, helping you make prioritize tasks and make better decisions.
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Open-mindedness and Learning: Even if you have been doing this for awhile, Joey stresses the importance of having an open mind and a beginner's mindset.
Systems and Delegation: When you have systems in place and get comfortable with delegating it is easier to focus on working on the business rather than just in it
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOEY - https://coachwithjoey.com
I love to tell stories. Not only because they’re fun, but because they’re great for business. That’s why I was excited to sit down with master storyteller, David Hutchins a few years ago. If you missed the conversation back then, here's you chance to learn more about storytelling.
- The Power of Stories: Stories create connection and belief, which leads to better outcomes in business.
- Selecting the Right Stories: Choosing the right stories by strategically identifying the types of stories that align with a business's goals drive engagement and shape the organization's culture.
- "Us at Our Best" Stories: These stories illustrate what it looks like when a business is delivering top-notch value and excellence.
- Intentional Storytelling: Hutchens stresses that storytelling should be intentional and methodical, crafting stories purposefully to achieve their desired results.
- Repetition and Consistency: The more often people hear the stories, the more likely that people will engage with the business's vision and goals.
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I love email . It is not that I love getting email in my inbox. But I love email as a marketing tool.
There are a lot of people who say things like "email doesn't work" or "it's passe" They argue there are all sorts of other tools. you can use that are so much more effective.
Well, I agree, other tools do exist, but there are some things email does better than any other tool.
When I have permission to send you an email we have an interaction that is one on one in your inbox. There are no distractions. Even if it's only a few seconds I'm the only thing you're paying attention to.
People open emails every single day. They may ignore social media, taking a break from Tik Tok but too much of their life is still wrapped up in their email . So if you've got a marketing message. You need to be thinking about delivering it in an email.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might’ve missed and other resources for your business : https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
In life you are often judged by the company that you keep. The same is true online, your reputation is influenced by who you run with and the clubs to which you belong. You demonstrate those connections through backlinks. What are backlinks? How do you get them? Why do you need them? Those are just some of the questions I asked Brandon Leibowitz
- What Are Backlinks?
- Backlinks are clickable links from other websites that point to your site. For example, if an article on Forbes.com links to your website, you gain a backlink from Forbes. The more quality websites that link to your site, the more credible and trustworthy you appear to search engines like Google.
- Strategies for Cultivating Backlinks:
- Analyze Your Competitors: Tools such as Moz, Semrush, and Ahrefs can help you identify who is linking to your competitors. By examining their backlink profiles, you can discover potential opportunities for your own site.
- Guest Posting: Offer to write valuable guest posts for other blogs in your industry. This provides value to the host website while also giving you an opportunity to earn a backlink.
- Focus on Quality Over Quantity:
- Not all backlinks are created equal. Links from reputable, high-authority sites carry more weight than links from lower-quality or irrelevant sites. M
- Avoid linking to or receiving links from sites that don't align with your niche. Google watches who you link to and who links to you, and mismatched or spammy links can harm your SEO.
- Avoid Spammy Backlink Offers:
- If you receive unsolicited emails offering content in exchange for a backlink, be cautious. These offers often come from questionable sources and could damage your credibility. Choose quality sites and build genuine relationships instead.
- User Experience Matters:
- Linking to irrelevant or low-quality sites can harm the user experience, leading visitors to leave your site and not return.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might’ve missed and other resources for your business : https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
From my archive:
When you started your business you probably assumed that sooner or later you would get around to building a life to go with it. According to guest Nicole Bandes, that is not necessarily the best way to approach things. She believes you can actually build a successful business around your amazing life.
Here are a few of the key points from our conversation
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Ditch Tradition and Embrace Your Own Path:
- Many of us feel pressure to follow traditional paths set by our parents or grandparents. But when you forge your own paths you can design a business that suits your lifestyle and values.
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Seek Harmony, Not Balance:
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The idea of work-life balance can feel unattainable, but focusing on harmony offers a more realistic approach. It allows you to dedicate more time to your business when needed, like during a launch or product creation. The trick is to use flexibility to prioritize personal interests and family time when you are not in crunch time.
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Outsource and Delegate:
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There’s never a wrong time to start delegating. Outsourcing tasks that take up too much of your time or aren’t in your wheelhouse, such as bookkeeping, can free you up to focus on what you love and excel at.
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Strategic Time Management:
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Be strategic with your time. Eliminate unnecessary tasks and avoid chasing every shiny object.
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Look for Support Systems:
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Look for ways to build your own support systems, whether it's hiring someone for administrative tasks or leveraging tools and resources to streamline your processes.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might’ve missed and other resources for your business : https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
One of the most common mistakes business owners make is thinking that there’s some single magic key word or phrase that they must dominate. But that just isn’t how search works anymore. Why? Because today, people are more likely to use natural language as they type or dictate to Siri. So instead of typing a short phrase like furnace repair, they’re more likely to ask “Who can I call to replace my furnace?” or “Why is my furnace making a funny sound?”
Today if a prospective customer goes to Google to look for a business like yours, they are using phrases and questions. And your website must contain those words. They tell Google and other search engines exactly what your website or page is about. That information is then stored in the search engine database so it can be presented to prospective customers when they’re looking for a product or service.
As you think about your keywords, think about natural language and how people are more likely to talk when they’re looking for a business like yours.
If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might’ve missed and other resources for your business : https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/
Client relationships are just that, they are relationships. While you hope that every new clients is in it for the long haul, we've all had those clients that we wanted to break up with. So as you are looking for your next client relationship, maybe you need to think about it like a date. Jennifer Tamborski, a seasoned digital marketing strategist, shared some of the parallels between dating and client acquisition. Just like dating there are stages in the process: Introduction, flirting, dating, commitment, and keeping the romance alive.
- The Introduction - It is about knowing who your ideal client is and creating marketing how to attract them messaging to attract them.
- Flirting through content and communication: This is about creating awareness and engaging with potential clients through the right channels and content. Knowing where your ideal clients hanging out and tailoring messages to attract their attention.
- Dating - Next, prospects have to get to know you. Using lead magnets and drip campaigns build the relationship slowly, over time. Too many people try to rush the process pushing the sale and commitment before the prospect is ready.
- Maintaining long-term relationships: Once clients have committed, keeping the relationship strong involves nurturing them with continued engagement. Effective email marketing and providing added value can help maintain client relationships over time.
For many of us, the Covid pandemic feels like ancient history as our lives and businesses have gone back to normal. But for some companies, there is no going back. That's the case for Meetup.com. In late 2022 I had a chance to chat with David Siegel, founder of Meetup and how they completely turned their business on it's head during the pandemic.
His lessons on how to adjust to a crisis are relevant for every business owner. If you missed the conversation, this is your opportunity to listen to the entire conversation.
- Clear Mission: Establishing a clear mission helps guide decision-making during challenging times.
- Embrace New Opportunities: A crisis can present new opportunities for growth and innovation. The trick is to have the process in place to move quickly.
- Challenge Sacred Cows: Continuously question established practices and assumptions within the organization. Just because you have always done it that way, doesn't mean it is the right direction for you now.
- Include Diverse Voices: Bring new team members into the organization who offer fresh insights and ideas. Allow different perspectives to challenge existing biases
- Balance In-Person and Virtual: Striking a balance between in-person and virtual interactions is essential. Both serve different audiences and offer unique advantages, helping organizations maximize connection and collaboration.
About David
David Siegel is CEO of Meetup overseeing its global business, which has 52 million members, hosts 15,000 events daily, and has events in 193 countries
David hosts Keep Connected, a podcast dedicated to the power of community and the author of Decide and Conquer: 44 Decisions That Make or Break All Leaders
When it comes to using AI for your marketing, I am reminded of the Russian proverb - Trust, but Verify. It rhymes in Russian... But it makes sense in any language.
When you are thinking about using AI, remember that sometimes, AI will make up information to answer a question. There are some really alarming instances where someone used AI. They even cited the information given to it by the robot only to find out at the worst possible moment that the source didn't exist.
So use the tool to write content, but never never never let it go without looking it over. Ask yourself, is this up to my standard? Does it sound like me? And, most important, is it accurate.
It was a real treat to have Robin Waite back in the guest chair. A business coach and public speaker, Robin share a success story about one interview that lead to 1,500 leads and over £150,000 (approximately $180,000) in business revenue. His story underscores that the journey to overnight success often involves months or years of effort, intentional networking, and value creation.
So how did he do it? Robin shared a simple five step process that helped him create a successful partnership, and is only marketing plan.
- Hyper Intentionality: Be clear about who you want to partner with and what you want to achieve from the partnership. Instead of focusing solely on personal gain, begin by delivering value to the other party and building relationships that benefit everyone.
- Get Out and Meet People: In today's digital age, it's easy to rely solely on online interactions. However, there is real value of attending events, meeting people face-to-face, and making personal connections.
- Be Helpful: When you are willing to provide value and assistance to others without expecting immediate returns you can open doors to future opportunities.
- Find the Inside Person: When dealing with an organization, get to know both the key decision-makers and the gatekeepers who can facilitate introductions and opportunities.
- Be Ready to Seize Opportunities: Sometimes you need to be willing to drop everything for the right opportunity.
Curious about the podcast interview that opened so many doors for Robin - Listen now
Maybe you think your business is too small to take advantage of PPC. Our guest, Ameet Khabra doesn’t think that is true. You can use this powerful tool as long as remember that Google is not doing something out of the goodness of their heart.
Google is not a charity, it is a business. Everything they do to improve search and analytics is ultimately designed to increase their advertising sales. So use the tools, look at their suggestions, but always remember their goals are not always aligned with yours.
About Ameet
Look up the definition of “obsessed” and you’ll find a picture of Ameet. She has spent the last decade figuring out why people do what they do online, what prompts them to take action, and how to use this insight to make marketing work better. Today she uses that experience to design dazzling campaign strategies for our clients and teach future generations of PPC pros at the university level.
Learn more by following adwordsgirl on Instagram
So today's marketing minute is a bit of a rant.
Every day people reach out to me on LinkedIn, offering to help me grow my business. I’m sure they genuinely believe (not) they can help me. I’m just not interested.
Don't get me wrong, it isn't because I think I am the leading authority on every subject and have nothing else to learn. I object to their sales process, targeting anyone with a key word in their bio.
Don't be someone I will hate!
Before you reach out and offer your services to me or anyone else on LinkedIn look at my career path and my experience. Consider where I am on my journey to make sure you are offering a relevant solution. That will make your marketing efforts more productive.
I’ve been podcasting for 15 years and I have released one thousand episodes. I don’t need tips on how to start or promote a podcast. If I haven’t figured it out by now, I never will.
Ask questions about what I’m working on or struggling with before you dive in with your solution. I ran a digital agency for 19 years, so your five years of experience does not impress me. And I sold three years ago, so I don't need your lead generation, or while label services for my clients.
Your books and training courses all sound fabulous (maybe not) but I have been teaching marketing to college students and business owners for more than 30 years. So, no, I don't need a free pass to your introduction to marketing workshop.
Your solution is not for everyone.That’s ok. Find people who fit the profile of a typical buyer and approach them. Don’t waste your time, creating less than great impressions on the wrong people.
Not sure how to find your ideal client? Well I can help that!
Earlier this year, I had a chance to chat with Samantha Bradshaw, a small business and IP lawyer, about how to pick a name for your business. If you missed that episode, you can find it here.
This is a continuation of that conversation where we focus on whether you should invest in a trademark for your business. Samantha shared a few things to consider as you weigh the pros and cons.
Consider Your Business Goals: If you plan to expand your business, work in it long-term, or pass it on to others, trademarking can solidify your reputation and become a valuable asset when selling the business or protecting your brand. On the other hand, if this is a lifestyle business or you don’t expect to grow beyond you local community, you may not need a trademark.
Understand Your Risk Level: The purpose of a trademark is to protect what you are building. For a small local business, such as with a single-location restaurant, your risk level may be lower and trademarking may not be necessary. You will still want to run a clearance search to check for potential conflicts with other businesses or brands using a similar name.
Benefits of Trademarking: Trademarking protects against copycats and helps distinguish your brand from others. It also facilitates licensing opportunities and enables smoother expansion, such as opening new locations or entering other markets.
How many times have you heard someone say, “s.ocial media is social”? When you hear that, what do you wonder what it really means, or how you actually get social on social media? That was the topic of my conversation with Deirdre Tshien co-founder and CEO of Capsho, the world’s first AI-powered Podcast Copywriter.
Dierdre’s explained a good strategy is based on more than just posting content. It is built on conversations and interactions with your audience. To do this effectively, you need four types of social media posts.
- Awareness Post: Start with a question or statement to open a conversation and gauge interest.
- Elaboration Post: Dive deeper into the topic you’ve introduced, providing more value and demonstrating your expertise. Mixing interactive and informative content keeps your audience interested and establishes you as authority.
- Community Post: You don’t have to have all the answers. Sometimes the best thing to do is share content from someone else. Also, build community by letting your audience see the real you. Share information about your life and business and highlight the actions of your network (clients, partners, etc.) .
- Action Post: Wrap up with a call to action, inviting your audience to take the next step, like subscribing to your podcast or joining a webinar. Afterall that is why you are posting on social media, right?
So you want to become the expert in your field. and you are writing blogs, crafting seminar slides, recording podcasts. You’re doing it all. But let’s be real, constantly coming up with fresh angles on the same topic can be draining. And in the fast-paced world of online content, what’s hot today might be forgotten tomorrow. Or, your best piece of content was released at the wrong time, so very few people saw it.
The trick for every professional, trying to build a reputation as a subject matter expert is how do you make the most of your best work without boring your audience to tears? I will let you in on a secret, it isn’t about creating more and more content. It is about repurposing your content smartly. Instead of reinventing the wheel, give your existing stuff a new lease on life. Then, instead of killing yourself to create a mountain of new content, use some of my favorite repurposing tips to fill your feed. Then you will have more time to create fewer, better pieces of content. Check out these tried-and-tested tactics:
- Roundup Posts: Imagine rounding up all your related posts, images, and podcasts into one neat package. It’s like a highlight reel for your audience, giving them a chance to catch up on what they might’ve missed. Just remember to sprinkle in some fresh descriptions to keep things interesting.
- Email Wrap-Ups: Your email list is gold. Keep your subscribers in the loop by sending them the cream of the crop content directly to their inboxes. It’s a win-win—they stay engaged, and you get to showcase your expertise.
- Content Resharing: Sometimes a piece of content doesn’t hit the mark the first time around. No biggie. Give it another shot with a fresh twist. Timing is everything, so don’t be afraid to test different schedules and keywords.
- Content Calendar: Keep track of your content with a simple calendar. When you’re running low on ideas, revisit and update your old posts. A little refresh can go a long way.
- Refresh Existing Content: Maybe you have a great piece of content that once got lots of attention from visitors and search engines, but recently has been ignored. Spend time updating your existing content to breath new life into the piece. Start with your keyword, enhance the content by incorporating into the conversation. Expand on the ideas presented. (Hint this is a great place to turn to Chat GPT for an idea or two) Add a new image, link to other relevant content and create a new social share.
- Compilation or White Papers: Show off your expertise by pulling together your top-performing posts into a polished document. It’s like a greatest hits album for your content. Share it with your audience and watch your authority soar.
- Exploring New Media: Mix things up by trying out different formats. Turn your blog post into a podcast or video to reach a new audience. And don’t forget to include a transcript for those who prefer to read.
With these tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be getting the most out of your content without breaking a sweat. Remember, it’s all about working smarter, not harder
I spent some time with Denzil Eden, the founder of Smarty AI, an AI productivity assistant that aims to enhance routines and automate tasks. Denzil shared her experience as a female entrepreneur in the tech space. Throughout our conversation, she had great insights and advice for other women looking to play in the tech space. Here are the key points from the interview:
- Challenges in the Tech Space: Denzil shares her journey as a young, female founder in the tech space and highlights the uphill battle she faced due to the crowded productivity market and the subconscious biases against women in tech. Her perseverance and resilience helped her navigate these challenges, ultimately leading her to success.
- Advice for Aspiring Founders: Denzil emphasizes the importance of validating ideas and understanding customers' needs before building a product. She suggests using landing pages, prototypes, and user interviews to gauge interest and gather feedback before investing significant time and resources, which can save founders from pursuing ideas that may not have market demand.
- Investor Relationships: Denzil advises that founders should carefully vet potential investors, treating the relationship like a marriage. Finding investors who align with the company's vision and the founder's values ensures a smoother partnership and greater support for the business's long-term goals.
- Cultivating Networks: She stresses the importance of building and maintaining a strong professional network, as it can greatly benefit a founder's career and the success of their business. Denzil notes that networking helps founders access resources, advice, and potential collaborators, all of which can be crucial for growth.
I don't know about you, but I spend way too much time creating content. I'm always looking for a faster way to get it done so I can get back to the part of my business that actually generates revenue. If you're struggling with those same issues this conversation with Aaron Witnish is just for you.
Aaron introduces a three-step process for generating thirty days of content in just ninety minutes. To start the process, do a bit of research. Use Google’s "People Also Ask" feature to identify questions real people are asking about your product or service every day.
Once you have the questions record the answers. You can gather a wealth of material in a short video that can be repurposed into clips for social media or longer written posts. Using AI Tools like Opus Clip you can easily cut long videos into short clips, saving time and effort in the editing process. Using Chat GPT to summarize the transcript creates content that is still authentic because it started with your words, not a generic search
Aaron also shared some of his favorite production tips and suggestions for collaborating with podcast hosts.
About Aaron
Aaron Witnish is the Co-Founder of contentonly.au which specializes in an extraction system that creates 30 Days Of Content In 90 minutes a month.
If you had told me fifteen years ago, when I was running around recording conversations on my iphone that I would still be doing it a thousand episodes later, I would have told you you were crazy.
But here I am, celebrating 1,000 episodes. I have had an amazing ride meeting interesting people from all over the world. I have learned so much from them about marketing and marketing trends and I have enjoyed sharing that information with you, my audience.
So instead of asking for anniversary presents, I want to give you one. I have a special thank you offer. If you comment on post and tag me, anywhere on social media, share a screen grab of a review, or simply drop me a note, I'll send you a code for unlimited, free access the toolbox.
That is a lifetime membership so you'll have the ability to access all of the training programs, all the workbooks, all the content, forever.
So drop a review, send me a note or leave a comment and you're in.
And, if you're curious about any of the conversations you've missed you'll find them in the archive
Subscribe now, so you never miss another episode.
Like it or not, short form video needs to be a part of your overall plan. So Jennifer Denney and I chatted about some of the things you can do to make better looking, short form content, with minimal effort.
1) Remember it is disposable content, so it doesn't need to be perfect.
2) Record longer content and break it up into smaller bites (under a minute in length). That is much easier than trying to record one short tip every day.
3) Use AI to create shorts with captions.
4) Keep the main image in the frame. Different platforms will crop; the video in different ways.
5) Mix up the style so the content looks fresh in the feed, but still looks like your brand
6) Don't be afraid to reshare videos that your audience may not have seen.
FREE TRIAL OF OPUS CLIPS TO START CREATING YOUR SHORT VIDEOS.
If you are like most business owners there is a lot of chaos and stress in your day. So sometimes you just need to take a breath. I have talked with other stress reduction experts in the past, so it was fun to revisit the topic with Ann Swanson, a best-selling author whose book on yoga practices has been translated into 15 languages.
In this conversation we talk about how a few minutes of yoga or meditation can completely reset your day. These simple techniques provide immediate stress reduction and improvement in your ability to focus. A short pause can also lower blood pressure and heart rate.
Ann shared some simple techniques such as focusing on breath and body sensations. Shifting your attention to relaxing just one part of your body. Integrating mindfulness cues into your daily activities,
LEARN MORE
These days, every content marketer is experimenting with AI. And it is a wonderful tool if you use it well. For example, you can ask it to create 10 or 12 social media posts that refer back to one blog post.
However, you need to review those updates and make sure they actually sound like you because left to its own devices, artificial intelligence has essentially two voices. Stuffy Professional and College Frat Boy.
If neither of those tones are you, you need to go in and tweak the tone so the content content sounds like it's coming from you.
I've had a lot of great conversations about AI lately with some really smart people. Be sure to look for them in the feed and subscribe, so you never miss another episode.
If you’re like most business owners you don’t have all the answers. There’s so many skills you need to master, and tasks you need to accomplish that you may need to turn to the experts to get your questions answered. Hiring an army of consultants can be overwhelming and expensive so that’s when belonging to a mastermind group can be so beneficial
Zachary Parker Harris joined me to discuss the benefits of mastermind groups for business owners. As the leader of Junto Global, he helps entrepreneurs connect and build relationships for business success.
Parker explained how a mastermind group creates the space for continuous learning and relationship building. To be effective, there needs to be open and authentic communication where members can bring both their strengths and weaknesses to the table. They discuss the value of exploring high-leverage questions and how masterminds can uncover deeper issues than initially apparent.
Comparing mastermind groups to consulting, Parker explains the unique advantage is having multiple perspectives simultaneously, offering both support and challenge to entrepreneurs.
If you're like me, you're cranking out a ton of marketing content and your wishing you could get way more bang for every minute you put into it. Well, according to Greg Wasserman, head of growth partnerships and community for Cast Magic, if you're willing to enlist the aid of a little AI your can make the time you spend much more effective.
Greg really believes in the importance of recording everything, whether it's thoughts, meetings, or conversations, as potential content sources. With the help of AI tools you can transform these recordings into various resources, such as blog posts, social media clips, and LinkedIn posts, giving you a consistent content presence without spending hours and hours to create the content. .
Think about content as a volume play, as you try to increase your brand visibility and engagement. Greg suggests using AI to repurpose content not only saves time but also allows you to cater to the evolving algorithms of search platforms. For example, Google prioritizes content that answers customers' questions. So lean on AI to help your rewrite existing blog posts in a Q &A format.
One important side note, AI will not replace you completely. Greg reminds the audience that It is critical to maintain authenticity in content creation. AI tools should complement your unique voice and brand rather than replace it entirely.
Throughout the interview, Greg provides practical insights and examples, demonstrating how AI can streamline content creation processes and enhance brand presence across various digital platforms.
As a kid I loved the story of the tortoise and the hare. One day the tortoise and the hare line up for a race. The hare with its speed seemed destined for victory. But the tortoise pulled off a surprising win.
While he was clearly outclassed in speed the tortoise focused on the finish line. Steady and plodding he made consistent motion forward. In contrast the speedy rabbit burst forward, then paused and started again. His mad dash at the end just wasn't enough to win the day.
I often think of this fable when I talk to business owners who are frustrated by the lack of results in their marketing. It's usually because they're approaching marketing like the hare. They get excited about a marketing idea and dive in with great energy and enthusiasm. Of course, they are expecting immediate results.
When the results don't come they get distracted by the next great idea. They lose interest or simply forget. But good marketing rarely provides instant results.
Sure it would be great if the first time you ran an ad or sent out a newsletter people flocked to your door. But that's not how marketing works.
Every day people are presented with hundreds and maybe even thousands of advertising messages. As the human brain tries to make sense of this barrage of data people subconsciously give preference to things they're familiar with so your information and marketing may not make an impression the first time.
Eventually it becomes familiar and your message breaks through. So if you want to win the race for marketing success take a lesson from the tortoise. Keep focused keep moving forward and I'll see you at the finish line
In this conversation, I jumped into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications beyond just content creation. Focusing on automation and workflow efficiency, AI enthusiast, Parker Olson discusses how he uses AI to streamline operations in his business, PodPitch - an initiative fueled by AI.
Day-to-day business tasks like data collection, data analysis, content creation, and more can be efficiently automated using AI. Olson introduces us to some handy tools for such purposes, like Bardeen and the ChatGPT API for Google Sheets. These tools can gather data from popular websites, analyze large datasets, clean and summarize the data, and even outreach prospective customers - all in real-time.
Today's businesses are leveraging AI to automate their LinkedIn tasks, using tools like MeetAlfred. Coupled with ChatGPT and Bardeen, this AI trio can run a comprehensive LinkedIn profile analysis to determine potential customers. By comparing and contrasting your profile information with others, it gives you a list of potential business connections.
But AI doesn't stop at LinkedIn automation; it also helps identify other sources for content publishing and relevant websites for clients. By creating a Google filter for specific search terms, AI tools can gather data on the latest publishing channels directly into a spreadsheet and provide an insightful analysis of the content.
Kris Ward is back in the guest chair, this time with a lively conversation about entrepreneurial personalities. She delves into her unique approach of categorizing entrepreneurs into five distinct personalities based on their problem-solving and process management styles. From the "Rushaholic" who thrives on speed but may overlook details, to the "Sufferpreneur" who excels at crisis management but struggles with burnout, each personality has its strengths and weaknesses.
As Kris introduces each personality type, she highlights the common pitfalls and misconceptions associated with them. You probably won't change your type so it is important to understand your tendencies and find a balance between the strengths and weaknesses of your personality. Kris encourages entrepreneurs to lean into their unique traits effectively, whether it's the meticulousness of the "Perfectionizer" or the multitasking prowess of the "Jugglerrama."
Mastering your personality starts with self-awareness and Kris has offer listeners the opportunity to explore their own entrepreneurial personality with this simple quiz.
My husband is an amazing cook. He reads recipes, comes up with his own variations, blending and layering ingredients in new and delicious ways. Even though he is amazing in our kitchen, he could not own a restaurant. Why? He knows how to time a meal with three dishes for eight people, but expanding that to thirty dishes, for one hundred people requires skills he does not have.
What does it take to be a social media chef?The same challenge exists when it comes to professional social media. Lots of people are good on social media. They are funny and engaging. They have a large following and interact regularly. But just because they are great at managing their own accounts does not mean they have the skills to be a successful social media chef.
Precise RecipesIt is easy to improvise when you are cooking for a few people. A pinch of this, a dash of that. If you don’t have enough potatoes you can substitute with carrots. When you are cooking for a larger group and they expect a potato, that is what you have to serve. Slight variations will dramatically change your dishes when you are cooking on a large scale, so a precise recipe is required to order the food you need in bulk. In professional social media, that recipe is your content calendar. It outlines the ingredients (types of content) and the schedule (how often and when you will post). It is also used to create your shopping list.
A professional doesn’t just grab a random stock image at the last minute. Posts are planned, appropriate images and Gifs are selected, or created and scheduled to drop in the timeline at exactly the right time. While many experts have conducted research to find the exact right time, Sprout social has a terrific post on this topic. A professional social media chef knows how to use the industry standards, individual client data, and their own experience honed across a range of clients to create the ideal schedule.
Manage the KitchenWhen my husband is cooking the rest of the family stays out of the kitchen. He manages his time, switching from pot to pot so every dish arrives on the table at the same time. That works on a small scale, but restaurant chefs must create standard practices, train their staff, delegate tasks, and stay on top of everything that is happening at the same time. They can let go because they have laid the groundwork.
A professional social media chef will do the same thing. Whether they are part of your marketing team or an outside expert, their first task must be to create standard practices. Next, social media won’t work if you are relying on just one person to put messages out there. Everyone on your team needs to be trained and know how to engage in order to support the company’s social media program. Non-profit organizations with small staffs and large volunteer groups should extend this training to the loyal external community. When it comes to social media, the more people supporting the chef, the more delicious the result.
Walk into any restaurant kitchen during the dinner rush and it feels a bit like managed chaos. Somehow, in this chaos, the chef knows what is going on at each station. Social media management can feel that way as well. This is especially true as you widen your team, allowing multiple people to share and even post directly to your social pages. A good social media chef is continually training, coaching, providing guidance to marshall the resources of their entire team.
In this episode, I am joined by LinkedIn strategist and CEO of Uplevel Media, Karen Yankovich. A seasoned expert with over 30 years of experience, Karen talks about how LinkedIn can be instrumental in empowering women entrepreneurs and guiding individuals towards becoming industry thought leaders.
The conversation begins with Karen elaborating on her approach to marketing based on relationship selling, a concept deeply ingrained in her due to her rich background in sales. By focusing on forming connections and creating mutually beneficial solutions, she explains how businesses can significantly benefit.
Highlighting the platform’s positioning as a hub for all things business, she shares her views on why LinkedIn holds significant potential for wealth creation, personal branding and facilitating high-level business deals. She insists on investing even just 15 minutes a day building strategic relationships on LinkedIn can pave way for big contracts.
Karen notes that to use LinkedIn effectively, it is crucial to have an appealing profile containing keywords related to your field of work. This way, your LinkedIn profile begins to attract suitable business prospects, thus creating a magnet-like effect.
She further unpacks her networking strategies, discussing how to create impactful connections with potential clients, people with a similar target audience as yours, and journalists or influencers in your field. As a final note, Karen emphasizes consistency during this outreach process - connecting with a small number of people every week, rather than trying to meet everyone at once.
Users are encouraged to apply Karen’s recommendations on their LinkedIn strategies to reach their business growth objectives. Tune in to this episode for game-changing insights from Karen Yankovich!
Join this insights-packed episode as we welcome Janet Falk, a seasoned communication professional, and the chief strategist at Falk Communications and Research. She brings over 30 years of experience and discusses her innovative approach to understanding the buyer's journey, diverging from the traditional perspectives.
Janet challenges the common belief that the buyer's journey is a passive process. She proposes an alternative idea she dubs "the confirmation process". Through this lens, the buyer undertakes a more active role, seeking to validate the identity, skills, and credibility of the professional or vendor they consider.
The episode delves deep into this confirmation process and its three critical steps: Confirming the identity of the vendor, the adequacy of their skills and experience, and social proof from others. Janet further explores how professionals can facilitate these steps, increasing their chances of positively influencing the buyer's journey.
Moreover, this episode emphasizes the crucial role of client-focused content and the science of online presence in creating an effective buyer's journey. Janet neatly ties these concepts together, outlining a roadmap that optimizes both the vendor's showcase of expertise and the buyer's needs.
Has your brand become like background noise in the marketing landscape? Repeatedly saying the same thing has value as you try to establish a consistent brand . However, when it becomes a monotonous drone, your audience tunes out.
If your message has lost its flavor and faded into the sea of sameness, it’s time to rekindle interest in your brand through subtle adjustments.
Introduce a fresh hue into your visual palette or refine your verbiage to highlight a singular aspect of your message. These subtle shifts within the familiar can jolt your audience out of complacency and reignite their attention.
It is like giving your brand a fresh coat of paint, revitalizing its presence in the minds of your audience.
I had a great conversation with Samantha Bradshaw, a seasoned small business and intellectual property lawyer, about the process of naming a business. Yes, you want a cool name, but you also want one you can own and protect.
Proactive Legal Prevention: Samantha emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to keep creative service providers out of legal entanglements. She highlights how businesses often encounter challenges when they receive "angry lawyer letters" or court documents, underscoring the necessity of building strategies to prevent such issues from arising in the first place.
Balancing Uniqueness and Descriptiveness: Samantha discusses the delicate balance between creating a business name that is both unique and descriptive. While marketing professionals may advocate for SEO-friendly names that directly describe the services offered, Samantha explains the limitations of trademark protection for such generic terms. Instead, she encourages business owners to explore names that strike a balance between suggesting the nature of the business while remaining distinct and protectable.
Trademark Protectability Spectrum: Samantha introduces the concept of a spectrum of trademark protectability, ranging from generic to fanciful names. She elucidates how names that are overly descriptive or generic, such as "Photographer Marketing Services," are unlikely to receive trademark protection. Conversely, names that are arbitrary or fanciful, like "Apple" for computers, hold significant trademark power due to their uniqueness.
Creative Naming Strategies: Samantha shares practical advice on how to generate creative and trademarkable business names. She suggests brainstorming sessions where business owners can combine suggestive elements related to their industry to create distinctive names. By leveraging word-mashing techniques and considering tangentially related concepts, businesses can craft memorable and protectable brand identities.
Trademark's Role in Business Growth: Finally, Samantha underscores the broader implications of trademark protection beyond legal compliance. Trademarks serve as essential assets that facilitate business growth, franchising, licensing opportunities, and brand recognition. By securing a trademark for their business name, entrepreneurs lay a solid foundation for future expansion and success.
About Samantha Bradshaw
Samantha Bradshaw is a small business and IP lawyer. After spending 5 years in Beirut, Lebanon, she came back to the US in 2018 and founded InLine Legal, the only 100% virtual Virginia-licensed law firm that keeps creative service providers out of the courtroom and in the studio with chief legal officer services for Virginia’s small businesses.Learn More: www.inlinelegal.comhttps://www.tiktok.com/@inlinelegalhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabesq/https://www.instagram.com/inlinelegal/www.inlinelegal.com/trademarkquiz
Zach Montroy dropped by for a discussion about imposter syndrome, particularly among founders and business leaders leaders. It is a common experience in the entrepreneurial journey and Zach emphasizes the role of self-compassion in combating imposter syndrome, suggesting that individuals should treat themselves with the same kindness and understanding they would offer to others. He offers practical strategies discussed include prioritizing tasks, practicing mindfulness, and developing emotional literacy to better understand and navigate one's own emotions.
The discussion delves into the origins of imposter syndrome, often stemming from the transition into roles of leadership or entrepreneurship without formal training in those areas. Zach suggests that the weight of responsibility and the fear of failure can trigger imposter feelings, leading individuals to doubt their abilities and competence.
Practical strategies are also discussed, including the importance of prioritizing tasks and focusing on one's unique contributions. Montroy suggests using tools like the Eisenhower matrix to identify essential tasks and avoid becoming overwhelmed by the multitude of responsibilities inherent in leadership roles. Additionally, he advocates for the practice of mindfulness as a means of developing emotional resilience and awareness. By observing thoughts and feelings without judgment, individuals can better navigate through moments of self-doubt and uncertainty.
The conversation concludes with a call to action for listeners to explore further resources on imposter syndrome and leadership development. Montroy's insights serve as a valuable reminder that imposter feelings are a shared experience and that cultivating self-compassion and mindfulness can empower individuals to overcome these challenges and thrive in their leadership roles.
These days we're living in a zero click world. What that means is all of the social media platforms and even Google are trying to get you to stay on the platform.
They're encouraging you to find the answers you need with them and they're discouraging people from clicking through to your website. Unless of course you're going to pay for an ad. So when you're not advertising. What do you do? How do you play in this zero click world.
There's several things to keep in mind as you map your strategy in this zero click environment. The first is you need to adjust your expectations. In some ways, we are back to the early days of social media, where you evaluate your success based engagement and the interaction on the platform. You may not necessarily clicks through to your website. And with shifting privacy rules you may not be able to measure that even if you do.
With these revised criteria you need to think about your content differently. Each piece of content is a stand-alone unit that tells a story from beginning to end. But it needs to do so, quickly because your audience has a short attention span.
Put the punchline up front. Use compelling headlines, hook the audience in the first thee seconds of the video or the first image of a carousel. Get right to the point right away, entertain the audience to they stay with you and engage with everyone who interacts with the content.
Ask questions, take polls and tell people if they want your special offer to simple leave a comment or dm you instead of clicking through to your website.
If you've enjoyed this conversation follow me on LinkedIn. You'll see lots of marketing tips, videos and tools. Put a comment in the notes so I know you dropped
I had so much fun chatting with Amy Singleton, about building authority with authentic content. Amy is the CEO and owner of Hite Digital Norman, an Inc. 5000 digital and branding agency.
Amy's mission is to empower individuals to reconcile their personal and professional aspirations without compromise, and today, we're tapping into her expertise to explore how businesses can authentically engage with Google's algorithms to stand out in a world inundated with AI-generated content.
Understanding Google's Desires
As we kick off our conversation, Amy emphasizes the importance of understanding what Google truly wants. "Google wants things that are fast, relevant, and profitable," she explains. The search engine giant aims to provide users with quick, accurate answers to their queries, fostering repeat engagement and loyalty.
Crafting Relevant Content
So, how can businesses ensure their content resonates with Google's algorithms? Amy suggests several strategies, starting with optimizing Google business profiles and local listings. Consistency across these platforms builds credibility and trust, key factors in Google's ranking system.
Additionally, Amy highlights the significance of backend structures, such as schema markup and metadata, in enhancing a website's visibility. By providing clear signals about the content's relevance, businesses can improve their chances of appearing in relevant search results.
Answering the Right Questions
Understanding user intent is crucial in crafting effective content. Amy illustrates this point with an anecdote about a successful blog post on her previous company's website. Despite its seemingly mundane topic—how much painters make per hour—the article addressed a common query among homeowners, driving significant traffic to the site.
Embracing Authenticity
In a landscape saturated with AI-generated content, authenticity emerges as a competitive advantage. While AI can offer valuable insights and inspiration, Amy emphasizes the importance of infusing content with a human touch. Whether through storytelling or personalization, businesses can create a unique connection with their audience.
Building Authority
To further assert relevance and authority, Amy recommends leveraging press releases and securing backlinks from reputable sources. These tactics not only enhance a website's credibility but also demonstrate its expertise within its niche.
A Call to Action
As our conversation draws to a close, Amy extends a generous offer to our audience: a complimentary website audit to identify areas of opportunity and improvement. This gesture exemplifies her commitment to supporting businesses on their digital journey.
Conclusion
These days, it is all about authenticity and relevance. When you understand Google's preferences and create content to match their strategy you can navigate the complexities of organic marketing with confidence. As Amy Singleton reminds us, success lies not in mimicking AI-generated content but in harnessing the power of human connection to engage and inspire.
Laura Templeton dropped by for a conversation about using AI to build your brand. , an author and international speaker, discusses using AI to build your brand with Lorraine Ball. At first, the idea might sound a bit out there, but Laura dives into how AI, specifically ChatGPT, can be customized to reflect your brand's voice and values.
Laura explains the concept of "custom instructions" in ChatGPT, where you can teach it about your brand, your audience, and your preferred tone. She likens it to teaching a child; it takes patience and guidance to get it right so the tone doesn't feel stiff or overly casual.
With practice and clear feedback, ChatGPT can generate valuable content for various purposes, such as website copy, social media posts, blogs, and lead magnets. Laura stresses the importance of reviewing and editing the generated content to ensure it aligns with your brand's message and style.
The conversation also touches on SEO concerns, with Laura reassuring that ChatGPT can be beneficial for SEO as it understands your brand's keywords and can incorporate them naturally into the content it generates.
If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out my other chat with Laura - BETTER NETWORKING RESULTS
These days everyone is telling you you need to be a storyteller. You need to be a storyteller in sales and in marketing. There are some people who are just natural storytellers, with the ability to pull you in with their words and leave you sitting on the edge of the seat. Then there is everyone else.
So maybe you don’t feel like you’re a storyteller and this whole storytelling thing isn’t for you. Instead when you meet someone you leap right into the facts. “I’ve been in business twenty years, I’ve done this, blah, blah, blah. Don’t do that. Nobody wants to hear that
You don’t have to be a great storyteller to talk about a customer you helped or what it is like to work with you. A great story, isn’t about the teller. It is about what it is like to work with you, when everything is going right for you and more importantly for your customers.
So go ahead, tell me a story.
Can you still make money on Amazon? That's the question I asked Lesley Hensell, co-founder of Riverbend Consulting,
Amazon, once characterized as the Wild West of online selling, has undergone significant evolution. Success on this platform now necessitates a more strategic and disciplined approach. However, with proper guidance, achieving success is possible.
So, you have a product ready to debut on Amazon. An organized is approach is required. Gone are the days of haphazardly listing products; today, approaching Amazon as a bona fide business entity with comprehensive records, invoices, and refined marketing strategies is mandatory.
Lesley had some great tips for marketing your products. Start with a comprehensive product detail page which serves as your digital shopfront on Amazon. Craft compelling copy and captivating visuals to attract the shopper. Lifestyle imagery featuring infants, pets, and even models can significantly enhance your product's appeal.
But the journey doesn't conclude there! Video content holds immense sway on Amazon. Even with modest resources, you can produce engaging videos showcasing your product's features and benefits, effectively capturing potential buyers' attention.
Now, onto a critical yet often overlooked facet—advertising. While advertising on Amazon can yield substantial returns, it necessitates meticulous planning and continual monitoring. Leverage tools such as Jungle Scout or Helium 10 to conduct keyword research and optimize your ad campaigns for optimal visibility.
Here's a noteworthy tip: prioritize long-tail keywords to establish a unique niche for your product and avoid direct competition with industry behemoths.
One common mistake Leslie frequently encounters? The fallacy of the "set it and forget it" mindset. Achieving success on Amazon requires monitoring adjustments.
Looking for more information on setting up your Amazon store? Go to riverbendconsulting.com to learn more.
Imagine you're sitting across the table from someone, trying to figure out if they're the right fit for your business. But here's the catch, people don't come with instruction manuals telling you exactly who they are and if they're a good match for you. The key having productive conversations lies in understanding personality types.
A few years ago, I had a great conversation with Benjamin Bressington, an expert in sales and communication, who shared invaluable insights gained from years of experience and trial and error. The conversation was so good, I knew I needed to rerelease it. So if you missed it, you can catch it now.
Over the years Benjamin has discovered four main personality types. Identifying who he is talking to improves communication and creates connections that lead to sales, or improved relationships with employees.
- Eagle: These individuals are decisive and action-oriented, focusing on results and efficiency.
- Pigeon/Dove: Social and empathetic, pigeons thrive on interpersonal connections and collaboration.
- Peacock: The life of the party, peacocks are charismatic and seek attention and recognition.
- Owl: Methodical and analytical, owls value precision and thoroughness, often delving deep into details.
When you know who you are talking to you can tailor your approach to build rapport and establish effective connections.
The bottom line? Mastering conversations isn't just about what you say—it's about understanding who you're talking to and how to speak their language.
This year I decided to follow my own advice and commit to one social media platform. Sure I still post content in lots of places, but I am spending time every day on only one platform - LinkedIn.
And, I am not just showing up, posting an update, liking a few things and leaving. I did some research to find out what the LinkedIn algorithm likes and adjusted my approach accordingly.
- Comments matter. So I am spending time writing meaningful comments on multiple posts each day. I engage with people who engage with me as well as influential people I follow.
- Video works. I am incorporating lots of video clips. It means I have fewer people listening to the full episodes, but I am reaching more people with my content, so I will take that as a win.
- Strategic connection requests. Selectively sending connection requests to people who engage with the same content I am engaging with has helped me to build a more interesting and engaged community.
Working Together to Expand Reach
Let's face it, one of the most frustrating things about sharing content on any social platform, is not getting engagement. While the algorithm certainly controls some of that, you can influence the algorithm.
On LinkedIn, the more engagement your post gets in the first few hours, the more visibility it will have. So, you need a community that responds when you post.
One way to increase engagement is to start talking to other individuals so you see their content and they see yours. Tag a few select people in the comments, ask a question that encourages their response. Then respond to people who comment. No simple likes or thumbs up. You need to keep the conversation going.
Does this extra attention pay off?
It as only be about six weeks, but so far I am satisfied with the results. I have doubled the amount of traffic to my website from LinkedIn. Given the push to a zero click environment, this growth is pretty impressive.
I have added about 400 connections. Not just random spammers, but people I am actually talking to. which make the time I spend on this platform more interesting and productive.
So for now, I am going to invest more time on this platform.
If you enjoyed the tip - connect with me on LinkedIn
When you are ready to take the next step in your business you will need a marketing partner, but how do you find the right one? That's what I talked to Behdad Jamshidi, founder of CJAM Marketing about. In this lively conversation he shared insights into navigating the process of selecting the ideal marketing team.
Behdad defines a marketing partner as an agency, freelancer, or contractor who helps businesses execute marketing strategies while allowing them to focus on core operations. He emphasizes the need for alignment between business goals and the capabilities of the marketing partner.
One common mistake highlighted is the tendency for businesses to jump on trendy marketing tactics without a long-term strategy. Instead, He advises businesses to establish clear goals and seek partners with proven track records and solid foundations.
When evaluating potential marketing partners, Behdad suggests asking key questions about the agency's history, core competencies, and client retention rates. He emphasizes the importance of finding a partner with experience and expertise relevant to the business's needs without being overly niche.
Behdad and I agree that is is important to find the right-sized partner for the current stage of the business, rather than aiming too high or too low. By focusing on alignment, experience, and scalability, businesses can establish successful, long-term partnerships with their marketing teams.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CJAM Marketing https://cjammarketing.com/
In this terrific conversation from my archive Don Markland shared his powerful story of transformation from an unhealthy lifestyle and lack of clarity about his purpose to a successful life and business. He realized there are two fundamental rules of accountability—starting with oneself and leaving ego at the door—set the stage for the four C's.
Critique success - never settle for good enough, always striving for improvement. Don emphasizes the importance of surrounding ourselves with honest feedback and continuously refining our approach.
Correct failure. Rather than dwelling on mistakes, analyze them, learn from them, and keep pushing forward. It's all about progress, not perfection.
Celebrate growth. Embrace discomfort, push our limits, and revel in our achievements. Whether it's running a marathon or mastering a new skill, growth deserves to be recognized and celebrated.
Crush mediocrity. Don paints a vivid picture of squashing those pesky bugs of complacency with relentless determination. It's about recognizing and eliminating mediocrity wherever it lurks, propelling us toward excellence in all aspects of life.
Everyone likes to be right and to see their ideas put into practice but sometimes your ideas are not the best it. If, as a leader you are more focused on proving you're right and winning every argument people around you will acquiesce. You will have a solution but it won't necessarily be the best solution.
This is tough, because it means you have to give up control. If you've hired the right people they will have good opinions about projects and about the way the company is run, so you need to be prepared to listen and let others win.
When multiple viable solutions are proposed to a problem choose the one suggested by a passionate team member. Why? If it's their idea they're will work to ensure it is implemented properly and it sends a strong message that you are serious about finding the best alternatives.
If you want to find the best solutions to every problem my advice is to sit back and listen to others.
Carolyn Patrick dropped by for a conversation about one of my absolute favorite topics—niche marketing. Carolyn’s a seasoned consultant and non-executive director hailing all the way from Australia, bringing a wealth of experience in customer brand and marketing across diverse industries like banking, wealth management, insurance, retail, and government.
To explain why she thinks it’s crucial for businesses to identify their niche Carolyn shared a personal story of working with specific niche markets like the police and emergency services, highlighting the power of understanding your audience to tailor messaging and develop products and services that truly resonate. She emphasizes the importance of connection and the ability to get into the heads of your customers for high retention rates.
Did you miss this conversation from my archive?
Every business owner knows an article in the news can be a great boost to a business. The question is how do you get the media to notice you. My guest Mickie Kennedy explains it is not by sending another boring release about your product or service.
You need to be creative, finding a unique angle. One way to do that is with a survey that uncovers an unusual data point or piece of information which might be the beginning of a great story. Another tip is to look for industry blind spots, things no one in the industry is writing about.
I have been talking about marketing for a long time. And then funny thing? Although it is a big topic, managing marketing boils down to three simple truths. The first is that marketing hasn’t really changed in 50 or 60 years. The basics of marketing are about what they were half a century ago.
What has changed are the tools. And that’s the second truth, there are always new tools on the horizon, new ways of doing things.
And the third truth is that the most effective marketing is marketing that is authentic and unique to your brand, your business and to you.
And so if you want to be successful, remember those three truths.
- Get very familiar with marketing basics, Learn the fundamentals and the strategies that drive everything.
- Keep up with what’s new and what’s changing.
- And finally, to turn inward to discover your voice. Define what’s unique about you, and use that to guide your marketing.
I had a chance to chat with David Ask, an accomplished entrepreneur and product development expert, to discuss the essence of creating a heart-centered business.
As the leader of a mastermind group, David believes in the uniqueness of each person's spirit and soul. He encourages individuals to explore what lights them up and drives their energy. As the conversation unfolds, he reflects on his own journey, revealing his identity as a creative rather than a conventional entrepreneur. He stresses the importance of self-awareness and recommends reading impactful books and engaging with like-minded individuals to gain clarity on one's purpose.
I had a great time chatting with Jason Falls, a seasoned digital marketing thought leader, author, and speaker. The topic of our conversation was influence marketing, a topic often misunderstood by brands.
While many people discuss the role influencers play in shaping buying decisions Jason brought a fresh perspective to the conversation, emphasizing the broader concept of influence marketing instead of fixating on individual influencers.
He stressed the need for a holistic approach, urging businesses to understand their target audience thoroughly and explore both online and offline influencers. We discussed practical examples, like engaging with local community figures or PTA presidents, showcasing the versatility of influence marketing beyond social media.
Jason offered valuable insights on working backward in the marketing chain, understanding customer needs, and seeking assistance from influencers or consulting services for effective implementation. Overall, the conversation provided a nuanced understanding of influence marketing, blending timeless marketing wisdom with contemporary strategies.
These days your audience wants bite size content. They're not going to sit through twenty or thirty minutes of video or read long blog posts. It's frustrating because you've got this long content, but it doesn't have to be. With the help of AI you can transform that long long post into a series of short social media posts.
You can take cut that ten, twenty or thirty minute video into little thirty second sound bites. The little videos are just enough to hook the audience, get their attention and leave them wanting more.
If you've been following me, you probably have noticed there's a lot more video in my feed these days. You may wonder how someone like me who's all by herself has time to do it all. Well it's easy. I'm using Opus Clip to get it done. It's a simple to use, affordable software product. Click the link if you're curious to try it for yourself.
Go ahead create that long form content and let AI cut it down for you.
In this conversation, Bear Newman, a seasoned digital marketer and author with over 15 years in the field joined me for a conversation about SEO. If you’re like many business owners, SEO might be a bit of a mystery, and that’s why I’ve brought Bear in to help us demystify it. We kick off by addressing common fears around SEO and highlighting the importance of taking action rather than striving for perfection right from the start.
Bear dives into the conversation, shedding light on the misconceptions surrounding SEO. He urges a shift in mindset, emphasizing that getting started is more crucial than achieving perfection. We discuss practical tips for newcomers to the digital space, stressing the significance of regular content updates, understanding Google Analytics for effective tracking, and optimizing website design for better user engagement. Throughout our chat, he underscores the importance of metrics like bounce rate as key indicators of a website’s health and suggests tailoring websites to guide visitors toward specific actions aligned with business goals.
Our conversation provides valuable insights into SEO strategies, covering topics such as consistently adding quality content, leveraging AI for content enhancement, and the critical role of tracking metrics for website performance.
Your business does not happen by accident. You have to have processes and procedures in place to make sure that everything gets done when it’s supposed to. Does that sound a little overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be according to my guest Brittni Schroeder.
She explains you are only one person, and systems help you streamline your activities and create processes you can share with others. The systems help you scale and handle more clients and bigger projects to grow your business.
Have you noticed that the internet is filled with people claiming to have made thousands of dollars online and they're willing to share their secrets to success with you all for the low low price of $199. The problem is the only people who get rich from that slick package solution are the people who create it. Why? because the system they create is right for them or it is generic and not right for you.
Instead what you need to do is invest money spending time with someone who can look at your business and your goals and help you build a strategy that you can execute.
Success in 2024
If you're looking for a quick hit the internet is filled with get rich quick schemes. If you're looking for a strategy for long term, sustainable growth, well that's going to take some time.
SCHEDULE A 1 HOUR WORKING SESSION TO BUILD YOUR STRATEGY.
In this insightful interview, I had a chance to chat with Anne Carden, about making competitors irrelevant by building a business that stands out. She emphasizes the importance of identifying and leveraging a business’s unique selling proposition or “sweet spot.” Anne explains every business, regardless of size, possesses a distinctive quality that can set it apart, emphasizing the need to position oneself around that expertise to become untouchable in the market.
She provides practical examples of businesses she has worked with, such as a plumbing company and an auto repair shop, showcasing how they differentiated themselves by addressing specific pain points in their industries. She stresses the significance of backing up claims with social proof, such as testimonials and case studies, to build trust with potential clients. The conversation encourages business owners to think strategically about their unique strengths and how they can use them to make competitors irrelevant in their respective markets.
In this episode of "More Than a Few Words," I had the pleasure of chatting with Susan Trumpler, the founder of Unstoppable Women in Business.
We dove into the process of moving prospects from contemplation to a resounding "yes" and making the sales journey more comfortable. Susan emphasized the importance of understanding the prospect's pain points and aligning your solution with their immediate needs.
We discussed the three crucial questions that need to be answered before a prospect can say yes.
- Why do they need your solution?
- What choices do they have?
- Why now?
Once your prospect answers those three questions, it is easy to present a solution they will say yes too.
You're spending a lot of resources to drive traffic. But are you converting traffic to prospects?
If you're not getting people to fill out your conversion forms there are a few things you can do to improve the effectiveness of those pages
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Don't oversell avoid bloated adjectives like awesome and amazing. Just stick to the facts.
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While we're on the subject of facts, back up what you're saying with real proof. It gives you tremendous credibility
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Use video to complement the images and text on the page. We are living in a video age
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Add testimonials. Nothing gives you credibility like someone else saying just how great you are
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Consider limited time offers create that sense of urgency
Want to learn more? Check out: RANDOM STRANGERS TO RAVING FANS
Let's face it, one of the challenges faced by most business owners is the absence of a clear rulebook for navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship. To shed light on the essential strategies for success, I invited Scott Ritzheimer, founder of Scale Architects, to share his tips for entrepreneurs, particularly the struggle to prioritize and manage tasks amidst a multitude of expert advice. Scott emphasizes the importance of understanding that there are seven specific stages of business growth and you need to tailor your strategies accordingly.
Scott gave some great specific examples .
- Stage 2 - Startup Entrepreneur: At this stage, the focus is on finding a profitable and sustainable market. The key is to resist the temptation to constantly come up with new ideas and, instead, concentrate on identifying and tapping into a market that aligns with the business's goals. Leadership skills are less critical, and time management and focusing on necessary tasks become paramount.
- Stage 3 - Reluctant Manager: This stage is characterized by the realization that employees don't think, act, or own the business in the same way as the founder. It's crucial to identify and hire the right people for this stage, referred to as "operators." These individuals are skilled at getting things done efficiently and effectively, which is essential for managing a growing team. The challenge lies in distinguishing between "operators" and "processors" who may be overly detail-oriented, potentially slowing down processes.
Scott recommends taking the Leadership Styles Quiz on the Scale Architects' website to identify the leadership style that aligns with one's business stage and needs.
Chatting with Tina Bakehouse was like unwrapping a gift for anyone who’s ever hesitated to step into the spotlight. We explored the idea that public speaking isn’t just for natural extroverts. It is about discovering that inner magnetism within all of us. Tina, the author of “Discovering Our Magnetic Speaker Within,” brought her insights to the table, emphasizing that being magnetic involves intentional communication, encompassing words, voice, body language, energy, and overall essence.
Tina’s three pillars – the Magnetic Mind, Message, and Mechanics – provided a roadmap for aspiring speakers. We kicked off with the Magnetic Mind, delving into temperament, authentic selves, and the power of introversion in public speaking. Tina shattered the myth that only extroverts make great speakers, highlighting the impact of leaders like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who wielded quiet charisma. The message became our focal point, as Tina shared strategies for crafting compelling content, urging speakers to be audience-centered, embrace storytelling, humor, and find their unique vocal dynamics.
Finally, we dived into Mechanics, the icing on the cake. Tina underscored the importance of intentional delivery, considering how it looks, sounds, and feels to the audience. She encouraged speakers to tap into different learning styles, catering to auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. The significance of practice and a speaker ritual, working on both voice and body language, was a key takeaway. Tina’s parting words wrapped up the conversation beautifully, reinforcing that our words and essence are a gift to the audience, urging speakers to be audience-centered and change the world through their impactful messages. It was an insightful and empowering discussion that reminded us all that speaking is a gift we can share with the world
Today I want to talk about email.
Why email, when there are so many better ways to get people to pay attention to you? Because year in and year out people open their emails. So if you want to deliver messages to people who are interested in what you have to say email is still a great way to reach them
Here are a few things you can do to improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns number
- Send them on Tuesday. Emails sent on Tuesday actually have the best open rate
- Keep your emails short. No more than twenty lines of content
- Make sure you put a call to action right at the top of the email
If you've enjoyed these tips and want to find other resources for your email program sign up for our newsletter and we'll show you how it's done.
In this conversation, I had a chance to chat with Josh Nielsen, the founder behind Zencastr, one of the top podcasting platforms. As the founder and CEO, he’s focused on the next level of podcasting, providing creators worldwide with an all-in-one platform. We delved into the current podcasting landscape, and Josh pointed out a trend he dubs the “tick-toification of podcasting.” Attention spans are shortening, and people are leaning towards bite-sized, consumable content, especially in the form of clips. It’s all about watching engaging snippets rather than committing to full-length shows.
Josh emphasized the rising importance of video in podcasting. While the audio-only format has its charm, the audience is eager to see faces and make genuine connections. Video brings that extra layer of connection, making the audience feel more involved. We also touched on the power of AI in simplifying tasks. Zencastr’s AI, for instance, can analyze content, identify key moments, and generate clips tailored for various platforms. It’s not about replacing creativity but enhancing it, making podcasting more efficient and enjoyable.
The conversation concluded with a glimpse into the future of podcasting. Josh highlighted the need for streamlining tools for podcasters, making the entire process seamless and accessible. The goal is to empower content creators to focus on what they do best – engaging conversations and captivating content – while the rest is seamlessly handled in one consolidated platform. So, if you’re a business owner eyeing a podcast or considering refining your existing one, it’s worth checking out the innovative tools that Zencastr has to offer.
And when you are ready to start your podcast adventure, you can save 30% off your first month of Zencast. Just use the code I mention at the end of the episode and go to: zencastr.com/pricing
Did you miss my conversation with Joe Matz as we unraveled the the concept of business transformation. We chatted about the desire among entrepreneurs to push the limits of their businesses, but recognize the challenges that come with turning that desire into a tangible transformation.
We explored the notion that everyone has a unique genius zone, a sweet spot where work becomes easy, fun, and exciting. Joe delves into the significance of identifying this genius zone and aligning it with the problems or solutions you're uniquely equipped to address. The conversation pivots to the client's perspective, highlighting the essence of delivering transformation through your products or services.
As we discuss the marketing implications of this transformation-focused approach, Joe emphasizes the simplicity it brings to crafting effective marketing copy. We touch on the evolving landscape of marketing over the years and the enduring value of creating meaningful transformations for customers.
If you're intrigued by the idea of business transformation and its impact on marketing, be sure to explore more resources on Joe's website, Apex-able.com
Today's tip start with a bit of a rant. I I teach marketing at a local university and was grading papers the other night. As I read, it occurred to me a number of my students were using CHAT GPT to write their essays. I was annoyed but also stopped to think about why I felt like that was problematic.
The answer was pretty simple. Their answers were generic, boring and they didn't really address my specific question. In a way that is the same challenge content marketers have when using AI to create content
If you're not starting with good, original content the end result is generic, a little boring and doesn't really answer the questions your customers have.
So how do you get around that? Well the best way to use AI on the front end is to ask it a question. Then you overlay your own content on top of the generic outline. Or use AI on the back end, uploading a blog post you've already written and ask AI to transform your content into a series of social media updates. Ask it to rewrite headlines or create teasers.
Try this with transcripts from interviews and podcasts. Ask it to create summaries.
When you start with your content. the end result is not going to be generic or boring and it will answer questions your customers have.
Today's talk centers around the unavoidable truth: not every employee walks into the office fully equipped for the job's challenges. Enter the world of training, a necessary step for workforce readiness. Joining me is is Vicki Noethling .
We explored the hurdles faced by small businesses with fewer than ten employees when it comes to carving out time for training and developing effective plans. Small business owners often find themselves juggling individual tasks, with training sometimes taking a back seat. We discussed the benefits of having an outside perspective through avenues like lunch and learn sessions, helping uncover gaps in skills and knowledge.
Vicki sheds light on her approach to identifying team dynamics, using icebreakers and empathy-building exercises to enhance communication. We delve into the intricacies of leadership and communication struggles within teams, emphasizing the value of external assistance in bridging gaps.
Shifting gears, we touch on the current age of remote work, acknowledging the lack of guidance on effective communication in virtual spaces. Vicki shares her insights on fostering connection and engagement in remote teams, emphasizing the importance of mastering both audio and video communication skills. Whether you're navigating the complexities of team dynamics or adapting to the remote work era, this episode provides practical insights.
Want to learn more? Schedule 30 minute chat to see how Vicki can help you grow as a confident leader.
We are living in a Video world. All the major social media platforms, and many of the upstarts are flooded with video. If you aren't creating at least some video content, you are really missing an opportunity to put yourself in front of potential customers.
Mechelle McDonald explains that every business owner, even if they are camera shy, needs to find a way to put themselves on camera. Potential customers want to touch, see, feel and connect. Video lets you do all that. In addition to explaining why video, she shared a few tips on how you can step slowly into video.
About Mechelle
Delivering on the concept of communication that connects, Mechelle A. McDonald is a Bahamian writer, entrepreneur, growth coach and speaker who finds joy in empowering and uplifting others through impactful conversations. Within her experience of hosting the Australian-based Evolvepreneur (After Hours) Show podcast, Mechelle has created captivating conversations with over 100 global speakers including 6 and 7-figure CEOs, coaches, consultants, authors, and entrepreneurs. Each of these providing unique insight for businesses of any level. In addition to this, she founded and hosts her local show Vibration, which provides an online platform for Bahamian and Afro-Caribbean advocates and visionaries (70 to date) to speak their distinct truth, passion and personal message, focused on uplifting the region’s history and culture including topics on the orange economy, sustainability, language and literacy.
As a speaker, she has inspired over 130 high school and college students on entrepreneurship and creativity, motivated several educators on self-care and empowered seniors on the value of health. Mechelle also authored her online course on personal goal clarity and achievement with Madecraft, which is available on LinkedIn Learning and has reached over 3,000 learners.
Connect with Mechelle on LinkedIn
Long before I worked on my first website, I was writing content for brochures and direct mail campaigns. Many of the lessons I learned about good copywriting then are absolutely transferable to the digital age.
If you want to create great content that's engaging and interesting your copy must be is focused on your reader. One of the simplest tests is what I call the pencil test.
Get two pencils, one a blue and one red. Print out that page of web copy and start circling every word that is first person, I, we, our, in red. Circle every phrase that is second person, you, your, your business, companies like you, in blue. Then compare the circles. If the red circles outnumber the blue circles you have some rewriting to do
I'm glad you're listening to this episode, but are you actively listening? That's the topic I dove into with Patrick Donadio, author of the book "Communicating with Impact," which outlines a process designed to improve communication, increase profits, and boost performance in less time.
Our conversation kicks off stressing the pivotal role of setting intentions in communication, underscoring that a clear purpose steers the entire interaction. As we explore the significance of listening, particularly in sales scenarios, Patrick shares his perspective that successful selling hinges more on adept listening than on excessive talking.
We dissect common stumbling blocks, including the challenge posed by the gap between the speed of thinking and speaking. Patrick introduces practical techniques such as paraphrasing, note-taking, and the intriguing concept of the "internal summary" to heighten active listening skills.
From our archive: Scott Murray thinks marketers have to stop selling, promoting and clinging to outdated strategies and tactics. Instead they need to create content to spark engagement, conversation and inspiration from their audience.
As we've moved from print to digital, control has shifted from the marketer to the consumer. They decide when they will stop and look at your content and when they will scroll right by. To earn their attention, you need to put the right content on the right platforms.
Don't be afraid to share information. The best content answers the questions prospects have when they are ready to buy.
In this conversation Scott shares insights on creating content that resonates with the audience, encourages engagement, and ultimately builds trust. The episode concludes with practical tips on generating content ideas, the significance of transparency, and the value of being human-centric in marketing.
A great auto response campaign starts with an exchange, you offer something of value to a prospective customer, and in return, they give you their contact information. What can you trade? What is your inbound offer?
The short answer is anything; any information that you have access to, that a prospective customer might be interested in. Here are just a few examples:
Industry data, survey results and how-to guides. Customers always want to know how other people use your product or service. Case studies also answer those same questions. Consider creating white papers, resources, checklists, and scorecards. Customers are always curious how they stack up to other customers.
You can also create invitations to special events, discounts, or product previews. And one of the the very best thing to offer is something you probably already have , a collection of your blog posts. Sure, they can read them one at a time on your website, or you can pull together some of the most popular posts, bundle them in one white paper and offer them in exchange for contact information.
Ready to work on your inbound campaign? Check out our course - https://digitaltoolbox.club/register-sp08-random-strangers-to-raving-fans/
You know, so many business owners say, “I know some of my marketing is working, but I’m not sure which 50%.” Well, if you want to up your success rate, you need a plan. Laura Wagenknecht the owner of Mosaic Business Consulting, is the perfect guide for this. She emphasizes the importance of unveiling your marketing gradually, focusing on niche markets, and tailoring your approach to different audiences.
In our conversation, Laura dives into the intricacies of strategic marketing, especially for service-based businesses. She encourages clients to identify their niche market and gradually expand, using a layered approach. We discuss the significance of understanding your ideal client, exploring qualities, and building relationships.
Stories are a valuable element in building your personal brand, marketing your business, and as you will discover today, they can add value in your sales process too.
As our guest Tom Jackobs explains your need two types of stories in your sales process. The first is your personal story which explains why you do what you do and the second is a story of results. How you helped someone achieve their goal.
You have a whole year ahead of you. You will accomplish amazing things. So, what I want you to do right now is close your eyes and imagine that it's not January but December. Imagine all the things you've accomplished this year. Go ahead, write them all down. Put that piece of paper in an envelope and seal it. Don't open it until the last day of the year
Dream BigDream big both personally and professionally. Maybe you want to lose weight, expand your team, launch new products, or close more sales. Be specific; do you want 5, 50, or 500 new projects. Write your goals down. There is lots of research which indicates even the simple act of writing your goals will help you stay on track to accomplish them.
As you visualize the success, make a list the new skills you learned and the changes you made in order to accomplish your goals. Think about the risks you took and how those risks panned out. If you are running a company with employees, think about how proud you are of their growth and accomplishments, too.
I do this every year and it's a great exercise. It reminds me how I felt at the beginning of the year and it helps me get ready for the next year. So go ahead write yourself a letter and have a great year.
Today we're diving into the world of pay-per-click advertising. You know, it'd be fantastic if customers just stumbled upon our businesses, but we all know that's not how it works. Sometimes we need to invest in advertising, especially in this age of the internet where pay-per-click is an affordable option.
But there are right ways and wrong ways to do it, and that's what we're chatting about today. To help me navigate this terrain, I invited Nick Gosling to join me. He's a fractional COO and business consultant, specializing in optimizing business-to-consumer companies for that sweet bottom line impact.
Nick breaks down the PPC landscape, emphasizing the importance of knowing your audience and adopting a test-and-learn approach. He highlights how the regulatory environment has changed, with laws like GDPR and the Privacy Rights Act directly impacting behavioral advertising.
As we explore the future, Nick advises small business owners to focus on leveraging first-party data and organic methods, especially with the emergence of low or no-code solutions for data insights. He even drops a gem about Brave Software's advertising platform, a privacy-preserving option that's catching on. It's exciting stuff, considering the ever-evolving nature of PPC.
Jake Stahl, a pioneer in conversational dynamics, joined me for a conversation about how business owners can better communicate the value they offer.
The key is to understand your customer's needs and desires and create a compelling value statement that addresses those needs. Stahl suggests using the "3 Whys" technique to uncover the true dream outcome driving your customers.
He suggested four simple questions you can use to build your value statement:
- Dream outcome: What do your customers ultimately want?
- Perception: How do they perceive their ability to achieve it?
- Time delay: How long will it take with your solution?
- Effort required: How much effort must they put in?
When you answer those four questions prospects can visualize the benefit of working with you.
The failure rates for early stage companies are staggering. Depending on the source the numbers range from 40% to 90% in the early years.
And while the economy can play a role, one of the biggest reasons small business owners fail in the early years is they try to hedge their bets. There’s always that safety valve in the back of their head. “I can get a job, or I can do something else.”
That back up plan approach doesn’t work. If you want to be successful, you have to treat your business like you’re sailing to some exotic island where you’re going to spend the rest of your life. When you get there, you have to burn the boat. If not, you will sit there with one foot on the shore and one foot in the boat and never fully explore the island. You will never get to see all of the possibilities.
If you’re always hedging your bets, you’ll never make the investment in your time and in the resources to really be successful. So you need to burn the boats.
And I’m going to make it easy for you. I put together Burn the Boats Kit. It has workbooks and tools you can use to help plan your business so you can let go of the boat and explore the island.
I am pumped to have Tom Ruwitch on the show. Now, Tom is not your average business growth guru; he's a storytelling aficionado and a pioneer in content marketing. He is on a mission to rescue us from the clutches of mundane, prospect-repelling content that makes marketing feel like a never-ending drag.
So, I kicked off the conversation with a simple question: Why do storytellers sell more? Tom broke it down, explaining that it's not just about regaling your own legendary origin story. It's about understanding the journey your prospects want to take. When you tell stories that resonate with your audience, they lean in, feeling heard, understood, and connected. Tom shares that storytellers don't just sell more; they also have more fun. It's about transforming content creation from a slog to an enjoyable, entertaining experience that not only fires up the creator but also engages and inspires prospects.
We also chatted about a common resistance to storytelling, especially among the serious business types like engineers and accountants. Tom's advice is gold: drop the professional mask, embrace your personality, sprinkle in some humor, and create "infotaining" content that reflects who you are. It's not just about the numbers; it's about standing out as a human in a sea of commoditized, professional content. So, if you're tired of the same old marketing routine and want to infuse some life into your content, this episode with Tom is a must-listen. Trust me; you're in for a treat!
About Tom Ruwitch
Tom Ruwitch is a storyteller, business growth catalyst, and content marketing pioneer. In 2001, Tom founded the email marketing software and services company MarketVolt -- before most business people had even heard of email marketing. He sold MarketVolt in 2019 and founded Story Power Marketing. Today, coaches, authors, and other experts hire Tom to power up their stories because most dish out the same old boring content that turns off prospects, and then they feel frustrated and stuck. So Tom helps them transform content from prospect-repelling to client-attracting, turn marketing from frustrating to fun, and convert results from subpar to superb.
Learn More: StoryPower Marketing
And connect with Tom on LinkedIn
Creating great marketing content takes a while It is important, but if you’re not careful, it can take over so much of your time that you don’t have any time left to run your business.
Our guest, Elizabeth Pampalone shares the secret to creating a year’s worth of content in a week through a process she calls Absolute Marketing. The system actually consists of five, the five pillars of marketing, branding, websites, social media, blogging, and email marketing.
Start with a solid brand, defining who your audience is and how you want to present yourself. This may include standardizing colors, fonts and messages, such as your mission statement, vision statement, and tagline all lay the foundation for your brand.
Now you are ready to start creating content. Begin by outlining six questions you are asked every day. Put the answers into post format and repeat them every six weeks. Why? Because new people come along all the time.
Once someone starts to fill out your form, you want to be sure they take that last step to submit the form. But the truth is, people don’t actually like to submit. Although that is almost always the default choice when you build a form it is actually one of the least effective phrases you can use. Here are some better choices
Use a word that commands action: click register, go or download
Use language that actually promises the benefit: Get the case study, watch the video
The stronger and more compelling the language, the greater the chance that someone will actually finish the process.
And one final note, keep your call to action, short one to three words and use all caps. I know I know. It feels like you’re shouting when you use all caps. But you went to the trouble of driving someone to this page. You don’t want them to leave without filling out the form.
I had a great conversation with Jennie Wright, an email list building and lead generation strategist about how to leverage peer platforms to grow your email list.
Jennie explains the easiest way to build your email list is by leveraging other people’s platforms. This can be done by appearing on other people’s podcasts, participating in giveaways and bundles, and speaking on panels and summits.
She recommends that you do a little bit of due diligence before agreeing to be on someone’s podcast or panel. Make sure that the show or event is a good fit for your target audience.
If you don’t have a large social following or email list, don’t worry. There are still ways to get involved in peer platforms. Jennie suggests networking with other people in your industry and participating in Facebook groups for speakers.
When you’re leveraging peer platforms, it’s important to have an irresistible offer that people will want to sign up for. This could be a freebie, a discount, or a piece of valuable content.
Finally, Jennie emphasizes the importance of perseverance and consistency. It takes time and effort to build your email list, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Albert Kaufman is a lifelong networker. His tips are timeless, which is why I am rereleasing this conversation from 2017. If you missed it back then, you don't want to miss it now.
Last week, I shared some tips for creating great landing pages. This time I want to focus on the submission form because, that's where the magic unfolds.
When it comes to submission forms the more you ask for, the less you'll receive. Every additional question you toss in there is a chance your prospect will say "No Thanks" and leave before submitting their response.
Keep it simple and only request what's absolutely necessary. For instance, if you're not planning to give them a ring, why bother asking for their phone number, right? Stick to the basics – name and email address will do the trick. Start by sending them valuable info, and as you build that trust, you can gradually request more.
And don't forget the form's design – it's a big deal! Many folks will be filling it out on trusty mobile devices, so make it mobile-friendly by arranging the questions in a single column, aligned to the left.
Today's chat is about LinkedIn and the art of personal branding. I've been cultivating my personal brand for years, both online and offline, and one of my go-to tools is LinkedIn. Joining me for this insightful conversation is Matt Parkin, a LinkedIn Top Marketing Voice and a personal branding coach. Matt's expertise has been sought after by industry associations, companies, schools, and conferences. We're diving into the essentials of using LinkedIn to bolster your personal brand, and who better to guide us than someone at the top of the LinkedIn game.
In our conversation, Matt emphasizes the importance of setting clear goals on LinkedIn, whether it's finding a job, seeking mentorship, raising funds for your business, or connecting with clients. He shares practical tips on translating your expertise into engaging content, leveraging vulnerability, and fostering meaningful conversations in the comments section. Matt's insights on navigating the LinkedIn algorithm, the power of newsletters, and the do's and don'ts of building your brand on the platform make this conversation a goldmine for anyone looking to up their LinkedIn game. So, grab your coffee, sit back, and let's dive into the world of personal branding on LinkedIn with Matt Parkin. It's a game-changer!
What if you could determine who in your audience is your best client in just 180 seconds? My guest, Juliet Clark explains that with a well designed quiz your prospects will actually self-select, telling you with their answers if the are good, great or mediocre prospect.
It starts with asking people to self-assess where they’re at on a scale of one to 10 in relationship to the results you can help them achieve. Keep the quiz short and sweet, and deliver useful information based on their answers
Finally use the quiz to gauge their commitment to talking action to achieve those results.
Hey there! Last week, I shared a few tips about crafting your offer, and today, we're diving headfirst into the world of landing pages.
The goal of your landing page is to convince potential customers to say, "Yes, I absolutely want that!" An effective landing page has a single, laser-focused purpose. It is ok that visitors won't be getting to know you in-depth here; any distractions might derail them from filling out that all-important submission form.
So, what makes a landing page truly great? Start with a clear and concise headline – the shorter, the sweeter (ideally between five to nine words). Throw in an attention-grabbing photo and make sure your call to action is impossible to miss.
Beneath that irresistible call to action, sprinkle some testimonials and extra incentives to encourage form submissions. And just to be sure, present that call to action one more time to seal the deal.
WANT TO LEARN MORE: CHECK OUT OUR INBOUND MARKETING CLASS
Today we’re diving into business plans with Lura Wagenknecht. You’ve probably heard me harp on about the importance of business plans, and I know some of you might think it’s just a document collecting dust on a shelf. Well, let me tell you, every bit of that plan is gold, and Laura shared some great tips on how to make the most of it. Laura, the owner of Mosaic Business Consulting, is a seasoned business consultant and executive coach with over 30 years of experience. We’re both passionate about the power of business plans, and in this conversation, we’re unraveling how every element of that plan can fuel your marketing strategy.
Laura sheds light on the practical uses of the business plan elements, from vision and mission to bios and service descriptions. It’s not just a static document; it’s a dynamic tool that can fuel your website content, social media posts, and overall marketing strategy. Laura emphasizes the beauty of breaking down the daunting task of creating a business plan into manageable chunks, making it less overwhelming. We also touch on the importance of revisiting your plan regularly, at least every six months, to ensure you’re on track and make necessary adjustments. If you’ve been hesitant about diving into the world of business plans, Laura’s insights might just be the encouragement you need to take that plunge.
If you are like most business owners you make the mistake of looking at your competitors for guidance on pricing. Unfortunately, they probably don’t know any more about pricing than you do.
Why don’t business owners charge more for their products and services? Robin Waite thinks it is usually it is fear that holds them back. Learn how you can get over your fear and raise your price.
About Robin Waite
Robin Waite is the founder of Fearless Business, a Business Accelerator for Coaches, Consultants and Freelancers.
Having spent 12 year's running a digital marketing business, Robin pivoted in 2016 to focus on the part of his business he liked the best; training business owners how to be better in business. In 2016 Robin founded Fearless Business, a unique Business Growth Accelerator for Coaches, Consultants and Freelancers so help free them from the sales cycle of doom!
I got up this morning and there was snow outside. And, quite honestly I was annoyed because it still fall. The change in weather completely messed with my plans. But, when I got over being annoyed I reached for a sweater, found my my hat and went out to face the day.
In a way, that's the life of an entrepreneur. You have your plans, you have your ideas and then something happens. So you have to dig around in your closet and find a tool or technique a new hat. Put it on and get ready to face the day.
That's what you need to do today, find your hat and get ready to face the day.
I was so excited to have another chance to talk to Andrea Liebross, a business and life coach who specializes in empowering female entrepreneurs. This time our conversation revolved around how women owners can think big, manage like a CEO, and achieve success in both their professional and personal lives. Andrea shares insights from her new book, "She Thinks Big: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and Into the Extraordinary." She outlines four key steps for becoming a big thinker, someone who makes decisions based on their future self and goals.
The first step is to consider all your thought options, which means choosing thoughts that lead to positive feelings and desired actions. Next, Andrea emphasizes the importance of targeting the real problem, often rooted in a desire to avoid negative emotions. She encourages embracing uncertainty and ambiguity, recognizing that the future is uncertain and that we can't control every aspect of our journey. Lastly, seeking support is vital for entrepreneurs, whether through mentors, coaches, or supportive communities.
Andrea's advice offers practical steps for entrepreneurs to become big thinkers, make better decisions, and navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship.
These days everybody's trying to present themselves as an expert. So how do you stand out in your niche in a crowded market? Part of the magic comes from creating a visual brand. - That's what i had a chance to chat with Sharon Haver about back in 2021. Funny thing, the conversation is as relevant today!
Where does the process begin to build a visual brand for yourself? In today's crowded market, anyone can become a personal brand, but only special people can become have a personality brand.
A personality brand is what's unique to you. It's how you position yourself in the market and how people perceive you.
In the swipe right swipe left world, we make a decision about someone in less than one 10th of a second. We are in judging all the time so you want to make sure when you are creating your business, it's driven by your personality, because that's something that you're going to find your aligned audience with. And you're showing up in a way that is authentic and honoring who you are.
What will you do when Facebook goes away? Now I’m not trying to spread fear and panic and I don’t expect that the platform will disappear overnight. But let’s face it, technology changes, platforms change and so do fads and trends. At some point, Facebook will diminish. I mean, a decade ago, everyone thought that AOL was the be all end all. And the answer to the question is actually simpler than you imagine.
While social media platforms are important, the one constant in your business is your website. And so while you will continue to share content on Facebook and other social media platforms, remember to be cultivating your community and driving them to your website and to your email list.
In this podcast interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jan Cavelle, a seasoned entrepreneur from the UK with a wealth of experience in running micro and small businesses. She is the author of two books, "Scale for Success" and "Start for Success," aimed at helping aspiring and growing entrepreneurs. She has also contributed an article as a guest author to my new collection of essays.
We discussed the common issue of small businesses wasting time and money on marketing. Jan emphasized the importance of skepticism when dealing with marketing offers and recognizing that there are countless get-rich-quick schemes that prey on business owners' fears. She suggested thoroughly researching any potential marketing supplier and not being swayed by fear-based sales tactics. One key takeaway was to measure results accurately to determine the effectiveness of different marketing strategies. Jane's insights are incredibly valuable for small business owners looking to manage their marketing efforts efficiently and avoid unnecessary costs.
I know. you think we're living in a visual video world. Maybe you believe and you don't need to write anything anymore. But that just isn't true. No matter what happens in the world of content it starts with words. So I really enjoyed chatting with Erin Lebacqz about the challenges people face when starting to write and tips on effective writing techniques for both informational and emotional impacts.
Erin provides valuable advice on initiating writing, combatting "Blank Screen Paralysis," and how to engage readers effectively. She underscores the importance of addressing both the informational and emotional aspects of communication. For conveying information clearly, she suggests using direct and concise language, reducing bureaucratic or formal tone, and using verbs effectively to provide a call to action. This approach ensures that readers can easily understand and engage with the content. She also touches on the use of AI in content creation and the need to balance AI-generated content with a human touch to maintain authenticity and eliminate self-centeredness.
About Erin
International educator and author Erin Lebacqz has been teaching writing for over 25 years. Her clients include business and non-profit organizations in the United States and around the world. Her new book High-Value Writing: Real Strategies for Real-World Writing helps business writers boost their confidence by writing clearly, concisely, and with intention.
Want to learn more? Check our Erin's YouTube channel which helps listeners find new ways to meet their writing goals. It also supports team leads who need to support remote teams. The channel provides strategies, tips, tricks, and insights. It also shows viewers where to find more info on my book and services.
When you create your brand you are investing in something that should last for the long haul. The colors, the fonts and your overall style guide should remain fairly consistent over the life of your brand. However, sometimes your business changes and when it does you might want to consider rebranding.
Maybe you want a more mature look, something more representative of. and established company. Or, in my case as I let go of my agency I'm looking to change my branding to create an image that is more about me so I'm going through a rebrand process right now.
I'm doing the things you need to do if you're serious about rebranding. I'm thinking about what I want my brand to represent, what I want people to think and when they see the More than a Few Words logo. The process is about the fonts. the colors and the style. And, it's not easy, but if it's done right it will be a brand that will last.
In this interview, I was excited to invite Patty Farmer, to join me once again for a quick conversation. This time we dove into how to integrate marketing and sales activities to benefit your business. It all starts by setting specific and measurable goals for both marketing and sales efforts, establishing benchmarks to track success.
Patty explains the importance of reverse engineering goals, starting with the ultimate sales goal and working backward to determine the steps and content needed to engage potential customers. Collecting data and understanding customer behaviors is crucial to tailor marketing and sales strategies effectively. Patty also advises business owners to build a tribe of like-minded businesses serving the same target audience, fostering collaboration and simplicity in reaching potential clients.
Finally, in addition to your marketing channel, Patty encourages businesses to build connections with others who cater to the same target audience, working together to achieve mutual success.
If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to look for my other interviews with Patty.
If you missed my conversation with Tina Bakehouse about writing tips in late 2021, here's you chance to catch up.
Many "would be writers" think they should start with a title and let the story unfold. Our guest, Tina Bakehouse suggests starting in the middle. Begin by fleshing out the content in the middle. Once you are clear on the body of what you're writing it will inspire the title and the flow from beginning to end.
While a good title will grab the reader's attention, the best part of any story is the conflict or twist in the middle portion, which carries the reader along on the ride with with the storyteller.
About Tina Tina has started her own company, Tina B LLC, to provide public speaking coaching and communication consulting to help individuals and organizations communicate more effectively. With 16 years of teaching communication and theatre (10 years at Creighton University), a TEDx speaker and coach, Tina is passionate about educating others to become more self-aware and enhance their speaker style. After earning two BAs from the University of Northern Iowa, one in communication studies and psychology, and the second in theatre and English teaching, she completed a master’s degree in communication studies through the University of Nebraska-Omaha and completed certificates in Advanced Professional Writing, Keirsey’s temperament theory and two levels of improvisation training.
The goal of every page on your website is to get visitors to do something. Maybe that's fill out a contact form, pick up the phone to call you, download an e-book, register for an event or sign up for your newsletter. No matter what it is you want customers to do the best way to get them to do that is to have a clear call to action on the page.
CTA's come in all shapes and sizes as they're scattered through your website. However, the one on your homepage, that primary CTA needs to be the most important thing you want visitors to, so be bold with your call to action. Don't be afraid to create something that catches their eye. It's okay to use all caps on a CTA. . I know it feels as if you are shouting at them. But you just spent time, money or other resources to drive traffic to your website. It's okay to shout just a little bit.
Use powerful words. Don't just say submit. Give people a reason to take the next step. Don't miss this, learn more or enroll today. Get started create compelling calls to action and your visitors will take the actions you want them to take.
Why did I invite Lisa McDonald, a certified career coach to join me for a conversation? You are not looking for a job, but you are probably looking for employees,
And Lisa is probably working with those potential employees, telling them not to apply for a job with your company.
In this lively conversation, we talk about the mistakes employers make starting with job descriptions that don't really reflect the company to interviews that go completely off the rails.
This is one conversation you need to listen to, before you try to hire your next employee.
More than just marketing hype, your brand is about creating an impression of your company in the mind of your prospective customer. It is the basis on which all your other marketing should be built.
More than ten years ago, Allison Carter and I discussed how a brand position defines who you are and who you serve. It isn't marketing copy, but a clear outline of what you want customers to think about when they hear your name.
A positioning statement contains the following elements:
- Description of the target customer
- Benefits sought by the target customer to solve a specific problem
- Your unique solution
My uncle used to say that he was going to write me a short note but didn’t have time, so he wrote me a long letter instead. When you are limited in the number or words, you choose your words carefully and you use them sparingly. When you have the luxury of a long letter, you can ramble on and on, and hope that sooner or later, you’ll get to the point. And you hope the recipient will hang in long enough to figure out what you’re talking about.
That strategy is something you should keep in mind when you’re working on your marketing. Treat everything you write as if it was a headline or a tweet. Put your energy into refining the message and making it as concise as possible. When you do that, you will pique someone’s interest and earn the right to invite them back
Want to learn more about keeping your content concise? Check out this conversation I had with Jarred Juett. While it is almost ten years old the suggestions are as valid today as they were back then.
My friend Michelle McNally, the Executive Vice President of Customer Success for BoxCrush dropped by to talk about the importance of safeguarding digital assets, including passwords and resources. We talked about the key elements business owners should have control over to ensure the security and accessibility of their online assets. Michelle highlights the common challenges faced by business owners and marketing departments when it comes to managing these assets. She stresses the importance of having access to domain ownership and Google properties, such as Analytics, Search Console, Tag Manager, Google Ads, and Google Business Profile, to create a robust online presence.
The conversation also delves into the necessity of having contingency plans and multiple accounts to ensure access in case an individual or agency loses access or control. Michelle emphasizes the need for business owners to be actively involved in maintaining ownership of these assets and not solely relying on agencies. They discuss the interdependence of these Google properties and how they now work more cohesively together.
Listen now to pick up tips on the critical steps business owners should take to protect and manage digital assets effectively and how to build contingency plans, ensuring access to and control of the digital presence.
When asked about their branding style, I often hear business owners say they "want to look like Apple." They admire the clean, sleek design. They imagine their brand will seem modern, authentic, high-tech, hip, cool and smart if they incorporate some of the same style elements into their brand. But it is usually a bad idea.
Don't get me wrong, I love Apple's branding for Apple. It just rarely works out for other brands. Why?
Business owners won't walk the talk.Apple styling requires lots of white space in your design. The clean, minimal effect is created by using color sparingly and keeping fonts to one or two styles.
The Apple brand is stark, and most business owners can't resist the urge to clutter the designs. When faced with their brand in Apple style, they ask for more text, maybe a cute piece of clip art or a stock photo. The result is visually confusing.
Not every brand should look like Apple.It's okay if you don't look like Apple. One of the cool things about the world of branding is the diversity of different brand personalities. If you are a friendly, low-tech brand, Apple styling isn't right for you.
There isn't anything warm or welcoming about the Apple brand. The hip, cool, and somewhat aloof styling is aspirational and isn't for everyone. A good example of rotten Apple branding is J..C Penney. For more than 100 years, middle-aged middle Americans turned to J.C. Penney for clothes, appliances and home goods.
The brand offered durable, good quality items at a reasonable price. When they tried re-branding and transforming their stores into showcases with a light, airy, upscale feel it felt wrong. The stores were lovely, but empty and their core customers didn't feel welcome. The new target audience never believed the branding shift and didn't come.
Trying to use Apple styling when it really isn't you is like trying to wear someone else's shoes. They may look good, but they will never feel exactly right. Instead of trying to be an Apple clone, figure out the core values of your brand and with a designer who can bring that brand to life.
In this podcast episode of "More than a Few Words," host Lorraine Ball interviews Geoffrey Klein, a story expert, TEDx speaker, and content producer, about creating captivating content. Klein's new book, "The Content Beast," serves as a guide to crafting remarkable content. The conversation revolves around the challenge of making content stand out and the art of storytelling.
Klein suggests that a key element of compelling content is understanding and catering to the audience. He introduces the concept of the "eleventh commandment": knowing your audience. Instead of making content solely about oneself or the business, it should be geared towards the audience's needs, interests, and pain points. Klein proposes a simple yet powerful storytelling structure called the "Story Pad," which includes the elements of Pain (beginning), Answer (middle), and Difference (end). By identifying the audience's problems, offering solutions, and illustrating the transformative impact of those solutions, content can resonate more effectively.
The podcast emphasizes that effective content creation involves understanding your target audience's pain points, delivering relevant solutions, and highlighting the positive change that comes from using your product or service. Klein emphasizes that storytelling is a powerful tool for engagement, urging content creators to avoid self-aggrandizement and focus instead on relatable, audience-centered narratives. This approach can help content stand out and truly connect with the hearts and minds of the intended audience.
Look for Geoff's new book:
In this conversation from our archive, Andrea Butcher of HRD - A Leadership Development Company shares why she believes you should live life by design, not by default. Taking control of your daily activities starts with a long term vision - where do you want to be in ten years.
Once you have the vision, you can begin to think about what you can do this week to move closer to that goal. And on a daily basis, defining what is the most important thing for you to do today.
Although the conversation is four years old. Her suggestions are as relevant today as they were the day we first recorded the conversation.
To develop really effective marketing, you need to be clear about your brand position, what makes you uniquely qualified to earn the business of your customers. Look beyond the technical skills and product specifications to the intangible elements. What should customers think and how should they feel as they interact with the brand.
Sounds simple, but it isn’t. Being high quality, hardworking, offering leading-edge technology or providing good service are important but they are not things which really set a company apart. Why? Think about it, how often to you hear about a company which offers crappy service, high prices, poor technology or inferior products? These benefits put you on parity with everyone in your market. Your position statement must be more.
So the hunt for something unique begins. Unfortunately, it’s hard work, and many companies take the easy road, trying to combine two or more benefits which really don’t go together. The result is marketing that feels like a giant game of tug-of-war, pushing and pulling as the brand tries to fit into more than one niche in a customer’s mind.
I had a wonderfully, thought-provoking conversation with Jon Rogers about a unique strategy for business growth – the idea of buying businesses rather than building them from scratch.
Jon shares his insights into how wealth accumulation is often driven by acquiring and merging existing businesses rather than starting from the ground up. He emphasizes that these principles can be applied by anyone, not just the top 1% of wealthy individuals, and explains how the lower 99% can also benefit from this approach. Lorraine is intrigued by this unconventional strategy, and John goes on to discuss the reasons behind the appeal of buying businesses instead of building them.
The interview delves into practical steps for those interested in pursuing this strategy. He provides a step-by-step guide on how to get started with business acquisition, including identifying the type of business to buy, how to structure the purchase, and various financing options that make it accessible to those with limited capital. He highlights that the timing and terms of the acquisition are critical factors to consider, and he encourages potential buyers to conduct thorough due diligence to avoid purchasing liabilities or financial burdens.
There are so many opportunities available in today's market due to the retirement of older business owners and the potential for entrepreneurs to take over and grow these businesses. Jon's insights offer a fresh perspective on business expansion, providing an alternative route to success beyond the traditional approach of building a business from the ground up.
LEARN MORE AT: MAVENYOU.COM
Are you clocking in early and burning the midnight oil every single day? As a small business owner you may feel that is required to get ahead, but it doesn't have to be the pattern for your days.
It's not when you waltz in, but how well you dance as you hit the floor. The art of time management is an elusive dance, but here are a few simple steps that will help you glide to success.
Create a daily to-do list. Instead of drowning in a sea of week-long and month-long chores use this lean list of the musts for the day ahead to help you get things done. Whether you wield the inked charm of old-school notepads or the digital finesse of tools like Insightly or Todoist, the magic lies in breaking the workload into bite-sized chunks. Today's tasks stay in the spotlight; the rest wait their turn.
Master the art of the elegant "No." Don’t put stress and pressure on yourself by taking on additional tasks when you know you can’t complete your current workload. You’re setting yourself up for failure. If you have to add a task, take something off your list. This forces you to compare the priority and value of each task.
Pause. Yes, that's right you need to take breaks. Non- stop work is not sustainable. After awhile your productivity falls so it's okay to take a breather. I get up and go for a short walk, take a short detours through social media, or call a friend. Sometimes it is just standing up and taking a few deep breaths to get me away from my computer to clear head so I am ready to start again.
Focus, focus focus. Multi-tasking is a myth. Close the tempting browser tabs that lure you into the time-sucking vortex. Hide your phone, lock Facebook away. Your mission, is to devote your undivided attention to the task at hand. Afraid your email will blow up? Relax, emails don’t have expiration dates. Contrary to the adrenaline-fueled panic, it's fine to answer at the end of the day.
Sure, you can dance into the office at the crack of dawn, exiting with the setting sun, but that is not a dance with productivity. You won't really get more done, you will just burn out sooner.
In this podcast interview, I had a chance to chat with Che Brown, about the importance of building a high-performing sales team for entrepreneurs aiming to achieve 7 or 8-figure businesses. Che emphasizes the primary challenge facing entrepreneurs today is often insufficient revenue to realize their visions. He highlights five crucial steps to create a 7-figure sales team.
Che's first step is to hire a sales representative who works on a commission basis, emphasizing that this person only gets paid when the entrepreneur gets paid, making it a low-risk investment. The second step involves establishing a sales affiliate team, individuals who promote and sell specific products or services on a commission basis, creating a mutually beneficial relationship. The third step focuses on building a sales ambassador team, consisting of individuals who believe in the entrepreneur's mission and goals, providing unwavering support.
Che underscores the significance of using systems over goals, explaining that sales systems and teams can generate revenue without the entrepreneur's direct involvement. He also advises implementing a digital sales solution to tap into online marketing and automation opportunities. Lastly, he suggests incorporating an AI sales team, emphasizing the importance of artificial intelligence in handling inquiries, building trust, and facilitating sales.
About Che
Che Brown is a renowned sales trainer, motivational speaker and business coach. He is president of Partners in Learning, a global sales training company, which teaches sales professionals how to make sales with less effort. He has cracked the once elusive code of entrepreneurial success with a game-changing model that unlocks unlimited financial potential, power and wealth.
In just six short years, he has dominated the sales space, coaching thousands of rising business leaders to achieve exponential growth and success in their industries, to the tune of over $400 million and counting. His acclaimed 7-Figure Sales Team concept has forever erased the outdated notion that generating revenue in business is a sole-source game – instead illustrating it is indeed a team sport.
Che lives, breathes and sleeps his craft. He has his fingers on the pulse of profit generation and an instinctual insight into why the heart of a flailing business has stopped. Most importantly, he can resuscitate the flow of revenue in any company with just a whiteboard and a conversation.
Che Brown is the CEO of EasySalesHub scaling businesses to six and seven figures.
This all-in-one solution generates leads, qualifies prospects, books appointments, closes deals and frees entrepreneurs to focus on other business needs.
Almost ten years ago, I had a conversation with Juett. We discussed the fact that people just don’t have the same attention span they used to. You need to get to the point quickly if you want to hold their attention. Surprisingly, our tips on how to keep visitors with short attention spans interested and engaged is as relevant today as it was almost a decade ago.
Listen now to learn how to implement writing techniques like lists and engaging headings to capture your audience at a glance and get them to continue reading. And how to make your content visually appealing to bring readers in.
Highlights
- Create content at a glance. Use visual cues to grab your readers and keep them hooked.
- The title may be all you have to catch someone’s attention so make it count.
- People like lists. They hope you can solve all their issues in just five easy steps.
- Guide the reader with headers and subheads.
I started my career in retail as the floor manager. It was my job to attract customers as they walked down the aisle, to pull them into the department and get them to stay. I would organize the racks of clothing so that they would browse from one to the next and stay in the area as long as possible. Hopefully they would stay until they bought something.
Funny thing, as a web designer that was still my job. When I I looked at the design of a website I would think about how I was going to pull a reader in and get them to stay. I created plans to connect pages and make offers on individual pages that kept visitors engaged
Is your marketing working? Look at your bounce rate to see if people are coming and going or hanging out and trying on a few things?
Deb Schell joins me for a conversation about building and nurturing communities. Deb emphasizes that in today's information age, communities play a vital role in facilitating learning and implementation of new ideas, connecting people with similar challenges or goals. She also highlights the need for business owners to focus on the people, purpose, and problem-solving within their communities rather than fixating on platforms.
Deb suggests building your community by identifying ideal members within your existing network and understanding their challenges and needs. The choice of platform is secondary to the community's concept, structure, and validation. She stresses the importance of creating spaces for members to engage with each other and providing clear guidance and incentives for participation. The conversation also touches on the importance of balancing online and in-person interactions and avoiding overwhelming community members with too many options.
Deb Schell's insights and experience in community strategy provide valuable guidance for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to harness the power of communities to grow their businesses and foster meaningful connections.
I've heard it said that entrepreneurs need three things - smarts, guts and luck.
Your smarts can be street smarts, book smarts or creative smarts. You've got to be able to use your intelligence to navigate decisions rationally and analytically.
You must have the guts to go after your big ideas. You need courage to put yourself out there and not worry others would think. You need to be brave enough to try things even if other people think you are crazy.
And Luck? Even with smarts and guts sometimes you just need things to fall your way. These elements are all critical, but there is one more thing every entrepreneur needs and that is friends. Everyone loves the image of the solo entrepreneur working in the basement into the wee hours of the morning but great leaders in successful companies surround themselves with friends. You should too.
Good friends serve as your sounding board. They'll let be there to bounce ideas and brainstorm without judgment. They will help you think through the tough issues and recharge your batteries when they're low.
So you need all the other things but you got to have friends.
This week I had a chance to chat with Jeanette Stein, a seasoned business coach who specializes in using AI and automation for business growth. She shared insights into how to harness AI while maintaining a personalized touch, overcome SEO concerns, and develop a distinct brand voice.
As a writer, I am just a bit nervous about using AI for website copy but Jeanette emphasizes the importance of maintaining a human element while interacting with AI, guiding it with prompts to create tailored content.
She suggests starting with prompts like asking AI to generate questions about your business for the homepage. By specifying tone, goals, and desired emotional impact, content can be customized effectively. Stein recommends consistency in prompts for branding purposes, and even uses a cheat sheet acronym called VIBRANT to enhance AI responses' specificity.
To address SEO concerns and differentiation, Stein recommends steering clear of copying and pasting AI-generated content. Instead, she advocates for refining AI responses with your personal touch. She highlights the significance of maintaining consistency between the AI-generated content and your authentic voice, as discrepancies can erode trust. She also offers a technique where you use voice-to-text on your phone to dictate responses, further refining AI's understanding of your style.
Learn more be sure to check out jeanettestein.com/mtfw
If you missed this conversation about collaboration with your peers with Jon Tsourakis, then you are in luck. You can listen to it now.
When you collaborate with people you would, on the surface level think of as your competitors, it is amazing what happens. You will discover your business is healthier, your mental status healthier and the tips and tricks and strategies that you uncover can completely change how you operate your business.
What about the fear of competitors stealing your secrets? Jon believes every business is like a fingerprint. Each business has their own unique way about going about what it is they do. Different core values and different DNA means that not every suggestion will work for you, so you should treat input from peers like a buffet, with lots of choices.
How do you decide which software tools and digital trends deserve attention and resources and which don’t? So how did I answer the question? Simple, our strategy is explore, evaluate and embrace.
The first part of the strategy is staying ahead of the curve by reading, reading, reading. There’s no single expert in the field so I have several websites I check on a regular basis.
When I find new software tools which pique my curiosity, I switch over to evaluation mode. I dive into by reading product reviews and searching for discussions on Twitter and LinkedIn. Then we kick the tires for ourselves to see if the product works the way they say it will.
Finally, we look at how this addition fits with the rest of the marketing program. This is where many exciting ideas get sideline because even if a tool looks great, if it doesn’t fit with everything else you’re doing, it’s not a great fit for you.
And finally you need to embrace and this is where you have to make a decision to go big or go home and admit the resources or don’t play.
In this episode I have a chance to chat with Richard Rosser about the intersection of artificial intelligence and storytelling.
Richard shares tips on how to use AI for brainstorming story ideas. He explains ChatGPT can generate concepts and case scenarios for various situations. Instead of spending hours sifting through search engine results, ChatGPT provides focused and organized information.
He elaborates on the potential of AI to craft stories from prompts and how to use AI to refine your story, and transform complex technical descriptions into content your audience can relate to.
One of the things I love about living in Indiana is the color the seasons. There are bright pastels in the spring and rich greens in the summer and bright oranges and yellows in the fall. The exception is winter. Those dreary days of winter seem colorless and bland compared to the vibrancy of the colors throughout the rest of the year. That's why I love evergreen trees. They bring spots of color all year long.
And just as those wonderful trees bring consistent color to my yard. evergreen content brings spots of color to your marketing content. What is evergreen content? It's information that is always relevant to readers. Unlike seasonal content or breaking news it answers questions your customers have every single day.
Breaking news gets stale but evergreen doesn't. So as you're looking at your total content calendar make sure you have several pieces of evergreen content to add consistent color.
In this episode, the spotlight is on the challenging decisions that small business owners face amidst economic uncertainties. Joining the conversation is Beate Chelette, the growth architect and founder of the Women's Code. Beate equips visionary leaders with strategies, blueprints, and growth maps to enhance business systems, strengthen leadership skills, and maximize profits. With her insights, she guides clients to amplify their impact and scale their businesses.
Thriving Amidst Turbulence
Beate and i, delve into strategies for small business owners to thrive regardless of economic fluctuations. The conversation starts by addressing the common dilemma of whether to expand or contract during uncertain times. Beate emphasizes a key principle: if competitors are retreating, it's an opportunity to advance. Amidst external challenges, she advises entrepreneurs to focus on their confidence, unapologetic value proposition, and maintaining a strong online presence.
Unlocking Customer Insights
Beate emphasizes the importance of understanding your target audience, citing the "airtight avatar" concept. Business owners must adapt their marketing strategies to cater to changing customer concerns and needs. In a world influenced by AI and technological shifts, maintaining relevance means continuously updating your understanding of your clients' perspectives. By reframing marketing approaches and emphasizing personalized connections, entrepreneurs can build trust and engagement even
CHECK OUT THE GROWTHBLOCKERQUIZ
Some people think that chaos is a dirty word. But as my guest Robert Raymond Riopel suggests, a little bit of chaos in your life is a good thing. If you missed this conversation when it was first released in 2021, you definitely want to check it out now.
He suggests that as as human beings, one of our primary functions is to evolve and chaos is actually what forces us to evolve. When you courageously volunteer for chaos, instead of allowing it to overwhelm you can takes steps to proactively change and improve your situation.
If you're getting ready to hire someone new or add a person to your advisory board it is easy to look for someone with whom you'll get along. That, however, might not be the best choice.
What you often need is someone who can compliment your weaknesses and fill in the blanks in your skill set. Very often the person who does that is the Yin to your Yang.
They're your opposite and so while they bring that fresh perspective and different skills they can also make you a little crazy because they're not going to see the world the way you do.
But, if you want to grow your business you need that other perspective. You need people who will challenge your ideas, make you think and see the world in different ways.
If you are like most business owners you have lots of great ideas. As a matter of fact you have so many ideas it is hard to get any of them done.
In this episode, Annelise Worn shares her insights on the importance of aligning business goals with one's desired lifestyle and values. Her approach involves reverse engineering an idea by starting with the vision of the business and life you aspire to lead.
She emphasizes the significance of breaking down goals into three distinct time frames: three years, one year, and three months. This incremental approach enables entrepreneurs to map out realistic steps and monitor their progress more effectively. She highlights the necessity of acknowledging potential obstacles and building them into the plan, ensuring better preparation for contingencies.
Every time I go to the gym I see people using weights that are clearly too heavy for them. There is pain in their faces as they struggle to lift the extra weight. They are risking injury every time they do that.
My trainer always suggests I work with lighter weights which allows me to perfect the motion. I can do more repetitions and will build muscle as well as the people who struggle with the weights that are too big.
There is a marketing lesson here. Instead of running one very big campaign that blows your budget and exhausts you, consider doing more smaller campaigns. This will allows you to perfect your messaging and build brand strength slowly over time.
If you are like most business owners, right now you are stressing about something. You are probably thinking if you could only get rid of that stress everything would be better.
But Allison Graham, suggests some of that stress is actually helpful. She discusses three categories of stress: empowering stress, destructive stress, and survival stress. Empowering stress is characterized by feeling energized, in a state of flow, and capable of tackling challenging tasks. It's the positive stress that drives productivity and achievement. Destructive stress, on the other hand, leads to overwhelm, resentment, and negative impacts on both work and personal life. Survival stress is a natural response that alerts us to danger and sharpens our focus, but it can become counterproductive if not managed properly.
The conversation delves into the nuances of recognizing empowering stress versus destructive stress. The key lies in understanding oneself, acknowledging individual patterns, and finding the optimal balance between time constraints and deadlines. Allison emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and strategic problem-solving to develop effective stress management techniques tailored to each person's unique needs.
Tracy Brinkman shared some great productivity hacks you can use to take control of the chaos in your day.
Time Blocking: If you have a task, that is high priority make a date with yourself. Block out time as if is an important meeting, maybe an hour or so, and don’ let anyone cut into that time.
Set Priorities Stop trying to accomplish 87 things each week. Pick a few top priority items and make sure they get done first. When you combine these two productivity hacks you end up working in short bursts on one thing. At the end of the week you can look back to see what you have accomplished.
Twenty years ago I wrote a book called the Science of Marketing and and recently I decided to update the book. As I started editing, I realized most of the content is as accurate today as it was twenty years ago,
Sure some of the examples are a bit out of date because I talked a lot about postcards and radio advertising which really isn't appropriate for small businesses anymore. However, the foundation and the thought process is still as relevant as it was twenty years ago.
So if you bought a copy of my book twenty years ago it's time to buy another. And if you didn't get a chance to buy it then you can buy it now. The Science of Marketing is available on Amazon. Go ahead, buy it today! Then come back and listen to another episode of More than a Few Words.
Most of the time marketing planning consists of thinking about what are you going to do. My guest Derek Johnson suggests that maybe you need to be focused on the "who" of marketing. This involves creating content to build a personal brand and show the human side of business.
People often prioritize the technical aspects of marketing, such as techniques, tech work, and funnels, while neglecting the human aspect that builds trust. Sharing personal stories and daily routines on platforms like Instagram can humanize the brand and create a strong connection with the audience.
He encourages individuals to open up about their life stories, regardless of whether they had a challenging past or not. By doing so, they can establish authenticity, trust, and relatability with their audience.
This approach is not limited to Instagram; it can be applied across various platforms, such as LinkedIn, YouTube, and even TikTok. where you goal is not just to accumulate likes and comments but to create one-on-one interactions that genuinely resonate with viewers.
As you prioritize the human element in marketing. sharing personal stories and embracing authenticity, you can foster deeper connections with an audience, leading to increased trust, engagement, and ultimately, business success.
We routinely tell business owners that great blog posts are an important part of their sales, marketing and SEO strategy. With so much riding on each and every blog post, it’s tempting to push the sales element really hard. But that is exactly the opposite of what you should do.
The hard sell is one sure way to turn off prospective customers. Think about the late night television commercials that scream at you at 3 am. Instead of making me want to learn more about their incredible claims to lose weight, grow more hair and attract the perfect mate (all for $19.99) those pushy loud ads actually make me roll my eyes and change the channel.
The best blog posts answer questions your customers have about your product or service. They want information and once you answer their questions, they’ll be ready to buy. If you jump right into sales mode, you sound just like those annoying late night commercials and your customers will look for answers somewhere else. Once they do, they may never come back.
Great websites don't happen by accident. Sierra Janisse believes every decision you make on your website from what images you use to the words you write , the pages you create and all the call to action buttons starts with answering one basic question.
What do you want your ideal clients to do when they come to your website. What is your primary call to action for your visitors.
About Sierra
Sierra Janisse of Sierra Lin Design is a Certified Master Marketer, Kajabi Web and Funnel Designer, and host of the free Branded Boss community. Sierra helps visionary coaches and service providers magnetize their perfect-fit clients through Aligned Authority Marketing--her signature framework combining branding, messaging, and funnel design.
From building brands and websites for 7-figure coaches, TedX speakers, best-selling authors, and course creators serving students across the globe, Sierra has learned that all personal brands need one specific thing if they want to scale and serve more clients: to become uniquely, indisputably magnetic
These days, it seems like everybody's talking about robots. It's easy to get swept up by trends like Google algorithm changes and AI generated content. But, guest Rai Hyde Cornell says those things are secondary to the most important factor in your marketing - the human beings
Too often, we think about the system or platform first. We wonder if we should jump into Threads or buy Google ads, but those decisions come after you decide who you are talking to.
About Rai
Rai Hyde Cornell has been freelancing for more than 16 years as a copywriter turned agency owner. Now, she's sharing all of her most powerful business AND manifestation hacks with other freelancers. As a business mentor at Chiron Consulting, Rai hosts barrier-shattering workshops on pricing, client acquisition, and mindset and works one-on-one with private clients to help them triple their incomes within one year. As an agency owner at Cornell Content Marketing, Rai builds and executes psychology-informed content strategies for her clients while training her team in efficient writing methods and the psychology of copywriting.
Traveling through Central Europe I was in three different countries, with three different currencies and three different languages. I don't speak Czech, German or Hungarian, but managed to navigate bus, train and boat transportation with ease.
How? Almost everywhere we went the directional signs included simple icons which conveyed their meaning at a glance. As I sipped my espresso in a sidewalk café I thought about how this same strategy of simple meaningful graphics applies to any business, even if you are not serving a global audience.
Why? Because your brain can process images 60,000 times faster than it can process words. Whether you’re running through a train station, or surfing a website an image conveys an idea or an emotion in an instant. So if you’re thinking about adding icons to your marketing or website, here are a couple of quick rules.
- Keep the graphic simple. You want people to get the meaning at a glance.
- Create a consistent style set so all of your icons look like they’re part of a family.
- Test for meaning. Don’t assume your icon communicates what you think it does. Show it to people and see if they understand the meaning and the intention behind the design icons.
You always wanted to write book. Now you've done. It is published and you can just sit back, right? Nope! Nancy Erikson says there is so much more you can do with the content of your book to expand your authority and credibility even further.
For example, if you have written the book correctly each chapter can stand on its own as a topic for a keynote, workshop or online course.
Did you miss this conversation with Rochelle Groh about networking animals? She suggests the next time you go to a networking event, look for the four types of networking animals.
- The shark, who is ready to take a bite out of every conversation
- The penguin who typically gravitates to the same people at every event
- The bee who knows everyone in the room
- The lone wolf who prefers longer, more one on one conversations.
About Rochelle Groh
Rochelle is the Co-Founder of Cutclass and the host of the Allergic to Small Talk podcast.
Rochelle focuses on teaching first time small business owners the ABCs of business networking. This often leads to sales for their business, collaborations with other business owners, and connections that last a lifetime
One of the critical elements of building a marketing budget is understanding what a customer is worth. Why? Because you can't decide how much to spend to acquire that customer if you don't really know the value of that customer.
Too often business owners make the mistake of looking at what the customer is spending today and see that is the only value of the customer. But, if you're in a business where customers come back time and time again, you need to look at the total picture to determine the complete value.
If a customer stays with you three or five years, there's going to be additional sales revenue without that sales expense. And, there's more. When the customer really knows you and loves you they are more likely to talk about you to their friends and their families. This goodwill has the potential to create multiple new opportunities.
So, as you start thinking about how much you can afford to spend to generate leads, you need to calculate the lifetime value of each customer.
Content marketing has been around for a really long time. And it is probably going to be around for a lot longer. But as new tools arise, many people wonder what the future of content marketing going to be like.
Professional writer and a humorist, Erik Deckers joined me to share his thoughts on that topic. He explained content marketing has be around a lot longer than most of us imagine. Archeologists have recovered Papyrus and carvings showing things for sale. While content marketing has evolved, it is still about providing relevant information to prospective customers, and that core element probably won't change.
One of the most important numbers in your business is your closing rate. The simple metrics tells you how well you are performing when face to face with a potential customer. The better your closing rate is the better your business.
Guest Bruce Scheer shares some of the mistakes companies make as they try to improve their closing rate:
Jumping immediately to price changes .While that may work in the short term it will hurt in the long term as you race competitors to the bottom of the market.
Random acts of sales or marketing. Switching from one trendy tool or technique without an underlying strategy.
About Bruce
Bruce Scheer works with industry giants and “scale-ups” to inspire their buyers and accelerate revenue growth. He is an award-winning consultant, author, keynote speaker, and president of the National Speakers Association Northwest. You can find him at www.inspireyourbuyers.com.
Like many business owners I defined myself as the founder of my company, Roundpeg. Lorraine Ball and Roundpeg were intricately linked. The fact that the business was originally an outgrowth of my personality got lost along the way.
I became an outgrowth of the business. That was fine for 20 years until I sold Roundpeg. Suddenly that cornerstone of my brand was gone. So I've spent the last two years realigning, adjusting and figuring out who I am and what my brand is.
The funny thing is that I have come to the conclusion that who I was when all of this started is exactly who I am today. My brand is the sum total of what I know about marketing and what I've done as a marketing professional over of these years.
This is a lesson for every business owner. Never lose sight of the that you are your brand.
If you've been listening to More than a Few Words for any length of time you know I was born talking. Standing in front of a group of people or facing a microphone is not uncomfortable for me.
But it is for many people. Public speaking anxiety is a crippler for some people and can get in the way of careers and businesses. Guest Rebecca Jabbar says the key to getting comfortable is to personalize the message with two very simply pieces of information explaining why you care about a particular topic and having an example ready to support your message.
About Rebecca
Rebecca Jabbar is a coach and trainer with 25+ years’ experience in helping over 400 international professionals and 130 brands successfully deliver their media messages, she works with senior leaders on not only what to do to be a successful spokesperson, but how to do it.
Founder of The Brand Champion Bootcamp, Rebecca is passionate that everyone required to represent their business should feel confident, and be engaging, authentic and credible. Only then will the important messages be heard, understood, and remembered by those who need to hear them.
From our archive is a terrific conversation with Kyle Roof about SEO. In it he addressed some common misperceptions about Google.
For example, many people think Google reads a web page as a human would. Google is not able to do that, it isn't pulling meaning from your content. It is an algorithm looking at your content not from an editorial quality perspective, but a mathematical one looking to see if you check off the boxes in the formula.
About Kyle Roof
Kyle is responsible for the development and implementation of all SEO techniques used by the SEO agency High Voltage SEO and the SEO tool PageOptimizer Pro. Kyle is also the co-founder of Internet Marketing Gold, a global community of 3000+ SEO professionals who test and prove cutting edge SEO techniques. Kyle’s SEO techniques and discoveries are followed by many SEO professionals and business leaders, he has been featured in many respected publications and is a regular speaker on SEO and SEO testing at conferences throughout the world.
As business owners try to grow their business they assume they have to do it organically. The problem with the organic approach is you have to be patient. It takes time for the business to mature and grow.
But that is not the only way to grow. Your path to success might include merging with another company or acquiring a business.
Deb Curtis, an expert in SBA-Supported Business Acquisition Loans & Smooth Ownership Transitions shares a few tips and things to consider before you jump into acquisition mode
I had the strangest phone call the other day. It was from someone I have known for a long time. I wouldn't call us friends, but our paths have crossed multiple times over the years so we are acquainted.
We chatted for a few minutes. He told me he had moved to Florida. I mentioned I sold my company and I am enjoying the slower pace.
He barely acknowledged what I said and proceeded to launch into a pitch on his new venture. Unfortunately, I have no interest since, as I told him, I sold my agency.
By the time I got off the phone I was annoyed, because he clearly had no interest in anything I had to say.
Then I felt sorry for him. Not only had he failed to sell me, but he completely blew the chance to sell to my contacts. There was no way I was going to introduce him to anyone I actually liked.
So, before your hop on your next sales call, maybe you should brush up on your listening skills.
- Pay attention to your body language. Make sure that you are facing your customer, making eye contact, and nodding your head. This shows that you are engaged and interested in what they have to say.
- Ask questions. Asking questions shows that you are interested in what your customer has to say and that you want to understand their needs.
- Listen without interrupting. It is important to give your customer your full attention. Do not interrupt them while they are speaking.
- Paraphrase what your customer has said. Paraphrasing shows that you have been listening and that you understand what your customer has said.
- Summarize what your customer has said. Summarizing shows that you have been listening and that you understand the key points that your customer has made.
When I started my agency in 2002, clients and friends called me the Postcard Queen. I was working with small businesses and postcards were a wonderful way to get noticed. Then along came email marketing and social media. Direct mail seemed cumbersome and old fashioned in comparison.
Travis Lee suggests as everyone has rushed towards digital it is no longer the bargain it once was. With auction style bidding for advertising the cost of click has increased dramatically, while the return has dropped. So as everyone has rushed to digital, there is an advantage to considering alternatives, like direct mail.
We are living in this digital world, but we are inundated with digital and there is much less competition in the mailbox. Everyone still collects their mail so it is still a great way to get in front of your ideal prospect.
About Travis
Travis Lee is known as the expert in getting direct mail delivered, opened, and read. As co-founder and president of 3D Mail, he generates huge returns for thousands of businesses each year who use his innovative and effective marketing strategies. His tested marketing methods have helped add millions of dollars in sales to a wide variety of businesses, from “kitchen-table-run” sole-proprietors, to large Multi-National businesses, mailing millions of pieces of mail a year.
There is a cycle business owners get trapped in as they start to spiral toward burnout. Coach Linsi Brownson says the first thing you need to do is recognize, you’re not doing anything wrong. This is just a phase in your business.
This is actually a really great moment to step back and realign the business, by going back to the drawing board and looking at three things: yourself, your business position and your operations.
LOOK AT YOURSELF Take time to understand your energy capacity What do you find energizing and what do you find draining. Then look at the lifestyle you want, not just sometime in the future, but now. Then look for ways to align your business model so that it actually supports you as a person and your lifestyle
DEFINE YOUR UNIQUE POSITION Look at your actual business model to identify your biggest opportunities. Outline the the things you offer which make me the most money, are the most popular with clients and create the biggest impact for customers. Double down on those activities. This is a chance to streamline what you offer so your business is better aligned for the present and the future you want.
BUILD SYSTEMS Your systems allow you to deliver value without draining your energy. Look for ways to standardize and simplify your operations. Develop processes to free up time and give you back energy so you can deliver the things you promised in an easier and more simplified way.
These days everyone is talking about Chat Gpt Ai driven content. I find some people are either really excited about it. Then there are others who are afraid we are the cusp of some dystopian world where the machines take over and we become their slaves.
Which is more accurate? Well that is up to you, but Chat GPT is changing how content is created so you need to know how to use the tools.
My guest Jules Dan seems to have cracked the code with Chat Gpt and it boils down to three simple steps:
- Cloning the Voice
- Steering the AI Back on Course
- Fine Tuning the Prompts.
You have to go where your customers are Social media is about engagement. This is something businesses forget when they start to use it as a broadcast tool. Just because you’re posting information out there doesn’t mean that anyone is actually paying attention.
So one of the most important things you can do to get the most out of your social media is to pay attention to your engagement numbers. Are people liking, sharing and commenting on your content? Are they interacting with you?
If they’re not, it’s a good time to stop and change your approach. Create more content designed to engage people. Ask questions, comment on content other people are sharing. If you do that, and you still aren’t getting the response you are hoping for, it is possible that you’re trying to talk to the wrong audience.
While Facebook has the most monthly active users, your product may or may not fit there. As you’re planning your strategy and evaluating your results look at who’s on the platform and decide if this is the right place for you to be talking about your business.
MORE THAN A FEW WORDS is a marketing conversation for business owners. If you enjoyed this brief bit of marketing, be sure to subscribe so you never miss another episode.
So you want to be a podcast guest. Before you start reaching out to potential shows my guest, Joe Matz suggests you need to start with Why do you want to be a podcast guest.
There are a number of reasons. Some people, have just launched a book and they want to do a virtual book tour. Others want to get their authority positioning out there. Joe also mentioned, SEO because when you're on a podcast, you get links back to your website. So the podcast increases your backlinks. Other reasons might include reaching new audiences.
If reaching new audiences is you goal, start by looking at what podcasts are they listening to? That's where you want to go!
About Joe
Joe is a Certified Professional Coach who excels in building value and developing a plan for success using a systematic approach to create a unique business that stands out from the crowd, delivers results, and transforms a business into a money making machine.
His goal is straightforward – to help serious business owners see a dramatic and immediate increase in leads, sales, and revenue.
Joe is also one of the authors in More than a Few Written Words, and essay collection from some of my favorite guests.
From our archive. This conversation with Sharyn and Hank Yuloff was originally released in August of 2021. If you missed it then you are in for a treat. This was a fun, lively conversation about the marketing path.
As you drive down the road, you have to be ready to make small adjustments. The same is true for your marketing.
This week's guests, Sharyn and Hank Yuloff, think you need to stop thinking about your marketing as if the plan was carved in stone. Instead, you should view it as a path that will need to be adjusted along the way.
You need to keep your hand on the wheel, so you can make the small changes to your program as conditions change.
About Hank and Sharyn
Hank and Sharyn Yuloff bring a very unique perspective to clients who wish to have their marketing efforts reach new focus.
Hank is a targeted marketing tactician with a background in advertising and public relations who has helped small businesses get bigger for over 35 years. Sharyn’s path went through the business affairs and human resources departments and has become an online marketing expert.
Their company, Yuloff Creative Marketing Solutions, offers complete traditional and technological marketing plans for small companies who never thought they could afford a Chief Marketing Officer.
The couple teach several small business breakthrough bootcamp intensives each year for small groups of businesses as well as work two-on-one in person and virtually with owners of small businesses. They are authors of six best-selling business books, with two more scheduled within 24 months.
The couple hosted 243 episodes of a radio program, called “The Marketing Checklist,” and appear as the marketing experts in a yet-to-be-released entrepreneurial video series featuring Brian Tracy called Live Your List.
As tools for small business owners to increase revenue and profits, the Yuloffs created a hybrid ‘Do-It-Yourself plus private coaching’ marketing program called The Small Business Marketing Plan and offer free coaching at HowToGetThereFaster.com
I would love to tell you that out of the gate I was a business genius and everything I did in marketing worked perfectly. Well that's not true. We all make mistakes along the way, but when we learn from them we have a better shot at success.
And if we can get out ahead of some of those mistakes, by learning from what other business owners are doing wrong we can shorten the cycle to success.
In this conversation with Lori Highby, we discuss the three most common mistakes new business owners make and how to avoid them.
1 ) The We We syndrome where owners think all their marketing needs to be about them.
2) Defining too broad a target
3) Describing what makes them uniquely qualified to solve a problem.
ABOUT LORI
With a core personal value of lifelong-learning, Lori Highby has shared creative and strategic digital marketing, personal branding, and entrepreneurship lessons with people and organizations from allover. Her 20 years experience, education, and involvement range from currently owning a digital marketing agency, Keystone Click, being the 2013 recipient of the “Bravo! Entrepreneur Award” from BizTimes Media, teaching undergraduate students as an adjunct professor at UW-Milwaukee, and serving on numerous boards including the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin.
Lori earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business & Marketing from Marian University and her MBA from Cardinal Stritch University.
She is also part of More than a Few Written Words, a collection of essays by some of my favorite guests.
We’ve all had that marketing brainstorm sitting alone at a desk. It sounds like a good idea so you bounce it off other people. everybody excitedly supports the concept. You execute it the best that you can, but it doesn’t work out they way you planned. You should give up, but you’ve built this whole program so you double down and you keep pushing and pushing.
Eventually you have to accept it wasn’t as good an idea as you thought. It is always painful when you realize you have made a mistake, but the longer you pursue an idea that isn’t working, the more you delay your ultimate success. Now I’m not suggesting abandoning ideas after two or three months, but if you give it your best, investing time and effort and it just doesn’t click, you have to prepare to try something else..
That’s where I have right now. I created a private Facebook group for the Digital Toolbox. Private, because I thought that would give it a little bit of prestige by making people feel they were joining something exclusive. But Facebook groups are a dime a dozen so after an initial burst it stagnated. As a private group, people who might have been interested in what we were talking about never saw the information in their feeds. So after several years of pushing this idea of a private Facebook group I’m accepting defeat and will try a different approach.
Facebook won’t let me change the private group to public, so I have launched a new group. The More than a Few Words Club is a public group for fans of show, my guests and other business owners who want to have conversations about marketing.
I do public speaking for a living. Even if that's not your career goal you need to be a good public speaker. Whether you're standing up in front of an audience or one-on-one with an employee or a customer at the heart of each of those interactions are your communication skills.
In this episode, Brenden Kumarasamy joined me for a conversation on how everyone can improve their communication skills. He started by explaining that good communication is like juggling 18 balls at the same time. One of those balls is body language, one is storytelling and another is remembering to smile in the right way and there are lots more balls. So he thinks you need to start with the three easiest balls to juggle because if you can juggle those three you can get results really quickly and build momentum.
One of the skills you need is the ability to think on your feet. He shared a simple exercise where you start with a random word such as light bulb like home like doorknob. Then crate presentations out of thin air for 60 seconds on the topic of the random word.
Why practice this skill? As an entrepreneur you often have no idea what's going to happen next. On a sales call or at a networking cocktail event you may get lots of random questions and ideas tossed at you. If you are comfortable with random topics it will be much easier to make a positive impression and gain sales and credibility. And, if you can make sense out of nonsense, you can make sense out of anything.
Brenden is the host of MasterTalk , a YouTube channel he tarted to help the world master the art of public speaking & communication
From our archive. This conversation with Mike Wittenstein was originally released in August 2021. If you missed it then, you should definitely check it out now.
Why does your business exist? If you answered to make money, you are missing the point. That may be why your own a business, but the business exists to create value for your customers.
As you define your reason to exist consider, the value you create, who you create it for, and what the customer will ultimately do with your product or service.
Mike Wittenstein says those three elements comprise your “reason for being” which can become the North Star, or guiding principal for your business.
About Mike
Mike is a 5-time professional services entrepreneur and IBM’s former eVisionary. Global business/creative executive who speaks four languages. Leaders, Chiefs of Staff and Boards call on Mike to help them find profitable opportunities, sharpen their ideas, win support from their teams, and create more value for their customers. An expert at defining “what’s next” through stories, Mike is a popular in-person and virtual speaker, podcast guest, blogger, and media contributor.
You have a great product. That's wonderful. But a product by itself is not enough to guarantee success. Shaun McAndrew believes you need to build a complete offer where you integrate a combination of the product, be it hardware and or software, with the technology, the internet of things, AI and machine learning, with the data analytics and services needed to build a single package that aligns to customer outcomes.
About Shaun McAndrew
Shaun is a Navy Veteran, the VP of Business Development for The Service Design Group and keynote speaker. Shaun honed her leadership skills as a helicopter pilot and Commanding Officer in the U.S. Navy before diving headfirst into conveying the stories that build business relationships and create personal transformations.
Learn More - https://theservicedesigngroup.com/learn-more/
Let’s face it, sometimes mistakes happen and things go wrong. How you handle the situation will often determine whether your smallest mistake becomes a big crisis
Even if you can’t predict what will go wrong, having a plan in place outlining specific steps in case of a mistake will make it easier to respond. This is true in the real world or on social media, where your Twitter or Facebook page can absolutely blow up.
Keep these things in mind as you develop your crisis management plan * Appoint a team leader. Have one person identified who will be in charge of coordinating all of the public responses. They may not need to be the one crafting all the messages, but should serve as a clearing house for all statements. * Personalized apologies are great, but be sure to create a blanket statement you can use if you start getting lots of comments all at once. Remember if customers have legitimate grievances, the very best thing you can do is encourage them to connect with you directly and take the conversation off of social media. * And don’t panic. People will forgive you if you acknowledge you’ve done something wrong and demonstrate a willingness to resolve the issue.
These days so many people are hot on social media and whatever the new platform is this week. But Nicole Krug says that year after year email marketing works. It has a 400% return on investment and that has been consistent for many years. One of the reasons is email is more personal than social media. You have been invited into the inbox.
Now the trick is getting people to open your email once you land there. Data suggests only about 20% of emails are opened, so in this conversation Nicole shares some great tips on how you can improve your open rate.
Maybe you think that when someone says something negative you shouldn't dignify their comment with a reply. According to David Oates, that's actually not the best strategy. The reality is everybody, right or wrong tends to have the same weight and credibility in a social media post or an online review. Now that rubs most of us the wrong way particularly when we get criticism from somebody who may not have ever been a customer or who had realistic expectations when they walked in our virtual or actual physical front door.
You know they're out of line and you feel like all you're going to do is to give them some credibility if you reply. Responding with empathy and action allows you to take control of the narrative. You may not get the naysayer to change their mind but you are telegraphing everybody else who matters to you; customers, partners, employees and the general public that you take things seriously.
About David
our guest David Oates Dave possesses more than 25 years of strategic public relations experience dealing with a wide array of adverse public events. Starting as a U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer and later as a Corporate Chief Marketing Officer and Non-Profit President, he excels in expertly addressing a myriad of crises spans military, government, corporate, charity, and start-up environments. His Crisis Communications experiences, including handling employee and executive misconduct, cybersecurity attacks, product recalls, mass layoffs, large-scale accidents, criminal investigations, and civil litigation matters.
A sought-after speaker, Dave served as a lecturing professor teaching the semester-long PR Media & Messaging program to upper-division undergraduates at San Diego State University. He actively gives back to others through his role as Past President of the Rotary Club of San Diego, the fourth largest service club in the world. Dave previously served on leadership roles that raised tens of thousands of dollars for organizations that include the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Operation Homefront, Free to Thrive, and others.
Dave authored three Amazon e-Books and co-produced two LinkedIn Learning courses, Crisis Communication for HR, and HR Communication in Today’s Fluid Workplace. He is an accredited PR specialist (APR) who received his MBA from San Diego State University in 2004 and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1991.
David is one of the contributing authors in MORE THAN A FEW WRITTEN WORDS, a collection of essays by some of my favorite guests. It is available on Amazon
Athletes love to play on their home court. Being intimately familiar with every square inch of the field is reassuring, and the supportive crowd gives them the confidence to play their best.
In a way, the same is true in sales. If you can get a customer to come to your office or showroom, you’ve already scored the first point. Unfortunately, many home service businesses such as heating and air conditioning, plumbing, landscaping or roofing rarely have the opportunity of selling on their turf, so they don’t have that home court advantage. The sale is in the client’s home, where they are most comfortable, and you aren’t. That isn’t likely to change, but there are ways to use information, brochures, web content and emails to move the game to a more neutral setting.
Use Your Website to Level the Playing Field in Every Selling Situation What kind of information can even the playing field in your next selling situation? Here are a few examples. This content can be a blog post, the text of an email or even a video.
- What to expect when you meet with our salesman: Most people don’t know how to buy home service products. Furnaces, siding and roofs are not something they purchase every day. Fear of the unknown makes people uncomfortable and maybe even a little defensive. These “rules of the game” reduce the fear by letting the customer know there is a process for shopping and that you can help them through it. Sending the rules in advance puts the sales person in control of the meeting.
- Employee Profiles: There is always that uncomfortable time at the beginning of a sales call as the customer decides if they are going to like or trust you. Collapse that part of the game by sending a link to a photo, video or bio to introduce the salesperson before he or she shows up.
- Frequently Asked Questions: You want a customer who asks questions; it’s an important part of the sales process. It’s how you know the prospect is engaged. But too many questions at the wrong time can derail a sales call. Create a list of the most common questions and send them ahead of the call.
- Testimonials and Reviews: When you are at a sporting event and the crowd around you cheers, their enthusiasm is contagious. Great reviews help bring the roar of the crowd to your sales call.
At the end of the day, a great athlete (or salesperson) with enough preparation and practice can score on any field. Do your homework and lean on your marketing tools to help make you feel as if you are playing on your home court with every sale.
DISCOVER MORE DIGITAL MARKETING TIPS:
It is often said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That is definitely true on the journey to master your marketing message. In this conversation Tracey Watts Cirino and I explored the first steps you need to take on your journey to master your marketing message.
1 - Get clear on who you will serve. You can not serve everyone. When we try to be for everyone we end up being for enough for no one This doesn't mean you're not going to do different types of things for different people. But when you're really clear about who you want to serve it aligns so much more beautiful in your marketing message.
2 - Speak directly to your audience. Create messages that are relevant for the people you want to serve
3 - Finally talk about your product. Don't lead with this.
About Tracey
Tracey Watts Cirino is a 5-time #1 bestselling author, podcast host of Beyond Common Business Secrets, and certified success and mindset coach. She helps business owners and leaders discover their own power so they can develop customized success systems through her dynamic speaking events, retreats, workshops, digital training programs, and mastermind groups. As founder of Beyond Common Coaching & Training Company in Cleveland, OH she has developed the proven BEYOND Common method. Learn more
https://www.beyondcommoncoaching.com https://www.TraceyWattsCirino.com
In this episode I had a chance to chat with Alison K about research. I know you're sitting there saying I already know everything about my business. Well guess what, you don't! So you need to listen to this short and lively conversation about affordable ways you can conduct market research to make better decisions about your business.
Alison explains as businesses owners, especially in service area know the end goal it to make the sale. We know our target clients and their pain points. We already understand what will happen when they're done. However. our ideal audience is the prospects who aren't ready yet. In their evaluation they may consider a whole bevy of people you wouldn't consider your competition or contemporaries.
Audience research allows us to get our own heads out of our butts see the world through the eyes of our customers.
After 13 years of podcasting, I have found tools I rely on. My two favorites are Podmatch - It is kind of like a dating application. Instead of finding dates I use it to book podcast interviews on high profile shows and interesting guests . And now, they have rolled out a new feature that allows me to get paid to host guests on my show. Learn more at : https://www.joinpodmatch.com/mtfw
For recording interviews, I love Zencastr It is a great all in one tool. Audio only or audio and video are possible. I use if to record because it creates transcripts of every conversation which saves me tons of time on production. Learn more at https://zencastr.com/
And finally, if you want to be a guest on a podcast you will want to pay attention to what Kelly Mosser has to say about pitches. The biggest mistake most potential guest make is the emphasis of the pitch. The message boils down to “I want airtime on your show. Here’s why I deserve it. Here’s why you should give it to me.” This one-sided approach misses the key detail that podcasts are a business collaboration. When you focus on what you can get, and what the audience might take away, the host and the show are kind of forgotten. Put yourself in the shoes of the host. Why would they want someone on their show who doesn’t care about them.
If you understand you are entering a business partnership with the host together it is easier to think about how can you help the host achieve his/her goals. Then you need to explain what you bring to the audience. When you start with that approach you are much more likely to be invited to be a guest on the show. Listen to the entire conversation https://morethanafewwords.com/kelly-mosser/
Jennifer Denney is obsessed with measurement and marketing data. She believes you can't improve what you don't measure. But there are a lot of challenges for marketers right now, as they try to measure the effectiveness of a particular type of marketing, Recent changes from Apple have cut off all apps from being able to know what happens after you click on a ad and leave their site. And there is more data loss coming in July 2023 with the changes to Google Analytics.
Trying to map individual customers to individual campaigns or attribution is going to be harder than ever to figure out. So marketers who have been obsessed with trying to attribute marketing to one data source or another are going to be frustrated, and Jennifer thinks that logic was flawed even before the changes.
Consider this: It wasn't the last beer that you drank that got you drunk, it's all the beers. And it's the same way in marketing, you need to look at the interactions of all your marketing, recognizing the cumulative effect of your efforts.
Have you ever done something for the first time, without prior knowledge and been able to achieve success? If so, you’re truly unique. Most humans find themselves meeting new challenges with a series of frustrations and failures. Imagine an infant as they decide to walk for the first time, they stand up then they stagger and inevitably they fall. To become consistent walkers they repeat the stand-stagger-fall cycle for a few weeks or months.
This pattern of stand-stagger-fall is repeated throughout our lives. Over time we learn that practicing tasks makes eventual success more likely. We also learn that preparation is a bit of a grind certainly not enjoyable and nearly always hard work. But learning to effectively gain new skills and improve performance with existing skills is the key task we all face as adults. So, we learn to practice.
This week, I get to chat with Matt Nettleton about the importance of practice and the danger of over practicing.
If your blog titles don't grab reader's attention, they're not going to read your blog posts. While it might seem that people want to see something positive in these challenging times, surprisingly negative titles work better.
Look at the newsfeed on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn. Posts with negative titles stand out and are more likely to be read, create engagement and be shared.
So, I want you to commit to not boring readers with weak language in your subject line. If you start your blog post with words like improve common mistakes tips for success, your titles look like all the other articles on the same subject. We all want to improve, so you'd think these safe titles would work, but they don't.
These nice helpful blog titles are like a serving of broccoli. We know it's good for us, but the Devil's Food Cake is so much more enticing. One of the most successful series of posts, white papers and seminars I created were built around the theme of why people hate your website. The series was and still is effective because the word hate stops readers in their tracks. It is such a strong negative word no one wants to be hated so they pause and learn more.
Would you like to be a guest on a podcast? If so, you want to pay attention to what Kelly Mosser has to say about pitches.
The biggest mistake most potential guest make is the emphasis of the pitch. The message boils down to "I want airtime on your show. Here's why I deserve it. Here's why you should give it to me." This one-sided approach misses the key detail that podcasts are a business collaboration. When you focus on what you can get, and what the audience might take away, the host and the show are kind of forgotten. Put yourself in the shoes of the host. Why would they want someone on their show who doesn't care about them.
If you understand you are entering a business partnership with the host together it is easier to think about how can you help the host achieve his/her goals. Then you need to explain what you bring to the audience. When you start with that approach you are much more likely to be invited to be a guest on the show.
According to Stacey Hall when we create marketing content it should not be about our products and services. So stop talking about your products and focus on how you solve problems. She has a simple three step process to help you do just that.
1) Start with a question that is relevant to your customer and their problem
2) Explain what causes the problem
3) Provide the solution to your problem.
Great content is just that easy.
Stacey is one of the contributing authors in MORE THAN A FEW WRITTEN WORDS, a collection of essays by some of my favorite guests. It is available on Amazon
Social media is all about ego. No matter how many followers and fans you have, it’s always fun to see a new follower, a retweet, or reply, like, love or share.
All of those things signal to us that we’ve been accepted and esteemed by the community. And that feeling of acceptance is really one of the most basic human needs.
When you are using social media for business. Your objective is to make other people feel that way. If you spend the majority of your time on social media, liking and commenting and interacting with others, making them feel valuable and important, there is a great chance that they will return the favor. They will be more likely to like, share and interact with you both personally, and with your brand.
So your assignment for today is to get out on social media and be active and friendly. Don’t just like a post; share, comment and interact. Maybe share a comment on one of my social media posts.
Many potential customers read your bio to figure out who you are, and what it is going to be like to work with you. Danielle Hughes believes you need to give them a sense of who you are as a person instead of a litany of tasks and accomplishments. That task list doesn't help them start the conversation with you or get to know you in any way.
When somebody reads your bio and then meets you or they has a conversation with you. it should be the exact same person. They shouldn't feel that there's a disconnect. They shouldn't feel like the words on the page were stiffer than the person they're talking to or vice versa right.
The trick is to present genuine self so that somebody feels like they already know you or they want to know you or they want to ask you a question.
Danielle is one of the contributing authors in MORE THAN A FEW WRITTEN WORDS, a collection of essays by some of my favorite guests. It is available on Amazon
During the pandemic many people started businesses and even more are sitting in a corporate role right now thinking you're going to start a business and leave the 9 to 5 behind. That's all great, but when the elation of the start up phase is over, you need to be able to sustain that new business through the long run.
Anna Lundberg suggests you need to start with your "why". If you are not clear about why you do what you do, what you want to accomplish as a person and a business it will be hard to find real success.
If you’ve been using social media for any length of time, you’ve probably seen your share of memes. What makes memes popular is the way they give people a common topic or trend to make jokes about. This creates a community as the meme is expanded and shared. People love memes, but what about brands? Are they invited to the party? That is a question every social media manager grapples with at some point.
The answer is more complicated than you think. Why? Because memes move quickly. What’s funny today is outdated tomorrow. If your organization is not prepared to jump on a trend quickly, it may be something you simply want to avoid. Secondly, meme humor can sometimes be cutting or biting. If that doesn’t fit with your brand, again, you may want to avoid the topic entirely.
I'm an extrovert. I love people. I love being around people and talking to people. But there are a whole bunch of people, introverts, who really don't enjoy interacting they way I do. Here's the trick, you've got to be able to reach both of those audiences. And if you're an introvert you have to learn how to participate in the world.
This week's guest Amanda Watts share some great tips on how introverts can be effective, and maybe even enjoy of networking.
It stars with understanding where your energy comes from. An extrovert, she explains, will wake up in the morning and even though they are well rested they will be a little low on energy. They actually gain energy with every interaction they have with someone. Each conversation is like a coin in your energy bank. So you gain coins throughout the day and at the end of the day if someone suggests you go out partying you're ready to go.
In contrast, an introvert starts with the most energy at the beginning of the day. Every time they interact with someone they "lose" a coin of energy. So if they have had multiple meetings throughout the day, their energy bank is depleted, and they would rather go home to recharge, the go out partying and have more interactions. It is not that they don't like people. They just need time to recharge.
Be sure to grab a copy of Get paid what you're worth. Nine rules for attracting high value clients as an introverted business owner
I have a confession to make. I am a networking junkie. I love getting out in meeting people. Unlike people with other addictions, I'm not looking for a cure for my networking addiction, because I think it's healthy for my business.
There are lots of business owners who don't necessarily love networking and many don't even know where to start. That's why I've taught hundreds and hundreds of business owners the tricks to improving their networking skills. I have also written a book on the subject.
There have also been lots of conversations about networking ere on MTFW, including this one from our archive, where Jarred Juett and I sat down in the front seat of my car to talk about networking. This conversation was almost 10 years ago. Much has changed since we had that conversation but the tips on marketing are as good and relevant as they ever were.
When you are done listening, grab a copy of my book: Build Healthy Networking Habits - Lessons from a Networking Junkie
It is time for a Content Based SEO approach. You probably don’t want to hear this. I’m going to do it SEO wrong. You’re spending all your time focused on what search engines want, worrying about stuffing your pages with keywords, inbound links, and outbound links.
Search engines don’t buy from you, people do
So I want you to think about SEO differently. Start focusing on content that answers questions real people have about your product and service. If you do that, and you do that, well, the search engines will pay attention.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BUILDING YOUR OWN CONTENT BASED SEO PROGRAM
Everyone knows testimonials are a powerful sales tool, so why don't more businesses have them? According to guest, John Hubbard the biggest reason is they don't ask. And even when they do, customers fail to follow through on the promise to write one.
If you want testimonials, you need to make it easy for customers to give them. That's why he developed the testimonial interview.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS PROCESS
About John Hubbard
John Hubbard is a business consultant, mentor and strategic advisor. He is the creator of the online course ‘Get Better Testimonials’ and has been producing video marketing for companies including Nike, Ford, Honda, Oakley, BHP and dozens of others around the world for more than 20 years.
As a business owner there were things I had to do that I absolutely loved and there were other things that really pushed me outside my comfort zone. My business was successful because I developed skills in both those areas. And that's what I talked to Alex Brueckmann about in this episode.
Alex explained: We often grow into our roles as business owners from a starting point of Knowledge. We've done something for awhile and we know it very well so we think we could build a business around that. We get better and better in that subject matter and then we realize there are things we really have no idea about, but should because they are important to the business.
Alex is a returning guest to MTFW. If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check his earlier episode as we chatted about creating a long term strategy.
When you were little, your parents probably told you to use an inside voice because it wasn't polite to shout.
We've all been there, in a crowded room and you want to get someone's attention. Sometimes you have to shout or raise your voice a little bit to get noticed.
Well, the internet is a lot like a crowded room when you're competing with so many other messages. To get the attention of visitors to your website, you have to shout a little bit. Online you shout visually. If you're putting a call to action on your website, use all caps.
While this is hard to read in long blocks of text, and considered a little rude in an email, it's critical in your call to action. The all cap font stops the reader and makes them pay attention.
And now I'm going to shout a little bit to and tell you to look subscribe to More than a Few Words wherever you listen to podcasts.
There's a perception that authors are more credible experts than people who are not authors. Kim Thompson Pinder thinks it is just a perception and not necessarily true. But why not go with the perception?
There are however, lots of gurus out there teaching you to write a book and business will fall into your lap. It is not quite that easy, but a book can be an incredible marketing and credibility tool you can use to generate leads.
About Kim Thompson-Pinder – The Extraordinary Word Ninja, Chief Visionary Officer of RTI Publishing and Host of the Author To Authority Podcast
Kim did not write for 30 years after a teacher told her at seven-years-old that, “She was no good at writing and should stop.” Then, she came to a crossroads and chose to let those painful words go. Since she set her words free, she has gone on to author five books, with two more on the way.
Most importantly, Kim started RTI Publishing and has helped over 200 entrepreneurs to become authors and authorities. Kim understands the power of words and cannot wait to share them with you on her Author To Authority podcast. www.AuthorToAuthorityPodcast.com
I am an email marketing fan so I was excited to invite Kendra Corman to join me for a conversation on how to make email marketing effective.
She started by explaining why email is so important. Sure it is great to build a community on social media, but what will you do if Facebook goes down or cuts off your profile. You are stuck. But if you have email addresses, you own those contacts and can take them wherever you want.
You have the flexibility to contact them when you want and to share information they want and need to know.
I don't ask for help very often. Maybe it's my personality I like to present this very competent, successful exterior. But the truth is everybody needs help from time to time.
So today I have a request. My podcast has hit a plateau and I need your help to reach a wider audience.
Follow the link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-than-a-few-words/id438174063?mt=2 . If you like what you hear subscribe and leave a review
If it's really not for you, but you but we're friends and you want to help, feel free to share the link with someone you know who might enjoy it.
Then let me know how I can help you
Stop for a minute and think about your inbox I know as soon as I said that that was that little pain in your stomach because you know there’s a lot of clutter there. But it doesn't have to be that way.
In this conversation, David David Forman of Clarity Creative Group shares some simple tricks to tame the inbox beast. My favorite tips is the creative use of filters to screen irrelevant messages, and cluster important ones together.
Wouldn’t it be great if your marketing could get people to buy from you? Unfortunately, as my guest Chris Hoyt explains, that’s not how marketing works. What can marketing do?
- Marketing can help people know you exist.
- It can communicate your value
- It can give people an incentive to try your services or your products
- And most of all it can help you listen to your customers.
Today, I want to talk about your attitude, and how it can drive action. Why this topic now?
Let's face it, there are lots of things in the world which distract and impact us as individuals. And as business owners. There are things we can't control, but we can control how those things make us feel, and how we react in response.
There is power in a positive attitude. Ask any doctor about a patient who live long after all the medical treatments have been exhausted. Patients have been known to will themselves to life or will themselves to death.
That same powerful energy can move your business to life, or death. I know the economy is kind of scary right now and companies are cutting back and struggling with future plans.
I simply choose to focus on what I can do to be successful now. I choose to act with enthusiasm. Despite the outside world I choose to make today great, and as a result, it will be
Everyone who starts a business thinks it's going to grow and grow. They assume the growth will be wonderful as it gets bigger and bigger and bigger. My guest, Andrej Persolja suggests that may not be the best course of action, because many new businesses are not ready to grow.
Growth comes with pains, and you have to have your infrastructure in place to withstand some of the pain. You need to have a clear definition of your target customer, the kind of projects you want, and the ones you don't.
If you are like most business owners you have developed a skill for making gut decisions. But my guest Dr. Gleb Tsipursky thinks that might just be the wrong way to approach your business decisions.
The author of multiple articles and several books on the subject, including his new one. Never Go With Your Gut, in which he presents a logical and easy to follow alternative. Listen to learn his five easy steps to improving your ability to make decisions on the fly.
If you've just finished working on your business plan, you probably think okay I'm done. I can put it on the shelf and get on with the rest of my business.
If that's what you're thinking, you've missed the entire point of the planning process. A good business plan is never done. You're always adding to it, making changes, scribbling out information and writing stuff in the margins. Your plan should be a living breathing document that grows as your business grows.
At least once a year you should sit down review all of your assumptions and update your plan for the new year ahead.
Ready to work on your plan? Grab a copy of our free business plan outline. https://digitaltoolbox.club/offer-business-map-worksheet/
There are lots of good reasons to create content for your website, social media and email newsletter. In this episode, Lorraine chats with Louis Dalton about how to write content for a very specific purpose, converting prospects and strangers into customers.
Content created for this point in your sales process needs to focus on short benefits and results. People don't want to wait six months to lose 30 pounds. The are however likely to be excited about losing 5 pounds this week.
The trick is to think about the short term and long term benefits of your product. The long term benefits are important too, but you need to catch the attention of that prospect with the more immediate payoff.
Once upon a time marketers ran television commercials and put ads in newspapers and simply waited for the phone to ring. But that was a long time ago. It was so long ago that it seems like a fairy tale, an expensive fairy tale at that.
Today, consumers fast forward through ads and change the station on their radio. They don’t want to be interrupted by your marketing. They want to be free to look for information at their own pace as they browse and search online.
And they’re not just looking for coupons or discounts. They’re looking for general information about trends and features, about company personnel, and examples of how your product is being used and what people think about your business.
That’s where content comes in. Blogs, podcasts, and videos, all serve to answer the questions customers have as they decide if they want to do business with you.
I know you think we've talked SEO to death, but the field keeps changing and there are different approaches. My guest Meg Casebolt explains many people think think SEO is incredibly complex and you need to have an expensive team come in to fix your website for it. They also assume you must produce boatloads of content to be successful.
She doesn't think either of those things is true. Today, the trick is not quantity, but content which clearly defines who you serve and how you help that audience.
About Meg Casebolt
Meg is the founder of Love At First Search and host of the Social Slowdown podcast. She loves to help businesses spend less time trying to hack the algorithms and instead creates SEO content that attracts your ideal audience to your website while helping entrepreneurs cut their dependency on social media for their business visibility.
In this encore episode, we talk about how to use the frustrations, fears, wants and aspirations or your audience, as the foundation of your marketing.
You have probably heard multiple times you need to start your sales process by defining your niche because when you do, you can create more relevant content.
But our guest Leon Streete, says just defining the “who” is not enough. The demographics only gives you half of the picture. The second part, which is usually the most important part, is to think about what is going on psychologically with your audience.
Why is this important? When people make a buying decision, they make it first with emotion. So if your message has no emotion, you’re not going to get people to the end result. Your sales pitch will be missing the very thing that’s going to get them engaged and interested.
Once you understand those elements you can begin to outline a list of things which frustrate them. Make the list as long as possible, because every customer will be a little different. Having multiple pain points will give you multiple messages potential customers may connect with.
Once you're done writing your business plan, pulling together all the numbers, charts and other information the most important thing you can do is share it with other people. Reach out to the smartest people you know, even if they're not in your industry and get their feedback.
Share it with your employees and with your family because they're going to be involved in supporting you as you implement your plan. They need to know what you're planning on doing to they can help you create the business that you really want to build.
Most people think about email marketing as a sales tool. But my guest, Jeff Felton thinks it is so much more. Email can play a valuable role as a way to build trust and relationships with your audience.
He believes trust is the currency of business. Without it people don't make buying decisions. So your sales process needs to start with trust. One of the best ways to build trust is with social proof.
When you can demonstrate what you have done for others with case studies and testimonials, it makes it easier for people to visualize what it will be like to work with you.
About Jeff Felton
Jeff is an email marketing strategist and copywriter who helps service-based professionals hustle less for leads and build armies of loyal fans.
In 10 yrs of marketing experience, Jeff has written thousands of marketing emails and hundreds of web pages - driving more than $1M in revenue for clients.
LEARN MORE https://www.contentremedy.co/welcome-email-mini-course
What is the right price for your product or service? Most business owners struggle with this question because they confuse the cost of producing the product, with the value that it brings to the customer. Establishing prices for your goods or services relatively little to do with what it costs you to make it. The real value is how much you help your customers save, increase, reduce or improve .
If you can quantify those benefits then you have a foundation for establishing an appropriate price for your goods or services. To calculate your value answer a few questions.
How much can my product help a customer earn? Can you help them increase their income directly or indirectly?
Does it create a foundation for future opportunities or establish valuable relationships with their customers?
What are some of the intangible benefits that your customers might realize and is it possible to quantify those benefits?
Will your product improve their abilities, confidence, appearance, or peace of mind?
When you focus on the solutions to their problems and associate that with a dollar value you have a powerful message to include in your marketing material and a solid foundation to charge a premium for your product.
Pricing is just one of the many elements you need to consider as you develop your business plan. If you're ready to work on your plan download a copy of our simple business plan outline. https://digitaltoolbox.club/offer-business-map-worksheet/
Returning guest Ross Keating says that sales is a people business. While people may say it is the product or the features, it ultimately comes down to people and how well you connect.
The more you understand about your customers, the easier it is to connect. And Ross shared how using the BANKCODE method can help you do just that.
The simple assessment takes less than 90 seconds to help you discover your Bank Profile based on what you value. Listen to the conversation, then take the assessment for yourself.
In this encore episode, our guest, author Matthew Turner doesn’t think owning a business needs to feel like your are on a treadmill running hard, and never reaching your goal
In his book Beyond the Pale, he explains that many of us think we own a business, but somehow it starts to own us.
When you make a decision to work less, if forces you to think about who do you want to work with? If you have to choose a type of client what does that client look like? If you are going to choose one personal project what will it be? And finally, what do you want to commit to over the next year, two years, three years.
When Matthew made the change in his business he ended up working half the time and earning twice as much.
While I think business goals are important, there is more to life than checking things off your list. If you never stop and celebrate the win, it all becomes really tedious. So find a way to reward yourself, when you actually achieve your goal. It doesn't have to be a big deal. It doesn't have to be very expensive.
Pick something that's a little treat or a little reward that will make the moment special. For me, it might be going to visit a friend and then taking a photograph of us together so that every time I look at that picture, it reminds me not only of the fun that we had, but the goal I achieved.
Maybe it's buying a little treat for myself and every time I wear that pair of earrings or that new shirt. It reminds me that it was a reward for something I accomplished. Then I am more likely to be excited about working on something for my next goal. How about you? How do you reward yourself?
What is the marketing flywheel? A real flywheel, that builds energy, as you push it slowly over time it gets faster and faster and faster. A marketing flywheel will do that as well. With consistent action, the marketing flywheel will deliver more and more results.
Out guest, Josh Ramsey explains there are three parts to the marketing flywheel that work together to accelerate your business.
Building memories so customers think of you when they are ready to buy
Maximizing availability so customers can find you when they are ready
Reach the market by building connections between your products and needs of potential customers. Put your messages where they can find you
About Josh
Josh Ramsey is the Business Development Manager at ClearBrand.com. A digital Marketing Agency focused on data-driven marketing that gets results; more leads and sales. He believes that without good marketing, businesses die and people suffer, and that ethical, scientific marketing can change the world.
It would be wonderful if you just hung a sign out, opened your doors and customers came. Unfortunately, for most of us that's not how it works. You don't accidentally bump into business on a regular basis.
If you want a sustainable business you need to have a sustainable process for your sales. That process includes a standard procedure to generate leads and then screen and identify who's a good prospect and who's not. You need to have a process for stepping people through a sales conversation, following up and eventually closing the sale. And finally, after the sale is is important to stay in contact, requesting those testimonials and keeping that conversation going so customers refer you to your next opportunity.
The sales plan is just one element of your overall business plan. Ready to start working on your plan or updated your existing one? Check out our new self-paced Business Map Class.
Maybe you think your business is too small to take advantage of PPC. Our guest, Ameet Khabra doesn't think that is true. You can use this powerful tool as long as remember that Google is not doing something out of the goodness of their heart.
Google is not a charity, it is a business. Everything they do to improve search and analytics is ultimately designed to increase their advertising sales. So use the tools, look at their suggestions, but always remember their goals are not always aligned with yours.
About Ameet
Look up the definition of "obsessed" and you'll find a picture of Ameet. She has spent the last decade figuring out why people do what they do online, what prompts them to take action, and how to use this insight to make marketing work better. Today she uses that experience to design dazzling campaign strategies for our clients and teach future generations of PPC pros at the university level.
I am an optimist. I believe things will work out. However, when it comes to my business I also know that things can go wrong, and planning is not being negative, it is being prepared. Accidents happen. Even minor mishaps can be major catastrophes for small business owners. Every year, thousands of companies are unprepared for the interruption caused by a minor fire, flood, and burglary or computer meltdown.
Creating, and implementing a Business Continuity Plan as part of your overall business plan ensures your business survives any disaster.
Are you prepared?I have seen studies which say anywhere from 25 – 75 percent of businesses suffering a disaster fail to reopen or close soon after. While the stats may vary, the general consensus is a well thought out recovery plan matched with appropriate insurance makes the difference between survival and business extinction.
What should your disaster planning process include?Computer Backup – For many small business owners, the computer is the heart and soul of the business. Unfortunately computers crash, there are hackers and virus’ attack, natural disasters and every user makes mistakes from time to time.
The consequences can be disastrous. Rebuilding financial information, contact lists, E-mail records or project files can be time-consuming, expensive and sometimes impossible.
Online backups are very affordable. Not sure if you need to spend the money? Ask yourself these questions: If my computer didn’t turn on tomorrow:
- Would I still have a business?
- Would I lose a significant amount of time, and money rebuilding my data
- Would I know what to do?
Don’t like the answers? Then it is time to explore a back up solution.
Equipment Replacement – Beyond restoring your data, you need to plan for equipment replacement. Talk to your insurance agent to be sure you have enough coverage to replace furniture, equipment, inventory and other assets. Take the time to inventory all the assets in your building. Have a list of important equipment, serial numbers, purchase date and even photos. This will really simplify the process of filing an insurance claim.
Temporary Location – Where will you and your team work if your building is not accessible? Putting systems in place for employees to work remotely is helpful even if it is only a day or two interruptions caused by inclement weather. You just don’t want to test those systems for the very first time when something big goes wrong.
Funding operations – Disasters have a way of piling up. Not only will you need to deal with the things listed above, you may incur additional expenses for moving or damages caused by missed deadlines. Business continuity insurance will help cover the other unexpected costs.
Customer Care – In some cases, you won’t be able to complete a project because of a serious interruption to your operations. Having a relationship with another firm who can take care of your customers in the short term will allow you to preserve the customer relationship for the long term.
Disaster planning is not a set it and forget it kind of process. If you are smart, you will revisit your crisis plan every year. Why? Because as your business grows, your risks grow as well. You may be lucky and never have a fire, flood, burglary or another disaster. But a little disaster planning now will save you lots of headaches down the road.
In this episode we chatted with Jan Cavelle about connecting your emotions to your marketing, and more importantly, connecting to your customer's emotions.
How do you do that? Jan suggests you start by being consistent about the picture of yourself you are putting forward in public, both in person and on social media. This helps people frame a firm picture of who you are allowing them to connect to you and your brand.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
From our archive:
You have only a few moments to make that great first impression and you won’t stand out by sounding like everyone else. You need to find a way to be first, best or different. And if you choose different, make sure your point of difference is actually relevant to your customer.
Beyond that first impression, our guest Mike Verret explains that your words will have an effect on others, so choose them carefully.
Mike solves problems that plague small businesses by giving them a unique perspective of what he sees in their goals. He believes that any marketing message is wrong if it doesn’t speak to us in normal human terms. And he thinks that corporate language is absolutely nuts. Who “ideates?” We think. We don’t have “Key Performance Indicators.” We have goals.
Business forgets to be human. Mike understands how consumers think, and he helps businesses avoid the risk of losing their Humanity!
I spent the early part of my career in manufacturing. One of the most important lessons I learned was that of capacity. When you know how much you can produce you can set realistic targets for your our sales team, making sure they don't sell more than you could produce.
At the same time you don't want them selling so far below your capacity you are sitting around twiddling your thumbs.
Understanding your capacity is gives you tremendous control over your pricing. If you're bumping up against your capacity constraint, don't add another employee. Just raise your price. Now you make more money and actually do less work.
Capacity Planning is just one element of your overall business plan. Ready to work on your plan? Check out our self-paced business plan workshop.
Influencers, people who have a following comprised of people who pay attention to who they are and what they do can help you deliver your message.
In this episode, Madison Masterson explains how those people can impact your marketing, even if you have a small business. You may not be able to afford a celebrity for your brad, but that doesn't mean you can't find someone who has influence with your audience to tell your story.
About Madison
At the age of twenty five, Madison Masterson has created Mad Marketing from the ground up. She was told by doctors from a young age that she would not be able to attend college due to health problems where she experienced upwards of 15 seizures a day. Madison proved them wrong. She graduated top 25 and obtained a master's degree with a perfect 4.0 at the University of South Florida, all while running a successful marketing business. That business is Mad Marketing
More than a Few Words a marketing conversation for business owners is just one of the resources in the Digital Toolbox Club
With all of the emphasis on A.I. driven content, search and advertising, the question is how will human beings survive.
Like any good sci-fi, the answer lies in human innovation. It is in our ability to think outside the box and not follow the rules that is the essence of a smart content marketing strategy.
Sure you can do what everyone else is doing or you can create innovative, independent. and individualized content to help you survive the rise of the machine.
Stacey Hall wants to shift your paradigm on the role of the salesperson. She believes traditional, old school techniques of always closing and working to overcome objections just aren't the best approach for the majority of salespeople and their customers.
Instead, she has developed a new approach she calls the ABC's of selling : Alignment, Belief and Consistency.
About Stacey
Stacey has coached thousands of entrepreneurs on how to attract sales, satisfaction, and success. She is a bestselling author, a TEDx presenter, and a leading social media marketing expert. She is founder of Success with Stacey Hall and of the groundbreaking social media marketing training program, Go for YES, which has helped thousands of people attract more sales, customer, and employee satisfaction and success.
Her new book is, Selling from Your Comfort Zone: The Power of Alignment Marketing
I a sci-fi geek. As a kid I discovered Isaac Asimov's stories of good robots who were driven by a code driving them to helpful an supportive of human beings and dystopian sci-fi with the rise of evil machines that take over the world.
As I'm evaluating the emergence of A.I. in content creation, advertising and search I'm trying to decide are we in the era of Isaac Asimov's good robots or there dystopian terminator? Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum it is clear, A.I will dramatically change digital marketing.
Looking to keep up with the changes? It is time to join the Digital Toolbox Club
I have often been told that I have a strong personality and it kind of came through in my business but I never really thought about the fact that all businesses have personality.
Guest Naomi Garza talks about the importance of including ourselves in our business strategy. So many business schools teach us to get to know our ideal customers and competitors but none that I've seen start the process of looking at ourselves first - how can our businesses thrive based on what works for US as well as our customers.
How do you do that? Start with your personality, core values and aspirational state.
Learn more about your brand personality https://brandwhisperers.com.au/
From our archive - Originally broadcast on 2/14/2020 enjoy this encore conversation with Matt Nettleton.
Sometimes, as a sales person heads out to make cold calls, it feels like they are trying to storm a castle. They prepare to battle their way in the door. My coach, sales professional Matt Nettleton says it doesn't have to be that way.
Armed with a series of strategic questions, and a willingness to really listen to the answers, a sales person can actually encourage prospects to lower their defenses and actually invite the sales person in.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Always go into a sales conversation with a list of prepared questions to uncover what a prospect really needs and guide the conversation.
As you start working on the product portion of your overall business plan do not start with the features. Go back to your customer research. What is most important to your customers? Focus on the elements of your product or service that line up with those needs.
Demonstrate how the features that you are selecting for your product or service help you achieve something customers are going to buy because it solves their problem
This can be everything from the physical product, to the warranty, to how you package it or deliver it. Focus on a few things that are unique to you because otherwise you are a commodity. There's no reason for someone to pick you versus your competitor if your are a commodity.
Outline how you think you will roll out enhancements and new products features to give investors and lenders an idea of where your business is going and how how your products may expand over time.
Ready to work on your plan? START NOW
When it comes down to closing, people buy from people. So before you can make a sale, you almost always need a relationship. In B2B sales one of the best places to build that relationship is on LinkedIn. Relationship pro, Janice Porter shares some of her favorite relationship building strategies.
She believes LinkedIn is underutilized by many sales professionals, who miss the opportunity to make quality connections by interacting authentically on the platform.
Janice is a returning guest to MTFW. You can listen to our first conversation here: https://morethanafewwords.com/518-janice-porter/
One of the things that I love and hate about marketing is the research which allows you to describe your ideal client in very quantitative terms like age, income and level of education. I love this because if gives you a starting point for your marketing. The thing I don't love is that it puts people in very narrow boxes.
Too often we lose sight of the fact that our target customers are more than just numbers. Beyond the demographic segments there is a psychological element. It is these psychological components like interests, problems, values, philosophy and motivation that allow you to create effective marketing campaigns.
What do your potential clients think about? Where do they spend their time? What's important to them? What problems do they have? What do they find annoying disturbing or and frustrating? What do they hold in high regard and where do they put their time and their money? What do you know about their politics, and their attitude about life and business. How do they approach challenges and what motivates them to take action?
The more you know about these psychological elements the easier it is to connect with them through relevant marketing.
We are living in a video world. Our guest Chris Weiher thinks video should be in the tool kit of every small business. The mistake he thinks many business owners make is thinking they need to commit to video forever, and forever is intimidating.
Instead, he says start small and learn as you go.
I am sure you think this headline is a mistake, that I meant to say something else, but I really mean this. If you want to build a successful business in a vibrant marketplace, you will grow faster if you help your competitors. Before you decide I am completely crazy, consider the following:
- You don’t know everything. Hanging around with other business owners in the same industry gives you a chance to learn a few things in exchange for sharing a few tips of your own.
- Improve the quality and perception of your industry. If a customer has a bad experience with a service provider in your industry, it’s easy for them to assume that all companies who do what you do are the same. Getting involved with trade associations which offer training, professional and business development will improve the overall industry in which you are a participant.
- Everyone is not your customer. Getting to know companies who provide similar services to yours in slightly different niches gives you an chance to set up a referral relationship where each company actually gets more of the kind of customers they want to work with.
- Customers need education. This is particularly true when you are trying to build awareness and demand for a new or different product or service. Customers may be unwilling to try your product or service if you are the only company talking about this approach, but when multiple companies all tout the same benefits, all of you have an easier time making a sale.
- Everyone needs a little positive karma. Sometimes it’s just nice to pay it forward. When I started Roundpeg, I reached out to a few business owners who had been running marketing firms for awhile. They graciously gave me time, tips and tools to help me get started. Today I do the same. I like being able to look around the community and know that I played a role in helping other businesses get their start.
Google wants you to succeed and in this conversation with Stormy Knight, we talk about what they're doing to help you do just that.
Remember that Google's main product is great search results. While they have some of the most comprehensive data bases in the world, they may not have the detailed information about your business.
Your Google My Business Profile helps fill in some of the blanks that makes it easy for Google to present your company when people are looking for a business like yours.
.About Stormy Knight
Stormy is an internet marketing speaker and writer. She wrote the original “20 Reasons To Put Your Business On The World Wide Web”in 1995, one of the first articles that outlined how to successfully use the internet for marketing.
How do you decide which marketing tactics to try? Megan Prejzner says you should start with business goals in mind. Boil it all down to the ones which are going to move your business goals forward and forward the fastest. Don't be overwhelmed by choices and then wind up doing nothing because of analysis paralysis. Look at your business, get clear on what you are trying to achieve and select the one tactic which can be the most efficient in moving you toward your end goal
Even new, completely innovative products have competition. Long before your product comes into the market, customers have found ways to solve their problems. Understanding who your real competitors are is critical to your business success. As you analyze your competitors, it can be helpful to think about the three levels of competition.
Level One. These companies solve the customer’s problem with products or services that are very similar to yours. While you may have enhanced features or slightly different offerings, it is likely an uninformed consumer will assume your products are interchangeable.
Level Two. These companies offer an alternative solution to your customer’s problem. On the surface, they may not appear to be a direct competitor because the product or service is dramatically different. If, however, this alternative solution solves your customer’s problem, it is a competitor.
Level Three. These companies or products do not solve the same problem at all, but compete for your customer’s limited resources.
Your business may not have competitors in every category, but you have some. As you think about the solution you provide from your customer’s perspective, why would they choose one of the alternative solutions? Price? Habit? Unless you understand why they are making the choice, it will be difficult to help them choose you instead.
A competitive analysis is just one part of your overall business plan Ready to update yours? Check our our new Self-Paced Business Plan Workshop
While you don't want to change your brand frequently, guest Amanda Guerassio suggests there are signs you are ready for a refresh.
- If you designed your logo yourself when you started your business, and the branding suite just isn't as professional as you would like
- Your business has changed direction or target and the design suite no longer reflects you company
- The brand relied on "trendy" colors, fonts or styles that were cool when the brand was launched but is somewhat dated now.
I know you think you are a business owner not a salesperson but everybody really is a salesperson. In this conversation with Tracey Beavers we explored ways you can create sales without "selling"
She suggests you start by being yourself. The reason no one likes to think of themselves as a salesperson because there are so many bad salespeople out there. They're aggressive, spammy, weird. and annoying. They make us uncomfortable and we don't want to feel that way. She says take the word sales out of the equation. Don't even think about it because that word is intimidating.
Too often inventors and entrepreneurs fall in love with their idea. Just because it can be built, does not mean it should be. Before you launch your business, you need to answer a really important questions. Does anyone really want your product? That’s where research comes in helping you determine how many individuals or businesses have a need for your product or service and, more important, how many are likely to buy?
History is full of well-designed, extremely innovative products that were commercially unsuccessful because customers did not believe they needed them. You can research to determine market size, competitive products, preliminary level of interest in your product and customers’ willingness to change.
A good starting point for your research is data from the U.S. Census Bureau, your local chamber of commerce, library and online data bases. These broad studies can give you a feel for the overall size of a community. Surveys, focus groups, and informal conversations with potential customers, will help you evaluate the market acceptance of your product.
Remember, just because they “should” like it, doesn’t mean they will.
Many small business owners startup a business or launch a product with little or no budget. I asked successful founder, Jason Hubbard about some of the mistakes businesses make when they jump into the game.
He told me the biggest mistake people make jumping in is underestimating how long it will take to get to a place where it is actually a sustainable business. The underestimate how long that's going to take, how much runway they will need and the amount of blood sweat and tears that go into being successful.
About Jason
Jason has literally grown-up in startups, including helping to grow three top 100 Inc. Fastest Growing Private Companies. Jason is now running his own technology-enabled growth services agency, DemandMagic.
DemandMagic helps companies build scalable demand generation engines that supercharge growth.
Small business owners, particularly solo entrepreneurs often forget that their personal and business on-line security are tightly intertwined.
Guest Josh Summers says that a focus on security begins by separating yourself from your business. For example many people will register their company with their home address. Unfortunately, that address becomes part of the public record, for years and years.
Changing it down the road can be costly and time consuming. He advocates for separating the address right from the start. Using a virtual address or post office box just for your business.
About Josh -
Josh Summers is small business owner who has experienced first-hand what happens when your identity is stolen, your accounts get hacked and you are digitally surveilled. He now runs All Things Secured, a brand that helps people make smart choices about their online security and privacy, whether that's individuals, freelancers or other small business owners.
If you're a smart traveler you know can't head out on a long road trip without some kind of map or directions. Without that there's a chance you'll get lost, drive in the wrong direction, show up late or never actually arrive.
When it comes to driving your business your map is your business plan. Now I know lots of business owners put off writing a formal plan because they think it's going to be difficult, time consuming and unproductive. Well none of that is true.
Your plan can be a simple outline which answers basic questions about where you are, what your goals are and what actions you're going to take to get there.
You don't have to do it all at once. You can work on it in little chunks updating it as your business grows. And your plan can help you anticipate when and where you're going to need help and resources. It will also give you a tool to share your plans with your employees, your investors and other stakeholders.
If you're ready to get started on your plan, enroll in our new self-paced Business Map workshop.
In this episode we talk about mentors, how to find one and how to be one. Why? Because even if we think that we're running our business' completely on our own it helps to have people to turn to for advice and information.
Guest, and today my guest Kate Chernis Bradley, Founder & CEO of Lately shared some of the lessons learned from her mentors over the years. For example, when giving feedback, remember your goals isn't to ruin someone's day. So think about the outcome you want from the conversation and frame your comments accordingly.
Before we roll in 2023, I thought it would be fun to go back and revisit some of my favorite podcast interviews from last year. With more than 125 to choose from, this was no small feat. But I think you're really going to like the episodes I've pulled together.
There’s a conversation I had with Laura Templeton about networking conversations. As you know, I love a good networking event. I love a chance to get out and talk to people. But I know that not everybody loves that process or even knows where to start. And that's why I was so excited to talk to Laura, about the first 30 seconds of every networking conversation.
Then there is a conversation I had with frequent guest Patty farmer. This time we chatted about building personal relationships, because they are the real currency of your business
Rounding out the collection is a conversation I had with Joe Matz about business Transformation and the need to start with an assessment, because if you don’t know where you are you can’t chart a path to your destination.
Curious? Listen to the full episodes here
“Welcome to More than a Few Words, a marketing conversation for business owners. This is your host Lorraine Ball. “
I have a version of that phrase hundreds of times over the last thirteen years. Yes, today is actually the thirteenth year anniversary of this podcast. As I get ready to embark on another year of podcasting, I thought it would be fun to share a few things I’ve learned along the way that are relevant for podcasters, and really any marketing professional.
Your name matters. Whether you’re naming a podcast, a product or a company the name is one of the few decisions you will live with for the life of that product. So as you think about your name, pick something that has meaning to you. Don’t get hung up on the domain name, look for something which has a story behind it that will bring the brand to life.
My mother often said I had more words than any human being needed, I am pretty sure I was born talking. And so, as a nod to mother, I named the podcast more than a few words.
Get comfortable experimenting. I am not suggesting you change, just to change, but things change, and you need to be willing to evolve. I have co-hosts, interviewed hundreds of guests, and released quite a few standalone episodes like this.
Over the years, more than a few words has gone through quite a few iterations. Episodes have ranged from under a minute to more than 30 minutes. There have been there was a period there where we did live call in show that was incredibly unpredictable and there are few very, very well scripted short episodes designed to deliver a specific message.
The Bottom line? Not every idea that I’ve had was brilliant. For example, a live Colin show, but we tried it for a while, measured results and weighed the pros and cons of staying with that format. You need to do that with all your marketing. Try something, give it enough time to get feedback, and then be prepared to let go of what does not work.
Consistency
More than a few words ran for several years. When I lost my first co host, I kind of ran out of steam for a while. And so I didn’t do episodes as often. Unfortunately, while I was dialing back my commitment to the podcast, everybody else in the world was launching shows. So when I ramped up the podcast again, I was playing catch up to reconnect with an audience that had found other podcasts to fil their days.
So If you’re going to launch a marketing program, you need to be prepared to stay with it. Make sure you have the pieces in place to consistently deliver your program.
Finally, a podcast is a labor of love. Yes, there are good business reasons for doing a podcast but there are lots of other ways to generate sales. So you must love it. For me, 13 years and 800 episodes later, I still love it and I hope you do too.
If you’ve enjoyed the content be sure to look for other longer episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. leave a review or a comment or simply wish me a happy anniversary.
What is the fastest least expensive way to get clients? Guest, Gall Doby suggests there is one strategy that people often ignore, and it's right in front of them.
Looking for new sales? Start with your current clients. Almost every single client ( assuming you are doing a good job) will be willing to do business with you in a different way. Maybe it is an add-on to their project, a few more things and they hadn't originally considered or an entirely different project.
It's so much easier to go to your current clients and try to add something on to a project. Then right behind that group are your past clients. Both of these groups know, like and trust you so it is one of the easiest, fastest and the cheapest ways to get more business.
My favorite day on my most recent vacation was the day we got lost. We had an idea of what we wanted to do but we made a wrong turn. Instead of worrying about it we simply embraced the chaos. We stumbled upon a great art exhibit and a delicious restaurant.
The lesson from that day came back to my business with me. I have very specific goals and clear outline of what I want to do on a regular basis but I decided to embrace a little chaos. I spent some time exploring lots of new things I hadn't planned on including in my marketing. Many of them were wastes of time but a few are actually starting to pan out .
So I really want to encourage you to have your map for your business and then spend a little time getting lost.
In this episode, I chat with Sasha Willis about authenticity and why it is so important to be authentic in all of your content and branding.
Sasha advocates for showing up as yourself because people really tune into that. It is especially true when it comes to business interactions. People want to feel they know who they are working with and who they're paying their money to.
Sasha Willis is the boss lady behind By Sasha, host of the Strategy for Creatives: Business Minus the Bullshit Podcast, co-host of the Swirl and Sip Podcast, and owner of the Boundless Audio Podcast Network.
As a business strategist, podcaster, and multi-facet business owner, her goal is to empower all women business owners by strategizing and action planning to build and grow their brands without the stress.
When she's not business doing business things, you can find her spending time with her husband and 5-year old son.
You've Got Mail!
Do you remember when those three little words used to make you smile? It's hard to believe it's been more than 25 years since we first logged onto the internet via a very slow dial-up modem to hear those words.
And, as in any long-term relationship our feelings about email have changed over time We have gone from early love as we looked forward to an update in our inbox to the dull routine of daily interactions. Regardless of the change in our feelings, we've hung in there, remaining loyal, opening our email every single day.
With so many people carrying smartphones it is easier than ever to use email marketing to deliver timely and relevant messages to your customers. However, just because they have an email account and you have their email address, it doesn't mean you're going to make a sale with billions of messages sent every single day.
You need to be sending attractive, interesting and engaging content in your emails if you want people to pay attention So take a hard look at your campaign and answer a simple question. If it wasn't your company, would you be excited to open that email?
FIND MORE EMAIL MARKETING TIPS:
Why should you make a to do list before you go to sleep? It is a way of training your brain . Guest Elizabeth Louis, says when you do that you're getting it into you unconscious brain so you wake up the next morning knowing exactly what you need to do and where you need to go. You start the day in the flow.
Typically when you're when you're not able to sleep at night it is because you're struggling with the fear of the unknown. If you make a list of three to five you need to do the next day, you will sleep better and you will start the off right.
Many people waste about 30 minutes every day trying to figure out what do each day. Then you must work to build that momentum throughout the rest of the day. When you know exactly what you need to do you don't even have to look at the list because it's already in your brain. You just start to move at a faster level.
And the speed pays off, because we can make more money but we can never make more time
I am a serious coffee drinker. A typical morning starts with two full mugs of coffee, after which I'm ready to face the world. So when I was in Italy a few weeks ago I was worried that the little cup of cappuccino they put in front of me wouldn't be enough.
Funny thing, it was. The rich full flavor satisfied my coffee taste requirement and that expresso packed a powerful punch. So as I sipped my little cup of cappuccino it occurred to me there was an important lesson in that cup. It was a lesson that applied to life and business.
It isn't about quantity. It's about quality. When it comes to delivering a service, instead of doing a lot of mediocre projects do fewer better projects and charge what you're worth. For marketing spend your time crafting one memorable blog post or powerful podcast instead of one hundred silly social media updates to deliver the punch your marketing needs.
As you think about your next business step go have a cup of cappuccino. Not that tasteless vente they serve at Starbucks, but a real high quality small cup of cappuccino with a powerful punch.
When it comes to finding your ideal client Jonny Cooper thinks of the process like a three legged stool. You need all three pieces. Without one of the three, the stool falls over.
The first one is to identify a type of person for whom we can solve a big expensive problem. This should be someone who's suffering with something really important to them, a life changing challenge we can solve for them.
Next, your ideal client needs to be visible, with identifiable characteristics. It's no use saying you help stressed out middle-aged women who are feeling a bit stuck because people don't wander around with a badge saying I'm feeling a bit stuck. That's where demographic criteria can help.
The third criteria is the group you identify must be able to pay you.
When it comes to content marketing you need to be playing the long game. It is unrealistic to think you're going to throw a blog post out there today and get results tomorrow.
But, if you invest in consistently creating good quality content it will pay off eventually. You're not going to double your traffic overnight but those blog posts will build value over time. You will see content you wrote a week or maybe even a month ago, start to be found in niches and continue to drive traffic for months and even years to come.
Search engines may not notice the first article you write on a topic. But once you have a series of articles suddenly you begin to be perceived as an authority on that subject and and you will see your search traffic increase. As that begins to occur, your inquiries will go up as well.
And so my friends you need to be patient and play the long game. If you'd like help building out your content be sure to check out all of the tools the Digital Toolbox
Your customers go through many steps and phases as you work with them, so your marketing needs to reflect where they are in their customer journey.
Guest, Ellen McDowell shares tips on how to segment your customers into three groups and create marketing messages for those looking to get to know you, those ready to take the next step and those who have completed their journey,
If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out other's with Ellen:
The One Philosophy - Part One and Part Two
Authentic Automation
When I was a kid and the doorbell rang I would jump up and fling the door open in the hopes of entertaining a neighbor, friend or unexpected guest. But things have changed. We're a lot more cautious these days about who we invite into our homes and into our businesses. This creates real challenges for companies, particularly in the home service industry.
How do you overcome this reluctance? The trick is to look for ways to make customers feel like they know you. To do this, you could add photographs and bios of your team members to your website, show a little personality on social media and encourage reviews. There's nothing that will reassure a prospective customer about inviting you into their home like seeing a friend or neighbor say they've worked with you and would do it again.
So the next time you provide a service for someone be sure to ask them to leave a review.
And if you've enjoyed this conversation you can leave one too!
Since we were in middle school there's always been someone who said something negative about us. You'd think after all this time we'd learn how to respond but the truth is when you get a negative review or a negative social media comment it still hurts.
This week, guest David Oates shares some tips on how to deal with negative reviews and comments. It all begins with empathy and action. It is important to acknowledge the person writing the review is unhappy and open a dialogue, offline, to resolve the issue so others see you are willing to take action.
When the phone rings, there's always that moment of excitement. This could be a customer! I've been through enough sales training so I feel comfortable moving prospects through that conversation. But at some point, the phone call ends.
So what do you do to continue that conversation? While it will depend on how the conversation went, it's always helpful to have some resources ready to send as a follow up.
What should you send? Regardless of the business you're in, think about what people need to know to make a good decision. Perhaps there are common questions that don't come up in that first phone conversation. If so, create a blog post entitled FAQs. Google will absolutely love that. It'll give you authority and search. But also at the end of the call, you can say to someone "Hey, I bet you're going to have a few more questions when we're done. So I'm gonna send you a link to FAQs"
The fact that you're anticipating their needs, reassures them and makes them feel comfortable that they're not the only ones who don't have the answers. And so, the next time you answer the phone, start thinking about what you're going to send when you finish the call.
This week we are talking about positioning. I know that sounds like some techie, marketing thing that you need an MBA to figure out but it really isn't. Your position is simply what you want people to think about you when you're not in the room and to have that conversation.
My guest, Reuben Swartz shared his simply acronym MEGA as a way to think about your position statement in four simple pieces
M- Magnetic - The key thing to remember is a magnet has two poles of equal strength. People make the mistake of trying to attract everybody. You can't do that. Your position should be a really powerful magnet that attracts your ideal clients and repels people who aren't so you avoid wasting time on bad fits.
E - Easy - The job of positioning is to make sales and marketing easier.
G - Gorilla - You want to select a market where you can be the 800 pound gorilla in the room. So define your brand and you niche narrow enough so that you can dominate.
A - Authentic - Your position should reflect you. Don't try to copy others, be you.
Learn more about Reuben:
http://mimiran.com and The Sales for Nerds Podcast
A friend of mine who is an improvisational artist, and a marketer told me there were many things he learned when studying improvisational comedy that he could apply to marketing. The first is the rule of the Yes. And….
In an improvisational interaction, anytime someone says anything, you immediately say yes. This behavior allows you to build on the ideas of others. That’s actually how the internet works. If you’re looking for content ideas, find something someone else has written, and apply the rule of yes and. Create your own blog post by talking about what they said and add your own information on top of it.
The second rule in improvisational comedy is to tell the truth. When an artist speaks about things that are true to them it is easier to connect to the audience with these shared experiences. The same can work for your content marketing.
So as you’re getting ready to work on your next blog, or piece of content, watch an episode of Saturday Night Live to channel your inner improvisational spirit.
In this episode Lorraine chat's with Maddie Osman about style guides. But the conversation is not about colors and fonts. Your brand is more than just colors and fonts, it is also about the words you choose.
Your style guide sets tone for your brand. Your word choice can be inclusive or exclusive, depending on the objectives of your content. Standardizing your word style will also help you save time as you create and edit content.
It seems like every day there is some new tool or trend. So how do you decide which new technology, software tools and digital trends deserve attention and resources and which don’t? Over the years, I have developed a simply strategy to figure out which new technology and tools are right for me.
Explore The first part of the strategy is staying ahead of the curve by reading, reading, reading. There’s no single expert in the field so I have several websites I check on a regular basis.
Evaluate When I find new software tools which pique my curiosity, I switch over to evaluation mode. I dive in and start reading product reviews and searching for discussions on Twitter and LinkedIn. Then I kick the tires for myself to see if the product works the way they say it will. Next I evaluate how this addition fits with the rest of my marketing program. This is where many exciting ideas get sidelined because even if a tool looks great, if it doesn’t fit with everything else you’re doing, it’s not a great fit for you.
Embrace And finally I embrace the tools I think are a great fit. This means making a decision to go big and commit the resources needed to make it successful. If you are not willing to do that, just don't play with the tool.
I know you think we've talked about email a lot but we're going to dive into one of the most overlooked parts of your email marketing, the metrics
Guest, Emily Maguire shares lessons learned over a decade sending successful email campaigns generating millions of dollars in revenue.
She suggests that falling in love with open rates is a mistake. It doesn't matter how many people open your email, it only matters what they do next. You can game the system to change your open rates, or use click bait headlines, but that won't actually help you sell more.
Engagement metrics, clicks, downloads, replies and even unsubscribes are much more reliable predictors of how well your email campaign is really performing.
LOOK FOR EMILY:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcguireemily/
I hate to say I told you so. Well, actually I like saying it because I enjoy being right. So I am very much enjoying the most recent announcement by Google that they are going to put even more emphasis on the quality of content on your website.
They're going to penalize people with low quality, irrelevant and duplicate content. So if you're purchasing content from a third party and that content is published on multiple sites with little or no change before it gets to your site you are putting your site at risk. Not only will that that post be penalized, but you may site your entire website penalized.
Why am I happy about this? Because, for the last 15 years I've been telling people the key is good high quality content that answers real questions and gives people relevant information. That content will not only satisfy visitors but search engines tool. So, this latest announcement by Google simply backs me up.
If you're looking to learn more about how to create content based SEO be sure to check out our Content-Based SEO https://digitaltoolbox.club/register-content-based-seo/
What do you do when external factors turn your entire business model upside down? That's what happened to MeetUp.com at the beginning of their pandemic, as their entire in person meeting model collapsed.
Founder, David Siegel explains how going back to their mission of bringing people together allowed them to successfully pivot, survive and actually thrive in the new economy.
David Siegel is CEO of Meetup overseeing its global business, which has 52 million members, hosts 15,000 events daily, and has events in 193 countries
David hosts Keep Connected, a podcast dedicated to the power of community and the author of Decide and Conquer: 44 Decisions That Make or Break All Leaders
You need to protect the marketing assets of your business.
I got a call the other day from a client I hadn't worked with in 18 years. He wanted know if I still had the original art files for his business now. As strange as that sounds, in the old days I would have had that information but I sold my agency two years ago. The new owners don't have quite the file system I did so it took quite a while for them to find the artwork.
Is that my fault? No, it's his! He should have known better after 18 years in business. He should have multiple copies of his logo.
That's really what I want to drive home -- This is your business. These are your assets. It's great if you work with the marketing agency and they have copies of your logo and access to your website and other platforms. But you need to take responsibility Keep copies of your artwork and all the passwords for your website and other digital platforms. And have all the renewals sent to you.
s your business protect. It.
Owning a business is lots of fun. There are all sorts of reasons you do it. But at the end of the day. It's about the cash. Alvin Narsey considers cash a fundamental metric for any kind of business. Many business owners who fail to manage their cash end up in this situation: Sales and revenue are up, but when they look in our bank account there's no cash. So they wonder where all the money has gone.
If your business is tripping along at a much greater pace than what you've anticipated, having an idea of where the the cash flows through your business is super important. It gives transparency to your business. And fixing your cash flow leads to a whole heap of other improvements in your business
What is the Right Price for My Product? This is one of the most common questions business owners must answer. Defining your pricing strategy is critical to your success because it tells prospective customers a lot about your business, helping them place you in relationship to other companies in the market. So how do you come up with that price?
There are many different approaches to pricing. Some are easier to implement and manage than others, and some are more appropriate for specific types of businesses. Let’s take a look at some of those alternatives to help you select the right pricing strategy for your business.
Cost Plus Pricing Strategy The is the simplest approach and very common in construction and contracting industries. Essentially you start with what it cost you to build or to provide a service. Then you simply add your profit margin on top of that number. The “cost plus” your profit margin. If something costs $100 to build and you want to make $25, you sell it for $125.
While the cost plus approach will guarantee a profit, it doesn’t mean you’re pricing your product or service appropriately. Maybe your cost plus analysis results in a price of $125, but people are willing to pay $200 or $300 because of the value. In this case you are leaving money on the table.
Most business owners did not start out thinking they were going to be sales people, but somewhere along the line they figured out that was what they had become.
Guest Susan Trumpler shares tips on how to manage the role none of us prepared for. One of her first tips is to remember how people make decisions.
It is natural for us to rely on our primitive brain that was put into their head to keep them safe. So the more you, as a seller, are in touch with how people think and why they make decisions the way they do the more successful you will be in moving them along the sales pathway.
You've all heard of the sales funnel this marketing model where every sales starts at the top with a large group of unqualified prospects. In the middle are people who are mildly interested and at the bottom of the customers, In the traditional sales funnel model you put a lot of resources at that top of the funnel to bring in as many people as you possibly can.
The problem is when you do that, there are very little resources left for that middle and bottom. Those are the critical stages where you're actually converting prospects to customers and nurturing customer relationships.
I want you to do is flip your sales funnel. Instead of spending most of your resources talking to everyone hoping someone will hear you. Using social media and email marketing you can target your message to reach and connect with smaller groups who are already familiar with your brand. Investing in marketing to these groups is much more likely to generate positive responses.
So what do you talk about? When it comes to prospects this group doesn't need slick advertising and generic messages. They've already been introduced to you. Maybe they've downloaded some information or requested a proposal . What they need now are specific answers to questions and informative updates this is where automated response campaigns can be extremely effective answering common questions addressing concerns. Deliver the information in a timely manner and you'll see prospects nudged further down your sales funnel.
When you're talking to existing customers they're going to be more receptive, assuming you've done a good job delivering your product or service, so focus your energy here on reaching out and offering additional products and services. Send them reminders before they run out encourage repeat business with simple renewals or frequent shopper discounts. Make these customers feel special by inviting them to join private Facebook or Linkedin groups and don't stop there.
The final part of your sales funnel is the referral in the recommendation. Check in to make sure they're happy, ask them for reviews or testimonials. Customers who enjoy doing business with you will be happy to refer you if you make it easy for them. Consider creating an email they can pass on to a friend or have your employees hand out a refer a friend card. The endorsements of happy and loyal customers are way more influential than those mass market ads.
So flip that sales funnel and start growing your business today.
Testimonials are marketing gold. But the trick is cultivate them. So how do you get people to talk about you? Guest, Erin Ollila breaks it down into two parts sourcing testimonials and then using testimonials. She suggests the best way to source testimonials is to make it part of your process. Don't wait till the project is done and you are handing over the deliverable. Ask questions throughout the entire time you're working with them.
The easiest way to implement this is to start asking clients throughout your process what you are doing well and what could use improvement. You will discover a gold mine information of what to adjust to improve the customer's experience. In many cases it might be very simple tweaks that make the most improvement.
And don't forget your previous clients. Go back to ask them what is was like to work with you.
I started my career in retail. As a floor manager my job was to attract customers as they walked down the aisle of the store, to pull them into the department. I organized the racks of clothing so they would browse from one to the next and stay in the area as long as possible.
Funny thing is as a web designer that's still my job. As I approach the look and feel of a web page I need to think about what will pull a reader in and get them to stay. I plan how I will connect pages and make offers on individual pages that keep visitors engaged and on the site longer.
You can tell if your marketing is working when you pay attention to your bounce rate are people coming and going or are they staying hanging around and trying on a few things.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BUILDING STICKY WEBSITES. https://digitaltoolbox.club/register-is-your-website-ready-for-company/
Instagram is so much more than simple an app to share images of your favorite cocktail, flower or friend. It is a powerful business tool with four separate features, or neighborhoods as guest Kendra Swalls likes to call them.
There is your feed, stories, reels and even an Instagram live feature. She suggests you curate your your feed to be a resource library for your clients. Reels are short snippets designed to engage prospective clients and stories are the behind the scenes looks at your business and the more personal posts for friends, family and a smaller circle of clients.
You don't need to do it all at once., experiment with one type of post before adding others.
About Kendra
Kendra is a mom of 2, photographer and educator. In 2012 she started her first business, Paisley Layne Photography, and everything changed. What started as a hobby alongside her teaching career quickly turned into a successful business. In 2017 she left her teaching career behind to run her photography business and start the Girl Means Business brand + podcast. Now she helps women, like you, take their business from survival-mode to success-mode using the same relationship marketing strategies that have been the foundations for her business success.
I know you’re probably just starting out in your business. It is all really exciting and new. But, right from day one, you need to be thinking about building a business that someone else will want to buy someday.
To do that, you need to lay that groundwork right from the beginning. Start by creating replicable processes and standard procedures which allow others to do tasks and keep things running when you want to step out of the equation.
Even if you’re not ready to sell your business those standard procedures will allow you to take the one and two week vacations that get you refreshed and ready to focus on your business renewed and enthusiastic.
Start building the business you want to sell someday, today.
Geotargeting is a valuable tool if you run a local business. Connecting with customers around the block is what drives your business. But guest, Krystal Covington suggests it can also be a valuable tool if you have a national or even international brand.
The trick is not to try to market everywhere all at once . Instead, be strategic and select an a attractive region. Google Trends can help you do just that. By studying the data you can find out which key words have grown in popularity and in which markets there is more interest in that particular term.
Now, instead of trying to run a national PPC campaign you can zero in and areas with a high level of interest.
If you're like me, you never have your best ideas when you're sitting at your desk. It is always when you're out walking or talking to someone or driving in your car.
Then by the time you get somewhere where you can write it all down and think about it, you have forgotten the idea.
My tip is to get really well acquainted with the voice recording app on your phone. Anytime I have a random thought or idea, I just open it up and start recording. Sometimes I capture entire blog posts, and sometimes it's just a bunch of quick titles. Either way, I have a record of things I can use to create great marketing.
Don't be tied to your desk, get out and experience things. Just take your recorder with you.
This week, I chatted with Claire Gallagher about the unique challenges creatives face as they try to work on their branding. The rest of the world thinks designers have it easy when it comes to developing their marketing, but that isn't true. Claire explains they often have it harder as they get lost in the weeds of the design.
About Claire
She is a designer and a digital strategist. She's focused on helping solo service-based businesses like coaches and creatives show up online and scale their business
I love to tell stories. Not only because they're fun, but because they're great for business. That's why I was excited to sit down with master storyteller, David Hutchins.
He explains, regardless of who you are or what your role is you are in, you need to tell stories. There's lots of types of stories. Some are great if you are in a sales role, others help leaders communicate strategic direction or reinforce culture and identity.
One story type which is really powerful and every one needs to learn to tell is the story which demonstrates what you do when you are at your best.
About David
David Hutchens is an author and consultant who has worked leaders in the world's most influential organizations to find and tell stories. When they do, they create engagement and belief so people will act. David has built story capability for organizations such as Google, NASA, L'Oreal Paris, FedEx, Accenture, and many more.
Social media is a lot like going to a singles bar. You're going to meet a lot of nice people and have some interesting conversations. But at the end of the day your goal is to bring your date home.
In the world of digital marketing home is your website and your email list. This is where you can have that great one on one conversation without all the distractions like silly videos, cat pictures and baby images. This is where you can control the conversation.
As your creating marketing and advertising for social media, remember, you want to bring your date home.
Let's start with the numbers
- 80% of small business owners use email marketing to get new clients and to keep their existing ones
- For every $1 you spend in email marketing you can expect $38 back.
It is hard to ignore the numbers. Email is still an important part of your marketing. But, how do you grow your email list? Guest, Tai Goodwin suggests one of the best ways is to use a quiz to engage visitors, learn something about them and collect their email address.
Once you have them on you list don't just send generic information. Use what they have told you to send them specific, relevant and personal information. LEARN MORE
Your customers want to feel special. In interactions with you, they want the conversation to be focused on their needs and concerns. To communicate that focus in your marketing campaigns, add a little personalization to improve your ability to attract the attention of prospective customers.
With so much business conducted remotely and online, it feels as if we have lost that “personal touch.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. Companies willing to invest in getting to know more about customers and prospects can build a competitive advantage using marketing personalization.
What is personalization? Personalization stars with understanding the demographics, behavior, and motivation of your customers and using that data to create marketing on every platform from social media and email to direct mail and one-to-one selling.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? CHECK OUT OUR WEBINAR ON THIS TOPIC
If you have been around the business community as long as I have, or maybe even half as long you know there are cycles. There are ups and there are downs. They way to survive the downs is to be prepared.
In this conversation, frequent guest Matt Nettleton, shares tips to build a process to recession proof your business. He describes three things you need to have in place as we head into what may be a bumpy economy.
- A formal sales process
- Technology in place to to basically systematically track your sales process
- Clear understanding of your story. What makes you different and why people should buy from you.
Be sure to look for some of our earlier conversations with Matt Nettleton
There is this wonderful song written by Peter Allen in the 1970 s. Everything old is New Again. In a way that song sums up where marketers are these days. When that song was written fifty years ago, television advertising ruled. Businesses used the platform to build awareness by reaching a wide audience with little concern about demographics.
It didn't matter who saw your message as long as you got in front of as many people as possible. The assumption was sooner or later someone would buy. Then along came digital media and especially social media marketing and suddenly marketers could target messages more precisely based on interests and demographics. Social media became a valuable tool to move prospects through the buyer's journey.
Unfortunately with changes in social media algorithms and more restrictions to protect user privacy we seem to be back in time. We are forced to put lots of broad messages out there in the hopes of driving someone to our website and email list.
Everything old is new again. If you are looking to keep up with the changes and and find resources to stay in the game, check out The Digital Toolbox
You spend all of your resources trying to drive people to your website. But what do they do when they get there? Well if you goal is to generate leads and build your email list that's where a great landing page comes in.
Co-hosts of the System to Thrive Podcast, Jennie Wright and Alyson Lex say your page has to grab their attention right away and that's a combination of how the page looks and the copy that's on the page. We buy with emotion and justify with logic, so the page needs to feed both parts of the customer.
About Jennie and Alyson
Jennie Wright has produced over 500 list builds - summits, challenges, giveaways and webinars. She’s the List Build and Lead Generation Strategist you want on your side when you’re committed to organic growth of your list, community and profits. Alyson Lex has written millions of words of high-converting copy since 2007 - and those millions of words have translated to millions of dollars in revenue for her clients. She’s the High Conversion Sales Copy Expert you want on your team when you need marketing that works. Learn more about what they do.
One of my all-time favorite movies is The Sound of Music. While I love most of the songs, the scene where Maria teaches the children to sing, is definitely on top of my list. say.
She explains, when you read you begin with ABC, when you sing you begin with Do Rei Mi. She breaks down all of singing into those three simple notes. It occurred to me while I was watching the rerun the other night that marketing has three little notes as well, the customer, their problem and your solution.
If you master those three elements your marketing will be singing in no time!
Scott Murray thinks today's marketers have to stop selling, promoting and clinging to outdated strategies and tactics. Instead they need to create content to spark engagement, conversation and inspiration from their audience.
As we've moved from print to digital, control has shifted from the marketer to the consumer. They decide when they will stop and look at your content and when they will scroll right by. To earn their attention, you need to put the right content on the right platforms. And don't be afraid to share information. Some of the best content answers real questions prospects have when they are ready to buy.
About Scott
With 20 years of experience in content marketing and production - which evolved from print to video, podcast & social media, Scott is the host of the GET THE MESSAGE podcast.
How well is your business performing? Key Performance Indicators help you answer that question. A KPI is a quantifiable measure of performance over time for a specific objective. KPIs provide targets to shoot for, milestones to gauge progress, and insights to help you make better decisions.
A few things to keep in mind as you establish your KPI’s
- Directly tied to your objective. There are many things you can measure in your business, but KPIs are a unique subset which can be directly tied to an end result. What types of things should you consider to be KPI’s? For each business it’s different depending on what you are trying to accomplish including but not limited to: increased sales, reduced turnover, improved efficiency, and reduced errors.
- Easily and exactly measurable. If it’s hard to collect the data, you probably won’t do it on a regular basis. If the metric is vague, it’s too easy to fool yourself into thinking you are close to your goal when you aren’t.
- Action oriented. Each metric should have a specific set of actions you will take to improve performance. It’s hard to reach a goal if you don’t know how to get there.
- Don’t have too many metrics. It is easy to get overloaded and track too many key performance indicators at once. Ideally the right number of metrics is 5 – 7.
- Swap our KPI’s. As your business changes, your KPI’s may need to as well.
READY TO START PLANNING YOUR METRICS? USE OUR WORKBOOK TO GET STARTED.
If you're like most business owners you've set lots of goals and in your life and you've never fulfilled them. It not be the goal, but because your decision making process that is creating the failures. Debra Sunderland explains we have three decision centers the head, heart and gut. To often we let the head make the plans. The problem is our brain, in an attempt to protect us, anticipates risk and sets limits. She advocates for letting your heart and your passion drive your goals.
About Debra Sunderland
Debra Sunderland knows what it takes to move from defensive thinking to conscious leadership. She spent her whole life as an overachiever and thanks to a near-death cycling accident, she has made it her life’s mission (and her team’s) to coach CEOs, executives, and leaders to accept their Genuis-Ship (link to the definition of this) and become the conscious leader that they are called to be in order to be clear to do what they are here to do.
When you started your business you probably assumed that sooner or later you would get around to building a life to go with it. According to guest Nicole Bandes, that is not necessarily the best way to approach things. She believes you can actually build a successful business around your amazing life.
The trick is to stop defining success based on how others define it and focus on what is important to you. Then understand that you won't find balance, because life is not 50/50. There are times your business will need more attention, and it is ok to do that, as long as you also make time for the other things in your life.
About Nicole
After losing her 17 year old son, Nicole Bandes discovered her purpose: encourage others to make time for what matters most. In 2017, Nicole founded Virtual A Team, a virtual services agency helping overwhelmed coaches and consultants who want to define success by the wealth of their lives, not the size of their bank accounts. Nicole now walks the walk working less than 20 hours a week and also hosts the Coach’s Copilot: Your Online Business Manager podcast.
----more----Every woman has that little black dress in her wardrobe. Classic in design it is not too trendy and not too stodgy. It is incredibly versatile. With the right accessories, jackets, scarves or cool shoes it is perfect for every occasion, year in and year out.
And every smart marketer knows that email is their little black dress. It goes well with all of the other elements in your marketing wardrobe. From the hottest marketing trend to the most basic marketing campaign, email makes all your other marketing more effective.
Updating your website? Promote it on email. Building your social community? Reconnect with your audience through email.
As you're planning your marketing wardrobe for next season, don't forget email, your little black marketing dress.
So you think you've got distractions and can't start a business. Well my guest, Renee Harris has nine children and still found a way to build a six-figure business. How did she balance the demands of a family and the demands of running a business?
Renee explains. " We didn't start with 9 kids when we started a business and just like when you have kids normally you don't get them all at once and normally a business doesn't just fall in your lap. "
She didn't try to do everything at once, focusing on a few things and let the business and the family grow. She built strategies to engage her children in the process and keep them occupied, when she needed to work on the business.
About Renee
She is the founder of MadeOn - a unique handcrafted skincare product line specifically for dry, cracked skin. What started as a simple farmer's market booth has grown into 6-figure online business.
She has also raised 9 children along the way, teaching them business skills and strategies to develop a marketable talent that earns them a sustainable income.
Social media and content marketing should be fun. If you are not feeling the fun in the content you are creating then your audience is probably bored, and so are you.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Guest Elizabeth Ruth suggests when you start with a clear brand voice it is easier to create content which entertains and is memorable enough to help you sell products.
About Elizabeth Ruth.
Elizabeth is the Owner and Chief Copy Writer for ER Marketing Services. The agency empowers business owners to attract incredible clients, connect with their audience, and establish their industry authority. Elizabeth and her team specialize in designing marketing strategies and writing content for websites, blog posts, social media, and emails or newsletters.
Facebook is on a mission to take the social out of social media. They've announced changes to their algorithm that you're already seeing.
They're prioritizing ads and video from complete strangers over the updates from friends and family members. Those updates are going to be buried somewhere and you're really going to have to look for them.
As a user, this is incredibly frustrating. And as a business owner, it's confusing as I tried to figure out how to navigate this post algorithm change world where there's really no social and it's all just media.
Looking for help keeping up with changes in the digital marketing landscape? Join the Digital Toolbox today.
These days business is built on relationships. So when you are in a networking situation, guest Patty Farmer suggests you remember to focus on the people and the profits will follow. The relationships we build are the currency in today's business environment. So think of your business like an ATM machine. Are you making more deposits or more withdrawals?
This is a return appearance for Patty. If you enjoyed this episode, you are sure to find value in our earlier conversations.
These days, it seems everyone is talking about working remote. with advances in technology, you can work anywhere in the country or anywhere in the world.
As a business owner, managing a remote, international team has some similarities to managing other teams and a few unique challenges. This week, Matt Levenhagen joins us for a conversation about running an international team.
About Matt
For more than 20 years, Matt has on web design, affiliate marketing, niche marketing, PPC advertising and SEO. Today his company, Unified Web Design, is comprised of a with a team of professionals from around the world.
I know the economy is rocky. Yes, things have been bumpy for the last three years. But the truth is, this isn't the first time it's happened, and it will be the last. If you want your business to still be around when things finally settle down, here are a few things you should do.
- Use this time to clean up your processes. Get efficient. With tight labor markets and rising salary, stop wasting time and money on anything that is not productive.
- Ruthlessly review your marketing. Just because you've always done something does not mean you need to keep doing it. Getting rid of things that aren't driving results makes room for new ideas.
- Fire unprofitable clients. I know this sounds crazy as the economy is cycling down. But hanging on to clients who aren't a good fit will ultimately drag you down. They will prevent you from clarifying what it is you do and focusing on the kind of work you really want to do.
- Invest wisely. This is not a time to bury your head in the sand and stop spending money on marketing. You just need to spend well.
If you're looking for resources that can help you review your marketing and start planning for the next quarter be sure to check out the DigitalToolbox.Club
When it comes to finding your life's love or passion is there really only one? Maybe you think that's a strange introduction for a marketing conversation. But it's not. Just as finding that one true love is important to your personally, it is also true for you as an entrepreneur. There is happiness and profit when you commit to your one true passion.
Guest Jennifer Crawford says there is lots of talk in the entrepreneurial space about finding your why. It can be a complex journey to find your why or your zone of genius. Getting to the point where you are willing to let go of things that aren't in your zone of genius actually takes a bit of self-reflection. In a way, the pandemic helped because it gave us the time and space to put the brakes on some things as we figured out what really was meaningful for us.
About Jennifer Crawford
Jennifer’s passion is helping people grow their businesses. In addition to business and conference consulting, she is also the co-founder of a recently launched company, Sparent–a virtual temp agency staffed by stay at home moms with skills to spare.
Sometimes when people write copy they forget they're not just writing for SEO. They need to keep in mind they are writing to attract the attention of real people who have specific reasons for reading the information
According to our guest, Rai Hyde Cornell, Google's not the one clicking the buy now or book a call button. They are not the ones making the decision. So, why are you going to prioritize Google and Google's spiders and search bots over the actual humans who have the real power to buy. Those are the people that you want to be speaking to.
About Rai
Rai Hyde Cornell is the CEO & Senior Copywriter at Cornell Content Marketing and Business Mentor & Coach at Chiron Consulting.
Over her 15+ years in online marketing and writing, Rai has worked in hundreds of businesses, helping them grow and achieve their goals. Though she no longer works in the mental health field, her deep understanding of human behavior, emotion, and decision-making is honored in everything she teaches and creates for her clients.
As a mentor and coach at Chiron Consulting, she works with freelancers and self-employed entrepreneurs to help them dramatically increase their incomes and their quality of life as independent income generators. At Cornell Content Marketing, Rai teaches entrepreneurs and business owners how to use content to build powerful, lasting relationships with customers.
Now, she's sharing all of her most powerful business AND manifestation tricks and techniques with other freelancers.
What is the right price for your product or service? Most small business owners struggle with this question, because they confuse the cost of producing the product with the value it brings to the customer.
When it comes to establishing a price for your goods or services, the value of your product has absolutely nothing to do with production cost. The value is based on how much you help clients save, increase, reduce or improve. If you can quantify these benefits, then you have a foundation for establishing an appropriate price for your goods or services.
Calculate Your Value
How much value do you deliver? Use these questions to build your value:
- How much can my product save my customer? Savings may be in time, money or effort.
- How much can my product earn for my customer?
- Can you help them increase their income; directly or indirectly?
- Does it create a foundation for future opportunities or establish valuable personal relationships?
- What intangible benefits might customers realize, and is it possible to quantify these benefits?
- Will your product improve their abilities, confidence, appearance or peace of mind?
Focus on the Benefits Customers buy the benefits, the solutions to their problems. If you can associate a dollar value with specific benefits, you have a powerful message to include in your marketing material and a solid foundation to charge a premium price for your product!
If you're a little bit of a sci-fi nerd. The idea that the robots are coming can be a little bit terrifying. But if you're a marketer in today's world the advent of Ai is an exciting opportunity.
Guest Thomas Helfrich agrees some of the early AI content wasn't great it has gotten much better. It's doing a great job for small businesses looking to produce short marketing copy titles and headlines. But for longer form you still need a human in the loop.
Do you feel overwhelmed by social media if you do you're not alone but I've got some good news for you because there are things you can do to manage the chaos and make the time you're spending on social media productive.
Our guest, Andrea Jones explains one of the challenges with social media is that it's a mixture of our business and our personal life. one of the tricks is to identify why you're on social media to begin with and separate the platforms for personal and business use.
The second tip is to turn off notifications and block out specific times to use social media as a total grow business with daily time spent with her community and weekly time spent creating content. By giving herself those boundaries she is able to reduce that overwhelming feeling
About Andrea
Andréa Jones has built an online business committed to empowering businesses to utilize the power of social media in a positive and impactful way, without being overwhelmed and drained by it. With over 7 years experience in the game, Andréa hosts the acclaimed podcast, the Savvy Social Podcast, leads a team providing done-for-you service inside of her marketing agency that was named a Top Digital Marketing Agency in 2021, and serves over 200 students in her membership, the Savvy Social School.
One of the things I love about living in Indiana is the color of the seasons. There are the bright pastels of spring, the rich greens of summer, and the bright orange and yellow of fall. The exception is winter. The dreary days of winter seem colorless and bland compared to the vibrancy of colors throughout the rest of the year. That’s why I love evergreen trees. They bring spots of color to my view all year long.
Just as these wonderful trees bring consistent color to my yard, evergreen content brings spots of color to a marketing calendar.
What is evergreen content? It is information which is always relevant to readers. Unlike seasonal content or breaking news, this information answers questions readers have every day. That’s one of the advantages of evergreen content, you can insert it into your blogging schedule whenever you need filler. Frequently asked questions, simple how-to blog posts, or product reviews make great evergreen content. These posts can be researched and written well in advance. Then they are ready whenever you need some fresh content but there just isn’t anything happening that is newsworthy.
Breaking news gets stale Sure breaking news and hot industry trends are exciting to write about and read, but they are hot for a moment and then become irrelevant. The posts may get a lot of traction when they are written, but like the beautiful spring flowers I love so much, they fade quickly.
How to write evergreen content Start with the questions customers ask. Look in your email folder for those long answers you have already written. Use your answer as the foundation of a FAQ. If one customer has the question, others will as well. In addition to rounding out your blog, these posts tend to index well on Google, as prospective customers search for answers.
The timeless nature of this type of content allows it to build value over time. A well written FAQ or how-to article with a good title and appropriate keywords will bring traffic to your website weeks, months, and even years after it is published.
Focus on Keywords. Brainstorm a list of keywords you want to rank for. Use a keyword tool such as Google Trends or Google Search Console to find alternatives and ideas. I searched the phrase WordPress SEO, for example, and Google Trends suggested WordPress SEO plugin and WordPress SEO Themes. Both of these would make interesting posts on their own. They are more “niche topics” which means a well written post has a better shot at rising to the top because there will be less competition.
Commit to Quality. If you want your post to stand the test of time, you can’t just slap up a 500 word article and call it a day. If you do, another article will come along pretty quickly and knock you down. So take extra time with your evergreen content. Research the topic, add unique examples, and your perspective. Create an article which isn’t just another 5 Ways to Do This…..
Update Periodically. I know, I said this would be the kind of blog post that would stand the test of time. IT wouldn’t age, it would live on forever. All of that is true. But if it is a great traffic draw for your website, go back occasionally and add new content, a different image, and maybe a new CTA to keep it fresh.
The key to successful blogging isn’t necessarily more content, just better content.
LOOKING FOR MORE BLOGGING TIPS? CHECK OUT OUR NEW BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS SELF PACED COURSE
When it comes to creating content, the age old question seems to be " What do you write about? The biggest challenge of creating content is staring at that blank sheet of paper. But according to guest Kathleen Celmins, it doesn't have to be.
The trick is to stop creating content and start telling stories with your clients, not you as the hero. In the "story" focus on their transformation, how they changed as a result of working with you. That is the source of compelling content!
About Kathleen
Kathleen Celmins (SELL mins) is the cofounder of amplifiedNOW, a hub for solopreneurs and small business owners who want to grow their businesses sustainably. Practical advice, no shiny objects here.
People tell me they're they don't think they're creative. But that's not true. Everyone is creative. We just express it differently. And you need that creativity to solve the business and personal challenges in your life.
In this episode, our guest Fiona Valentine explains how simple it can be to unlock your creativity by drawing just a few minutes every day. Starting with a structure approach to learn the basic rules, anyone can learn to draw. That skill, in turn will unlock new parts of your brain, helping you think in new and different ways.
What do you want people to say about you when you're not in the room. What do you want them to tell people. who are looking for someone who does what you do?
All of those comments add up to your personal brand. Now a lot of business owners are under the misconception that somehow they control their brand. But they don't.
Your brand is something that exists in the mind of your customers. All you can do is influence it with your marketing messages and your actions and over time you will create a brand representative of who you are.
Looking for more resources on branding and positioning? Start with the position statement workbook
You think you know everything about sales. You've heard all the presentations and everybody talks about pain and objections. Well, my guest Chandler Walker thinks that might be the wrong way to approach a sales.
He believes the goal isn't just to stab at a prospect to find the pain. Instead, when you become a cognitive listener you are able to identify the pain and understand where the pain exists. Using that information you must help the prospect look not just short term, fixing the pain, but long term at the underlying issues which prevent them from being successful.
I love a good networking event. but I know not everybody loves that process. They're often confused and frustrated with how to start the conversation and where to go after they've opened it. Laura Templeton suggests you start by ditching the pitch mentality.
Start by crafting a short "I help" statement. So when someone asks what you do, you an say I help . . . That makes the conversation about your customers not you. The next trick is to have a great set of questions you can use to get the other person talking.
Every parent knows, It takes a village to raise a child. Each of the adults in the child’s life, relatives, teachers, coaches, brings a different perspective. The same is true for your business. No matter how smart you are or how much you know about your business, there are gaps in your skill-set.
Your business village should be filled with smart, talented subject matter experts to help you fill in the gaps. If you are running a small business your village won't be comprised of employees, but an advisory board comprised of professionals, who provide information and guidance in their areas of expertise.
Who Do You Need in Your Business Village? (On your advisory board)
Your Attorney Your attorney’s primary objective is to protect you and your business from risk. As you start you business your attorney can advise you on the right structure for your business and submit appropriate state and federal documents. As you business grows turn to your attorney for a range of legal documents such as contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and non-compete agreements with employees. An attorney who is familiar with your business makes the process of creating new documents much more efficient because you won’t have to start each review by explaining what your business is about.
Your Accountant There are bookkeepers, financial accountants and tax accountants. Which do you need? Well that depends on your comfort level with the numbers of your business. A bookkeeper keeps your day to day operations on track, paying bills and invoicing clients. A financial accountant is someone who can provide guidance not just bookkeeping assistance.
Your accountant should prepare financial reports on a monthly basis and review key numbers with you. Your accountant should be able to help you predict if you have enough cash to meet future obligations and growth goals.
A tax accountant does more than just prepare your tax returns, understanding your business, he/she can help you make decisions about when to invest, when to pull back, and how to avoid paying more than you should in taxes each year.
Your Banker The worst time to establish a banking relationship is when you need money. As you start your business get to know your local business banker. He/she will advise you on the types of accounts you will need, develop a cash management strategy, and secure funding when you need it.
Your Financial Planner For many small business owners, the business is your retirement plan. The question is will this be enough? Don’t guess. A good financial planner will look at both your personal and business finances to make sure you have what you need when you are ready to walk away from the business.
Your IT and Marketing Support Sure, you can manage your computers and software on your own. You can post content on social media and call it marketing, but just like every other element of your business, you need to stop and ask yourself, should you? Is this the best use of your time, and do you really have the expertise to manage those roles in house. If not, it is time to add these professionals to your team. In both cases, the industry is changing rapidly. You need people on your advisory board who understand both the trends and your business objectives. Lean on them to make the right suggestions about where and when to invest so you can focus on growing your business.
Build Your Business Village Sure you may own your own business, but you don’t have to do it all on your own. Start building your village today. Don’t try to do it all at once. Find someone in one of these categories and enlist their aid in filling the other slots on your advisory board.
Think you know how Google works? Guest, Kyle Roof explains your assumptions may not be right.
For example, many people think Google reads a web page as a human would. Google is not able to do that, it isn't pulling meaning from your content. It is an algorithm looking at your content not from an editorial quality perspective, but a mathematical one looking to see if you check off the boxes in the formula.
Start with does your page include the keyword or phrase. Google will look for contextual terms terms that provide context and meaning to understand what this page is about. In addition to the phrase, Google is looking at very specific sections on the page for those important terms and how many times you are using them in those sections.
The sections include the title, meta descriptions and URL.
About Kyle Roof
Kyle is responsible for the development and implementation of all SEO techniques used by the SEO agency High Voltage SEO and the SEO tool PageOptimizer Pro. Kyle is also the co-founder of Internet Marketing Gold, a global community of 3000+ SEO professionals who test and prove cutting edge SEO techniques. Kyle’s SEO techniques and discoveries are followed by many SEO professionals and business leaders, he has been featured in many respected publications and is a regular speaker on SEO and SEO testing at conferences throughout the world.
I bet you didn't know that you're sitting on a gold mine. but according to my guest Mary Henderson, you are. As human beings. we experiences built over a lifetime, and those experiences are currency.
This is particularly true of former corporate executives who are exploring entrepreneurship. The skills you build over your career can be worth millions if you can systemize your knowledge, wisdom and skill set, transforming that into a solution
Too often, however these would-be entrepreneurs make the mistake of starting with the hunt for customers when they should be working through a four part process of defining their brand, their process, creating digital assets and then their website and sales tools.
About Mary
Mary is an internationally recognized Personal Branding & Online Business Specialist. Mary helps Service Industry Experts systemize, digitalize and commercialize their knowledge, wisdom and skills into a scalable & profitable online business and a brand so they become an authority in their niche or industry.
Words have power to move, motivate, inspire, frightened and cheer, what you say and how you say it can have a strong impact on another person. Some words, called power words have more impact than others. These words have strong meaning, which can trigger a psychological or an emotional response. They're persuasive, pushing people to action.
Using these power words in your web copy, email communication, social media, will grab the attention or your reader and move them to action. There are three kinds of power words seductive, emotional, and sensory, seductive, emotional and sensory.
Seductive words actually override logical reasoning and compel people to take action. Words like new, free, how to, and because seduce people to action.
Emotional power words, tap into emotions that drive people to action. Fear, jealousy, curiosity, joy, surprise and anger are just some of the emotions you can tap into as you write your headlines.
The final category are the sensory power words. These words paint a picture in your mind of how we experience the world. Engage the eyes with words related to color, shape or appearance or tease the sense of touch as you describe textures. Words like gloomy, dazzling, bright, gritty, creepy, or slimy, all create sensory pictures in the mind of your audience.
Want to experiment with power words? - Grab a copy of our Power Words Workbook and put the power of words, to work for you!
Whether you're trying to hire a new person, work with an agency or close a sale, the very first step is really figuring out if you're sitting across the table from the right person.
The problem is that people don't come with scorecards telling you exactly who they are and whether or not they're a good fit, or do they?
Social engineer, Benjamin Bressington says there is a scorecard, if you look for it. In this episode, he boils down people into four main types, each with a set of communication patterns that give you insight into how they think.
Listen to this conversation to understand if you are an Eagle, Dove, Peacock or owl.
What if you could improve the amount of traffic that came to your website, the amount of conversions and the lifetime value of customers by 26% each? My guest Michael Buzinski developed the Rule of 26 to help busy business owners understand we do not have to dive into the complexities of digital marketing to get revenue from our websites.
He believes many business owners think of their website as an expense and not a revenue generating tool. To help change their perspective, he shows them how to double the revenue coming from your website by focusing on just three objectives; web traffic, conversion rate and lifetime value of customers coming from your website.
About Michael Buzinski
Michael Buzinski is a lifelong entrepreneur, digital marketing thought leader, and best-selling author. Dubbed a “visionary marketer” by the American Marketing Association, Michael’s sole mission is to reduce the prevalence of entrepreneurial poverty in the US.
Buzz, as most call him, has simplified digital marketing success with the Rule of 26 to help entrepreneurs avoid the time drain and frustration of managing profitable digital marketing campaigns.
Wouldn't it be nice if we all just got along. That might seem like a good idea but it really isn't. You can't eliminate conflict completely. and you shouldn't.
Well-managed conflict actually cultivates discussions and create opportunities to uncover new and innovative solutions. Accept conflict as a natural part of your relationship with employees and with all of the people in your life.
It isn't necessarily good or bad. It can be very healthy if the conflict occurs when people have different ideas on how to solve a problem and they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. The conflict resolution process leads to open and honest conversations often about more than just the issue on the table. It can be messy and it might take time to work through some of the conflicts but the end result is going to be a great solution.
All work and no play makes Jack or Jill very dull. As a business owner you work really hard but you also need to find ways to get away and take a vacation.
Guest Carol Clegg shared great vacation preparation tips from working ahead, to finding co-working spaces along the way to get things done.
You have to prioritize and focus on those things which have to get done to keep your business. But you may not have to be the person to do the work.
About Carol Clegg
Carol Clegg, is the owner of Classic Exec Marketing, a marketing consultant and a goal achievement coach supporting global women entrepreneurs in midlife to get organized, streamline their strategies and use time-saving tools to optimize the things in your business that YOU want.
Why should I buy from you? That's the question we have to answer if we want to grow our business. My guest, Rich Brooks thinks the answer needs to be remarkable. And he has developed a formula to help business owners find makes them remarkable.
It starts with the four "F's" - find, focus, fashion and frame.
About Rich
Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a digital agency in Portland, Maine, that’s been in business for over 24 years. He is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media. He founded The Agents of Change, and annual conference and weekly podcast that focuses on search, social & mobile marketing. He is also the author of The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing
Let's go on a buying journey. Think about the last item that you bought, where you spent more than $100. Maybe it was something for your business or home. Write down the item you bought and work backwards through your buying journey. Describe why you chose that particular product. Did you see an ad? Did someone recommended it? Was there information on social media which made you curious? Write down all of the things you remember related to that purchase.
For example, we recently installed new windows in our house. Before we bought the windows, we talked to a few of our neighbors, checked. Angie's List, and then we went to the company website.
Do this exercise two or three times for different types of purchases, so you get a better picture of your typical buying process. What information sources to you rely on and what influenced you?
Next, build your customer's buying journey the same way. Evaluate your marketing based on your typical buying process. If you were a customer for your product or service, would you notice your marketing? If the answer is yes, that's great. if you are your target customer.
If you're not your target customer, you got some work to do. Ask several of your customers about their buying journey and see how that lines up with your marketing. Make sure you are spending money on marketing to enhance their buying journey.
The trick for small business owners is not to spend more money, but to spend well, making investments designed to motivate customers to pay attention to you.
If you're like a lot of people you may be under the misconception that you have to make a choice between doing what you really love or making money but that doesn't have to be the case. Guest Joel Salomon doesn't believe you should have to make that choice.
It starts with transforming limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs and creating affirmations to shift your mindset. Use present tense, not future tense language. Saying the affirmations out loud to start your day.
You don't have to jump all at once to your new career, start with baby steps. Carve out time each day to work on your passion, until it generates enough money for you to make the leap.
Do you have a super toolkit for your business? Also called standard operating procedures (SOPs), when created correctly give business owners freedom to work on their business.
This week, our guest Kris Ward explains that many business owners make the mistake of creating static SOP's to cover liability. The narrow definition and inflexible design will actually hold you back. A super toolkit will grow and change along as the business grows and changes.
About Kris Ward
Kris Ward is an author, podcaster coach, and speaker. She is a team building and system strategist and a leading authority in building your business by building your team. She is the founder of Win the Hour, Win the Day day philosophy and she helps entrepreneurs create their WIN team.
Learn more at: Winthehourwintheday.com
When it comes to marketing, there are three simple truths. The first is that marketing hasn't really changed in 50 or 60 years. The basics of marketing are about what they were half a century ago.
What has changed are the tools. And that's the second truth, there are always new tools on the horizon, new ways of doing things.
And the third truth is that the most effective marketing is marketing that is authentic and unique to your brand, your business and to you.
And so if you want to be successful, remember those three truths.
- Get very familiar with marketing basics, Learn the fundamentals and the strategies that drive everything.
- Keep up with what's new and what's changing.
- And finally, to turn inward to discover your voice. Define what's unique about you, and use that to guide your marketing.
If every morning is an adventure and you're not quite what you should do first, Ryan Cote suggests you begin your day with a morning routine.
Interestingly, one thing many highly successful people do is start the day off with a morning routine. In this conversation, Ryan shares his morning routine, and things you can do to build a habit of investing in yourself.
This is a marketing story about personal branding that took place about 30 years ago, I had just started working for Lennox industries. At that time, Lennox Industries was a male oriented business. With men in all the senior roles, this company was trying to change their boys club image. It was also, surprisingly a personal, family run, $750 million business. It was a personal family business.
Three weeks into my job, we had a party for one of the men on our team. He'd been there for 20 years, and we were having cake and coffee to celebrate. There was an executive meeting and they all came down to personally congratulate Roger.
My boss thought this was a great time to introduce me to the president of the company, and his entire staff. As I walked over to meet them I had a cup of coffee in my right hand. It is a simple maneuver when you have a cup of coffee in your right hand, pass it to your left, and you extend your right hand. Somewhere between pass and extend I lost a cup of coffee. It would have been okay except it was a full cup of coffee and it bounced.
I looked over at my new boss, who was wearing coffee from his knee to his ankle. Pretty sure my career was over, I was hoping the ground would open up and swallow me whole. It didn't. But at that moment, I learned the human brain does amazing things when fired by a little bit of adrenaline. Time slowed down around me and sped up in my head as I ran through all the possible things I could say or do. I had a chance to evaluate all of those options based on what I wanted my personal brand to be.
Many business owners think closing the sale is the end of customer journey. Guest Wayne Mullins doesn't agree. He sees the act of attracting the customer as only half the process. The other half should be focused on keeping the customer engaged so they become an evangelist for our product.
As a salesperson he discovered when he nurtured those relationships, checking in after the sale the customers would be more likely to tell friends, family members and coworkers about the product or the service he was selling
Today, as the author of Full Circle Marketing he advocates taking an objective look at the experience your give your customers from start to finish. Ask them, what they value, why they choose you and what you can do to improve.
We make buying decisions because we've been influenced by someone or something. Many companies are trying to cash in on this trend, hiring influencers to promote their brand.
But our guest Jason Falls focusing on the influencer is not the right strategy. When you focus on the personalities there is really no substance to it. If however, you the "r" off and focus on what you're trying to achieve, which is persuade an audience to take action now you are likely to have much better results. And you won't be glued to Instagram or Youtube or Tiktok as you realize you can use offline people to influence an audience to take action too
Everyone likes to be right and to see their ideas put into practice but sometimes your ideas are not the best it. If, as a leader you are more focused on proving you're right and winning every argument people around you will acquiesce. You will have a solution but it won't necessarily be the best solution.
This is tough, because it means you have to give up control. If you've hired the right people they will have good opinions about projects and about the way the company is run, so you need to be prepared to listen and let others win.
When multiple viable solutions are proposed to a problem choose the one suggested by a passionate team member. Why? If it's their idea they're will work to ensure it is implemented properly and it sends a strong message that you are serious about finding the best alternatives.
If you want to find the best solutions to every problem my advice is to sit back and listen to others.
Great content helps small business owners build trust and compete with businesses significantly larger, by establishing authority and credibility.
Guest John Hinson explains it is a cost effective strategy saving you potentially thousands of dollars every month because you are driving traffic without paid search.
In the legal field, like many industries there are great evergreen topics. Information every customer and prospect needs. Content that answers those typical questions has along shelf life as prospects are likely to return to it again and again.
About John Hinson
John is the Editorial Director for Spotlight Branding, a content marketing company helping lawyers and other professionals increase referrals and attract better clients. John is also the host of two podcasts, The Law Firm Marketing Minute and Center Stage, where he dives into various aspects of marketing and business development.
The stories that we tell ourselves really are our most important stories. Our guest, Bridget Cook-Burch shared her thoughts on stories and how stories drive our destiny. It is less about what is really happening and more about how we frame the situation.
There are stories of opportunities and stories of limitations. As entrepreneurs we got to capture the beautiful stories and learn to reframe others so we actually write a new chapter of where we're headed in our lives so that we are ultimately in charge of our own destiny.
About Bridget
Bridget Cook-Burch’s clients call her “The Book Whisperer”. She is a New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, mentor, trainer, mamma-bear humanitarian, and speaker known for riveting stories of transformation.
Her powerful work has been showcased on Oprah, Dateline, CNN, GMA, The History Channel, NPR and in People among many others.
She is the CEO and Founder of YourInspiredStory.com.
As a successful entrepreneur, Bridget has also owned and operated a multimillion-dollar trucking company, a phone book and a PR agency. She is also a co-founder and former executive director of SHEROES United, a non-profit organization that helps women and girls rise from trauma.
As a leader, storyteller, trainer and humanitarian, her greatest passion is helping others to discover the importance of their own story, and to become leaders in their own communities, and worldwide.
Bridget’s many national bestsellers include Divine Turbulence, The Witness Wore Red; Shattered Silence; Skinhead Confessions; Leading Women; and also Living Proof. She is getting ready to publish three more in 2022.
Bridget invites you to believe in the power of your story to change the world. Join her writers’ retreats and leadership retreats in Utah, Italy, Ireland and more.
Find out more at www.YourInspiredStory.com and www.SHEROESUnited.org.
The failure rates for early stage companies are staggering. Depending on the source the numbers range from 40% to 90% in the early years.
And while the economy can play a role, one of the biggest reasons small business owners fail in the early years is they try to hedge their bets. There's always that safety valve in the back of their head. "I can get a job, or I can do something else."
That back up plan approach doesn't work. If you want to be successful, you have to treat your business like you're sailing to some exotic island where you're going to spend the rest of your life. When you get there, you have to burn the boat. If not, you will sit there with one foot on the shore and one foot in the boat and never fully explore the island. You will never get to see all of the possibilities.
If you're always hedging your bets, you'll never make the investment in your time and in the resources to really be successful. So you need to burn the boats.
And I'm going to make it easy for you. I put together Burn the Boat Kit. It has workbooks and tools you can use to help plan your business so you can let go of the boat and explore the island.
You'll find it at the https://digitaltoolbox.club/bbk/
If you're a business owner, you are probably always looking for ways to widen your circle and networking is certainly a great way to do just that.
In this conversation with Ryan Hansen, we talked about a slightly different approach to networking. Often called a professional extrovert he loves talking to people about their business ideas and then helping them act on it. So it was a natural fit to start a podcast as a way to open the door to interesting conversations, with people he was hoping to connect with.
The episodes are are win-win-win. The guest get publicity, the audience learns something, and Ryan has a chance to get in front of a prospective customer in a casual, conversational way.
I love running my own business, getting to do things “my way” … most of the time. But I learned that to be successful, I need to also listen to the opinions of others. Who are these “others?” They are people who compliment my weaknesses and have skills to fill my blind spots. They are the Yang to my Yin.
What Is Yin-Yang? With roots dating back to China in 1300 BCE, Yin-yang refers to a concept where opposite forces are seen as interconnected and counterbalancing. Together the two halves make a whole, and while one is mostly dark and the other is mostly light there is a little bit of each in the other.
Yin, represents darkness, passivity, and the earth. Yang represents light, activity, and the heavens.
Do you have a Business Yin-Yang? Whether it is your next hire or a member of your advisory board, expand your input by bringing people into your circle who brings a fresh perspective and different set of skills. Remember even someone who seems to be your complete opposite, should share some common ground with you.
For example, I tend to be more of a Yang, positive, active, and always looking ahead. I have always relied on at least one Yin, who is more grounded and practical to help me think through the potential obstacles. With a more methodical approach, sometimes my Yin makes me a little crazy but our shared interests in growing entrepreneurial enterprises gives us a common language and starting point.
How do you find your other half? Start with a little introspection and make a list of all your weaknesses. Be honest, or this won’t work. Pick one or two weaknesses you know you aren’t likely to change. For example, I am always going to be bored by the fine details of contracts, procedures, etc. I can promise, make resolutions, and try to focus on the extremely fine print, but I am not going to do it well. So the alternative is to find someone who is the opposite, who loves to dot every “i” and cross every “t”.
Once you start bringing people into your business who have different styles, perspectives, and talents be prepared to compromise. You are going to bump into the conflicting opinions. If you commit to building a complete business, you will need to face some uncomfortable conversations.
There will be tough questions to answer. The ideas you can defend are the ones worth pursuing. This works when you approach each conflict by looking for the common ground. It is there, somewhere. And finally, you will need to accept the idea you don’t always know the best answer but you can find it with the Yin to your Yang.
If you're a coach you can earn a living one conversation at a time. But if you really want to maximize your revenue opportunities. You need to consider group coaching Where do you start?
Our guest Chris Williams says it boils down to four simple steps
- Start organically. Don't worry about advertising till you really understand your audience
- Start measuring predictability. If you don't have a way to predictably generate on-profile leads you don't have a business. you're just getting lucky!
- Invite people to a conversation
- Invite them to take the next step.
About Chris Williams - in his own words.
I spend most of my time raising our five kids, exploring world communities, and trying my hand at adventures like shark diving, ice climbing, running ultra marathons, and riding electric skateboards.
In my spare time, I work with entrepreneurial and business experts, speakers, coaches, and leaders helping them market, monetize, and lead their own high-ticket mastermind (or group coaching) programs.
All too often people think the word freelancer is synonymous for broke. But according to my guest, Kate Bagoy, that's not true. You can make money and live the life you want as a freelancer.
Right now is a great time for freelancers as we've moved to a more remote work culture. More are outsourcing and opportunities for freelancers growing faster than ever.
Making this shift from freelancer to building a business is a shift in mindset. Freelancers who struggle tend to do so because they're constantly hunting for jobs based on their skill set. In contrast, business owners take the time to create a business plan, a marketing plan, a strategy and a system for finding clients.
About Kate Bagoy
Kate is a senior UX designer and founder of Six Figure Freelancers, where she helps experienced digital pros build businesses they can run from the beach. A self-professed nerd with an MBA, she’s worked with more than 50 startups and coached 1000’s of consultants through starting an online business. An adventurer at heart, Kate travels as a digital nomad and has been running her business entirely online - from 25 countries so far - since 2017.
When you come home from a networking event with a stack of business cards, you either have something incredibly valuable, or a pile of garbage. What makes the difference? It's not the cards themselves, but what you do with them.
Do you take the time to sort them and pull out those handful of people who you really need to follow up with? Do you track those conversations over time, so that periodically when things get a little slow in your business, you go to your contact list and start making a few phone calls to reach out or reconnect?
Do you take the time to purge people from your mailing list. After years of networking, I'll go through my list and find names of people that I don't really remember meeting and whom I've not had a single interaction with since the first time I met them. If you have contacts like that is is ok to let them go. If you reconnect, you can always add them back.
Treat your database like a valuable resource. Take time to cultivate and curate it and you will be able to rely on it to grow your business.
Looking to learn more about networking and building a database check out the Healthy Networking Guide
The next time you go to a networking event, guest Rochelle Groh suggests you should look for the four types of networking animals.
- The shark, who is ready to take a bite out of every conversation
- The penguin who typically gravitates to the same people at every event
- The bee who knows everyone in the room
- The lone wolf who prefers longer, more one on one conversations.
About Rochelle Groh
Rochelle is the Co-Founder of Cutclass and the host of the Allergic to Small Talk podcast.
Rochelle focuses on teaching first time small business owners the ABCs of business networking. This often leads to sales for their business, collaborations with other business owners, and connections that last a lifetime
These days the world feels more than just a little crazy. As you are processing all the crazy in the outside world you have a business to run. So how do you balance the conflicting emotions and keep your business moving forward?
Guest, Debra Sunderland stresses that a business is only going to go as far as the leader goes. That's not to put pressure on you, but to remind you that the first step is preparing and taking care of yourself every day.
Typically leaders are focused on achieving results and taking care of their teams, so she suggests that as a leader, the first thing you need to do is give yourself some grace and take time to breathe, to work out, to go out in nature and to fortify yourself with good foods and rest.
Start your morning with a walk, a meditation or just a longer coffee without externals triggering you. For example, avoid starting your morning by checking the news.
Debra’s genius is creating a clear vision for CEO’s and their teams – making that vision a reality. With decades of C-level executive and team coaching, Debra challenges leaders by inviting them to create a collaborative, vibrant, responsible, and joy-filled culture, which fosters highly desirable results. Her practice is shared in a diverse range of industries: hi-tech, wealth management, engineering, healthcare, marketing and more.
Great strategic relationships are what make your word of mouth marketing work. These partners have complementary businesses to yours. Serving similar customers they are likely to bump into people who will need your services and you are likely to find opportunities for them.
So stop walking into networking events looking for your next sale. Instead, seek out people who can be a gateway not to one customer, but to 100 customers.
If you're looking for different results tomorrow than you had yesterday you need to make changes. Sometimes it is a small change, but often it is a significant transformation in your business or in your life. But how do you make those transformative changes? And more importantly, as you work with clients, what is the transformation you will make for them?
Lorraine explored the topic of Transformation with Joe Matz a serial entrepreneur who has owned businesses in Italy, Brazil and the US. Today he works with executives, solopreneurs and micro business owners who want to develop and build a profitable, unique signature program as well as a monetizing roadmap.
So you've been creating content for awhile. You've got blog posts, images and videos. You share it on social media and place it on your website, but that isn't enough, because you aren't creating content for fun. The goal is to generate leads and maybe sales.
In this episode, Dani Hao and I discuss how to create marketing content that actually converts. She suggests creating content specifically targeted at each stage in the buyer journey. That content should drive visitors to a specific landing page, with a call to action matched to that stage of the journey.
About Dani
She doesn't believe in short-term wins - She believes in building brands, community, and real connections. To truly win customers and drive pipeline and revenue, you must first understand them as people. To truly understand people, you must learn to listen.
She started her career in fashion but eventually went solo as a marketing agency owner, specializing in helping SMEs and startups build trust and authenticity. She loves telling the stories of the people behind the businesses and creating larger movements that build a fan base.
Thinking about hosting a conference and wondering about which social media platforms will serve you best. While you should probably have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, each of those platforms is going to play a role at different stages.
For example, in the lead up to the conference, you're probably going to get your best results promoting the event on LinkedIn. This is where businesses come to talk about business. During the conference. However, you may want to switch your energy to Instagram and Twitter for those "in the moment" photos and conversations. This is what Twitter was made for, interactive conversations with conference attendees. And with clever use of a hashtag you will be able to collect comments and content from attendees as well.
And after the event, that's where Facebook is probably best. It's a wonderful place to post all of those photos and conference summaries.
Do you have a personal brand? Do you even know what that is and why you need one? My guest Ian Moyse explains that while the term "personal brand" sounds illustrious, something for celebrities and influencers, everyone has a personal brand.
Your personal brand is the perception others have of you. What they think of you and what they say of you when you're not in the room. These days with social media, it is easier than ever for people to learn about you, good and bad from your digital profile.
About Ian Moyse
Ian Moyse, Chief Revenue Officer at OneUp Sales, has led numerous revenue teams, 7 in smaller firms taking 4 through to exit. He was awarded the accolade of UK Sales Director of the year by BESMA (British Excellence in Sales Management Awards) and was listed in the top 50 Sales Keynote speakers by Top Sales World in 2019 & 2020 . Ian has been a regular judge on the Women in Sales Awards (WISA), Top Sales Awards, BESMA and the UK Cloud Awards.
Your business does not happen by accident. You have to have processes and procedures in place to make sure that everything gets done when it's supposed to. Does that sound a little overwhelming? It doesn't have to be according to my guest Brittni Schroeder.
She explains you are only one person, and systems help you streamline your activities and create processes you can share with others. The systems help you scale and handle more clients and bigger projects to grow your business.
About Brittni
Brittni Schroeder Is a Certified Life and Business Coach. She helps female entrepreneurs launch and level up their businesses. Brittni worked as Photographer for over 10 years. She also owned and operated Mozi Magazine up until 2017. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America and several publications. She has worked in the non-profit sector for over 10 years and recently founded her own non-profit called The Compassion Club. She currently lives in Houston, TX.
In the age of the great resignation, business owners of all size companies are struggling with employee turnover. The pandemic had accelerated the resignations, but if you have employees, sooner or later you will need to address employee turnover. It is a natural part of owning a business.
People will come and go for a variety of reasons. In some cases, there are things you can’t control (a spouse is transferred out of state or the employee is recruited by a firm that will pay 1-1/2 times what they make with your firm). The trick in reducing employee turnover is to focus on things you can control.
Improve company culture One of the best ways to reduced employee turnover is to create an environment where people want to work.
Be selective about who you hire Take your time, even if it feels like forever, to find people who have the right skill and the right attitude. And if you make a bad hire, address toxic individuals head on.
Take responsibility for your team’s satisfaction Talk about the long term, even if it isn't with you. Always be recruiting
Take your time, find the right people, train them correctly and you will be well on your way to reducing employee turnover.
It would be great if the rules of SEO would remain constant. Unfortunately, SEO like most of your digital marketing is constantly evolving, as the technology evolves. In this episode, Ryan Morgan, founder of the digital consultancy swell, Digital and an SEO training program called The SEO Cohort talks about the latest SEO trends.
These days, search doesn't begin with keywords. It starts with a question. Ryan believes the companies that will come out on top are the ones with websites that do the best job of answering those questions.
About Ryan
Ryan Morgan is a 15+ year digital marketing expert with a focus on SEO. He has led organizational and agency digital teams and has a history of driving growth for organizations using SEO.
If you're like me, you've started lots of things that you hoped would become habits. You run at them full bore for a little while and then you lose steam. That start and stop is natural, but it doesn't have to be.
In this episode, Wendy Harris shares tips to make your new habits a permanent part of your routine. The first step is to start with one thing. Making too many changes at once is overwhelming and not sustainable, so start with one new behavior and do it every day.
. Podcast Host & Author Expert telemarketer, Queen of Conversation, and natural chatterbox, Wendy Harris loves helping people to make their conversations count. Wendy has worked in the sales and communication industry for over 30 years, and now uses this knowledge to train others in telemarketing, training them to make their conversations count.
She is the Best-Selling Author of the Training Handbook “Making Conversations Count – How to sell over the phone” host of the show “Making Conversations Count”.
When it comes to content creation, more is not always better. I've been blogging since 2008. And I have a library filled with thousands of blog posts which I wrote as resources for for clients and prospects and because Google loves fresh content. Unfortunately, only a fraction of those posts drive much traffic.
It is exhausting to churn out three to five posts a week, only to have them sink into oblivion, buried under a sea of new posts. So, a few years ago, I switched my approach to blogging. Sure, I still write some new content every month. But the majority of my content creation time is spent reviewing and updating old posts. In addition to reducing my overall workload, I have rich content, which is better for building SEO authority. I have fresh content for social media, and an improved visitor experience because there are more in depth answers to visitor questions.
If you could have a conversation with anyone, who would you choose?” Almost everyone has a first choice and maybe a second, but who has hundreds of choices?
As the host of More than a Few Words , Lorraine Ball has enjoyed the opportunity to talk with marketing and small business professionals from around the world for more than 13 years. You might think we would run out of things to talk about, but living in a digital world there is always something new.
So today, in celebration of those 700 conversations, we thought it would be fun to revisit some of our favorites.
172 The Brand Position - Where do you fit?
561 The Elevator Pitch
494 The Five Most Common Web Design Mistakes
569 Welcome Readers in Three Easy Steps
694 Change Your Sales Process in Four Words
No matter what your job is, sales expert, business owner or manager working your way up the corporate ladder, you're going to have to sell your ideas. The prospect can be a little scary but it doesn't have to be according to our guest Patrick Donadio.
He shares some simple tips like opening with a hook instead of an introduction. You can open with a question or a compelling statistic that catches their attention. Then you have earned the right to tell them who you are.
Engage the audience on an physical, mental and emotional level. Then close with a specific call to action.
About Patrick
For the past three decades, Patrick Donadio has spoken nationally and internationally and trained thousands of leaders and their teams, in a variety of industries, from Fortune 100 companies to associations.
In his desire to help C-Suite executives and all leaders “grow their people”, Patrick has taken his decades of experience and crafted a results-based process detailed in his book, “Communicating with IMPACT”. His process focuses on improving communication, increasing profits, and boosting performance in less time.
Patrick has served on the board of the National Speakers Association (NSA). He is also one of a few people in the world to have earned both the Certified Speaking Professional (CSPTM) designation from the NSA, and the Master Certified Coach (MCC) designation from the International Coach Federation (ICF), the highest distinction from both associations.
As a business communication coach, Donadio works with C-suite executives, leaders and Professional Services Providers to grow their business, improve communication/presentation skills, increase sales, and enhance their community image. As an educator, he has taught communications at The University of Notre Dame, The Weatherhead School of Management, The Ohio State University, and The John Glenn College of Public Affairs.
Have you let your brand become marketing wallpaper. You've said the same things over and over and over again to build consistency which is great but you've said it so much people no longer hear it.
If that's happened to you if your message has become so bland that it's forgettable. You need to bring your brand to the forefront again with subtle changes.
Maybe it is pulling forward a new color in your visuals, or adjusting your standard wording to focus on one specific element of your message. The small change in the familiar will catch your audience off guard and they are likely to start paying attention to you again.
If you have something to say, you may be frustrated as you try to get that message out to the right people. Our guest, Jonathan Milligan shares some tips on how you can rise above the noise so prospective customers hear what you have to say.
Often what prevents people from hearing your message, or taking time to figure out if they want to buy from you is the fact that they may not believe they can use your product or service. If you want to get heard, and sell more, you need to start by addressing this belief and out teaching the competition instead of trying to out sell them.
About Jonathan
Jonathan Milligan is an author of Your Message Matters: How to Rise Above the Noise and Get Paid for What You Know.
He is also a blogger, speaker, and online business coach. He has spent the last decade guiding and directing creative professionals on how to pursue meaningful work. Since 2009, Jonathan has run his own portable lifestyle business online.
Today he teaches others how to build a business with their passion, story, or message. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Charity, and their two kids. Find him at JonathanMilligan.com.
According to our guest, Ryan Sullivan, modern day marketers understand that the buying journey is not linear. so the content on your website should speak to every aspect of the buying journey. This creates a strong network effect on your website as you align your content with the search behavior of your target audiences.
It is important to remember what people say, and what they actually do are not the same. That’s why it is important to have data tools which monitor actual search behavior instead of relying just on anecdotal information to drive your content topics.
To develop really effective marketing, you need to be clear about your brand position, what makes you uniquely qualified to earn the business of your customers. Look beyond the technical skills and product specifications to the intangible elements. What should customers think and how should they feel as they interact with the brand.
Sounds simple, but it isn’t. Being high quality, hardworking, offering leading-edge technology or providing good service are important but they are not things which really set a company apart. Why? Think about it, how often to you hear about a company which offers crappy service, high prices, poor technology or inferior products? These benefits put you on parity with everyone in your market. Your position statement must be more.
So the hunt for something unique begins. Unfortunately, it’s hard work, and many companies take the easy road, trying to combine two or more benefits which really don’t go together. The result is marketing that feels like a giant game of tug-of-war, pushing and pulling as the brand tries to fit into more than one niche in a customer’s mind.
For example:
High fashion, low prices. Really? Is that a sale at Nordstrom or Walmart on a good day? To stand out you need to lead with one or the other. Your focus will attract specific customers and turn off others. While the Nordstrom customer is happy to save a little money, they are unwilling to sacrifice quality. In contrast, the Walmart customer knows she is buying a knock-off and is fine with that, as long as the price is right.
There isn’t one right answer. Both Nordstrom and Walmart run profitable businesses, but they do so by clearly staking out a unique position. What about you? Where do you fit in your marketplace?
You can be good at more than one thing.
Some companies have multiple stories to tell and combine elements in their position statement by selecting a primary and secondary position. Consider the following:
Leading-edge technology solutions at affordable prices. Instead of driving people to your door, this promise makes them skeptical. How do you get to that price? Where did you cut corners? When is the product going to fail?
Rewriting the statement with a primary and secondary benefit it becomes: We research the best technology alternatives and recommend the one that is right for your budget. The knowledge of technology is presented in service of the primary benefit of cost effectiveness. The tech support drives home the cost reduction message without sounding cheap.
It is time to stop trying to be all things to all people. Define your position and be really great at one thing
According to our guest Merit Kahn, it is one thing to be really well versed in what you're going to say to a prospect and how you're going to go through your sales process but you need to engage the prospect.
If you are having your best presentation ever, but the person that you're talking to is not open to hearing new ideas it won't matter how great your solution is the conversation isn't going to end well.
She suggests you begin any conversation by confirming your audience was open to receiving your message with four simple words: "Are you open to" The phrase is so simple, yet so powerful.
About Merit Kahn
CEO of SELLect Sales Development. Sales & Business Development expert. Certified Emotional Intelligence expert. Certified Speaking Professional. Entrepreneur since 1998. Author. Stand-up comedian. Writer, producer and performer of a one-woman inspiring comedy show. Single mom of a teen.
It isn’t practical to drive looking only in the rear view mirror. Even if you think you know what is in front of you, sooner or later you will run into something you didn’t expect. When you run your business simply by reviewing your bottom line, you are driving using your rear view mirror. Why? Because the monthly revenue number is a lagging indicator, telling you how well you have done. There is no preview of the months to come.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it is important to look at your P&L as a score sheet, but if you want a road map, you need to pay attention other business tools which are leading indicators. These numbers tell you months in advance if you are heading in the right direction, or if a course correction is needed.
Closing Rate is one of the Great Predictive Business Tools
This simple number drives your marketing budget. The better your closing rate, the fewer leads you need and the less you need to spend on advertising. So how good are you? How often do you walk away with a sale after a phone call or face-to-face meeting? Do you get the sale 10, 20 or 50% of the time?
When you run a service business it is relatively easy to calculate your closing rate. Simply review the last 25 proposals or serious sales conversations you had. What percentage of the prospects became customers? Once you know this number, you can create plans for improvement.
How do you improve your closing rate? You can develop better sales skills or find better prospects. I recommend a bit of both. Inbound marketing and other tools help prepare prospects, educating and informing them so they come to the table ready for a real sales conversation. And sales training will help you close more of the opportunities which come your way.
Of course, you could ignore your closing rate completely and just spend more money on advertising, but that is kind of putting the pedal to the metal, and driving with a blindfold on.
What is the difference between an thought and an idea. It is not just semantics according to my guest Bruno Pesec. A thought is something fleeting. It becomes an idea when you write it down and start formulating a process to bring it to life.
Ideas are free, but the time and resources required to bring them to life are not. So before you pull the trigger on that idea you need to think about the value of the idea. Who will it serve, how does it fit into your business and what will it take to bring that idea to reality?
About Bruno
Bruno Pešec helps business leaders innovate profitably. He is one of the rare innovators who can claim that he has worked on a regulation-defying freight train and an award-winning board game for teaching entrepreneurship and innovation.
With ten years of experience in different industries—including defense, manufacturing, education, entertainment, and financial services—he has delivered projects that had positive impact on GDP of several countries, succeeded and failed inventing and innovating, and overcame a number of problems and challenges with no obvious solutions.
Has this happened at your house? It is Christmas morning and after your child gleefully tears open a present, finding their much anticipated toy inside, they are disappointed because the batteries were not included. What usually ensues is a mad dash around the house as everyone searches for the right battery, followed by a trip to the store which may or may not be open on Christmas morning.
Regardless of how the battery is ultimately found, the chaos and the time between opening the box and eventually turning on the toy diminishes the enjoyment of that first moment of play. This could have easily been avoided if someone had simply checked to see if batteries were included in the box.
The same is true for many websites. The eagerly anticipated launch date arrives and suddenly there are questions. What about the SEO or social media links and profiles? Why is there still Greek text on some of the interior pages? Much like the batteries, these issue arise because there isn’t clear understanding of what is included in the web design fee.
If you are getting ready for a web redesign, be sure to read the fine print to understand what is or isn’t included. Don’t assume because it was included last time it will automatically come with this design as well. Just like the floor mats in your car, which some auto manufacturers include at no cost and others charge for, different web design firms have different standard packages.
Carefully compare quote details. If one company has a price significantly lower than another, it may be a bargain, or it maybe stripped down version of what you really need. In the long run, you may pay more to add all the feature you need to a bare-bones package.
Avoid the chaos when you know what’s included and who will be responsible for each of the following:
Domain name and hosting: Who owns the domain name? Where will the website’s files be hosted?
Content production: Who will write the text for all the pages. Where will the images come from? If stock photography is required, who pays for the image?
Basic SEO services: This includes key word research, creation of unique titles, descriptions and meta data for each page.
Website marketing: You need a plan to drive traffic to your new website. Setup Google My Business, promote your site on social media,
Website Training: Will you be taught how to make changes to your site?
Maintenance and updates: What are the charges for ongoing support and updates?
None of these questions are deal breakers. You just need to know, before you
Some people think that chaos is a dirty word. But as my guest Robert Raymond Riopel suggests, a little bit of chaos in your life is a good thing.
He suggests that as as human beings, one of our primary functions is to evolve and chaos is actually what forces us to evolve. When you courageously volunteer for chaos, instead of allowing it to overwhelm you can takes steps to proactively change and improve your situation.
About Robert Raymond Riopel
An international Best-Selling author, App Designer, Entrepreneur and Trainer who has spent the past 18+ years travelling around the world sharing his passion. He has also shared the stage with and trained many of the top trainers and thought leaders in the world today.
What is a non-fiction brand? It is a brand that is true and authentic in its reflection of a company. To build your non-fiction brand, my guest DP Knudten you need to start with a hard look in the mirror.
As a business owner you need to go beyond the surface to discover exactly who you are, what you do, and how you do it. Those three things right there which comprise your brand proposition are absolutely fundamental because that's what makes you different than someone who does the exact same thing across the street.
About DP DP has worked on some of the biggest brands in the business, including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Great Wolf Resorts, ClosetMaid, and Georgia-Pacific, and at agencies like DDB Needham/Chicago and McCann Erickson/Atlanta. A writer by trade, he enjoys playing in the intersection between the visual and the verbal, using his NonFiction Branding™ approach to move people—and product.
DP is also the author of NONFICTION BRAND—Discover, craft and communicate the ‘completely true / completely you’ brand you already are, and co-author (with Spencer X. Smith) of the best-selling ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media ‘Top of Mind’, the creator/host of two popular podcasts (The ROTOMA Podcast, NONFICTION BRAND) and is a keynote speaker and clinician in the areas of branding, social media, creativity and culture for groups throughout the United States.
The more you know about a prospect, the easier it is to sell. Asking questions is a great way to learn what you need to know and avoid wasting time talking about your product or solution if you don't know if you are talking to the right person .
So, what should you be asking? Of course, there are the basic question which kick off the conversation. Why did you call me? What are you hoping we can do? What kind of time frame are you looking for? Why now? This is my favorite question because it helps me understand what has changed or what their pain point is. I use this information to match the right points in the service presentation to what they need.
Beyond the basics are the tough questions salespeople are reluctant to ask because sometimes the answers make them uncomfortable. But these questions are critical to helping determine if you are talking to a qualified prospect, someone who has the resources, motivation, and authority to buy from you.
Here are some of those tough, but important questions:
- Do you have a budget for this project?
Many of us don’t like to talk about money. It is a cultural thing. We were brought up to feel it wasn’t polite to talk about money. If you fall into that category (and I do) get over it. If someone is calling to hire you, they know there is money involved. Asking this upfront may provide some surprising responses, including discovering they expect to pay significantly more than you might have quoted. In other cases, they may have no idea, and this gives you an opportunity to give them a price range so see if you are in the ballpark before you spend a lot of time.
The next two questions deal with how important the issue is. Critical issues with serious bottom line consequences are more likely to get resolved sooner. If your product or service isn’t on the critical list, you will need to work harder to keep buyers engaged and move them toward a decision
- If you can’t decide by the date you mentioned, what happens?
Connecting consequences with inactivity will give you a chance to talk to the customer about the cost of indecision and possibly create a sense of urgency around the decision
- What priorities are higher than the one we are addressing today
It would be wonderful if what you sold was the most important thing in your customer’s life. However, that is rarely the case. A new website or a new roof is important, but it may not be the most important thing. Understanding your customer’s priorities will give you valuable insight into all the areas of their business or their life where there are pain points. Again, if you can help them solve the problem with a referral or perhaps a different product or service you offer, which they might not be aware of, it will make it much easier to get them to decide to buy.
- Who else are you talking with about this project?
It is easy to hide your head in the sand and delude yourself into thinking you are the only game in town, but you aren’t. It is hard for me to ask this question because I don’t want to bash competitors, but the information allows me to talk about relevant points of difference.
- How will you choose or what criteria will you use to evaluate proposals?
If price is number one on their list and you know you aren’t the low-cost provider, you have some extra selling to do. Many times, potential customers don’t really have criteria in mind. When this happens, you have a terrific opportunity to steer the decision. Kick off the conversation by saying something like this:
Can I tell you how other clients have made this decision?
As we talk to customers the 3 criteria, we often hear are….
Now you focus the conversation on your strengths and the potential client will evaluate your competitors on the standards you have set.
- What might prevent us from doing business together?
I know what you are thinking, why would you encourage potential clients to think about why they wouldn’t hire you, but you need to know. If the owner has a brother in the business or there is someone who has done their work for years, you need to know that sooner rather than later.
These are my top questions. What are yours?
If you are like me, you probably spend a lot of time on social Media. While these tools are helpful, are they the best resource for your business.
My guest, Megan Brame has eliminated both her Facebook and Instagram profiles. How is she generating leads? By going back to basics, relying on word of mouth, phone calls and email.
Megan Brame is a 5x award-winning entrepreneur, author, and Advanced Digital Marketing Strategist. She helps entrepreneurs develop value-based marketing initiatives that create ride-or-die customers for life. She is also the host of Stop Sucking at Business Podcast
Like many business owners I made the transition from paper to digital tools a few years ago, but some days it feels as if I am juggling too many digital tools. So my goal for this year is to streamline my digital toolkit and make those tools really productive.
To help me do that I turned to Dr. Frank Buck, author of Get Organized Digitally for a few productivity tips and tricks. He suggests:
- It is time to get rid of the sticky notes and paper tasks lists and get yourself a good digital task list. Look for a tool which connects to your calendar and address book with both desktop and mobile versions
- Say goodbye to scrambling for pen every time you have an idea. With a good notes application you capture all those brilliant ideas that pop into your head and come back to them when you have time.
Above all select tools you feel comfortable using.
Dr. Frank Buck
Most people are overwhelmed by the amount of paper and digital information in their lives. Frank Buck makes organization easy so you can increase productivity, decrease stress, and enjoy life. Global Gurus ranked Frank #1 in the world in the "Time Management" category for 2019, 2020, and 2021. His career path took him from band director to principal to central office administrator and now to productivity coach and speaker.
MORE THAN A FEW WORDS a marketing conversation for business owners is part of the Digital Toolbox
Marketing is addicting. You do a little marketing, you get results, you do a little more and suddenly you’re hooked. You can’t imagine your business surviving without the jolt from your social media, Yellow Page ad, email marketing or whatever you use to get your marketing buzz.
Your addiction isn’t necessarily a bad thing if the marketing activities are generating results. Just remember that when experimenting with any addictive substance, there is a danger of abuse. So how do you manage your marketing habit in a healthy way?
It will take more to get high
As other businesses notice a particular type of marketing is working, they will flock to the tool. For example, 10 years ago, average open rates on emails were routinely 50%; even 70% wasn’t uncommon. Today, your readers are overloaded with email as every one of your competitors has jumped into the email marketing game. The same is true for social media, print, radio and even Google AdWords.
When faced with declining responses, it is easy to fall into the trap of doing more. If one email gets 20% open rate, than 3 will give you the desired 60% right? Not necessarily. As you overload your readers, the decline will accelerate as more people unsubscribe. The same is true if you overload your news feeds on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. Share too much, and your total audience declines.
The end result? Advertising overdose.
Like any addict, you have choices. Some will take a little more work, others a bit of investment or simply more creativity, but there are ways to get a buzz without the risk of an overdose.
Focus on a quality buzz
I would rather savor one excellent glass of Cabernet than drink an entire bottle of Boone’s Farm. So what are you serving up to your readers, fans and prospects?
As you race to create two pieces of shareable content each and every day, not all of your content is the same quality. If readers or fans stumble across the mediocre content too often that is what they are likely to assume is your norm.
Step back, raise your standards and write fewer, better blog posts. Spend the money to create one great visual chart, infographic or photo. Now, every interaction with your brand is more impressive. You may reach fewer people, but those who see it will be more likely to click to learn more. Also, higher quality content is more likely to be shared which will help expand your reach to an entirely different community.
Experiment and vary your drug of choice
Maybe you have always run a full page ad in the Yellow Pages, you have been actively involved in three networking groups, or your email newsletter has been a core part of your marketing for years. I am not suggesting you quit cold turkey. Instead, cut back by 25%. Use the resources to invest in other tools and compare the results. Look at call volume, web traffic, inquires and sales. Make rational decisions about which addictions you want to cultivate.
The bottom line
As your business grows, it will take more marketing to generate enough leads to support your larger business. Choose wisely, and you can enjoy the high without the overdose.
Lots of people make the mistake of thinking good design is just a pretty picture. But, as our guest Jacqui Naunton explains, it is so much more that that. And when done correctly can have an enormously positive impact on your business.
It starts with a good first impression because people are inundated with images every day and so you only have a split second to make a statement or create an impression, getting people to stop long enough to learn more.
You need to be confident about your brand design so you want to show it off to others. Invest in the visual assets up front to give legitimacy to your business. The quality of your design sets expectations about your pricing and the level of service you deliver.
About Jacqui Naunton
Jacqui Naunton is a graphic design expert focused on equipping small business owners with the tools, confidence and know-how to create their own stand out brand and graphics. Through her signature program, DIY Design My Biz, Jacqui teaches passionate business owners including coaches, photographers, jewelry makes, VA's and more how to move beyond templates and overwhelm to take the reins of their own business graphics. She also hosts Design Hacks for DIYers, a podcast that helps biz owners DIY designs that’ll help their business thrive (not just get by)! Jacqui created DIY Design My Biz when she saw a need for business owners that weren't in the financial place to hire a designer to develop the skills to design their own logo, brand and graphics. Many were already attempting DIY but at the detriment to their professionalism, client attraction and success. DIY Design My Biz has over 125 students and is growing weekly with empowered women intimately understanding their businesses and fostering lifelong design skills.
Have you ever been to a website that just makes you feel right at home? Everything is where it's supposed to be. And you know, you've come to the right place. That's a website that's was designed with the user experience in mind.
What is user experience? According to our guest Joey Donovan Guido user experience is the positive, negative, or neutral experience somebody has when they show up on your website. This is important, because when somebody arrives, and they feel comfortable, know where they've landed, have a really good idea of what to do next it goes a long way to building trust before they ever ever talk to you.
Websites are very much like an apartment or a house. Things get cluttered with piles of stuff and boxes and dust. And that happens on websites. There's all this noise and distraction with multiple calls to action, and three navigations and moving pictures and elements. The visitor is overwhelmed and may leave thinking, "Hey, nice to see you, Lorraine, but your house is a mess, I'm leaving."
So if you are not looking for a cluttered chic look in your design there are things you can do to create a streamlined experience that isn't cold and impersonal.
- Take a look at your navigation. Make sure you have one and only one navigation visible.
- Get rid of social media buttons there's a very specific reason for them in the navigation area
- Eliminate sliders
Joey Donovan Guido —
Joey Donovan Guido is the owner of Cuppa SEO Web Design, and author of the book, A Holistic Guide to Online Marketing. In addition to running his web design firm, he offers consulting and speaking services based on the principles found in his book.
One of the things I love about living n Indianapolis is the activity at the racetrack. Yes, it is true, I am a race geek. I love the cars, the drivers, the back story and the history. I have a favorite spot high in turn one for qualifications, and there is nothing quite like the feeling when you hear the call for , "ladies and gentleman start your engines!"
Watching the car and motorcycle races throughout the year one thing is obvious: winning teams can't sit on their laurels. If Team Penske assumed they didn’t need to change anything in their setup or engine configuration because they won last year, it's a safe bet they won’t be in the winner’s circle this year. If they continued to hold all elements constant, they would fall further and further behind their competitors at each race.
Why? Because racing is a competitive business. Someone is always raising the stakes, trying something new and challenging the status quo. Not every change works--for example, the 2012 Lotus engine program was a spectacular failure. But if you aren't willing to explore new options, sooner or later you will be left in the dust.
Most businesses are competitive. While the stakes may not be as high as they are in professional racing, if it's your business, the stakes are extremely high for you. So, what are you doing to make sure you finish the race on the podium? Are you:
Investing in equipment - If your PC or laptop is more than three years old, there is a good chance it isn't running the way it used to. Sure, you can clean it up, but you are probably better off just donating it to a worthy charity and getting a new one.
Testing new fuel - I know, it is a lot to keep up with. Just when you finally got used to the idea that Facebook isn’t just for kids, there are all these other platforms like Pinterest, Instagram and Tik Tok. I am not saying you need to be on all of them, but just like the race teams, you need to be testing different fuel mixtures to see what makes your marketing engine run best.
Learning new skills - Even the best drivers continue to train and practice. What about you? When was the last time you took a course, watched a webinar, read a book or learned a new skill?
In racing and business, if you are standing still, you are going to get passed. Make a commitment today to do the things you need to do to find yourself in the winner's circle.
So you want to start a business but you really don't have an idea of what you want to do. In that case, a franchise might be just what you're looking.
Our guest, Diane Pleuss has matched hundreds of entrepreneurs with their perfect fit franchise opportunity.
Franchising is often a good fit, when seasoned professionals think about leaving their corporate roles behind. Maybe they have been downsized, or maybe they just want a change. They have skills and resources and are looking for a future that looks different then what they have been doing.
Some people are looking for financial stability and others flexibility. While purchasing a franchise make be a good fit for both, it won't necessarily be the same franchise.
About Diane
Since 2004, Diane has matched hundreds of entrepreneurs with their perfect fit franchise opportunity, while successfully guiding them to avoid rookie mistakes – at no cost to her clients. As a result, they are creating wealth, making an impact in their marketplace and enjoying the systems already in place to accelerate their path to success.
http://www.dianepleuss.com
If franchise business ownership sounds like an exciting opportunity, let's connect!
Even for the most accomplished writer, creating an effective blog post takes time. This is especially true as the word count requirements have grown.
Even if it is only an hour or two, over the course of the year, that adds up. As you are working on your plan, make a list of all the things which need to be done to make that successful.
So how long does it really take to write a blog post?
- Research (1 hour) – Maybe you are writing from your own experience, but in many cases, you will need facts or data to support your arguments.
- Writing (1.5 hours) – These days your average blog post should be 500+ words. If you have a good outline, you should be able to knock out the post in the time allotted.
- Editing and SEO (.5 hours) – Assuming the post is fairly well written, editing should be just a few minutes. Then you will need time to check any links, write the meta description, and confirm that the headings and titles connect to the relevant keywords.
- Graphics (1 hour) – If you are going to share your blog post on social media (and you should) you will need a strong graphic for each post. Whether you use stock photography or create unique custom graphics, it will take time to select and edit the image to just the right size for your post.
- Scheduling social shares (.5 hours) – If you want people to find your content, you need to promote it on social channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. You don’t need to be everywhere, but you need to be consistent wherever you are.
Go ahead, add it up. A single blog post may take 4.5 man hours (4 if it is a woman doing it).
So how many blog posts do you want to write this year? Even one a month will easily consume as much as 50 hours. So the trick is to look for ways to improve your productivity.
Looking for tips to write better content, faster? Check out our new self-paced Blogging Basics class.
Small business owners never have enough time. There is always more to do than than a day a day it fits in a day's work. Guest, Alex Brueckmann believes a good strategy becomes your system to prioritize rigorously where you invest your time and also your money.
Your strategy starts with an outline of what you want your business to be. A great business won't happen by accident. Writing down your vision makes it clear to you, your employees and your customers what your business is really about.
Writing down your vision gives you a starting point to evaluate new opportunities. Do they fit with your overall plan or are they a distraction.
About Alex
Alex is an entrepreneur, author, executive coach, and board advisor. He built, scaled, and exited companies in Europe and Canada, and led client projects across the world.
His areas of expertise are strategy development, leadership development, and entrepreneurship. His passion lies in helping clients built profitable businesses rooted in purpose.
Based in Vancouver, Canada, Alex speaks on the topics of intentional strategy and entrepreneurship. In his upcoming book he presents a new framework called "The Nine Elements of Organizational Identity", which helps people build better businesses.
Alex is a storyteller with an academic background is in General Management, with degrees from EBS University (Germany) and Universidad ORT (Uruguay), as well as certificates from INSEAD (France) and Harvard Business School (USA).
It often feels as if the world is just a little nastier than it used to be with online attacks to individuals and businesses. Well it turns out that's not new. The internet has made it a little bit more visible, but history is filled with examples of public attacks on professionals, politicians and businesses.
Jason Viovich thinks we can learn so much from how others have handled criticism and negative feedback throughout history. As you put yourself out there, you need to be prepared for feedback, both good and bad. The only thing worse than getting criticism is not getting criticism.
As a business owner, you can't take it personally. You need to take the emotional sting out of an insult and respond strategically.
About Jason
In a career that spans more than 25 years, Jason Voiovich has launched hundreds of new products – everything from medical devices, to virtual healthcare systems, to non-dairy consumer cheese, to next-generation alternatives to the dreaded “cone of shame” for pets, to sex aides for cows (really!).
The author of Marketer in Chief, best described as history meets brand management
He’s a graduate of both the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota, and he has completed post-graduate studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
His formal training has been invaluable, but he credits his true success to growing up in a family of artists, immigrants, and entrepreneurs. They taught him how to carefully observe the world, see patterns before others notice them, and use those insights to create new innovations.
History is Jason’s favorite way to observe the world. He believes the people from the past have plenty to teach us about the challenges and opportunities we face today.
My husband loves scotch and it was on his bucket list to see where it was made. So several years ago, I found myself wandering through distillery after distillery hearing about malting, mash and wort, the importance of good water, roasting temperatures for barley and what yeast does to the mixture.
At first I thought all the tours were the same. Then, I began to really listen to the tour guides, watching as each one puffed up with pride as they explained their point of difference, the one thing which made their whisky taste better than any other.
So which is best? Well that is a matter a taste. Some people prefer the smoky effect the peat brings to whisky, while others prefer the milder flavors which come from steam heat and triple distilling. Our preferences are impacted by the type of whisky we normally drink, as well the food we pair with it.
Given dramatically different taste preferences, there is no way to create a whisky which will please everyone. Instead the best distilleries understand what makes their whisky different. They focus your attention on that element, so as you taste their product you become a believer, too.
This is the essence of niche strategy. Truly exceptional products do not come from trying to be all things to all people. Best in category comes when you commit to finding what makes your product or service unique and do it exceptionally well
Ready to work on defining what makes you special? Check out our Position Statement Workbook
We like to think of ourselves as evolved creatures, but according to Felix Cao the primal brain is actually the place where the subconscious mind lives and that actually, influences up to 95% of our everyday decisions.
The study of neuromarketing looks at how the brain is structured and how information physically enters the brain and use the biology to improve your marketing.
Felix Cao is a neuromarketing expert and business growth strategist with over 15 years of sales and marketing experience. He has been featured on major media outlets, such as The Huffington Post, Adweek, and Authority Magazine. Felix has appeared as a special guest on a major Canadian radio show where he talked about neuromarketing and the 2019 Canadian election.
He also makes frequent appearances on the top business podcasts in the world and contributes to popular publications where he shares the most-up-date insights on how businesses can take their sales and marketing to the next stratosphere by implementing neuromarketing strategies that will give companies the game-changing edge that separates them from the rest of their competitors.
If I asked you where the keys to your house were, might take you a minute, if you're a little bit like me and put him down somewhere in the house, but within a minute or two, you'd know where your keys were. Why? Because it's important that you protect your home by locking your doors and having a set of keys with you.
The same is true for your website, you need to know where the keys are to your website. And the keys are your domain name and your hosting passwords. And all too often I talk to business owners who can't answer that question. They're like, Well, my web designers god, my hosting, and they have my password, so I don't need them. Yes, you do. Because what happens to your business if your web designer gets hit by a bus?
That's a little gruesome, but the truth is that your business success should not be tied to them. You need to own your domain. You need to be responsible for renewing it annually or every two years or or automatically to your credit card. So you own it. It's an important business asset. You need to have the passwords so you can log into your hosting account. Even if you never do you need to have the master keys. You can work with a professional web developer, but as a business owner, this is your website, then you need to own it.
As a business owner you are active on social media to do more than just make friends. You are there because you ultimately hope it will lead to sales. if you want to that to happen you need to do more than just hope. You need to take an active role, using the tools in an effective social sales process.
This week, guest Patty Farmer describes social selling as a process to cultivate relationships that will lead to sales. To be effective you need to approach social media with the customer journey in mind. Everything you share should address customers at one stage in the journey.
About Patty
Patty Farmer is an award-winning Marketing & Media Strategist, International Speaker, Podcast Host, Magazine Publisher, and Event Producer. She works with small business owners, entrepreneurs, & speakers to attract and convert their ideal clients so they can make a big impact in the world, and bigger deposits in their bank account.
Patty believes we all have a message and her mission is to help them master their marketing, leverage the media, and monetize their business in a way that creates transformation for both them and their clients while designing a lifestyle they want to live.
I am a fan of Walt Disney, not just his movies, but his vision and creativity as an entrepreneur. He understood the importance of a clear company vision expressed passionately through stories and ideas, not cold facts and numbers.
When Disney started construction on Disneyland he worked closely with the construction crews mapping out every detail of the park. He envisioned a magical place and wanted everyone who came to the park to feel the magic from their very first step so he insisted they build Sleeping Beauty’s castle first.
The castle was located in the center of the park so it was impractical and expensive to start with the castle but Disney insisted. Why? The castle was the center of the idea, representing all the magic of the park. He believed once it was built others would see the park the way he did and he was right.
So how do you communicate your vision if you don’t have something as specific as a castle in the center of your business?
LinkedIn can be an incredibly valuable resource for your business, but it won't work if all you do is post content telling l people how awesome you are with a link to your blog or website.
If you want to actually drive results, you will need to focus on engagement. Our guest, Sam Moss shared some tips on how to do just that.
- Make sure this is where your customers and potential partners are hanging out.
- Create educational content for your prospective customers
- Assume the audience won't click the link so be sure what you are posting has value as a stand alone post
- Acknowledge comments and look for ways to interact with content created by your audience.
About Sam Moss
Sam Moss is the owner, 1Click Agency, a web design company in Elmira, New York. He’s also the co-host of the Small Business Made Simple podcast
Write Your Goals Down As the new year begins, take a few minutes to think about your goals and what you want to accomplish in 2018. Dream big both personally and professionally. Maybe you want to lose weight, expand your team, launch new products, or close more sales. Be specific; do you want 5, 50, or 500 new projects.
Write your goals down. There is lots of research which indicates even the simple act of writing your goals will help you stay on track to accomplish them.
Visualize Success Imagine today’s date is December 31, 2018. The year is over. You have achieved all of the goals you have set out for yourself, both personally and professionally.
With that picture firmly in your mind, write a letter to yourself. Pretend you are looking back at all that has happened and write about what you did, what you accomplished, and how you feel about where you are now.
Make a list the new skills you learned and the changes you made in order to accomplish your goals. Think about the risks you took and how those risks panned out. If you are running a company with employees, think about how proud you are of their growth and accomplishments, too.
Be as descriptive as possible, don’t just make it a list of bullet points but a story you will want to read someday in the future.
When you are done seal the letter and give it to a friend and ask him/her to mail it to you at the end of the year. You can also just drop it in the bottom of a drawer, and open it up on the last day of the year. But there is something special about it arriving in the mail when you aren’t expecting it that makes it feel as if it is coming from someone entirely different.
I have done this a few times, and as the end of the year approaches, I look forward to receiving my letter and to see how closely I came to making my vision come true. I find myself smiling as I read the descriptions, congratulating myself on the things I nailed.
Some years my own words come back to haunt me as I am reminded of things I wanted to accomplish, but let fall by the wayside. Reading my own words, enthusiastically describing something I felt was important just a year ago, often gives me the kick I need to put the task back on my to-do list. Other times, it gives me the confidence to simply let it go once and for all.
So as the new year begins, make a list of all you want to accomplish this year. Then take a few minutes today and write yourself a letter. You will be glad you did!
Everyone talks about finding your ideal client. But how do you do that? Today my guest Tim Fitzpatrick of Rialto Marketing explains it can be as easy as answering three questions.
Who do you enjoy working with, because why would you want to be in business and work with people who make us bang our head against a wall?
Who are your most profitable clients? Surprisingly, this may not be the people who spend the most money. Your largest clients usually are not your most profitable because they may be taking up a lot of your time, pressuring you on price and asking for other concessions.
Who do you do your best work for, getting the best results for consistently over and over again. If you can work with clients giving them great results for they're going to want to do more business with you. They are likely to stay with you longer and refer you to others.
Tim Fitzpatrick
Tim is an entrepreneur/business owner with expertise in marketing and business growth. He has 20+ years of entrepreneurial experience with a passion for developing and growing businesses.
Founding Rialto Marketing in 2013 Tim has been helping small business owners and entrepreneurs eliminate the confusion of marketing using an amazingly simple plan so they can grow.
Your brand doesn't happen by accident. Our guests Tonya Eberhart & Michael Carr, partners behind BrandFace have created The 3 D Process for building your brand.
Define - In the define stage, start with a look at who are your ideal customers, because you can't do business with everybody. If you try to help everybody, you'll just help yourself right out of business.
Develop - In the development phase you need to start working on messaging and imagery to support the definition phase. It is more than just a tagline and a logo
Display - This is where the hard works comes in to make sure your brand is displayed consistently wherever someone might run into your brand.
About Tonya and Michael
Tonya and Michael are international bestselling authors, hosts of the Be Bold Branding Podcast, and partners in BrandFace, the only comprehensive personal brand-building system across the globe. They have helped and inspired authors, podcasters, coaches, real estate agents, and business owners in 5 countries and 43 US states to stand out and become an authority in their market through the power of personal branding.
Their mantra is, "People don't do business with a logo. They do business with a person."
Why should you care about conversion optimization? When I ask business owners about their website performance, most can easily tell me how much traffic they get in a given week or month. Even if they don’t have the number top of mind, they can hop into Google Analytics, and in just a moment see exactly how many visitors viewed their website.
They feel good if the number is increasing every month. While that is a nice thing to see it is not the best metric of how well your website is performing.
The real measure of web success is conversion. How many people take the time to fill out a contact form, download a resource, or sign up for your newsletter? How many people are you adding to your prospect list, every day, week, or month?
This content optimization process will help you deliver the best content to your readers, and improve your results
Have one call to action All too often I see pages with multiple, competing CTA’s. Sign up for this, register now, and oh by the way, be sure to download this too.
This overload occurs because business owners are afraid if they forget to mention all of those things, they’ll miss an opportunity to appeal to a prospect. But the research shows the more different options you give someone, the less likely they are to select any of them.
So pick one compelling call to action that makes sense for the page that the customer is on. Then optimize the experience after they take the first action. Fulfill their first request, then direct them to new pages which have more offers, social proof, or information to keep them engaged.
Conversion optimization is a continuous process. Over time watch your numbers, you will see some of your content will perform better than others. Your mission is to find the best posts, the best calls to action, and divert more of your marketing energy and more of your resources to those pages. Spend time enhancing individual pages by improving the layout, adding new graphics, and testing different headlines.
When you do these things, you will see an increase in your conversion results.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BUILDING A COMPELLING LANDING PAGE.
If you own a business, you have stress. It seems to come with the job, but our guest Debra Sunderland suggests that your stress often comes from lack of clarity. She says the reason we have stress is because the small part of our brain called the amygdala, often referred to as the ego, wants to have all the answers in order to keep you safe. When it doesn't it sets off alarms inside of our body
The first step is understanding at we don't have to let the ego or amygdala run us. Fearful and stressful thoughts will pop into your head, your brain will automatically move into defense mode as you look at what's wrong, what could be wrong, what might go wrong. When we're in defense when the brain is going bonkers and our muscles think we're at war and someone's going to hurt us. So our body tightens up. It gets stiff and rigid and we aren't even able to really breathe fully. This reduces oxygen to the brain, preventing us from thinking clearly, so one way to reduce the feeling of stress is to take three deep breaths
About Debra
Debra’s genius is creating a clear vision for CEO's and their teams - making that vision a reality. With decades of C-level executive and team coaching, Debra challenges leaders by inviting them to create a collaborative, vibrant, responsible, and joy-filled culture, which fosters highly desirable results. Her practice is shared in a diverse range of industries: hi-tech, wealth management, engineering, healthcare, marketing and more.
Debra specializes in awakening leaders to transformatively solve their upper limiting beliefs, sabotaging behaviors, and unconscious biases, moving them into sustainable excellence and self-awareness. She coaches through the tough and uncomfortable work of removing the blockages preventing leaders from fully living their genius, equipping them with the thoughts and skills to bring their goals to fruition. She challenges leaders to own their results in all areas of life, to be present in the here and now, stepping out of leading with reactivity and into conscious leadership. The CEO's chief purpose is to raise up their teams to practice radical responsibility and curiosity. Organizations achieve their optimal outcomes when they shift out of drama and create win-for-all solutions.
Debra graduated from Miami University, holds a degree in Psychology and is certified in The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, the Integrative9 Enneagram, Corporate Goal Coaching, and CTI Co-Active training. Debra’s work has been featured on Fox National/Local News, Crain’s Chicago Business, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun- Times, and 190 N Television. As a continual learner, Debra is a graduate of the Inner MBA – Mindful NYU program. Her base is Nashville and Chicago.
I have been blogging since 2007. Back then blogging was popular among writers and geeks. I am not sure which I was, but I enjoyed the opportunity to flex my creative muscle on a site called More than a Few Words. Yes, before it was a podcast, it was a blog.
The posts were short snippets of what I was thinking about at the time. Some of the content was funny, some of it was serious. There were thoughts about art, politics and occasionally marketing.
Business blogging was in its infancy and the role of blogs was conversation not SEO. Business blog posts built on the ideas presented by others and encouraged engagement. The best blogs were lively, interactive communities with an authentic voice.
But then came social media, and the most interesting conversations moved to Twitter and Facebook. At the same time search engines started to notice and index blog content and marketers saw an opportunity to use the business blog to drive traffic.
In the transition from community conversation to business tool, we saw post get longer and longer, content become more standardizes and less personal and a misguided focus on quantity, not quality.
2022 State of the Blog
- Fewer, longer more in-depth posts
- Update old content
- Topics only you can write
- Add images, audio and video
Spend more time promoting. Don’t expect if you write it they will come.
DISCOVER MORE BLOGGING TIPS
If you are a small business owner, there is a good chance you feel a little bit like a gerbil on a treadmill. You're running and chasing the food, but you never quite catch it. Our guest, author Matthew Turner doesn't think it needs to be that way. In his new book Beyond the Pale, he explains that many of us think we own a business, but somehow it starts to own us.
When you make a decision to work less, if forces you to think about who do you want to work with? If you have to choose a type of client what does that client look like? If you are going to choose one personal project what will it be? And finally, what do you want to commit to over the next year, two years, three years.
When Matthew made the change in his business he ended up working half the time and earning twice as much.
About Matthew
Matthew Turner is a British author who lives in a small town in Yorkshire, England. Having previously published three novels and a non-fiction business book, he wrote ‘Beyond The Pale’ on the back of interviewing hundreds of successful entrepreneurs, authors, investors, and thought-leaders.
Gaining a unique insight into areas such as mindset, flow, and personal development, and a gaining reputation for crafting compelling stories out of other peoples’ lives, Matthew builds relatable fables for those looking to live a meaningful and purpose-driven life. As well as writing for himself, Matthew ghostwrites both articles and books for other successful entrepreneurs and thought-leaders, in-between spending time with his two children.
We routinely tell business owners that great blog posts are an important part of their sales, marketing and SEO strategy. With so much riding on each and every post, it's tempting to push the sales element really hard. But that is exactly the opposite of what you should do.
The hard sell is one sure way to turn off prospective customers. Think about the late night television commercials that scream at you at 3 am. Instead of making me want to learn more about their incredible claims to lose weight, grow more hair and attract the perfect mate (all for $19.99) those pushy loud ads actually make me roll my eyes and change the channel.
The best blog posts answer questions your customers have about your product or service. They want information and once you answer their questions, they'll be ready to buy. If you jump right into sales mode, you sound just like those annoying late night commercials and your customers will look for answers somewhere else. Once they do, they may never come back.
Business owners who believe in rapport and relationship-building often think of automation as a bad word. This perception comes from the not really understanding how good automation words.
Automation can be as simple as acknowledging a form fill, or as complex as a multi step campaign after an in person interaction. My guest, Richard Wall says a good automation campaign starts with a clear, but not too narrow, customer persona.
The next step is to let the campaign evolve over time as you learn more about what your customers really want. Follow up messages should be more targeted in response to what someone has responded to in the past.
About Richard
Richard Wall is a marketing jack-of-all-trades, who helps B2B businesses deploy and use marketing automation to generate new leads and keep their customers engaged. He is the host of That Marketing Podcast, exploring the world of marketing with niche experts and industry veterans.
Does it matter when you send out an email newsletter? People are going to read it whenever it lands in their inbox, right? Well, maybe not. There's a lot of research that suggests there actually is a best time of day and a best day of the week.
According to studies by a number of different organizations, the middle of the week is actually the best time to send your email. The middle of the week is actually the best time to send emails with Tuesday, number one, Thursday, number two, and Wednesday in the middle.
Th best time of day is 10am. You reach people early, but not so early, that you're fighting with the first emails of the day. Surprisingly, 8pm is the second best time. It seems that right before people go to bed or end their day, they will check their email one more time.
Now these are general rules and they may or may not apply to you. My suggestion is certainly to test different times and see what your readers prefer
You have probably heard multiple times you need to start your sales process by defining your niche because when you do, you can create more relevant content.
But our guest Leon Streete, says just defining the "who" is not enough. The demographics only gives you half of the picture. The second part, which is usually the most important part, is to think about what is going on psychologically with your audience.
Why is this important? When people make a buying decision, they make it first with emotion. So if your message has no emotion, you're not going to get people to the end result. Your sales pitch will be missing the very thing that's going to get them engaged and interested.
Once you understand those elements you can begin to outline a list of things which frustrate them. Make the list as long as possible, because every customer will be a little different. Having multiple pain points will give you multiple messages potential customers may connect with.
About Leon Streete
Leon Streete is the “Lead Generation Coach” and Founder of Business Owner Elevation Ltd, which has been created to help Coaches & Consultants with Marketing Strategy using his unique approach and incorporating Direct Response Marketing. The company is very close to Leon’s heart and reflects both fresh and new ideas whilst actually making a difference both in results and transformation using his 20+ years of marketing experience.
Everyone is not your customer. And while some people might become customers sometime in the future, there are some people who never will. Make the best use of your marketing efforts by narrowing down to a niche.
Then, even after you have narrowed your market and created a well defined target audience, your customers are not all the same. Some are casual buyers and others are rabid fans. There are some only care about your sales and promotions, while others will be frequent buyers, regardless of the price.
As you start thinking about your customers as individuals, it's much easier to understand what appeals to one and may not interest the other. When you plan your next email newsletter campaigns don't treat your entire list as if there were all the same. If you do, some customers are going to get too much information, while others may not get enough, or get information at absolutely the wrong time.
Create better marketing by dividing and dividing and dividing your email list into smaller and smaller groups. Yes, it does take a little longer to deliver the campaigns, but the results are worth it.
Many "would be writers" think they should start with a title and let the story unfold. Our guest, Tina Bakehouse suggests starting in the middle. Begin by fleshing out the content in the middle. Once you are clear on the body of what you're writing it will inspire the title and the flow from beginning to end.
While a good title will grab the reader's attention, the best part of any story is the conflict or twist in the middle portion, which carries the reader along on the ride with with the storyteller.
If your blog titles don't grab reader's attention, they're not going to read your blog posts. While it might seem that people want to see something positive in these challenging times, surprisingly negative titles work better.
Look at the newsfeed on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn. Posts with negative titles stand out and are more likely to be read, create engagement and be shared.
So, I want you to commit to not boring readers with weak language in your subject line. If you start your blog post with words like improve common mistakes tips for success, your titles look like all the other articles on the same subject. We all want to improve, so you'd think these safe titles would work, but they don't.
These nice helpful blog titles are like a serving of broccoli. We know it's good for us, but the Devil's Food Cake is so much more enticing. One of the most successful series of posts, white papers and seminars I created were built around the theme of why people hate your website. The series was and still is effective because the word hate stops readers in their tracks. It is such a strong negative word no one wants to be hated so they pause and learn more.
Looking for other tips on your subject lines? Grab a copy of our Ultimate Guide to Headlines
Ultimately, social media is a human platform. If we can read a story and we can relate to it, we're more likely to engage with that, we're more likely to comment on it, like it and share it. Our guest, Victoria Lee suggests in every single post you create, you want to relate that back to your own experience. She believes those personal posts are the top type of posts when it comes to creating content that gets the best levels of engagement.
Even larger firms can be personal. The trick is to engage others beyond you as the owner. Bring in team members and tell their stories. And don't forget your customers. They have stories and experiences with you as well. Their stories may come in the form of testimonials talking about working with your and the results they have achieved.
As you are trying t bring a personal touch to your marketing, consider video. Your social media video don't have to be slick and over-produced. A simple smart phone video, will bring a personal touch to your story and highlight the human side of your business.
About Victoria Lee
Victoria is the CEO & Co-Founder of 100 Pound Social which is a fully productised, low-cost social media content agency — run like a SaaS company! 100 Pound Social was founded in 2017 and was fully bootstrapped. Now 100 Pound Social has over 200 customers, 72% average year-on-year revenue growth and 52% average year-on-year customer growth. Victoria started out working in journalism then started 100 Pound Social following spinal surgery in order to create a work-from-home flexible job for herself. Today, 100 Pound Social is a full remote/distributed company with over 20 team members.
As you plan your next email marketing campaign don't overwhelm customers with multiple offers. They won't spend the time reading all that text. As a matter of fact, there's a lot of research which proves the more choices you give someone, the less likely they are to make any decision at all.
So if you want to create an effective email, make one compelling offer. Why? Think about kids on Christmas morning. When they see all the presents under the tree they freak out and don't know where to start. So you hand them gifts to open one by one.
Treat your customers the same way. Give them one email promotion at a time that will jump off the page. It won't be right for everyone, but that's okay. Your next offer might be just what they are looking for.
Remember the kiss method. Keep it simple, and you will succeed
Goals are an important part of a successful business, but we often don't achieve them as quickly as we would like. Coach Cailen Ascher suggests business owners take a few lessons from yoga.
They have these wonderful teachings around non grasping, and detachment, which often get misinterpreted, as being blasé about life. That is not the point. Think if it as goals with an open hand rather than a clenched fist.
When we are running our businesses entirely from the ego from our humaneness, we can get ourselves all worked up about stuff that actually then creates more problems because we are bringing such negative energy to it. When we allow ourselves to trust that things are working out in the highest for all and explore that possibility that maybe there is a force greater than ourselves, it allows us to see things with a bit more humor.
Taking this approach Cailen envisions herself as more of a channel through which work is flowing through rather than as the creator of everything. That allows her to feel more in flow, more like a messenger of the work she's doing rather than a expert who needs to meet these these rigid HARD goals.
About Cailen
Cailen Ascher is a Soulful Business Coach with a 3-day workweek, a mom of two little girls and the creator of Success Made Simple Accelerator™, a program that helps women attract their first clients with ONE high-ticket offer.
Best known for helping her clients become $100K coaches, Cailen is an award-winning business coach who has been featured in Business Insider, Huffington Post and Inspired Coach Magazine and has been interviewed on top podcasts like Entrepreneur on Fire and She Means Business Podcast among many others. She is also host of The Soulful Business Show™ which airs weekly.
Her masterminds and teachings have helped 1000s of women transform their lives and businesses with her proven strategies for creating a soulful, successful and scalable business.
Cailen lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband, two small daughters and a spunky dog named Olive.
If you’d like to learn Cailen’s 3-step method for attracting soulmate clients, grab a seat for her upcoming masterclass here: www.CailenAscher.com/masterclass
If you'd like to learn your Soul Business Archetype, take the quiz here: www.CailenAscher.com/quiz
You may not believe this, but negative reviews are a gift. They give you a chance to improve to change your customer perception, and maybe even be a hero.
When someone writes a negative review, they're annoyed at your company, not you, so don't let it get personal. Instead, put yourself in the customer shoes and get ready to engage. Be sure to respond quickly to take control of your brand and the narrative.
As you respond, be sure your answers are well written with good grammar and spelling and resist the urge to respond quickly on your phone. Why? Because autocorrect may make you look a bit foolish and may make things worse.
Remember people often write a negative review because they just want to be heard. So give them that opportunity. Reach out, try to take it offline so you can resolve the issue.
Finally, deliver service with a smile. It's hard when someone says something negative but that's what you need to do. Thank them for their feedback, acknowledge their dissatisfied and do not try to prove them wrong. The argumentative tone never ends well. The fighting escalates, you don't make the person happy and worse. You show other people but if they're dissatisfied, you're likely to treat them poorly as well.
The bottom line, don't be afraid to see it as an opportunity to do better
You spend hours creating content so you may be disappointed to discover that nobody's reading it. But it doesn't have to be that way. Our guest, Jonny Cooper shared three simple reasons content fails to deliver results.
- You forgot the ABC- Audience Before Content. Essentially, you need a clear picture of who you are writing for, before you start writing. Too often we start writing for a general audience. The result, the content doesn't hit home with anyone.
- You aren't tapping into their challenges, hopes and dreams. When you understand those elements it is easy to create content, which engages them by entering the conversation that's already going on in their heads.
- Crimes against the algorithm. This is where you're posting random links to external content. For every social media platform, their number one priority is to keep their users on the platform. So if you pop a post in your newsfeed, with an external link, Facebook isn't going to show that to many people because you are trying to take people off their platform. So post your content, and share links in the comments.
About Jonny Cooper
British author, piano player, international racing driver and business coach Jonny Cooper is the founder of www.JonnyHatesMarketing.com.
Since growing a business to 8-figures and exiting, Jonny’s been supporting coaches, trainers, therapists and consultants who are serious about building their thriving practice, changing the world and enjoying a life of effortless abundance.
His Client Attraction Blueprint programme is filled with eager students every month and he’s closing in on his mission to impact the lives of 1,000,000 professionals by 2025.
Jonny’s Three Pillars of Effortless Marketing provides a template for universal success and growth to any aspiring coaches and therapists, and he’s passionate about increasing the average income across the profession.
He’s also the voice behind the legendary Jonny Hates Marketing Facebook Group, and swears that he really, really does hate marketing.
Ask most small business owners what makes their company unique. And they'll tell you it boils down to the people and the culture. That great culture attracts more potential employees and clients.
Now it's easy to maintain your culture when you have longtime employees. But it's much harder when you have turnover and rapid growth.
How do you hold on your culture as your organization grows? It starts with clear well defined values. And this is more than just a mission statement you put in some obscure corner of your website. Your core values really define how you behave in the marketplace and how you want others to view you.
The values need to be part of your hiring process helping you evaluate candidates who do or don't fit. They need to be part of your onboarding, and they need to be part of the evaluation process as you give feedback and coaching to your
Your values need to come through your marketing material, so you attract customers who you enjoy working with because they are a great fit.
There is a cycle business owners get trapped in as they start to spiral toward burnout. Coach Linsi Brownson says the first thing you need to do is recognize, you're not doing anything wrong. This is just a phase in your business.
This is actually a really great moment to step back and realign the business, by going back to the drawing board and looking at three things: yourself, your business position and your operations.
Are you frustrated by the lack of engagement and results from your Facebook pages? Maybe it is because you are treating Facebook like any other advertising platform, and not a social network.
People come to Facebook to check in with friends, share a joke, trade a recipe or get a daily dose of inspiration. Contractors who invade the news feed with ads promoting coupons for clean and checks or air filters seem out of place in their news feed.
So how do you get people to pay attention to you? On social media you need to share content that is personal, funny, or inspiring. If you focus too much of your content on posts designed to sell, sell, sell readers are likely to ignore, ignore, ignore!
Give People a Look Inside Share photos and short videos of life at your office. For example, I worked with a sheet metal fabrication company who mixed photos of their employees playing paintball and a wedding photo of the company owner along with images of their manufacturing floor.
Introduce new employees. When they share the post to their timeline, your company will be introduced to their friends and family as well.
Share Your History If your company has been around a while, dig through your archives. Old advertisements and photos of team members when they were younger make terrific content to share on Facebook. Annual anniversary posts give your community a chance to celebrate with you.
Laugh a Little You have a sense of humor; you don’t have to leave it a home. Bring a little humor to your Facebook page.
It is not all fun and games. If you engage your community, you will earn the right to share a bit of promotional content as well. Just be a good host. Entertain the guests so they want to talk with you. They will look at your coupons if they have come to care your business
What would you learn in one hundred networking conversations? And how would those conversations change your business? That is what our guest, Chella Diaz set out to discover when she set a goal to have conversations with 100 smart, interesting women.
About Chella
Chella is passionate about empowering women to master their money skills. She helps women identify and release their money baggage, so that they are able to set and achieve their financial goals.
If you think Instagram is just about pretty pictures, you're really missing out on opportunities. Sure, a pretty picture is going to stop your audience in their tracks, but it's not necessarily going to be enough to start a conversation.
Instagram allows you to use up to 2200 characters for your caption. So take advantage of the opportunity to engage your audience through words that complement the photo.
Use your captions to tell people the story behind the photo, invite them to comment or share their thoughts, ask a question or add a call to action. Whatever you do, it will be more effective than letting the picture just stand on its own.
When you collaborate with people you would, on the surface level think of as your competitors, it is amazing what happens You will discover your business is healthier, your mental status healthier and the tips and tricks and strategies that you uncover can completely change how you operate your business.
What about the fear of competitors stealing your secrets? Our guest, Jon Tsourakis believes every business is like a fingerprint. Each business has their own unique way about going about what it is they do. Different core values and different DNA means that not every suggestion will work for you, so you should treat iput from peers like a buffet, with lots of choices.
The other day, I got the nicest note from a prospect, who by the way is now a client. He said "The information you shared was valuable and easy to understand. Most of the folks we talked to try to wow us with technical crap and it becomes so confusing. You guys didn't , thanks!! "
As a former school teacher, I was trained to break complex concepts into smaller, easy to understand elements. It seems that skill is an asset in my marketing consulting sessions as well.
Too often subject matter experts think they have to impress their prospects with their knowledge instead of making them feel comfortable. Why would someone want to hang around you if you make them feel uncomfortable?
As you're writing information, even if it's for a technical audience, dumb it down a little Why? It's easier to grasp the important concepts if the language is simple, clear, and direct.
So what about you? Are you so busy sounding smart that you're running off your prospects? If that's the case, simplify your messages and sell more.
According to our guest, Ellen Goodwin, you can have all the plans in the world, manage your time, block out time for specific activities, but if you have no energy, you're going to be dead in the water.
Without energy, nothing moves forward so today we explore how managing your energy is the actual the key to time management.
Managing your energy relies on the four "P"s: Prepare, protection, proceed and prolong.
Download a Guide to Phone and Cellphone Blockers. The guide is designed to help you block the digital distractions that can lead to procrastination and multi-tasking. Without digital distractions you are more able to focus and get more done with your time.
I always say there are three days in the life of a project give me an emotional left.
When I make the sale
When I send the invoice
When I get the check.
The foundation of cash management starts with an understanding of how much money you have in the bank, knowing when the checks will arrive and how much you are anticipating in the next 30, 60 or 90 days?
Those sales boost your numbers but what will your expenses be to deliver on those sales?
One way to look at your cash management is to check your balance sheet and compare your accounts receivable to accounts payable. That will tell you if you have enough money coming in to pay your bills. If not, you're going to have to dip into your savings and assets.
Cash management helps you identify when you'll need cash to fill a gap and pay bills before a big payment from a client comes in.
The time to try to line up a line of credit and financing is not when you need the money the most so advanced cash management planning helps ensure that you have money when you need it.
There, there's about seven different qualities that are highly associated with someone's credibility, trustworthiness and perception of leadership when it comes to vocal qualities. The research around this astounding.
For example, Duke University did a study of almost 1000 CEOs. They found on the topic of pitch alone, CEOs who had a lower pitch to their voice, had more tenure, commanded larger companies had more perception of credibility and leadership. They also made more money, on average of an additional $180,000 per year.
While vocal tone is hard to change it is not the only element of your voice that can contribute to your success. Other elements, including tempo, which can be learned are can impact perceptions of credibility, leadership, trustworthiness is tempo.
I want to ask you a very specific question. Who were you writing for? Now, if you have a personal blog and you're documenting the days of your life, you're writing for yourself. But if you have a business blog then you are writing with business objectives in mind. Those objectives are directed towards a specific audience and you need to write for them.
So, are are you writing for your customers or are you writing for your referral partners who will pass the information on to your customers? Does your target audience have a high level of expertise or are they primarily novices?
Once you decide on a target audience, it's easier to figure out what you should be writing and where you should be promoting them once they're written.
It's fine to have more than one audience for the overall blog, but individual posts should focus on a specific group or section of your target population.
Looking for examples on blogging, be sure to check out the resources in the Digital Toolbox
There are many elements in a successful ecommerce program, but email is at the top of the list. From simple promotional campaigns to event specific "flows" the trick is to send the right message at the right time.
This week, our guest Ivana Radojevic talks about the four types of email you should include in your ecommerce marketing program
1) The Welcome Flow - a series of emails sent to new site visitors. Emails in a welcome flow generate a 86% greater click rate than one-time sends.
2) Abandon Cart Flow - 7 out of every ten prospective customers will abandon their shopping cart. These emails bring them back to the checkout page.
3) Post sale Flow - This is a great time to thank a customer, perhaps share tips on how to use the product to get ahead of potential customer service issues.
4) The Campaign - These are one time emails with special offers or information, not tied to a particular event.
Want to improve your email game, be sure to listen to the whole episode
Long before I ever worked on my first website, I was developing brochures and direct mail campaigns for business owners. Many of the rules of good copywriting I learned back then, are transferable to a digital environment especially, great content is engaging and interesting to a reader when it's focused on them.
So the trick as you're writing your web copy is to make sure you're focused on the client. One of the best ways to figure out if your focus is correct is to print out your web copy. Then read the content with two pens in hand, one red and one blue.
As you read circle all your first person references in red words like I, we, our company, and even our clients. Then circle all your second person references you, your business people like you in blue. When you're done, look at the page if you see more red circles than blue, go back and rewrite from a readers perspective. The result will be more interesting, more compelling and more effective. Go ahead, try this at home on your web copy.
As you drive down the road, you have to be ready to make small adjustments. The same is true for your marketing.
This week's guests, Sharyn and Hank Yuloff, think you need to stop thinking about your marketing as if the plan was carved in stone. Instead, you should view it as a path that will need to be adjusted along the way.
You need to keep your hand on the wheel, so you can make the small changes to your program as conditions change.
When I started my career, I was full of crazy, innovative ideas which were routinely shut down by senior managers. I grew to hate hearing "That isn't how we do things" or "We tried that and it didn't work".
When I left corporate, I assumed I was leaving the negative energy behind. Unfortunately, resistance to change is human nature.
I haven't changed. I still throw out lots of crazy, sometimes half baked ideas. But the difference is when I hear one of those soul killing phrases, I have a different response.
When someone says, "that isn't how we do things", I simply ask why?
When someone says "it didn't work", I'll ask them. Why not? How long did you try? What's changed in your company since then,?
So I want you tp commit to two things. Number one, you are not going to use those phrases when someone else suggests a crazy idea to you. And number two, you're going to turn the conversation around when someone resists your idea.
It takes a little practice but it's well worth the effort.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners. MTFW is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features interviews with marketing professionals from around the world.
In today's conversation, Mal MacCallion, discusses the common mistakes and challenges of starting a business. He says:
1) If it was easy, everyone would do it.
2) You need to start with a clear definition of why your business exists. Who you serve and what problem will you solve.
3) You need to set your pricing to match the rest of your marketing because your pricing says something about your brand.
You have a blog for your business, that is an important first step. But if you want to transform a good blog into a great one, there are several things you can do to improve your company blog,
First you need to do is think about why you’re blogging. You need to identify very specific objectives for your blog. That will allow you to then measure the results of your activity to decide if this whole blogging thing is even worthwhile.
Some potential goals could be increasing awareness of your company, educating potential customers, increasing customer engagement, generating leads, scheduling appointments, reducing service questions, improving your search position on Google.
Once you identify those goals, you need to also identify how you’re going to measure that. For example, you can look at your overall web traffic, you can look at how often people download information, fill out forms, you can look at and see whether or not you’re having fewer customer service request issues. So as you’re mapping out your blog strategy, think about what your objective is, and how you’re going to measure your progress
According to our guest Sheri Kay Hoff, the trick with good marketing is to be everywhere, but show up slightly different so your message is relevant to your audience.
Customers can smell a sales pitch a mile away, so you need to start a conversation with the goal of listening and helping, and earning the right to sell. It will take more time than jumping right to the sales pitch, but it will pay off.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start your week,
My husband and I took a trip through Central Europe. In the span of two weeks we were in three different countries with three different currencies and three different languages. Neither my husband or I speak Czech, German or Hungarian. But we managed to navigate bus, train and boat transportation with ease.
How did we do it? Almost everywhere we went. The directional signs included simple icons which conveyed their meaning at a glance. As I sipped my espresso in the sidewalk café I thought about how this same strategy of simple meaningful graphics applies to any business, even if you are not serving a global audience.
Why? Because your brain can process images 60,000 times faster than it can process words. Whether you're running through a train station, or surfing a website an image conveys an idea or an emotion in an instant. And so if you're thinking about adding icons to your marketing or website, here are a couple of quick rules. First, keep the graphic simple. Second, create a consistent style set. So all of your icons look like they're part of a family. And finally, test for meaning. Don't assume your icon communicates what you think it does. Show it to people and see if they understand the meaning and the intention behind the icon.
More than a Few Words is a Marketing Conversation for Business Owners.
Why does your business exist? If you answered to make money, you are missing the point. That may be why your own a business, but the business exists to create value for your customers.
As you define your reason to exist consider, the value you create, who you create it for, and what the customer will ultimately do with your product or service.
Mike Wittenstein says those three elements comprise your "reason for being" which can become the North Star, or guiding principal for your business.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation hosted by Lorraine Ball featuring brief interviews with entrepreneurs and marketing professionals from around the world.
This week, chats with Tracy Brinkman about productivity hacks you can use to take control of the chaos in your day.
Time Blocking:
If you have a task, that is high priority make a date with yourself. Block out time as if is an important meeting, maybe an hour or so, and don' let anyone cut into that time.
Stop trying to accomplish 87 things each week. Pick a few top priority items and make sure they get done first.
Did you know that 57% of all purchase decisions are actually made before a customer ever talks to a supplier.
Think about that! More than half of the people who pick up the telephone to talk to you have already made up their mind to do business with you. That's good news, but the question is, how do you get more people to call you?
And how do these people make up their mind before they ever talk to you?
The answer is your website. They go to your website and to the websites of your competitors. They look for answers to the questions they have about your product and your service. They look for FAQs, how to guides, videos and comparison charts.
f they find that information at two in the morning. when they are online, they're more likely to pick up the telephone and call you the next day. So, you need to be prepared. You need to look at your website and make sure that it is your very best salesperson.
Not sure if your website is up to the challenge? Take our web audit quiz to find out.
More than a Few Words is a Marketing Conversation for Business Owners.
Sometimes you just have to jump in. Video is so important as part of your marketing mix, and most business owners are not expert videographers., but that's ok. Our guest Nina Froriep says you just need to start. Jump in! You will improve over time. the trick is to do it consistently.
These do not need to be long videos. As a matter of fact, they can be as short as one minute with one key talking point and one call to action. Relax, and imagine you are talking directly to one of your clients.
Nina Froriep enables business coaches to grow their businesses with consistent and easy-to-implement video content to can attract their ideal clients.
Nina has been in TV, film, and video production her entire life. She’s seen it all from the early days on independent features, to big national TV commercials, corporate mega-shows, and (Emmy award-winning) documentary films, including one she produced and directed, called Abraham's Children.
Along the journey, she met many awesomely wonderful people and a few badasses. Nina has negotiated with teamsters, clients, actors, crew, children, police officers, a few dogs, and one snake. All of them worth great stories.
She loves spending time outside, especially in the Swiss alps where she’s from. Nina’s owner is a Dachshund-Yorkie-mix, called Tigger.
The Marketing Minute is a quick bite of marketing from Lorraine Ball, host of More than a Few Words
You probably don't want to hear this. I'm going to do it SEO wrong. You're spending all your time focused on what search engines want, worrying about stuffing your pages with keywords, inbound links, and outbound links.
But search engines don't buy from you, people do
So I want you to think about SEO differently. Start focusing on content that answers questions real people have about your product and service. If you do that, and you do that, well, the search engines will pay attention.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CONTENT BASED SEO
The world is getting smaller all the time. Today, even small business can afford to compete globally. This week we talked with Wendy Pease about free resources, and tips for business owners interested in selling their product internationally. Did you know that every state offers grants that subsidize the cost of getting ready to export your product?
Organizations, movements, products, companies thrive or fail when their stories thrive or fail. So if you have a deeply resonant, emotionally significant functionally relevant story, then the organization will continue to thrive. But when that story fails to continue to be relevant, that's when the demise starts happening.
This week, our guest Kurian Tharakan talked about the types of stories leaders need to tell about their businesses
About Kurian
Kurian Mathew Tharakan is the founder of sales and marketing strategy firm StrategyPeak Sales & Marketing Advisors, a 27 year veteran of the sales and marketing industry, and the author of the Amazon bestseller, The Seven Essential Stories Charismatic Leaders Tell.
There are lots of cool tools and features that you can add to a new website. The problem is sometimes companies try to do everything; ,stunning layouts with drop downs and rotating and parallax effects,. They think using all of those tools makes the site look sleek and modern.
In reality, what you end up with is a jumbled mess. So as you look at your website, step back and ask some basic questions.
- What do you want visitors to do?
- Does this tool or feature make it easier or harder for them to do what they came for?
Then think about the skill level of your audience. If your market is comprised mostly of older consumers, a simple straightforward design may be your best choice.
Look at lots of tools, and then pick the ones that really work for you. If you're interested in learning more about web design, be sure to check out the resources at DigitalToolbox.Club
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
Every business owner knows an article in the news can be a great boost to a business. The question is how do you get the media to notice you. Our guest Mickey Kennedy explains it is not by sending another boring release about your product or service.
You need to be creative, finding a unique angle,. One way to do that is with a survey that uncovers an unusual data point or piece of information which might be the beginning of a great story.
Another tip is to look for industry blind spots, things no one in the industry is writing about.
Mickie Kennedy is the Founder and President of eReleases, the small business leader for press release distribution, now celebrating 22 years in business. He is an expert at helping small businesses increase their visibility and credibility and he's here today to share some valuable insights.
One of the most interesting findings in this year's digital marketing survey was on the topic of blogging. Fewer small business owners than ever told us they were using blogging as part of their marketing. And even those that do blog, are blogging less often.
Why is this a big deal? Because blogging is such an important part of your internet marketing strategy. It provides content to feel your social media updates, and it helps you build credibility. Blog posts provide a place to showcase work samples, case studies, product updates, and company news. Your blog shortens your sales cycle as it helps customers get to know you, your employees and your approach to solving problems just like theirs.
Finally blog posts give you a steady stream of rich, relevant content to increase the chance that your site will show up in Google searches. Have I answered the question, "why blog"? I hope so.
Looking for more blogging tips and tricks? Check out all the tools at the Digital Toolbox
The marketing podcast More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball. Each week she interviews marketing professionals from around the world.
This week, our guest, Breanna Gunn is a copywriting professional. She shared tips on how to create content which gets noticed and drives results. To begin with she suggests you need to tell a story and make it engaging. Build the relationship with your reader by making it about them and not you.
Your readers are human, and they are selfish and self centered, so they want to read copy that is about them. Where possible substitute words like you and your with "I". Bring the reader into the conversation.
And finally, stop worrying about the word count and focus on being relevant. Engage readers and search engines will notice.
Each week, host Lorraine Ball chats with marketing and business professionals from around the world. This week, Connie Jones, author of WARRIOR ARISE, brings her perspective on how our beliefs limit our success.
We create these upper limits for ourselves fueled by messages we have received starting early on in childhood about who we are and who we are not. And who we are supposed to be. We create patterns of playing roles that are consistent with those messages, but sometimes the messages are wrong and the pattern becomes a trap.
To break the cycle of limiting beliefs, you must first identify the belief, recognize it is creating your reality and chose to change what you believe. Often it stars with simply acting "as if" until the new behavior becomes natural and you being to believe you can do or be more.
Let's face it, sometimes mistakes happen and things go wrong. How you handle the situation will often determine whether your smallest mistake becomes a big crisis
Even if you can't predict what will go wrong, having a plan in place outlining specific steps in case of a mistake will make it easier to respond. This is true in the real world or on social media, where your Twitter or Facebook page can absolutely blow up.
Things to keep in mind as you're thinking about your emergency or crisis plan:
Appoint a team leader. Have one person identified who will be in charge of coordinating all of the public responses. They may not need to be the one crafting all the messages, but should serve as a clearing house for all statements.
Personalized apologies are great, but be sure to create a blanket statement you can use if you start getting lots of comments all at once. Remember if customers have legitimate grievances, the very best thing you can do is encourage them to connect with you directly and take the conversation off of social media.
And don't panic. People will forgive you if you acknowledge you've done something wrong and demonstrate a willingness to resolve the issue.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox If the thought of attending a networking event leaves you shaking with fear, our guest Sean Tyler Foley has some advice for you.
1) Stop looking for your next potential client. Flip the script and look for people you can help.
2) Instead of worrying about your opening pitch, practice some opening questions.
3) When you are asking questions, you have the power to control the conversation.
4) When asked what you do, create a story, not a pitch.
Sean Tyler Foley is an accomplished film and stage performer and has been acting in film and television since he was 6 years old after his father passed away suddenly in a motor vehicle accident. He has appeared in productions including Freddy Vs Jason, Door to Door, Carrie, and the musical Ragtime. Tyler is passionate about helping others confidently take the stage and impact an audience with their stories. He is currently the Managing Director of Total Buy In and author of the #1 best-selling book The Power to Speak Naked.
Every week, Lorraine Ball, chats with marketing professionals around the world. This week, the conversation is about Accountability. Her guest, Don Markland shared thoughts on developing an accountability habit for your business.
1) Accountability starts with you. While you may find others to help keep you on track, you must take responsibility for actions and results.
2) There is no ego in accountability. You must be ready to listen and respond to feedback, taking ownership without excuses.
3) There are four "C's" of accountability:
- Critique Success - Always look to improve on what is working
- Correct Failure - Diagnose what is not working and build a plan to fix it
- Celebrate Growth - Don't wait till you get to your end goal, celebrate the milestone improvements along the way
- Crush Mediocracy - If you are going to do something, commit to it 100%
About Don Markland
Don Markland is the host the podcast The Morning Jolt. He is an Entrepreneur, Sales, and Marketing Executive, Forbes Contributor, and he runs my own Business Coaching Firm.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
Why should I buy from you? That simple question is at the heart of every sales conversation. The question is simple, but the answer is more complex. There are actually three parts to the answer.
Part one: Your answer must demonstrate an understanding of the customer's problem.
Part Two: You must describe how you are going to solve the problem
Part three: What makes you uniquely qualified to provide the solution.
Do those three things and you're likely to close the sale.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
SEO can be very technical as you focus on the the code and signals you send to search engines about your site. But, according to our guest Dr. Ty Belknap it doesn't have to be. The single biggest thing you can do to improve your SEO is write, because search engines love words. Rich page content, 2,000 words or more is what will drive SEO.
That wall of text may look imposing, so break it up. The first two paragraphs are for your human readers, Make sur you have a call to action and a visible divider on the page. Then you can add the rest of the content the search engines want to see.
About Ty Belknap, CEO of Port Bell, has been doing SEO since before it was called Search Engine Optimization (he started in 1995) and has been running Internet Marketing companies since 2002.
Dr. Ty has three degrees in leadership, including a Doctor of Strategic Leadership in Life Coaching.
He is the author of three books: Leadership for Introverts: The Power of Quiet Influence, Timeless SEO Secrets that Search Engines Don't Want You To Know About, How To Get Exploding Referrals Through Networking and co-author of the book Special Edition Using Windows 98, an Amazon.com best-seller.
This week in our marketing minute, Lorraine Ball continues the conversation about building a successful inbound marketing campaign.
Once someone starts to fill out your form, you want to be sure they take that last step to submit the form. But the truth is, people don't actually like to submit. Although that is almost always the default choice when you build a form it is actually one of the least effective phrases you can use. Here are some better choices
Use a word that commands action: click register, go or download
Use language that actually promises the benefit: Get the case study, watch the video
The stronger and more compelling the language, the greater the chance that someone will actually finish the process.
And one final note, keep your call to action, short one to three words and use all caps. I know I know. It feels like you're shouting when you use all caps. But you went to the trouble of driving someone to this page. You don't want them to leave without filling out the form.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
Social media used to be fun and games. But if you're doing it for your business sometimes it's a little stressful. Our guest Tamay Shannon says it doesn't have to be if you know how to approach it.
She says much of the stress comes from the overwhelming feeling you get when you try to decide what to say or how to say something. Business owners also feel stress as they wonder if they are saying the right thing.
But all those questions and worries distract from what is really important, consistency. Even if the content isn't perfect consistency is what will bring you clients.
About Tamay Shannon
She is the founder of W2S Marketing. Where 2 Start Marketing was created especially to serve small businesses. Social Media doesn't have to be hard, ineffective, or time-consuming. Tamay Shannon takes the overwhelm out of social media for small businesses. It can be an integral and money-making part of your marketing mix. She's been in business for over 10 years helping small businesses get the brand exposure they deserve without the hassle.
More than a few words is a marketing conversation for business owners. Each week, host Lorraine Balls spends a few minutes chatting with guests about things every business owner should know.
This week, Kris Ward, author of Win the Hour, Win the Day shares tips on how to shift how you spend your time. Her formula is 60% creation and only 40% administration., because it is the time spent on creation which moves your business forward.
About Kris Ward
She is an author, podcaster coach, and speaker. She is a team building and system strategist and a leading authority in building your business by building your team. She is the founder of Win the Hour, Win the Day day philosophy and she helps entrepreneurs create their WIN team.
Last week I shared a few tips building effective landing pages. This week we're going to turn our attention to the submission or inbound form because this is where the magic happens.
The first rule of submission forms is the more you ask for, the less you'll get. Every question you add is going to reduce the number of people who take the time to fill it out. So only ask for what you really need.
If you're never going to call the person don't ask for a phone number. Keep it to name an email address and start sending them information and you will earn the right to ask for more. Beyond the questions, the design of your form matters. Remember many people will complete the form on a mobile device, So make it easy to access on mobile by left aligning the questions in a single column.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners. Hosted by Lorraine Ball marketing experts from around the globe share tips, tricks and inspirational marketing and business ideas.
With Neuro freedom your objective is to align our mind, how you view the world to create your reality. It takes practice but if you can identify core beliefs that unconsciously drive your behavior you can begin to shirt your world.
Many business owners have money blocks which are unconscious and conflicting thoughts and feelings about money that prevent you from creating your desired level of financial success.
About Dr. Amanda Barrientez
Dr. Barrientez is a NFA - No Fucking Around/NeuroFreedom® Alignment - Business Consultant who helps coaches and online entrepreneurs unblock and more than double their money flow using her proprietary Manifesting Profits™ strategies.
After going from food stamps to building a 6-figure business fast, she's been on a quest to teach work-from-home business builders how to make more money doing exactly what they love to do.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners. Each week, podcast host Lorraine Ball chats with marketing professionals from around the world.
This week, David Trotter shares his formula for creating social media content in just five minutes a day. The key is planning ahead. Take time to look at the month and map out your content. Start with the holidays, not just the major ones, but the annual pet day or donut day. Next think about the big promotions in your business and plot those on your calendar.
Next you need posts leading up to and following those big promotions, and suddenly you month is almost full.
About David Trotter
David Trotter is a business growth consultant dedicated to helping new business owners rise above their biggest barriers to reach their greatest goals. After consistently hearing from his clients about the challenges of creating content for social media, lead magnets, and webinar slide decks, he launched Rise Up Creatives, a membership platform to help business owners create beautiful, engaging social media content in just five minutes a day. David is also the host of the Inspiration Rising podcast with over 180 episodes featuring female entrepreneurs and leaders sharing their experience and wisdom, and his latest book is entitled "Empowered to Rise: The Secret to Embracing Your True Identity, Uncovering Your Super Powers, and Bringing Your Inspiration to the World.”
Last week I shared a few tips on building your offer. This week we're going to focus on the landing page.
The landing page is your opportunity to convince prospective customers to say yes, I want that.
When building a landing page remember it is a single purpose page. Your visitors are not going learn anything else about you. That information will simply distract them from completing the submission form.
A great landing page starts with a clear, concise headline, you want to keep it short, ideally, five to nine words,. Add a compelling photograph and then a very prominent call to action.
Below the call to action, you may add testimonials and additional reasons to complete the form. Then present that call to action one more time .
Be sure to come back next week for tips on designing a great call to action.
More than a Few Words, hosted by Lorraine Ball is a marketing conversation for business owners.
Social media can be overwhelming, because it seems as if there is a new platform every week. So, as a small business owner how do you decide which social media platform is right for you?
Our guest Megan Brame suggests you commit to just a few so you avoid creating Zombie accounts that seem to stumble around with no real life Start with your ideal customer. Once you understand that person, then look at the social media platforms they use and how they would use that platform.
On Instagram, for example, people go there for inspiration and aspiration. They are looking for beautiful images. but they're not going there for education. They're not going there for app development. So, if that is your business, Instagram is not worth your time.
What you should be doing if you have a business that is not visual? Use a platform where it's the lowest hanging fruit for you to be. Go where it's your ideal customer is going for the reason that you are running a business
About Megan Brame
Megan is a 5x award-winning entrepreneur, author, and Advanced Digital Marketing Strategist. She helps entrepreneurs develop value-based marketing initiatives that create ride-or-die customers for life.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners, hosted by Lorraine Ball
In this episode, our guest Anna Parker-Naples explains podcasting can be an incredible business tool when it's done properly. Part of the value lies in the connection that often happens between the listener and the host.
As a host you can go from virtually no audience on other platforms to having thousands and thousands of downloads. The trick is to start by thinking about who to you actually want to reach and bring into your business. Then figure out what you want them to know.
The mistake people frequently make is starting podcasts without a specific audience or point and they just ramble. That's not enough.
Maybe you have what it takes to be a host, and maybe you don't. Podcasting may still have value or you. Anna explains there are two main routes to ROI return on investment. The first comes from your listeners, and getting them to join your email list come into your funnel. A podcast can accelerate the relationship.
On the other side of the table is the relationship that can develop between a guest and a host. Beautiful friendships can develop as a result of having the right connected conscious conversations with the right kind of people. As a result of that, often, joint ventures and collaborations and affiliation start because of the conversations that happen behind the scenes before, during, and after you've done the interview. That's a really powerful thing.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
A great auto response campaign starts with an exchange, you offer something of value to a prospective customer, and in return, they give you their contact information. What can you trade?
The short answer is anything; any information that you have access to, that a prospective customer might be interested in.
Here are just a few examples:
Industry data, survey results and how-to guides. Customers always want to know how other people use your product or service. Case studies also answer those same questions. Consider creating white papers, resources, checklists, and scorecards. Customers are always curious how they stack up to other customers.
You can also create invitations to special events, discounts, or product previews. And one of the the very best thing to offer is something you probably already have , a collection of your blog posts. Sure, they can read them one at a time on your website, or you can pull together some of the most popular posts, bundle them in one white paper and offer them in exchange for contact information.
Curious about what to do next. Be sure to check out the next session of Inbound Basics webinar.
If you are like most entrepreneurs, you always have too much to do on any given day. It often feels like you are a gerbil on a treadmill, because I keep running, but you don't get anywhere.
This week, our guest David Rule, author of Done by Noon. shares some tips on how to take control of your time. He starts by stepping back to the reasons most of us started our business to begin with, FREEDOM.
He divides the conversation in three freedoms, time, creative and financial. We want to do what we when, when we want and not be concerned about negative financial implications of those decisions.
The problem is that life, the world and external pressures, pull you way from those freedoms. It doesn't happen all at once, there is a slow, steady drift. Listen now to learn how to get back on track.
The hardest thing about blogging is staring at that blank sheet of paper trying to decide what you should be writing about. The answer is pretty simple, write about the things that you know that your customers don't. That may be is a little oversimplified so here are some ideas on what you can write for your next blog post.
Start with industry trends. Customers like to know you're staying up on the latest industry information. Share things you've discovered. Then there are frequently asked questions. Dive into your email and find the questions you answer over and over again. Write a blog post to answer it. The next time the question comes up, you've already got an answer.
Do features on new employees and let your customers get to know the people behind your brand. Certainly focus on new products and services. also include case studies and testimonials, and maybe even information on an upcoming event.
Okay, you've got some topic areas, go ahead and start writing and be sure to read our blog at round peg dot biz. Looking for more marketing tips, look for longer episodes and more than if you were wherever you listen to podcasts.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
More than a Few Words, a marketing conversation hosted by Lorraine Ball.
If you are like most business owners, it is a struggle to stand out in a crowd. You can elevate yourself above the rest with a little bit of publicity.
Before you begin, you need to understand the difference between editorial and advertorial content. You can't approach the news editor with the idea in mind that you are going to pitch your product or service You need to bring an informative angle that will educate their readers.
One tip that Tracy Lamourie shared was to look for writers who are working on stories you can contribute to. Where do you look? HARO and Source Bottle are two sites where writers post questions and request for information.
About Tracy Lamourie
Tracy Lamourie,a high profile international award winning publicist, is the Founder and Managing Director of Lamourie Media Inc. a Universal Women's Network 2020 Woman of Inspiration Winner for the Women In Media award and the author of the upcoming book GET REPPED - Build Your Brand With Effective Public and Media Relations.
She is a well known long time advocate on a myriad of important worldwide issues and an award-winning international publicist working across industries from major entertainment projects to small businesses. Tracy is passionate about amplifying important messages and being a voice for those who most need one.
Recognized by media around the world for her 20-year campaign tht ultimately helped free an innocent man from death row to her work getting clients major media attention and for her local community work, she is the winner of the FIRST PLACE PLATINUM award Hamilton Spectator ReadersChoice for PR 2018, Diamond 2019.
A frequent guest on TV, radio and high profile podcasts around the world on topics of leadership, empowerment, and entrepreneurship as well as all aspects of media and public relations.
More than a Few Words is a marketing and business conversation hosted by Lorraine Ball.
Why do business owners need to build social relationships? Aleya Harris is pretty clear when asked that question. She believes relationships equal sales. You're posting on social media to position yourself as a helpful expert, to show you understand the problems of prospective customers. You want to show people that when they work with you, they're going to get quality solutions.
And while you are building that relationship, people want to see a little bit of your personality because people want to feel an affinity for you. People can be hesitant to part with their hard earned cash so getting people to know you, like you and trust you via relationships built on social media is a way to help ease your sales process.
Build relationships by starting from the inside. Many people just start talking at people, but messaging strategy starts from the inside out,. It is an internal process, as you decide what you want to be known for. before you start putting messages out there.
About Aleya Harris
Aleya Harris, CPCE is an award winning marketer and former chef and catering company owner.. She is the Owner of Flourish Marketing, an agency that provides marketing education, strategy, and tools to help wedding and creative professionals get and keep a consistent stream of clients.
Aleya is a StoryBrand Certified Guide. She uses that narrative based framework to develop clear, engaging, and highly converting marketing assets, like email sales funnels and social media solutions, for her clients.
Aleya is the current Marketing Committee Chair and Black Caucus Chair for NACE as well as a WeddingPro Educator for 2021. She is also a top speaker at conferences and events such as Catersource and The Special Event
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
How do you decide which digital trends deserve attention and resources and which don't? So how did I answer the question? Simple, our strategy is explore, evaluate and embrace.
The first part of the strategy is staying ahead of the curve by reading, reading, reading. There's no single expert in the field so I have several websites I check on a regular basis.
When I find something that piques my curiosity, I switch over to evaluation mode. I dive into by reading product reviews and searching for discussions on Twitter and LinkedIn. Then we kick the tires for ourselves to see if the product works the way they say it will.
Finally, we look at how this addition fits with the rest of the marketing program. This is where many exciting ideas get sideline because even if a tool looks great, if it doesn't fit with everything else you're doing, it's not a great fit for you.
And finally you need to embrace and this is where you have to make a decision to go big or go home and admit the resources or don't play.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
Today we are going to dive into local marketing, connecting with customers who are around the corner and down the street. The range of marketing choices for local businesses can be overwhelming. Our guest Laura Cole broke the conversation into three buckets: online, search, and then mobile marketing,
Online marketing: Get your website in good order. This is your online storefront to showcase the work that you do your specialties, your expertise.
Search Engines.: Google and major directories, ensuring that your listings are up to date with your name, address, phone number hours of operation and details about your business. Make sure the information is current and accurate.
Mobile optimization: This is more than just does your website look good on mobile? It is the entire experience that happens on mobile. It encompasses all the mobile tools you can use to reach out and connect with prospective customers.
If you enjoyed the conversation, join use live every Friday at 9:00 am Eastern , on Facebook in The Digital Toolbox
This marks the 600th episode of More than a Few Words, a marketing conversation hosted by Lorraine Ball.
Even if you’ve never thought of yourself as a teacher it is time to look strategically how a course might support your business. Start with the opportunity that is right right in front of you, people who would love to work with you and hire you but aren’t quite ready. Maybe they can’ afford your services, or they are still in exploration mode. A course can fill the gap.
Our guest Jeannie Sullivan advises if you want to be a wonderful teacher, you need to stop sharing so much information. When people are learning something for the very first time, they need simple actionable steps, They need to experience success quickly. Skip the background and deep dive. Put yourself in the beginner’s mind of a learner to recognize that they really only need a small percent of the information that you have available in order to start making real changes.
About our guest
In her own words …
Officially, I’m a coach and course designer. Though many of my clients simply refer to me as the “idea fairy.” Give me a whiteboard and your big dream, and I’ll give you a plan to make it come true. You see, making what seems impossible possible is not just what I do, it’s who I am.
But my career didn’t start out with “fairy” in the title. Right after graduate school, I fell in love with the field of instructional design. Working with Fortune 500 companies, I had the chance to solve problems, launch big ideas, and inspire adults to take action all under the guise of building training programs. A few years later, I became a professional certified coach.
Since saying goodbye to corporate America in 2010, I’ve coached 200+ professionals on things like becoming better leaders, leaving their corporate jobs for solo-preneurship, and designing profitable learning-based revenue streams. I’ve also created training programs for many Fortune 100 companies on topics like Customer Service, Sales Performance, and Women in Leadership.
While I do truly enjoy my projects and clients, sometimes it’s nice to step away. When I take a break, you can find me paddle boarding on Lake Murray, walking through the woods with my Labradoodle (Poe), or just hanging out with my two grown sons, (Sully and Rollins).
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
There was a time when the doorbell rang, you would jump up and fling the door open in the hopes of entertaining a neighbor, friend or unexpected guest. But things have changed. We're a lot more cautious these days about who we invite into our homes.
This can create real challenges for companies in a home service industry. The trick is to look for ways to make customers feel like they know you. You can do this by adding photographs of your team members on your website showing a little bit of personality on social media.
And last but definitely not least, encouraging reviews. There's nothing that reassures a consumer about inviting someone into their home, like seeing their friend or neighbor saying, "we've worked with these guys, and we would do it again".
So the next time you provide service for someone, be sure to ask them to leave you a review.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
What if you could determine who in your audience is your best client in just 180 seconds? With a well designed quiz your prospects will actually self-select, telling you with their answers if the are good, great or mediocre prospect.
It starts with asking people to self-assess where they're at on a scale of one to 10 in relationship to the results you can help them achieve. Keep the quiz short and sweet, and deliver useful information based on their answers
Finally use the quiz to gauge their commitment to talking action to achieve those results.
About Juliet Clark
Juliet Clark is a six- time author, speaker and podcaster who has spent the last twenty years helping authors, coaches, speakers, and small businesses all over the world build expert audiences.
Corporate companies and author/ speaker incubators world- wide have benefited from Juliet’s unique and effective process of mastering lead generation and qualification for expert status.
Juliet’s platform- building process assesses audience obstacles, generates leads, and qualifies leads. This simple technology can be used on social media, from the stage, and at virtual workshops/ summits to build email lists and create conversations that build long- term relationships with potential clients.
Her latest book, Pitchslapped, was released last Summer.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
Social media is all about ego. No matter how many followers and fans you have, it's always fun to see a new follower, a retweet, or reply, like, love or share.
All of those things signal to us that we've been accepted and esteemed by the community. And that feeling of acceptance is really one of the most basic human needs.
When you are using social media for business. Your objective is to make other people feel that way. If you spend the majority of your time on social media, liking and commenting and interacting with others, making them feel valuable and important, there is a great chance that they will return the favor. They will be more likely to like, share and interact with you both personally, and with your brand.
So your assignment for today is to get out on social media and be active and friendly. Don't just like a post; share, comment and interact. Maybe share a comment on one of my social media posts.
Today's sponsor is the Children's Business Fair. Check out this exciting program at childrensbusinessfair.org.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
As a business owner, the most important thing is for people to be able to find you. More often than not, they're going to Google to look for you.
Unfortunately, you're competing with companies that are much larger than you. But you have an advantage if you're a local business,
That advantage is Google My Business because Google plays such a vital role at each touchpoint throughout the entire customer journey. Whether they are gathering information, considering alternatives or getting ready to buy, they are turning to Google.
If your GMB page is there ready and waiting with just the right information, you will have a better shot at closing the sale.
About John Vuong
John Vuong is the owner and founder of Local SEO Search. He helps small and medium-sized businesses rank on Google and dominate their local market.
John puts a strong emphasis on relationships and treats his client’s like family, wanting to not only help them rank but to help their business grow and succeed.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
Since the dawn of the internet, or at least the dawn of social media, there's been this ongoing battle between consumers and media outlets, over how much information they actually have access to and how much they share with their advertisers. On the one hand, we want to protect our privacy. But on the other hand, as business owners, that information is critical.
As Apple and other service providers ratchet down the amount of information available, it will be more difficult to precisely target audiences, driving costs up and effectiveness down. Precise targeting allowed small business owners a chance to get their message in front of the right people, Now with broader , less precise groups, you will have to spend more to put your ad in front of more people, to reach that same number of really qualified prospects.
About Jennifer Denney: In her words
I have been in digital marketing for over 10 years and it’s an absolute passion of mine. I am very data driven and love to analyze data from many data points using various tools. There isn’t a decision I make today without the data to back it up. I believe strongly in the fact that almost all digital marketing gives you the ability to measure and execute with a higher precision than ever before.
Some of my strongest attributes is my ability to take on any challenge. I am not unnerved by something that I have not done before. I’m a true learner and I’m constantly self-teaching myself though reading of articles, conferences and I stay well networked with fellow marketing experts.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
Hashtags. That little symbol that you see in front of a single word or group of words is an integral part of how Twitter and Instagram work. They allow you to group your message with other messages on the same topic, but there is an art to crafting a good hashtag. And if you're thinking about using one for your business, here are a few rules to keep in mind.
The first is to be concise, long hashtags are extremely difficult to read, especially on the small screen of a smartphone. Also, with no spaces available it is easy for your hashtag to look like a hot mess.
One or two word hashtags are more memorable and it's easier for others to jump on the bandwagon and join your conversation. If you're absolutely determined to use a longer hashtag, at least add capital letters to identify the beginning of each word. And if you are using a hashtag for a reoccurring event, go ahead and add a descriptor like a date or a location that allows people to separate the conversation from the most recent event from other conversations from earlier events.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
When I started my marketing company in 2002 it was a traditional agency built on pen, paper, and direct mail. . But somewhere along the line, we became a digital agency and began playing seriously in the digital economy. What is it and how can you take advantage of it? Well, that's what we talked to Naresh Vissa about.
He says the digital economy is the new 21st century economy. It is how business is being conducted and where industry is shifting and the pandemic of 2020 has only accelerated that forcing businesses to think in new ways about how to use technology to transact businesses
You have to be prepared to participate in the digital economy whether you're a buyer, a consumer, a customer, or a producer, seller, vendor, small business, or large business, If you don't you will be left behind.
About Naresh Vissa
Naresh Vissa is a media, marketing and publishing entrepreneur and product launch and marketing specialist. Vissa has worked with leading publishers, corporations, and media firms to improve their bottom lines through marketing. He is also the author of the #1 bestsellers PODCASTNOMICS: The Book Of Podcasting... To Make You Millions and FIFTY SHADES OF MARKETING: Whip Your Business Into Shape & Dominate Your Competition
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Vissa fought his way to a First Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Syracuse University's Honors Program with degrees in broadcast journalism, finance and accounting. He earned a Master's Degree from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
A friend of mine who is an improvisational artist, and a marketer told me there were many things he learned when studying improvisational comedy that he could apply to marketing. The first is the rule of the Yes. And....
In an improvisational interaction, anytime someone says anything, you immediately say yes. This behavior allows you to build on the ideas of others. That's actually how the internet works. If you're looking for content ideas, find something someone else has written, and apply the rule of yes and. Create your own blog post by talking about what they said and add your own information on top of it.
The second rule in improvisational comedy is to tell the truth. When an artist speaks about things that are true to them it is easier to connect to the audience with these shared experiences. The same can work for your content marketing.
So as you're getting ready to work on your next blog, or piece of content, watch an episode of Saturday Night Live to channel your inner improvisational spirit.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
When it comes to content marketing, the process is key. Without structure, you are always chasing the program instead of driving it.
The most basic content marketing tool is a content calendar. The document allows you to plan ahead, and track your progress, building more effective content over time.
There are software tools that will help you manage content, but sometimes a simple spreadsheet is all you need.
About our guest: David Perez
David Perez is a podcast producer who helps health and wellness coaches build their audiences, grow their online presence and find their voice through podcasts. He’s also the podcast host for Audience Coach, a show focused on helping coaches start and run their own podcast shows.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
These days, video is so affordable and so easy to create it should be a part of every small business owner's content program. We have access to powerful equipment and gear built right in to the phone in our pockets.
Your smartphone, let's you make quick videos on the fly which can look really good if you know a few tricks.
- Figure out your audio. Sure you are shooting video, but if it doesn't sound good, people just won't spend the time watching your video.
- Get a tripod and make sure you have good lighting
- Check that there is nothing out of place in the frame, an open window or something which just shouldn't be there.
- Decide what you want to share with your audience, and what actions you want them to take when they are done watching your video
- Have a distribution plan before you create your video , because each platform, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook etc each have different size requirements.
About Matthew Pierce
Matthew Pierce is an experienced instructional designer, training manager, speaker, and multimedia creator. He currently managers training and development at TechSmith Corporation (creators of Snagit and Camtasia), including overseeing instructional design, documentation, training, and technical support. He also has experience leading and managing the social media, video, Public Relations groups at TechSmith.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
Real branding is so much more than just your logo, business card and letterhead. A real company brand encompasses what you want people to think and feel about your brand. And so beyond the color and logo, there's also messaging and tone, and how your brand is extended not just on your website and in print, but in social media, and even public interactions.
All of this helps you and your employees answer that question, what do you do and how do you do it? It is fairly easy to keep your brand consistent when your company only consists of two or three people. But what happens when you continue to grow to 10, 20 or even 100 people? How do you ensure your brand is still presented consistently.
You will need a solid brand standard document that everyone has a copy of. You will need to train every time you get a new employee so that they understand your brand. And finally you need to pick a brand champion, someone who owns that identity and helps other employees implement it.
Looking for help building your brand kit? You will find lots of branding resources in the Digital Toolbox. Check it out today!
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox
As a business owner, your relationship with your employees and customers is core to being effective in your role. Those relationships actually start with understanding who you are as a person. That's why like Myers Briggs and DISC Profiles are so helpful.
But there are other tools, and in this episode we dive into Enneagram types. These types are based on a personality test where you are asked a series of thought provoking, situational questions. Your results are a number one through nine each connected to a different Enneagram profile.
About Megan Wendholt
Megan is the new chief of staff at Roundpeg. In that role she's in charge of all things HR from hiring and recruiting to onboarding and office management. Her job also puts her in a position to be a driving force behind team wellness the part of her job she loves the most.
The time she spends every day meeting with the team, checking in on their physical and mental wellness, looking at team culture, and figuring out how she can help make life easier on the team gives her the much-appreciated chance to bond with the team.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
Our guest, Thomas Libby spends a lot of time on LinkedIn. And the time pays off, because he uses the platform to help people get to know, like and trust him. Why isn't it effective for everyone?
Often it is because they treat it like a platform and not a chance for a conversation. for example, you wouldn't walk up to somebody on the street or walk into a meeting and immediately launch into a sales pitch about a new wonderful, bright, shiny object you are selling.
Too many people try that approach on LinkedIn. Immediately after connecting, the first message you get from them is that look at this bright, shiny object that we're selling, are you interested in it? They forget there should be some foundational work done there.
Instead of launching into a sales pitch, try offering something of value. like sharing a resource or asking a question.
About Thomas Libby
Tom is a seasoned Sales VP and Business Development Executive. He is a Co-Founder of the SmarketingConnect.com and also the CEO of Diversified Sales Solutions, Inc., a firm that provides outsourced sales solutions. Getting Sales strategy right is part vocation, part mission for Tom.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week
Generation Z, those people born after 1996 make up 1/3 of the US population. And even now they have a buying power of $44 billion. This generation grew up with technology and social media, so as you look forward, you need to build a sales model and marketing channel that keeps that in mind,
They tend to be less willing to share information less likely to pick up the telephone and call you and more likely to want to do everything online. If you're in consumer services, you're going to see the impact of this generation in the early 20s. If you're in more durable products like homes and automobiles, it may be a few more years, but the time is coming when this customer and their buying habits will drive your business.
You can start thinking about it now. Or you can wait until it's too late.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
I love a good story. I love to listen to a good story and tell one. Stories are a valuable element in building your personal brand, marketing your business, and as you will discover today, they can add value in your sales process too.
As our guest Tom Jackobs explains your need two types of stories in your sales process. The first is your personal story which explains why you do what you do and the second is a story of results. How you helped someone achieve their goal.
About Tom Jackobs
Tom Jackobs is known as the Impact Pilot for helping business owners sell their services better through public speaking training and a unique sales process which incorporates questions that sell and stories that sell.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Just like a professional athlete, every salesperson knows it is always easier to sell if you have a home court advantage. If a customer will come to your office or showroom, you’ve already scored the first point.
But if you are in the plumbing, roofing, electrical or home remodeling business, it is rare for you to have a chance to sell on your turf. You are almost always in the customer's home, where they are most comfortable, and you aren’t.
So how do you level the playing field? Start with information such as your brochures, web content and emails to move the game to a more neutral setting.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
As a small business owner, particularly if you are in a service industry, like coaching or consulting your build practice one customer at a time. If you want to grow your business, you have to find ways to break through the capacity constraints of a business that revolves solely around you.
This week we chatted with Molly Mandelberg on how to leverage your skill set and expand from one to one services to group programs and online courses.
Molly Mandelberg is the Founder of Wild Hearts Rise Up and Creator of Magnetic Influencer Collective. As a tech-savvy strategist, Molly supports coaches, healers, and emerging thought-leaders to expand their outreach, so they can connect with more people, and make more money with less time spent
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
If you've spent any time at all on the internet, you've landed on 404 page telling you the page you requested cannot be found. There are usually instructions to try refining your search or use the navigation above to locate the post.
If that's what the message looks like on your 404 page you are missing a terrific sales opportunity. Instead of a simple 404 message, provide helpful information like buttons or a navigation panel to help them get back into the flow.
If you come to the 404 page on the Roundpeg website we actually have full navigation and a list of current blog posts along with a fun image of Benny our office cat. We want to make sure that people who get a little bit lost. to enjoy the trip.
If you'd like to learn more about spicing up your 404 page, reach out to us at Roundpeg.biz
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
If you are like most business owners you want your website to be attractive and functional. This week we chatted with Wayne Mullins about the top three reasons your website isn't doing anything to actually grow your business and his simple formula to improve your site. (3:53)
3- You have three seconds to grab the attention of your visitor.
5 - Every page on your website must answer five questions to be effective.
3 - Every page us built on the foundation of the three cs: contrast, composition and content.
About Wayne
Wayne Mullins is the founder and CEO of Ugly Mug Marketing. Over the past 20 years, he has scaled multiple companies and helped hundreds of entrepreneurs do the same with their companies. Wayne’s work directly influences more than one hundred thousand entrepreneurs annually through his blog, books, and training programs. Wayne has personally worked with clients in over 100 industries - from every corner of the globe. And through his books and training programs, Wayne directly influences more than quarter million entrepreneurs each year.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Social media is about engagement. This is something businesses forget when they start to use it as a broadcast tool. Just because you're posting information out there doesn't mean that anyone is actually paying attention.
So one of the most important things you can do to get the most out of your social media is to pay attention to your engagement numbers. Are people liking, sharing and commenting on your content? Are they interacting with you?
If they're not, it's a good time to stop and change your approach. Create more content designed to engage people. Ask questions, comment on content other people are sharing. If you do that, and you still aren't getting the response you are hoping for, it is possible that you're trying to talk to the wrong audience.
While Facebook has the most monthly active users, your product may or may not fit there. As you're planning your strategy and evaluating your results look at who's on the platform and decide if this is the right place for you to be talking about your business.
If you'd like to learn more about starting your social media strategy, be sure to hop over to the Digital Toolbox
When it comes to generating leads from LinkedIn, our guest Susan MacConnell thinks most people make several critical mistakes.
1 - Trying to connect with everybody. Instead you should clearly define your target and search for people who match.
2 - Taking the same approach to everyone with a generic greeting message as you reach out. But everyone is different spend a little time to learn something about them and use that piece of information in your initial message
Susan MacConnell
Susan is a LinkedIn & sales performance coach & CEO The Client Hunter and President of Diversified Sales Solutions and Smarketing CONNECT. She is the go-to expert for professionals, who are looking for an efficient and customized way to acquire more premium clients and referral partners without being spammy gross or plain to salesy.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Every time I turn around, there's some new, cool, interesting marketing tool. But who has time to test them all? So if you are like me, and you have limited time and want to get the biggest bang for your marketing buck the best thing to do is to go back to the basics.
Start with your website. It is your digital home base. Everything you do online should run through your website, email marketing, online advertising, and social media. Because your website is so important, it is critical that you are well represented with a strong great looking website.
To do that, you should consider blowing up your outdated design. Trade it in for one with a more modern design and updated information. It should be more user friendly and conducive to starting conversations.
If you're looking for some inspiration, check out the Roundpeg web design portfolio
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
As a business owner, sometimes it is hard to figure out where your business ends and you begin. It can be challenging to create a separation between your identity and your business, but it is incredibly important for your health and the health of your business.
Our guest Michael Reynolds says that too often, small business owners feel as if their identity is their business. They work long hours, often sacrificing family and personal priorities for the business. Customer feedback and the success or problems they have in their business, become tightly integrated with their personal kind of mental state.
Not only is this a challenge day to day, but this lack of separation also prevents you from thinking and planning for your end game.
About Michael Reynolds
Michael is a parallel entrepreneur and former digital marketing agency owner. After owning a digital agency for 23 years, he founded and co-founded four new businesses (including Elevation Financial) Since selling his agency in 2018, he has had the time to focus on new ventures and grow his advisory firm.
He is also the host of a weekly personal finance podcast called Wealth Redefined®
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
You are not charging enough for your products. If you are like most business owners you make the mistake of looking at your competitors for guidance on pricing. Unfortunately, they probably don't know any more about pricing than you do.
Why don't business owners charge more for their products and services? Usually it is fear that holds them back.
About Robin Waite
Robin Waite is the founder of Fearless Business, a Business Accelerator for Coaches, Consultants and Freelancers.
From 18 years old until 22, Robin worked as a systems analyst for a medical device company. Putting systems into play, Robin increased e efficiency and decreased cost, helping to make the company 50% more profitable. For the next decade, Robin ran a successful marketing agency, serving over 250 clients. He delivered workshops and masterclasses to over 1,000 business owners on subjects including marketing, product architecture, pricing, websites and more.
Now Robin helps other coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs, offering insights on Product Architecture, Pricing Your Products and Sales. With fearless goal setting and accountability, Robin’s program is turning dreams into reality for clients around the world helping them to double their income and more."
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Are you hanging out next door? I don't mean, are you visiting your neighbors. I am talking about the social media platform Next Door. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, Next Door is a location based message board which allows neighbors to post information. You can see information on garage sales , lost pets and neighborhood news.
The catch? it will display information only from people who are in your neighborhood or surrounding neighborhoods so you won't see information posted by your mother if she lives in another state.
You can list your business on Next Door. But the pages work more like Yelp than Facebook. There are no friends or followers. Consumers can give you recommendations and comments but there are very strict policies about commercial businesses posting into the newsfeed.
Right now the advertising options are very limited and they are very expensive. So you are probably wondering if you can't post status updates and you can't advertise should you be on next door? If you have a consumer based service, you should at least establish a beachhead, get involved and start looking at how the platform works. As it grows you need to be on the leading edge. Looking For more helpful tools. Be sure to check out all resources Digitaltoolboxin.com
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
You work hard to build your email list and it is painful to see your subscribers leave, but that is part of the natural cycle of email marketing. Why do they leave? Our guest Emily McGuire says it boils down to one of three simple reasons.
- There's the natural sort of progression of interest in your brand. Maybe they have purchased your product or no longer need your product. In that case your messages are no longer relevant.
- There's also the content overwhelm. These days our inboxes are flooded. So if you are contributing to that flood without adding real value your readers are going to unsubscribe.
- Your readers feel tricked. They signed up to receive one thing, then you send them a string of unrelated pieces of content. This happens when we hyper focus on the open rate as the baseline metric
Want to improve your open rate? Be sure to grab a copy of Emily's Action Guide: Boost Your Email Open Rates ASAP
About Emily McGuire
Emily McGuire is the Owner and Chief Email Marketer at Flourish & Grit: an email marketing and automation studio. She helps businesses uncover hidden revenue in their email lists by pairing a business' unique customer journey and high-converting copywriting.
With lessons learned over a decade in tech and e-commerce, sending thousands of email campaigns, and earning clients over $80 million in email campaign revenue, Emily loves sharing the time-tested strategies of email marketing done well.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball
Everyone wants to do more than just work in their business. The challenge for small business owners is how to find the time to get everything done? Sagan Morrow explains that energy management is truly at the root of effective time management.
She says: "So often, we will look at our schedules, and we'll look at our tasks. And we'll think, Okay, this takes me an hour to do this particular task. But we don't really take into account does this particular task, drain my energy? "
If a task, even a short one is an energy drain then you won't have the space, capacity, or bandwidth to do more afterwards. I If you take into account personal energy levels, so you're not getting too tired or exhausted or burned out, you will be able to be more creative as you manage time more effectively.
About Sagan
Sagan Morrow teaches busy, time-crunched solopreneurs how to build their own successful home-based businesses—without the overwhelm—through her online courses and business resources at SaganMorrow.com. She specializes in productivity tips and action-oriented strategic planning for multi-passionate creatives.
Sagan has over a decade of experience as a freelance writer and editor and hosts the Indie Author Weekly podcast. When she isn’t teaching solopreneurs or doing freelance work for her own clients, Sagan writes romance novels.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Google ads are expensive. So if you're going to make the investment, be sure you're ready to engage and impress visitors and capture leads which result from the campaign.
If you're driving visitors to your homepage, you're wasting your money, you've already attracted the attention of the customer who had a very specific need. They selected you because your ad promised to answer the question or fulfill their request. And so you need to build custom landing pages for every single ad.
What makes a good landing page? There are three things. First deliver what you promise, this is not a time to bait and switch. If the ad promised a free coupon, make sure that's the first thing visitors see. The second thing is focused content, your ad promised one thing so keep the rest of the content on the page tightly focused on that topic. This is not your chance to tell customers everything you do, but to impress the visitor with your expertise in that one thing. And finally, have a clear call to action, have something for the visitor to do.
You paid for them to come to your website, make their visit worth your investment.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Introduced in September 2020, LinkedIn Stories offers entrepreneurs to step out from behind their logo. It gives them a way to share their story in a really real way. bringing attention to company pages as we focus more attention on the personal pages.
This mobile only application, like the Instagram counterpart creates content that is only available for 24 hours. So you will probably want to use content that may also be published elsewhere. Be sur to take advantage of the swipe option to drive more traffic to your site.
About Karlyn Ankrom
Karlyn Ankrom is the founder of the Fan Firestarter Framework, a new approach to social media marketing made specifically for businesses “tempted to fake their own death and flee to Tahiti at the mere thought of content creation.”
Ankrom developed her user-friendly strategy after working for a decade with a variety of brick and mortar businesses who were decidedly social allergic, as she calls it, not because they didn’t want to do social media, but because they were intimidated by it.
In response, her new system helps newbies get on the fast track to “unsucking their social media” in just one hour per week.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Video Marketing used to be expensive. You had to hire a professional videographer, you needed to block out half a day for filming and at least that much for editing. Granted, the finished product was slick and professional, but out of date too quickly and out of reach for most small businesses.
That was before everyone had a cheap digital camera built into their phone. Today, even small business owners with limited budgets can consider adding video marketing to their toolkit.
Not sure if video is for you? Facebook Live is an awesome way to experiment with video in a very low risk environment. If you're going to try Facebook Live or any do it yourself video, here are a few things to keep in mind. Number one, get a tripod. No one can really hold a camera steady for more than a few seconds. Invest in a microphone with an extension cord. This is especially important if you're shooting two people and have to stand a little further back. Reduce the echo if you're shooting in a conference room with lots of hard surfaces. Use blankets to cover some of the hard surfaces and create a warmer sound and pay attention to your lighting.
Video is easy and can be an incredibly effective way to deliver your message.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
When someone subscribes to your email list your first communication set the tone for the relationship your hope to create. Our guest Monica Snyder describes a series of three simple emails that welcome and engage readers.
Email #1 - Provide the link to the resource they were looking for a just a little bit about you.
Email #2 - Did you find value in the content. Please hit reply to let me know you got the resource. This reply request is key to the success of your program.
Email #3 - This only goes to the people who respond. It is very short and very personal.
About Monica Snyder
Monica Snyder is a business & marketing strategist that helps entrepreneurs, experts, and authors systemize customer experiences that build relationships and generate revenue.
Want to put the 3-part email welcome sequence into practice? Download Monica's free gift to help people increase their email open rates immediately.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
What will you do when Facebook is gone? Now I'm not trying to spread fear and panic and I don't expect that the platform will disappear overnight. But let's face it, technology changes, platforms change and so do fads and trends. At some point, Facebook will diminish. I mean, a decade ago, everyone thought that AOL was the be all end all. And the answer to the question is actually simpler than you imagine.
While social media platforms are important, the one constant in your business is your website. And so while you will continue to share content on Facebook and other social media platforms, remember to be cultivating your community and driving them to your website and to your email list.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
There are five keys to a good collaboration:
- Look for other businesses in your niche. They don’t need to do exactly what you do. In fact it is best if you provide slightly different, but complimentary services
- Define a clear goal for the collaboration .Be sure the goal brings value to all the collaboration partners.
- Look for collaboration partners with the right skills and the right energy.
- Clarity and clear communication between all the partners is critical for success of your joint venture.
- It is essential that everyone involved is willing to commit to the actions required to make the project successful.
About our guest Henriette Danel
Henriette Danel is a strategic business coach and the host of the Entrepreneurial Success podcast. She is focused on helping service-based business owners attract more clients and grow.
In her own words:
Born in South Africa, I always knew I’d be a Successful Entrepreneur. She has a unique ability is to take complicated strategies, dissect them and put it together in such a way, that’s easier to understand & implement. And because of this, her clients receive easy to follow guidance on what they need to do, to attract high paying clients continuously
Her motto: “Nothing will happen, unless YOU make it Happen!”
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Does your home page include a compelling call to action?
What do you want people to do when they come to your website? That sounds like a simple question, but the answer is often very complicated. Why? Because if you're like most businesses, you have multiple objectives for your website, but you only have one first impression.
So what message and what call to action should get the top spot. One of the best ways to figure this out is to look for inspiration from your competitors.
Look for companies who provide a service similar to yours. See how they use specific words to connect with their audience, as they present a unique value proposition and a logical next step.
See if you can figure out who their ideal clients are based on the wording they choose and then go back and look at your website. How well do you speak directly to the people you want as customers?
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
According to Andrea Petrone, attracting clients starts with three simple steps.
- Define you niche. Don't try to sell to everyone. Find the people who are most likely to want your services
- Get to know your niche really well. How are they being impacted by current events. What are their fears and frustrations? If you take the time to really understand their world, you are in a better position to offer solutions.
- "Over-deliver value. Become a resource and customers will come to rely on you.
About Andrea
For the past 20 years, he has helped small and medium-size consulting firms and B2B organizations to build and scale their business. He has been in the trenches, running successful consulting firms during economical crisis.
He is a Certified Executive and Business Coach, Facilitator, Professional and Keynote Speaker, li. I live in London, UK.
He works with professional service and consulting firm owners and executives who want to navigate through the storm and accelerate success, get more traction and grow their firm so they can have a more sustainable and profitable business.
Today I want to talk about what a customer is worth because I think all too often business owners look at what a customer's spending today and see that as the only value of that customer. But if you're in a business where customers come back time and time again, you need to look at the total picture, the long term value of that customer.
If that customer stays with you three or five years, there is additional sales revenue with out the sales expense, but there is more. When a customer really knows and loves you, they are more likely to be willing to talk about you to their friends and their families This goodwill has the potential to create multiple new opportunities.
So as you start thinking about how much you can afford to spend, to generate leads you need to think about what that customer is really worth to your business.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Where does marketing end and sales activity begin? These days, the line is a little fuzzy as both teams rely on digital tools to attract prospects and close sales.
This week, Kyle Hammer shares some ideas on how these two groups can improve their results by engaging in active listening to customers, to the market and to each other.
About Kyle Hammer
Kyle is a sales and marketing veteran with a deep understanding of strategy, digital marketing execution, and using technology to enhance brand impact. A hands-on leader with passion for solving business challenges with process, operations, and technology.
If you’re like many business owners, you started your company to do something you enjoyed. Maybe you were a chef and you started a restaurant, or a doctor who wanted to take care of people, or a marketer who enjoyed the creative challenge of engaging customers with a product. Whatever it was, you started your company to do that thing.
Along the way, you figured out you also had to do sales, bookkeeping, human resources, and dozens of other tasks which take time out of your day and your week. So how much time do you really spend doing what you set out to do? It’s unlikely that 100% of your day is comprised with things that you love. At some point, you have to deal with an unhappy employee, preparing paperwork for your accountant, or calling clients who are behind in payments.
But if your day is primarily taken up with things that you’d rather not do, you’re heading for burnout. And you need to recognize the warning signs and reverse course, because life is too short. Maybe you need to change your business model. Maybe you need to delegate or outsource some of your services, but build into your planning process, a way to get back to what you love.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
You have only a few moments to make that great first impression and you won't stand out by sounding like everyone else. You need to find a way to be first, best or different. And if you choose different, make sure your point of difference is actually relevant to your customer.
Beyond that first impression, our guest Mike Verret explains that your words will have an effect on others, so choose them carefully.
About Mike Verret
Mike solves problems that plague small businesses by giving them a unique perspective of what he sees in their goals. He believes that any marketing message is wrong if it doesn’t speak to us in normal human terms. And he thinks that corporate language is absolutely nuts. Who “ideates?” We think. We don’t have “Key Performance Indicators.” We have goals.
Business forgets to be human. Mike understands how consumers think, and he helps businesses avoid the risk of losing their Humanity!
The marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features brief marketing tips and conversations with professionals from around the world.
Okay, so you’ve launched your new website and everything’s great. It looks wonderful. But you’ve noticed that you’re not getting a lot of traffic. You probably did some basic SEO when you first launched the site, now’s a great time to continue to build on that foundation by adding blogs and additional landing pages.
These new pages don’t increase just the size of your website. They provide additional content and give you an opportunity to focus on niche topics to attract the attention of search engines. You’re not going to win competing against giant national and international corporations on mega keywords. But what you can do is go down these really narrow rabbit holes and focus on a niche topic to create a custom landing page. When you can focus in on a niche topic and control that keyword, you can win the battle for SEO, and drive great traffic to your website.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Before you can create an irresistible offer, you have to have a clear picture of your ideal client. Without that target your marketing and your offer are unfocused. Once you figure out who you're serving and what they want, you can begin creating offers just for them.
The offer might be a brief coaching session or audit, a quiz or workbook. The goal is to create something which demonstrates your expertise, provides real value and leaves the prospective customer wanting more!
About Diane
Diane Agudelo is a Master Transformational Coach & marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs in the coaching space. Her years of experience in corporate sales have allowed her to hone her skills and teach others how to be successful on their own. Her specialty is helping clients align their values with their business life, resulting in balance and real-life success
When I was Vice President of Creative Services at Conseco, we were always out of literature for key products. In the insurance business literature is all you have to sell, so these outages would cripple our sales team. Our out of stock list was routinely close to 300 different items and climbing. While we had numerous meetings on the subject nothing ever changed.
So I stopped talking about procedures and policy and asked a simple question "If our goal was a back order level of 100 what would we do?"
Defining a specific target, instead of vague "get better" gave a focus to our discussions. Every day we knew exactly how far we were from our target.
As an added incentive, I offered to take the print team to any restaurant in town if we reduced our back orders to 100 by September. 1. The date gave us the sense of urgency we needed to keep this in the forefront of our discussions.
We kicked off every production meeting with a brief conversation about the back-order list and the ideas started flowing. We instituted a "red flag" for any project associated with back order items. Every team, editors, designers, writers and account executives agreed if a red tag landed on their desk it was their first priority.
Slowly the numbers started to improve; We posted the daily results on the way so we could see our progress in real time. On September 1, we went to lunch at Cafe Nora.
There are several important lessons for small business owners in this story:
- Define your goals, with a specific time line
- If you are serious create and follow an action plan
- Track your progress
- Involve others, do not assume you can do it on your own. We would never have succeeded with out the support of the printer, inventory team, and other managers.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
These days there is a lot of noise out there. With the increasing number of free social media platforms right at our fingertips. You can share the same boring information everywhere or you can create content which shares a bit of who you really are.
Our guest Karie Millspaugh explains " There's only you! You are the one make and model, and there are no two of you alike on the planet, unless somehow you figured out the cloning mechanism." Your goal is to bring that unique self to social media.
One of the first questions to answer is how much do you share. In order to create connection, you have to be authentic. You have to do more than just shove a message down the throat of your audience, you need to let a bit of you shine through.
Don't be afraid to show off your sense of humor, the rule of thumb is that it will increase connection with your followers. Most assume that they won't be taken seriously professionally when the opposite is more likely. It's okay to not take yourself so serious once in awhile.
About Karie Millspaugh
Karie Millspaugh is a Visibility Consultant specializing in PR & Marketing for Speakers, Authors, Public Figures and Small Business Owners.
She assists her clients to be seen online, in the media and on the stage with her Public Relations, Marketing and Speaking Agency.
Karie is also a public speaker, best-selling author, and designates most of her time empowering her audience in entrepreneurship, leadership, and business.
She calls herself a serial Entrepreneur and has started up multiple businesses over the years. She thoroughly believes that in order to be known, you first must be seen which is the why she started her two agencies.
Karie resides in Las Vegas as single mom with her fun-loving teen daughter who is working on creating her own business."
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Good marketing starts with the basics. You need to have a plan. Unfortunately, as we learned in the last year, sometimes life throws us a few curve balls and your year long plan goes right out the window. That's why my guest, Tim Fitzpatrick suggests businesses use a 90-day approach to their marketing plan.
While it contains all the same elements, a 90-day approach forces you to stop and evaluate on a regular basis.
Tim's 90 day plan is built on six simple elements.
1) Your ideal client
2) Goal. What do you want to accomplish in 90 days.
3) Resources including both time and money
4) Evaluate what you have been doing
5) Focus on actions for the next 90 days
6) Set up your metrics so you will know if your plan worked.
About Tim
Tim is an entrepreneur/business owner with expertise in marketing and business growth. He has 20+ years of entrepreneurial experience with a passion for developing and growing businesses.
Founding Rialto Marketing in 2013 Tim has been helping small business owners and entrepreneurs eliminate the confusion of marketing using an amazingly simple plan so they can grow.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
If you follow national brands on social media, ask yourself why. Odds are it’s because the content is fun, entertaining, and engaging. Now look at your business social media account. Can you say the same thing?
A small business is probably not going to be as popular as a national brand. But you can emulate what they’re doing, and cultivate an engaged social community.
So the question is, how do they do it? For starters, they post regularly, if you see a business account that hasn’t posted in several days, that’s a clear sign the company is not really all that interested. And if they’re not interested, their community is not going to be interested.
And remember, you can’t be a silent participant. That's like throwing a party and hanging out in the back of the room. You’ve got to jump in, you’ve got to dance with your guests and interact with your community. If you’re going to have a business social media account, it’s time to get social.
he weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
These days everybody's trying to present themselves as an expert. So how do you stand out in your niche in a crowded market? Part of the magic comes from creating a visual brand.
Where does the process begin to build a visual brand for yourself?
In today's crowded market, anyone can become a personal brand, but only special people can become have a personality brand.
A personality brand is what's unique to you. It's how you position yourself in the market and how people perceive you.
In the swipe right swipe left world, we make a decision about someone in less than one 10th of a second. We are in judging all the time so you want to make sure when you are creating your business, it's driven by your personality, because that's something that you're going to find your aligned audience with. And you're showing up in a way that is authentic and honoring who you are.
About Sharon Haver
As a photography fashion stylist for a cornucopia of clients for over 15 years, Sharon Haver enhanced the look of magazine covers/pages, catalogs, advertisements, commercials, industrials, and visual imaging.
The podcast More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with marketing professionals from around the world.
A heart-centered business has purpose and intent, connected to your superhero talent.
For so many 2020 was a time for pivoting and taking drastic measures, to keep our business running. We had to move fast and we didn't always have the ability to incorporate soul and heartful side of our brands and business.
Making those tough choices left many of us stuck in the day to day, but now is a great time to get back to doing what brings your joy and adds value to others.
One way to reset is to look at you tasks and see which activities you are engaged in "fill your cup" These are the things which make you smile and feel energized.
Then look at the activities which leave you feeling stressed, or unsatisfied. If there are more of these "energy sucks" in your day, it is time to shift how you spend your time. You may still have to do things that don't fill up our cup, but find ways, maybe by delegating, hiring someone else or simply letting go to do those things less and less.
ABOUT: Violette de Ayala | FemCity®
Cuban American serial and social Entrepreneur, Female Founder of FemCity® women’s networking groups, and International Best-Selling Author.
Author of The Self-Guided Guru© Lessons for Everyday Humans, a self help book best seller
FemCity has been seen in Gilt, Vogue, AP, and Inc.com and has over 100 locations in the US, Canada and the Islands supporting female entrepreneurs
Member of NationSwell Council, Entrepreneur Leadership Network and a Contributor for Entrepreneur.com
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Today I want to talk about patience. Because let's face it, this is something that small business owners typically don't have. We start our businesses with these grand plans, and we get out there and start marketing our product, and we expect results. But good marketing takes time.
If you invest in inbound marketing and content marketing, you need to remember this type of marketing will not double your web traffic overnight. But those blog posts build value over time. And the content that you wrote a week or two ago, or even a month ago continues to be found in niches and continues to drive traffic for months and years to come.
Search engines may not notice the first article you write on a topic. But once you have a series of articles, suddenly you begin to be seen as an authority. And you see search traffic go up. And as that begins to occur, your inquiries come as well. So my friends, be patient.
If you'd like help building out your content marketing, be sure to check out the tools in the Digital Toolbox
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Many business owners assume they know the answer. They believe they don't need research, but Lori Highby thinks that's a mistake. When you are making assumptions, it is like shooting darts in the dark. You may hit the target, but the majority of those darts are going to hit the wall or break a window.
If you start with the facts, really get into the head of who your target customer you can craft a plan based on data and insight.
Now you have a strategy to get the right message in front of the right people so they want to do business with you.
ABOUT LORI HIGHBY
With a core personal value of lifelong-learning, Lori Highby has shared creative and strategic digital marketing, personal branding, and entrepreneurship lessons with people and organizations from allover. Her 20 years experience, education, and involvement range from currently owning a digital marketing agency, Keystone Click, being the 2013 recipient of the “Bravo! Entrepreneur Award” from BizTimes Media, teaching undergraduate students as an adjunct professor at UW-Milwaukee, and serving on numerous boards including the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin. She is also the host of the Social Capital Podcast.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
This week we explore the importance of sales and marketing working together.
Our guest Allan Langer explains companies that keep their marketing and sales teams separate have a lower success rate than companies which actually allow and encourage these companies to work together. The win rates are about 65% higher in those companies.
It doesn't, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why that is the case. If your marketing is working it is driving leads to the company. But if there is no communication between the groups, the sales team won't know where they came from, what the demographic is or the lead came in.
Without background information they are starting from disadvantage. If they understood the reasoning behind the marketing, they would be able to cater their sales presentation around that reasoning and everything becomes congruent within the company.
About Allan Langer
With close to three decades of sales excellence, and award winning performances in every capacity, Allan Langer has turned his experiences and knowledge into a best selling book on Amazon - The 7 Secrets to Selling More by Selling Less - and have turned that into a highly successful speaking and coaching career.
Sharing those experiences, motivating people to achieve more, training salespeople and business owners to solve instead of sell, to help instead of hinder, and to be selfless instead of selfish, is his calling and what he is meant to do
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Who is your business plan for? I know that sounds like a simple question, but it’s not really. As a business owner, it’s important to have a business plan that guides your operations. But sometimes you also have to produce one for other people. And those different audiences are going to want different things from your plan.
For example, if you’re trying to get a bank loan, the banker is going to want to make sure that all the numbers add up. They’re also going to want to see that you have clearly thought through what could go wrong and how you’re going to pay back that loan even if things don’t turn out quite the way you expected.
Conversely, investors are not going to be as interested in the numbers. What they want to see is a really clear explanation of what your business idea is, whether or not you have any customers, and what are the skills of the people behind the idea. And finally, if you are just writing this business plan for yourself, make sure that you spend the bulk of your time focusing on the action plans and the milestones that will tell you you’re heading in the right direction.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Handling the mental health challenges (mostly stress, anxiety, and isolation) that come along with being a business owner. It's essential to separate your emotional state from the results, which brings you more peace of mind and ironically better results.
About Craig Inzana
Craig is a mental wellness advocate, media creator, and mindfulness practitioner. He is a recovering addict obsessed with self-development. wellbeing, and self-compassion. He owns a marketing agency that focuses on marketing and selling through relationships. He was previously a commission painter, a profitable filmmaker, and generally a multi-disciplinary artist.
I happen to love things that are quirky and a little off balance. That should come as no surprise considering the fact that I named my company Roundpeg.
It is this love of asymmetry and innovative shapes and sizes and styles that has really got me jazzed with some of the new web trends we’re seeing. Over the last few years websites had gotten very boxy with large rectangular images at the top, three boxes below is the preferred format.
But new design tools are allowing us to create designs which break the grid pattern, creating the illusion that sections of the website seem to float and break traditional borders. We’re seeing asymmetry everywhere.
This allows information that is more important to live in wider columns and layouts with unequal columns draw attention to the most important information on the page. We’re seeing lots of angles and dividers in weird shapes and sizes.
If you’re ready to see a little asymmetry in your website, reach out to us at roundpeg.biz.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Look Before You Leap Question to ask before you start your business. These days, lots of people are thinking about starting their own businesses, but they are not quite sure where to start. Too often they focus all their energy on the product, service, or technology assuming the market will love it.
Krishna suggests they need to evaluate the market potential by asking questions about your idea client, the potential size of the market, who the competitors are and how you are going to deliver it to the marketplace.
Next look at the numbers. What are you projected costs? Can you charge enough to generate a profit? And finally, ask yourself, why you want to start a business? Do you want to make a million dollars in the next 12 months, build this company to sell to a private equity company, use this as one step toward your retirement?
Different objectives will lead to different action plans. Once you have the a clear objective, then it is easier to determine a dollar value to reach the destination and develop a plan to get you there.
Looking to Start a Business? You will need a Business Map. Get Your’s Today.
About Krishna
Krishna Mohan is an Entrepreneur, Business Coach, Speaker, #1 Best-selling Author, as seen on FOX TV and multiple media outlets, President of Genius Visionary, Managing Partner of Capital Street Investments LLP, and President of Gifting Boutique.
Over the last 20 years he has helped 3 Fortune 500 companies and several start-up organizations focusing on Sales, Business Development and Finance. His management style has been described as decisive and motivational, where success comes from a focused commitment to developing new business, cultivating relationships, training salespeople and creating growth strategies. He is involved in several acquisitions and mergers.
Resource from Krishna: How I find $10K in any Business within 45 Minutes.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
What's important to you as a company? What do you value? It's natural in a small business for the values of a company to be driven by the owner, but if your employees don't embrace those values, your company won't reflect them.
Start with a brainstorm session to clarify your values, everyone in the company shares what they think the company is about, and they share the characteristics that they would like to see. You may end up with a pretty long list and the trick is to revise it and revise it until you come up with just a few phrases that really capture the essence of your organization. To be effective, the values can't be just buzzwords and each value should have a short definition of what that value means to you.
You'll know you have the right values for your organization if they're front and center as you're hiring. Having those well defined values give you the criteria to evaluate potential employees. Candidates who don't demonstrate those values won't be a good fit for your team.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
So often small businesses make their web copy and marketing information so flat and so generic, prospective customers have a hard time finding a reason to hire them. To make your company stand out and encourage prospects to choose you, your brand must have a little bit of personality.
Every company has something in the culture, values, beliefs, or methodology, that makes them unique. The more you can laser in on what makes you unique, the easier it is for people to connect with you.
Don’t be afraid of a strong personality. Instead of trying to keep everyone happy, accept that you may alienate some people. But Danielle thinks that’s ok. Because the people who connect with you are more likely to be excited and passionate about working with you.
You can bring a little personality into your content by writing as if you're writing to a close friend. This removes any pretense you might have and allows you to be more genuine and relaxed. Then if that doesn’t work, grab a copy of Danielle’s About Me Mad Libs
About Danielle - In Her Own Words...
I help people and the brands that target them to develop their Genuine Personality Brand, creating content that sounds like you and giving you the space to truly be yourself in your messaging.
And while I can’t pull a rabbit out of my hat, I can create and hone your Personality Brand, engage your audience and deadlift you or your employees, but not at the same time. That’s just irresponsible.
(Note: I’m available for office party tricks and accept payment in bottles of Bordeaux.)
Learn more at morethanwordscopy.com ( No this isn’t a typo, that really is the name of her website. )
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
The introduction of the first iPhone a decade ago started us down a path from which there is no return.
Today, most websites see about half of their traffic coming from mobile devices and we expect that trend to continue. As a result, websites are being built with a mobile first mentality.
If you're thinking about building your first website or redesigning an existing one, here are a few things to keep in mind to create that mobile friendly design.
The first is vertical hierarchy. On a mobile screen, one thing has to come to the top so we're seeing a lot of longer pages with one key idea on each page. Vertical hierarchy allows us to shift to minimalist design, which eliminates clutter which helps to focus the visitors' attention on that most important piece of information on your page.
Currently we see a lot of crisp, clean edges and lots of whitespace but minimal doesn't have to mean boring as we're seeing an emergence of bright colors and interesting shapes.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
These days, we're not doing a lot of face to face interactions with customers or coworkers, but we still need to communicate. I sat down with the Story Guy, Geoffrey Klein to talk about the best way for businesses to engage an audience of prospective customers with storytelling.
He believes if you want people to remember and understand what you're talking about, the best way to do that is to create a narrative or story to share that message. Forget about the facts and figures and make your product or service come to life with real stories of real people and how the benefited from working with you.
About Geoffrey Klein
Geoffrey Klein, the Story Guy, is a TEDx Speaker, Adjunct Professor, and Content Producer who helps people and organizations communicate more effectively through the power of story and visual communication (graphics, video, animation).
Geoffrey’s diverse professional experience includes working in the film industry on major motion pictures, working and living abroad in Manchester, England, and currently serving as President & CEO of nine dots, a content development and marketing agency.
Geoffrey has a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a law degree from Temple University.
Geoffrey is a gadget and cufflinks enthusiast, and in his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, whether it’s baking, basketball, or board games.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
One of the most interesting statistics to come out of our annual Small Business digital marketing survey was the fact that although most companies have blogs, they are actually blogging less often.
This is really sad because blogging is one of the most powerful things you can do to compete with larger companies. But the question is, where do your ideas come from? And honestly, you can find great content ideas everywhere.
Start by looking at what you already have. Read your literature, read your brochures, and see what information you can pull from that to create new blog posts. Listen to your constituents, your employees, and your competitors and see what they're talking about. Keep a running list of frequently asked questions and industry trends and regulations. Start building that list.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
We are living in a relationship centric era. Long gone are the days of mass marketing. Successful businesses must develop real relationships with their customers ,and deliver relevant, personalized and authentic communication if they want to stand out.
How did we get here? Two decades ago we were living in more of a product centric era, where businesses would would market and sell products based on the various features they could kind of cram into the product. Sales people were trained to "sell the benefits of the bells and whistles. Companies believed it was these features which set them apart.
Eventually companies realized, people don't really care about how many bells and whistles are on your product or service. They care about what your product or service can do for them. The shift led to the customer centric era when marketing was focused on getting in front of prospective customers multiple times with messages about how the product could help them. This, along with the advent of the digital age led to an explosion of communication focused at every point with a customer.
The challenge is every company is trying to get their messages in front of the same audience. Our inboxes are filled with hundreds of messages and we are exposed to thousands of digital ads every day on every device we own. After awhile it all becomes noise as your prospective customers long for a more personal form of communication that feels as if it was crafted just for them.
The solution? Take your messages out of the inbox. Shift from the digital world to pen and paper. Say hello to print once again. Curious about how this works, be sure to check out the special offer from IgnitePost. Arian and his team will give you sample of the product ( 50 free letters) if you go to ingnitepost.com/podcast.
About Arian Radman
Arian Radmand is the CEO & Founder of IgnitePost.com, a handwritten mail service that enables businesses to develop deeper relationships with customers & prospects. IgnitePost does this by combining software and robotics to allow businesses to send real pen & ink letters that are indistinguishable from human handwriting. We believe authentic, personalized communication is the key to more sales and happier customers.
Prior to IgnitePost, Arian was CoFounder at CoachUp, Inc. CoachUp is the nation's leading sports coaching company. We raised $15M in venture-capital, built the category leading brand, were fortunate enough to partner with 2X NBA Champion & MVP Stephen Curry as our lead spokesman, and made the Inc 5000 list in 2018. For this, Arian was a Forbes 30 Under 30 Award Winner in 2015.
Often when I talk to business owners about their Google Analytics, they focus a lot of attention on how many people came to their website, how many unique visitors, and what their bounce rate was.
They miss some of the most valuable information in Google Analytics, which is where your traffic is coming from. This data is the most actionable of all the information in your analytics.
If your direct traffic is low, for example, that tells you that you need to be spending more time in offline activities, attending networking events, conferences, and trade shows handing out copies of your business card or handing out flyers with links to your website.
If your organic traffic numbers are low, that means you need to be creating more content for your website.
If your referrals are low, you need to spend time creating some inbound links to your website. If you want to improve the performance of your website tomorrow look at your traffic sources today.
If you’d like help building a plan to do this, drop us a note at roundpeg.biz.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
As more and more people are working from home, physical networking is less popular. As a result, they are trying to do more on LinkedIn. Unfortunately, many of them are doing it wrong.
LinkedIn coach Tara Fitness says the first thing to do is get your profile right.
- Get a professional looking head shot. You wouldn't show up for an in person networking event in a t-shirt and sneakers, treat your LinkedIn picture like your uniform.
- Clean up headline. No one is looking for a CEO, they want to know what you can do for them, so transform your headline into something compelling for the reader.
- Write a compelling about section which really describes who you are and what you can do for others.
About our guest
Tara Fitness is a digital marketer specializing in Email Marketing and LinkedIn Lead Generation for B2B brands. She is currently studying a Master of Communications at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia and has recently launched a digital marketing agency, 27Letters. Learn more about Tara at https://www.tarafitness.com.au.
If you want to run a direct mail campaign, you can buy a mailing list. There are reputable sources for addresses and phone numbers of local homeowners and businesses. And the lists are relatively current, and you can target them down to a single postal route. And that’s a great strategy for direct mail.
There are several reasons why this doesn’t work for email. The most important reason is that email lists need to be permission based and those are simply not available to purchase. Unwanted direct mail simply gets tossed in the trash, but the risk of an unsolicited email is that a spam complaint is filed. If you’d like to know more about building a permission based list, check out our blog at roundpeg.biz.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
In the old days we talked about advertising vs pr. Now we refer to paid media vs earned media. Regardless of what you call it, there is a tremendous opportunity to get your message in front of prospective custers is you know how to tell your story.
Let's start with the difference between Advertising and PR.With advertising you are able to communicate with your audience with a message that you control. You can pick the date and time of your advertisement, you pick the vehicle you want it delivered in, whether it's a newspaper, online television or radio, and you pick the calendar items to go with it.
In contrast, there is a filter when it comes to public relations. That filer is the editor of the newspaper or blog or the producer of the TV news show or podcast. They decide when or if they will invite you for an interview or run your story. While you would like to have ten paragraphs in the article or twenty minutes of air time, you may only see a fraction of that information shared in the final piece.
But when you get that coverage, it is so powerful because that third party endorsement gives you tremendous credibility.
About our guest Steve Turner
Steve is a Principal with Solomon Turner PR in St. Louis. Solomon Turner was started by Steve and his partner Shelly Solomon in 1990 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2020. The firm has won several awards including Small Business Monthly’s list of Top PR firms in St. Louis for 12 years in a row and Steve was recently named a Rockstar Publicist by Thrive Global and Authority Magazine.
Steve has worked with clients in both the B2B and B2C sectors. Clients have included Anthony Robbins Seminars, Coldwell Banker, HealthSouth, Northwestern Mutual, and dozens of companies on a national and local basis. Today Steve and Solomon Turner’s focus is primarily to help amplify the brand of small and mid-sized businesses. Steve is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Why should I buy from you in a cluttered marketplace with many companies all claiming be able to solve a problem that a customer has? How do you answer that question in a way that convinces customers that you’re the right company to work with?
The roots of that answer really lie in a great position statement. This is not advertising copy, but a clear definition of who your company is and how you approach the business.
There are three elements in a position statement: a description of who your customer is, what problem do you solve, and what makes you uniquely qualified to offer that solution?
When you put those three pieces together into a simple statement, you have the beginning of great marketing.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Everyone talks about SEO as if it was some magic formula, that only a few specialized magicians can handle. But the truth is anyone who owns a website can take small steps to improve their SEO and gain the attention of search engines.
Guest Jon Tromans suggests the best place to start is with the person who's actually using your website. Think about the journey they take as you lead them through your website toward a sale. The words on the page must answer their questions and solve their problems. Most people make the mistake of trying to write for the search spiders, the robot intelligence behind Google. But what Google wants is for you to write for the real human being who's searching on Google.
Imagine your have a bricks and mortar store and a customer walks through the front door. As they start talking to you about your products and your services you can only use the words on your website to answer their questions. .Is their enough information? Would you make the sale? If not, you don't have enough information to satisfy visitors or search engines.
About our Guest
Jon Tromans is a Digital Marketing Trainer, former radio broadcaster, podcaster and creator of the online course 'A Better Website For A Fiver'.
He has over 20 years experience in building websites, marketing campaigns and helping businesses of all sizes improve their digital content.
Jon is also the host of the popular Not Another Marketing Podcast where he interviews experts on various aspects of digital marketing with the goal of improving skills and knowledge.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Once upon a time marketers ran television commercials and put ads in newspapers and simply waited for the phone to ring. But that was a long time ago. So long ago in fact, that it seems like a fairy tale; an expensive fairy tale.
Today, consumers fast forward through television ads, change the station on their radio and scroll by on social media. They don’t want to be interrupted by your marketing.
Consumers are looking for information as they prepare to make a purchasing decision. They’re looking for general information about trends and features. They are investigating your company personnel and looking for examples of how your product is being used and what people think about your business.
This is where content marketing comes in, making up for the fact that consumers do not watch ads. Blog posts, podcasts, videos, and web pages filled with FAQ’s all serve to answer the questions customers have as they decide if they want to do business with you.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Creating great marketing content takes a while It is important, but if you're not careful, it can take over so much of your time that you don't have any time left to run your business.
Our guest, Elizabeth Pampalone shares the secret to creating a year's worth of content in a week through a process she calls Absolute Marketing.
The system actually consists of five, the five pillars of marketing, branding, websites, social media, blogging, and email marketing.
Start with a solid brand, defining who your audience is and how you want to present yourself. This may include standardizing colors, fonts and messages, such as your mission statement, vision statement, and tagline all lay the foundation for your brand.
If you know your audience, colors, fonts, and message, then social media is going to be much much easier to create.
Now you are ready to start creating content. Begin by outlining six questions you are asked every day. Put the answers into post format and repeat them every six weeks. Why? Because new people come along all the time.
About Elizabeth Pampalone
Elizabeth Pampalone is an International Speaker, Successful Entrepreneur, and Expert Marketer with over 20 years of experience.
Her innovative approach helps overwhelmed business owners and burnt out nonprofit directors to achieve success and freedom through the power of Absolute Marketing™.
Learn more at getabsolutemarketing.com
Did you know that 57% of all purchase decisions are actually made before a customer ever talks to a supplier.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
More than half of the people who pick up the telephone to talk to you have already made up their mind. That's good news for the people that are calling.
The question is how do you get more people to call you? And how do these people make up their mind before they ever talk to you?
The answer? They're going to your website and the websites of your competitors. They're looking for answers to the questions they have about your product and your service.
Prospective customers are looking for FAQs and how-to guides. videos and comparison charts. If they find that information at two in the morning when they are looking online, they're more likely to pick up the telephone and call you the next day.
You need to be prepared by looking at your website to be sure it is your very best salesperson.
More than a Few Words, a weekly marketing podcast, hosted by Lorraine Ball features conversations with professionals from around the world.
This week, Shane Barker joined us for a conversation about email engagement, getting readers excited to hear from you.
Do you remember when it was fun and exciting to get an email? That was a long time ago. These days, our inboxes are filled, and there's a real fatigue. As a marketer, your challenge is to break through the clutter, and get people excited about your email.
Shane had a few great tips on how to do just that.
- Have a clear purpose for each email
- Design campaigns for mobile consumption
- Add an element of fun to the campaign
- Ask questions and incorporate the answers from your readers into future campaigns
- Don't be afraid to clean out your list, and drop people who really aren't interested.
These days, it seems like everyone is talking about content marketing. But what is it really?
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
Content marketing is a strategic marketing process of using content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. It's focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to ultimately drive customer action.
There are several really important words in that definition.
Strategic: With content marketing you don't just start writing blog posts and taking pictures willy nilly, you create a plan which outlines your goals and what you're going to do with the content and what kind of content you want to deliver.
You start by figuring out who your audience is and where are they going to be. You also need to think about the action you want them to take after they read your Facebook update or see a video. Do you want them to download, share, sign up or to buy?
The action part of content marketing is as important as all of the other pieces
More than a Few Words, a weekly marketing podcast, hosted by Lorraine Ball features conversations with professionals from around the world.
This week, our guest Colin Gray talks about the challenges business owners face when it comes to creating content.
it's not hard usually, to convince people that content is a good idea, whether it's a podcast, whether it's a blog, a video channel. The hard part is getting them to stick to the routine, because it is the consistency that really builds your audience.
People are always fine for the first month, maybe even two months, but then then novelty wears off . The trick is finding a way to create a regular process of creating content.
Building the routine starts with a plan. Think of one topic, and then start breaking it down into smaller and smaller bites. Instead of trying to write one post that coves everything you know on a topic write five related posts addressing different aspects of the same topic.
When it comes to the tools, simpler is better. Look for easy to use all in one tools like Alitu, an all in one platform for podcasting
About Colin
Colin Gray is a podcaster, speaker, PhD and founder of The Podcast Host and Alitu. The Podcast Host is a huge resource on running a successful show, including a full guide on How to start a Podcast. And, Alitu is a web app that helps you make your podcast, automating cleanup and branding, and assisting with editing. It makes podcasting quick and easy!
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
These days, it seems like everyone is talking about content marketing. But what is it really?
If you watch late night television, you've probably seen infomercials for some random product. In the wee hours of the morning you find yourself watching with interest the demonstration of the Jack LaLane power juicer. And as cheesy as the infomercial might be, the format works. People buy Snuggies and Shamwow.
How do these companies keep you watching essentially the same message for 20 or 30 minutes? It boils down to four elements. And these elements will work in your marketing too.
- Reliance on repetition. The same value proposition is presented multiple times throughout the program.
- Informal down to earth presentation style
- Real people supporting the proposition with testimonials.
- And there's a promise that if you wait, there's more
As you design landing pages for your website, think about these same four ideas.
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Getting Started
These days a lot of people who never thought they were going to be business owners are starting businesses. These new entrepreneurs have questions, an our guest Brett Shapiro has answers.
To run a legitimate business, the US government and your State Secretary of State is going to want to know who you are, what your business name is, and what kind of business you're running. To do this, there are a handful of documents you will need at the formation of your business.
Need help? Be sure to grab a copy of Brett's Business Startup Guide.
About Brett Shapiro
He started Govdocfiling.com with the goal of transforming how entrepreneurs start and build valuable businesses. He is a business guru who specializes in business formation and has formed more than 10 entities himself.
Brett educates and empowers clients to establish companies by providing access to products, services, and resources for growing businesses.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
There was a time when the doorbell rang, you would jump up and fling the door open in the hopes of entertaining a neighbor, friend or unexpected guest.
But things have changed. And we're a lot more cautious these days about who we invite into our homes.
This can create real challenges for companies that are in a home service industry. You can help overcome this consumer reluctance by using content marketing to help prospective customers feel as if they know you.
You can do this by adding photographs of your team members on your website and showing a little bit of personality on social media.
Last but definitely not least, encourage reviews. There's nothing that reassures a consumer about inviting someone into their home, like seeing their friend or neighbor saying, "we've worked with these guys, and we would do it again".
So the next time you provide service for someone, be sure to ask them to leave you a review
The weekly marketing podcast, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features conversations with professionals from around the world.
Many business owners think marketing is all about tactics and actions, instead of really paying attention to the outcome. They think they want a website, or social media and they expect those actions will solve their problems. But the truth is it depends on the intention of what are you trying to accomplish.
At the end of the day you want to earn attention and convince someone that you're worth paying attention to. To do that you need to understand your audience on an intimate level.
People make decisions emotionally 90% of the time. So by aligning with them and showing them that you speak their language and you're trying to solve their problem, you're going to be way more effective, faster.
Allison DeFord Allison and her award-winning team at Felt Marketing are on a mission to strengthen the heart and soul of manufacturing for generations. Helping legacy brands modernize in a digital world and profit for nearly 30 years.
She uses her platform to amplify the voice of women in manufacturing—breaking down stereotypes and inspiring future generations.
Allison is also the co-host of the Manufacturing Out Loud podcast. Fueled by Starbucks, she never settles for lukewarm and admittedly geeks out over gears, tools, wood, and really nice pens.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
When you walk down the aisle of a grocery store, and a coupon for peanut butter pops up on your phone it is convenient for you and a great selling tool for the retailer.
The technology that allows merchants to target specific messages based on your location is called geofencing. This technology uses the Global Positioning System, (GPS) or radio frequency to define geographic boundaries.
Every time a consumer allows any their phone applications to access their location, like a map or a check in tool, their phone becomes available for geographic targeting.
Think of the opportunities to deliver a message to a potential customer when they walk into a competitor's store. That's just one of the possibilities with geofencing.
It is a technology you should be exploring.
The weekly marketing podcasts, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features marketing conversations with professionals from around the world.
Get More Done by Doing Less Many people assume they need to be busy to be more productive. The truth however, is that being busy doesn't necessarily mean you are actually accomplishing anything. Well you may be getting things done, but not the right things.
Our guest Alex Sanfilippo suggests if you want to be more productive you need to start with your purpose defining you destination or your why. If you can figure out your ultimate goal, then it is easier to set priorities.
Now you are ready to start looking at how you spend your time. Take an inventory or everything you do every day for a week to discover how much time are you are spending on thigs which more you closer to your goal, and how much time are you spending on other things?
Improve your productivity by identifying things you can automate, delegate or simply stop doing.
About Alex
Alex Sanfilippo is the host of Creating a Brand, a top 20 entrepreneurship podcast where he interviews successful leaders and experts on topics that matter to entrepreneurs who want to grow faster both personally and professionally while saving time and money in the process.
The marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner.
When you were little your parents probably told you to use an inside voice. They may have said that it wasn't polite to shout. While true in your parent's living room, there are times you have to raise your voice to get noticed.
This is especially true on line as you are competing with so many other messages. To get the attention of visitors to your website, you have to shout a little bit.
Unlike when you are face to face with someone, online, you shout visually, for example your call to action on any page of your website should be in all caps. While this is hard to read and long blocks of text and considered a little rude in an email, it's critical in your call to action. The all cap style stops the reader and makes them pay attention.
The weekly marketing podcasts, More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball and features marketing conversations with professionals from around the world.
Using Agile Marketing to Get Better Results Faster. These days it feels like everything has to move just a little bit faster. In response to the "need for speed" many companies are embracing Agile Development for their marketing programs.
Our guest, Connie Steele shares some ideas on how companies can put agile marketing to work. It begins with a test and learn mindset where you start small, constantly iterating, as you work fully collaboratively with all the stakeholders from beginning to end.
The advantage of this approach vs traditional marketing is the ability to have results which accomplish your business objectives, sooner rather than later. T
How do you ensure your agile approach is successful?
- Start with clarity around what the business goal and make sure all participants have the same vision for the final outcome.
- Next you will need constant collaboration and communication throughout the process.
- Be ready to adjust, adjust and adjust again.
- Then test your MVP ( minimum viable product) Put it out there for the customers to give you an opinion.
About Connie
Connie Steele is a seasoned marketing and strategy executive with a passion for building and growing brands. With 20 years of experience from start-ups to F500 companies, B2C and B2B businesses, she’s learned that in order to really break through the business inertia, it requires bridging the gap between strategy and execution. And that happens through continuously learning, iterating and adapting based on data-driven insights - because she inherently knows that no one solution fits all.
It’s this premise that drives her management consultancy Flywheel Associates.
Simultaneously, Connie hosts the Strategic Momentum Podcast, furthering her mission of helping people and companies they work for reach their full growth potential. The show offers tips, stories and advice from progressive leaders on what it takes to break through common business challenges, gain new skills and perspectives, and drive careers and businesses forward.
Connie has also been a guest on several business podcasts and is a contributor to Arianna Huffington’s consumer well-being and productivity platform Thrive Global.
In an age where most people would rather text than talk, we've seen a dramatic rise in live chat features on websites. And while sometimes I get nostalgic for the old days when you could actually talk to someone, I have to admit that the chat tools are kind of growing on me.
And I'm not alone. In a recent survey chat was identified as the number one method preferred by customers to reach out and connect . 41% said the preferred to connect via text. That was followed by phone, email, and distant distance social media.
If you're thinking about putting a live chat tool on your website, things to keep in mind, people are much more interested in a quality response than a rapid automated response. So if you're going to do this, make sure that you have someone available to actually answer and respond when people send a request.
This marketing minute is part of More than a Few Words, a marketing conversation for business owners.
Each week host Lorraine Ball and her guest have a marketing conversation for business owners. This week the topic is how to make a great second impression.
Our guest, Janice Porter explains that it starts with being a good listener, and learning about the other person. Then when you follow up, refer to something from the first conversation to show them you're interested.
Whether you are connecting in person or online, the strategies are still the same. Being curious, asking questions and paying attention build rapport no matter where the connection occurs.
One of Janice’s favorite follow up tools is Send Out Cards, an online greeting card and gifting service that sends real cards and gifts in the mail. In an era when everything is digital, this tool uses snail mail, to give the other person a physical tangible touch. And when they receive it, the personalized card gives you a chance to demonstrate you were paying attention as you reference something they mentioned in your conversation.
Take advantage of Janice's offer for free cards : sendacardeverytime.com
About Janice
Business owner, trainer and connector Janice has an innate curiosity and genuine love of people. She is known as a master communicator, and her passion is specializing in working and teaching professionals online and offline networking and marketing strategies for attracting, developing, nurturing and retaining relationships that enhance business growth and profitability.
Connecting like-minded people is one of her innate gifts, because she cares and deeply values each person in her network. It is with deep insight and a steadfast belief in relationship marketing that Janice makes the introductions, and only when she is knows it will be beneficial to both parties.
My uncle used to say that he was going to write me a short note but didn’t have time, so he wrote me a long letter instead. When you are limited in the number or words, you choose your words carefully and you use them sparingly. When you have the luxury of a long letter, you can ramble on and on, and hope that sooner or later, you’ll get to the point. And you hope the recipient will hang in long enough to figure out what you’re talking about.
That strategy is something you should keep in mind when you’re working on your marketing. Treat everything you write as if it was a headline or a tweet. Put your energy into refining the message and making it as concise as possible. When you do that, you will pique someone’s interest and earn the right to invite them back
Want to learn more about headlines? Look for resources in the Digital Toolbox.
Each week host Lorraine Ball and her guest have a conversation for business owners. This week the topic is how to work from anywhere.
2020 has been an interesting year. It has created lots of challenges for business owners, especially as they adjust to managing their team as they leave the office to work at home.
In some cases the home environment doesn’t have the capability to support the kind of work people need to do. In other cases, as people move out from behind the corporate firewall, they don’t have the same security protections they do in the office.
About Doug Miller
Mr. Miller has extensive information technology operations experience in manufacturing, financial services, and health care, as well as a deep consulting background in many more industries. He is adept in roles requiring diverse skill sets that allow him to function effectively in deeply technical roles while also serving as a project manager, a business process consultant, and a leader of technical teams.
With cloud based systems, companies Doug Miller and his team at Brightworks are able to create an environment where our customers can work safely and securely from anywhere.
More than a Few Words is part of the Digital Toolbox
If you are like me, you have that one thing that you always put off, it's something that has to get done. But there is always something else more important that gets in the way.
It is time to break the cycle of guilt associated with never getting to the things that are important. You need to commit to making that thing a habit and do it every single day.
And one of the best ways to make something a habit is to really understand how habits work. It is a three-part process. There's a trigger something that sets off the behavior. The action itself, and then the reward.
For me, the habit I wanted to build was making five phone calls every day. So I put a reminder on my phone as the trigger. Then I committed to taking the action when I got the reminder, not just hitting the snooze button and continuing with whatever else I was going at the moment.
And the most important part is the reward. When I'm done with my calls I go for a walk. That's my positive reward for making that behavior part of my routine.
What is a habit you need to build?
If you enjoyed this marketing minute, be sure to look for More than a Few Words, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Why build a dream team? On the one hand things are so much simpler when it is just you. On the other hand, when it is just you, then you are wearing all of the hats, all the time. You have to do everything. If you aren’t working in the business, it’s probably not making money.
That’s where the power of a team comes into play When you build the dream team, with the right people and you actually put an accountability and follow up into your system, your life actually becomes less complicated. You have time to focus on the parts of the business at which you excel and maybe even have a little time off.
The internet is filled with calls to action. Everywhere you go, there are brightly colored buttons commanding you to read more, get the content, watch this or buy now; all those buttons exist because they work. People respond, click or take action when commanded to do so, but some buttons work better than others.
If you’re going to design buttons for your website, keep the message short: 1-3 words so the reader can comprehend the command at a glance, use action phrases, tell people what to do, click here, register here, and most of all, don’t submit. In a study of effective calls to action submit was one of the least effective phrases you could choose.
A wise man once said, there is nothing so constant as change. That is especially true when you are a business owner. The key to success is often identifying opportunities to pivot and being brave enough to make the change.
Tiffany Youngren, Host of the Next Up Nation Podcast and founder of the OHM Agency joined us for a conversation about transitions.
Her advice:
- Just because you made one change, doesn't mean there isn't another pivot in your future. As things change you need to be prepared to make changes in your business
- Getting advice from other's can be helpful, just be careful who you take advice from. Make sure they are where you want to be
- There is no single right time to make a change. It is more about committing to the change.
Celebrity endorsements aren’t new. I mean, they’ve been around for a really long time as far back as the 1760s, when producers of pottery in China used royal endorsements to promote their product. Hollywood stars and athletes routinely allow their images to be used in endorsements of products. And we assume that the athlete knows something about the running shoes or the celebrity chef knows something about cooking. But these days, there is a new class of celebrity with the rise of the Internet.
Influencers don’t have to be in politics or entertainment or sports or fashion. They simply need to be considered knowledgeable by a section of the population. These days there are influencers in every business category and it may make sense for your business to consider partnering with an influencer to grow your brand.
People often ask me if I work with my husband. And I politely explain that I would rather remain married, than try to navigate that challenging path. But my guest, Paul Tompkins explains how to do both.
It boils down to a few simple strategies.
- It requires patience and a willingness to put the other person ahead of you
- Separate work from family and not allow work to bleed into other parts of your life.
- Set up a daily plan that may not start and end at the same time.
A few thoughts to start your blogging checklist.
I am a big fan of blogging because I think it can be a very powerful part of your overall marketing. So what’s involved in a successful blog? Well, to start it needs to be filled with a steady stream of content filled with relevant keywords.
That’s great for search engines, but it also needs to be well written and relevant content for your target audience. Then then content needs to be properly indexed and categorized. s both human beings and search engines will find what they are looking for.
Writing a good 500 word post is sometimes the easiest part of the process. Beyond the post itself, there needs to be a plan for your call to action at the end of the post, attractive images and links to other relevant content both on and off your site.
Sounds like a lot of trouble. Is it worth it? You bet it is each time a a customer find your content.
Ready to get started? Grab a copy of our content calendar to plan your attack.
This week our guest Mark Dunsmore explains the best way to become an expert in your niche is not to try to learn everything about your industry. You don't have to be a superpower in the industry and teach everything someone needs to know.
Instead, what it means is having more knowledge than the person who wants to learn from you, and being able to package that up in a way that enables them to progress along their journey
If a prospective customer went to Google to look for a business like yours, what words would they use? Your website must contain those words. They tell a search engine like Google exactly what your website or page is about. That information is then stored in the search engine database so it can be presented to prospective customers when they’re looking for a product or service.
One of the most common mistakes business owners make is thinking that there’s some single magic key word or phrase that they must dominate. But that just isn’t how search works anymore. Why? Because today, people are more likely to use natural language as they type or dictate to Siri. So instead of typing a short phrase like furnace repair, they’re more likely to ask “Who can I call to replace my furnace?” or “Why is my furnace making a funny sound?”
As you think about your keywords, think about natural language and how people are more likely to talk when they’re looking for a business like yours.
When people throw around the term customer experience, what are they really talking about? They're talking about the experience that customers go through when interacting with your brand. It is not just a single moment, but rather a series of interaction in their customer journey.
The cumulative impact of these experiences defines how they feel and how they perceive the brand is delivering on their promise.
This week, Stacy Sherman of DoingCXRight®shares some tips on how and when businesses should measure their customer's experience.
Every day when you leave your home, you lock the door and you take your keys. That's what you do to protect your home.
As a business owner with a website, you need to lock your website to protect that as well. To do that you need to add what's known as an SSL, a secure socket layer to make sure that your information does not fall into the wrong hands and to signal to search engines that you're serious about security.
Because you see, Google and other search engines don't want to send visitors to websites that could be potentially dangerous, that could potentially distribute their information into the wrong hands. If you don't have an SSL on your web sight you need to get in touch with your web developer today.
It is human nature to be judgmental, to look at things which are different and judge them good or bad.
What is the difference between judgement and curiosity? Actually, they're two sides of the same coin. They occur as we recognize that something is different from how we'd like it to be or just different from what we're used to.
Judgment is what we typically do as human beings. We recognize something as either better or worse, good or bad. Where as curiosity is just looking to see what the differences are. Our guest, Ryan Stanley explains that choosing to be curious opens us up to so much more opportunity as we ask the questions which help us improve instead of focusing on just the current state.
In this week's Marketing Minute, we look at the art of the Meme
If you’ve been using social media for any length of time, you’ve probably seen a meme. What makes memes so popular is the fact that they give people a common topic or trend to make jokes about, creating a community feel as the meme is expanded and shared.
But what about brands? Are they invited to the party? It’s a question that every social media manager grapples with at some point, and the answer is more complicated than you think.
Why? Because memes move quickly. What’s funny today is outdated tomorrow. And so if your organization is not prepared to jump on a trend quickly, it may be something that you simply want to avoid.
Secondly, meme humor can sometimes be cutting or biting. And if that doesn’t fit with your brand, again, you may want to avoid the topic entirely.
This week's guest Robby Slaughter discusses the pros and cons of remote work. He shares tips on how to make working remotely more productive without allowing it to take over your life.
Stop using the phrase wok - life balance. Think of it as life - work balance. When you put your life first in that phrase you are making a decision to think about the person you want to be and how you want to live. Then the work is what enables you to have the life you want to have with your friends, with your family with your community. to do that it is important to have a physical space which you can close off when your working time is over.
As you manage remote teams, think about switching form an open-door to an open-mind policy, creating virtual office hours and creating intentional and purposeful social interactions to build team camaraderie.
Remember when everyone thought the internet was free, you could put your message out there and suddenly traffic came to your website? It was like magic. Well, those days are gone.
Today, you are competing with so many messages as you try to drive traffic to your website that you need to push your way to the top with a little bit of advertising. As you think about advertising, you need to think about your business to see if it’s going to make sense.
If you’re running a transactional business and there’s no residual value to advertising every day, you’re going to need to find new customers and start new relationships over and over again with a new batch of prospects. In contrast, relationship businesses can really benefit from advertising, using it to start the process of bringing people into your business and then staying in touch with them with other less expensive marketing opportunities.
Ten years ago, More than a Few Words was in its infancy. We tested a lot of formats, short programs, live broadcasts, and interviews with marketing professionals.
And for about a year, simply the show was comprised of conversations between Lorraine Ball and Allison Carter. it was the early days of social media and there was so much to talk about. There were mistakes by larger brands like Kenneth Cole and little regional publications as businesses of all sizes looked for guidance on using these new marketing tools.
We also enjoyed talking about marketing trends and how we were approaching them at Roundpeg.
In celebration of our 500th episode, Allison is back, for an update on some of our favorite conversations.
Today, I want to start with a simple question. Is your website ready for company? Think about when you invite guests over to your home, you take a little time to clean up, dust, polish, put things where they need to be, you make sure your refrigerator is well stocked, and you have clean plates and silverware. Well, when you bring visitors to your website, you need to do the same thing. You need to take time on a regular basis to make sure that the site is well organized, that you’ve got fresh content (new information) for people to browse and not that same stale stuff that you’ve had forever.
Take time to clean up your code. Make sure you have new pictures and new resources as people come to your website.
Everyone wants their website to look awesome, with interesting pictures and cool animation. Unfortunately, none of that matters if the words don't tell your story.
Why? Because while it may be impressive, people don't come for this great scrolling animation across your homepage. They come for information. In this episode we share tips on planning and writing the all important web copy.
When you're trying to get someone's attention, get them to open your email, or click on a link from social media, you have to be able to tell them what's in it for them. You need to use what's called a Gain Headline.
To use this style of headline you have to be specific and define for your reader how they will benefit if they take the time to click or read more. And if you want them to come back, you need to be sure that your content lives up to the promise your headline makes.
This marketing minute features Lorraine Ball - Host of the More than a Few Words podcast.
Some web hosting firms are definitely better than others. While they were once your very best choice, these days we find ourselves saying No Daddy to GoDaddy.
When someone stumbles across your content or social media or it’s dropped into their inbox, you have just a few seconds to make them care enough to click and read more.
With so much information thrown at potential clients every day. Your challenge is to compete with all of those other messages and get readers to pay attention to you.
While there are a lot of techniques you can use. One of the most effective is the pain headline Why? Because hardwired into people is the drive to avoid an unpleasant outcome.
Human beings are much more likely to take action to avoid negative situations than to achieve pleasant results. That’s why pain headlines work so well.
Building a website is easy, but building it correctly is not. In this episode Sam Moss of the 1Click Agency shares the five most common web design mistakes.
The biggest mistake is not including bold call to action buttons. Maybe you have a flashy website that looks great, with some really cool cool pictures, and you spent a ton of money on it. But if it is missing a strong call to action such as "call now", "get a quote" or "schedule an appointment" you are wasting your time.
Bold call to actions show prospects you're confident in what you do
Wouldn't it be nice if we all just got along? Well, that seems like a nice idea. But when it comes to running a business, you can't eliminate conflict completely. And quite honestly, you shouldn't.
Managed conflict helps cultivate discussion and creates opportunities to uncover new and innovative solutions. So as a business owner, one of your main jobs should be to establish an environment that cultivates healthy conflict.
You can do that by being willing to invest the time it takes to resolve issues. Conflict can be messy and it may take several conversations to come to a solution. You have to create a climate of mutual trust and you have to have a desire for resolution, and not let a desired win take precedence.
And finally, if there are two best options, don't choose yours. Let one of your team members take the lead. Why? Because if it's their idea and they're passionate about it, they're more likely to work to ensure that it's implemented properly.
We are living in a visual world. And as a brand, every image you choose has to support the message you want customers to receive.
Jennifer Riley Simone of Fresh Figs Marketing joined me for a conversation about how businesses can do just that. She suggested three simple strategies business owners should adopt:
Cohesion - There are many ways to make images cohesive. For example you can use consistent coloring or style of photography or the kind of images you choose. The objective is when the images are side by side on a page they fit together well. Cohesion begins with creating a branding guide
Use a Professional - If you are serious about your business image, don't leave it to an intern. Turn to a professional graphic designer. They are experts at creating visual messaging and that is what you're creating with all of your imagery and graphics. Then once you have a template or a particular look at a graphic designer has created you can turn to your team to replicate that look across your brand.
Making a Connection. The whole point of your visual communication is to speak to your target market. So is what you are creating, connecting with the people that you would like to reach out to does it draw them into your brand story? Does it make sense to them? Can they see themselves in it.
Jennifer Riley Simone is the founder of Fresh Figs Marketing and a member of the faculty of the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington.
Why You Should Conduct Web Performance Reviews
If you have employees, you're probably conducting performance reviews on a regular basis, evaluating the quality of their work, the objectives you outlined for them, and the results they delivered.
But my question is, do you hold your website to the same standard? Are you conducting web performance reviews on a regular basis to determine if your website is delivering results?
You should.
As the epicenter of your marketing, it's feeding social and email campaigns, answering customer questions, and capturing leads. And so you need to know if your website is living up to its full potential. To conduct a web performance review, start with your analytics.
Take a look at how many visitors are coming to your site. How are they finding it and what are they doing when they arrive? Use the data to make improvements.
In the early days of SEO, it was all about the links. It was about quantity, how many inbound links could you build for your website. These days, the search engine algorithm is a lot more sophisticated, considering multiple factors to calculate your ranking, but a good link is still valuable.
In this conversation, we chat with David Pagotto about simple link building strategies such as leveraging existing relationships and connections. For example reaching out to suppliers, referral partners and industry associations to build your first tier of valuable inbound links.
Let's face it, everyone wants to feel special. When you walk into a coffee shop and you're greeted by name, or a waitress remembers that you like your eggs over easy before you order, you feel at home. And the next time you want a cup of coffee or an omelet, you're more likely to go back for the personal touch that makes you feel special.
With so much business conducted remotely and online, sometimes it feels like we've lost that personal touch. But it doesn't have to be that way. Companies willing to invest in getting to know a little bit more about customers and prospects can build a competitive advantage through the use of marketing personalization.
Where do you start? Well, it can be as simple as incorporating a person's name into your marketing. For example, when you send an email to your entire database, add the person's name or a relevant fact about them to the email to increase your response rates. I'm not suggesting you send an individual email to hundreds or thousands of people, but take advantage of the personalization tags that are available in most email marketing tools.
Why do reviews matter? Part of the answer to that question lies in the psychological phenomenon of social proof. We look to others for advice and ideas. Whether it is contagious laughter at a comedy show, or turning around in an elevator to face the door, behavior is observed and replicated.
Particularly when buying something we have never bought before reviews provide that social proof.
How do you solicit reviews? Ask for them when customers are still excited about the purchase. For example:
- As you serve dessert at a fine restaurant
- Just as you sign the closing papers on your new home
- As you hand over the keys to their new car.
What about negative reviews? Bryan Caplan suggests using the four "p"s to guide your response.
- Professional
- Prompt
- Pleasant
- And Pick up the phone!
“I can do that,” I said calmly, as I looked across the table at a potential client. All the while in my head, I could hear a loud frantic voice saying, “Are you crazy? You have never done that. You don’t know how to do that!”
That was the early days of Roundpeg and people were not exactly beating down the doors to work with me. I was excited to be sitting in front of someone who actually had money to spend on marketing. So I decided I would figure it out. Sure, it was a little outside my comfort zone, but it wasn’t as if I was signing up to do accounting. And that first project opened up the door to other related opportunities, essentially changed the course of Roundpeg.
The characteristic that made me comfortable saying I can do that is common among successful entrepreneurs. It’s what allows us to jump off the edge of a cliff into the unknown as we grow our companies. But that courage shouldn’t only be limited to entrepreneurs. It’s a equally valuable to anyone who is in a position where they want to be doing more tomorrow than they’re doing today.
As a business owner, I look for that trait in my employee. I don’t always spell out everything I want done. I don’t always know the answers. What I do know is that if someone steps forward and says they want to try, I’m always willing to let them. I will support their efforts. Sometimes it doesn’t work out. That’s part of the risk you have to accept when you try to create a culture of innovation.
When it doesn’t work out, we focus on what we learned, so next time, one of us is tempted to say, we can do that … we really can.
Since starting my first Twitter account in 2008, I've had a love hate relationship with the platform. It's fast moving and entertaining. There are days that I can scroll through and just enjoy the conversations. Sometimes it's great for business, and sometimes it's just a complete time suck.
So how do you get the most out of the Twitter platform? That's a question. I've asked a number of people over the years. In this episode, you'll here excerpts of some of my favorite conversations about Twitter
Nobody told me when I was a kid how much harder it was going to be to make friends when I got older. Changing jobs and moving to new cities, I always felt like I had to start all over again.
The same is true as you start your business. Sure you have friends from former jobs and other positions, but they may or may not necessarily travel in the same circles that you're moving in now that you're a business owner. And so it's time for you to go out and make new friends.
Get out there and start networking and don't just look for customers. When you go to the next Chamber of Commerce event what you're really looking for are peers, other people in your industry and maybe even a few competitors. These are people that you'll be able to talk to about your industry and about your world.
It's a great way to learn and share best practices. Don't limit your networking to in-person, there are great opportunities online to join discussion groups and industry forums.
Want to grow your business from zero to 1000 fans? Start by asking people what they want from you. Sounds simple, right? But that's exactly what my guest Josh Tapp, The Lucky Titan, said he did to grow his business.
In this episode we talk with Josh about building an audience of raving fans, customers who are so passionate about you, they will pay you, no matter what your offer. They're willing to come to you with their wallets wide open and say, "give me whatever you have because I know you care about me."
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners, hosted by Lorraine Ball
Let’s face it, everyone is not your customer. Even if you sell the most basic of products like crackers or toilet paper, some people will like your particular brand and others won’t. And trying to make your product as generic as possible so that it will appeal to the widest group possible means that you’re probably not going to satisfy the demands of any one group.
So, today’s tip is really to start thinking about who is your target customer? Who are the people most likely to buy? What makes your product most relevant for them? What are their needs, and how do you solve their problem? When you begin thinking about your target customers as individual people rather than a conglomerate of everybody out there you have a better shot of creating relevant and meaningful marketing messages.
Think Instagram is just for pretty pictures of food, fashion and flowers will think again. With Instagram stories, your business can deliver relevant messages to an audience that really cares. Our guest today Bobbi Baehne will share tips and tricks on how you can use powerful Instagram stories to grow your business.
Instagram was about pretty pictures and celebrity chefs until it was purchased by Facebook a few years ago. They have expanded the platform adding tools to make it more useful for businesses.
One of the most powerful tools in the platform are the stories. These larger posts take up more room in the news feed, can be customized with stickers, text and even polls. And because they disappear in 24 hours people are more likely to pay attention, because they know they will be gone soon.
Have you noticed that everyone seems to be changing their name lately? I mean, every time I turn around, Dunkin Donuts is now Dunkin and Weight Watchers is WW, Burger King is trying to slide in there with BK.
What's going on? These brands that have been around for a long time and they are trying reinvent themselves. They think a shorter name makes them sound cooler and maybe a little bit hip.
Also, it allows them to shift focus away from some of their core products. For example Dunkin Donuts wants to talk about muffins and other healthy alternatives. And Weight Watchers watns to be known for more than boring diets and face to face meetings.
Can these brands get their customers to embrace the nickname? Only time will tell. Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you want to call yourself. It only matters what your customers want to call you.
Let's face it, things happen. Businesses take twists and unexpected turns. But are they really all that unexpected? In today's conversation, Sam and I talk about how you can proactively plan for the crises, you know, are going to occur at some point.
Wouldn't it be great if your marketing could get people to buy from you? Unfortunately, as our guest Chris Hoyt explains, that's not how marketing works. What can marketing do?
- Marketing can help people know you exist. if you are just starting out, marketing can help introduce your new company
- It can communicate your value
- It can give people an incentive to try your services or your products
- And most of all it can help you listen to your customers. Armed with this information you can make better decisions.
More than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners.
The Marketing Minute: Patience
Let's talk about patience, because that is something small business owners typically don't have.
We start our businesses with grand plans. We go out and start marketing our product and we expect results righ away. Unfortunately, good marketing takes time.
This is true of all types of marketing, but particularly inbound marketing and content marketing. These activities will not double your web traffic overnight.
If you created great content a week, a month or even a year ago, it will continue to be discovered by niche searches and drive traffic for months and years to come.
Search engines may not notice the first article you write on a topic, but once you have a series of related articles, suddenly you are seen as an authority on that topic and you may see your search traffic go up.
As that begins to occur, your inquiries come as well. So my friends, be patient.
The problem with automated marketing is that well, it feels automated. There's a not quite human sound to the way those emails and chat bots respond to questions from real customers. Your challenge is to humanize your automated marketing and make those communications sound like they come from you.
To help us discover how to create personal campaigns that really bring people to you we invited Ellen McDowell, the founder of Ellen McDowell, Your Social Butterfly to join us.
She says the key is to make sure that you are speaking authentically, using your language you normally would use. Don't rely on the templates that your software tools are providing. Use text from emails or simply imagine a conversation with a potential customer and use the same words in your automated chat response or email that you would use if you were face to face.
More than a Few Words is part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg
Today's conversation is a bit of a departure for us, but it is such an important topic, property taxes. I know , nobody wants to talk about property taxes. But if you don't talk about it, and you don't think about it, you're gonna pay more.
Our guest Joshua Malancuk, founder of JM Tax Advocates explains the two components of property tax calculations; the tax rate and the assessed value. While you can't change your tax rate, which is set by your local government, you can present logical arguments for reducing the assessed value of your property.
Most business owners don't have the experience to make the case for a tax assessment reduction on their own. That's where professional tax advocates can play an important role. This is extremely important for capital intensive businesses, but individual taxpayers can benefit from the evaluation process as well.
Is email marketing or social media a better tool for your business. The truth is, it’s not an either or situation. Each of these marketing tools has a very specific purpose.
Social media is where you meet lots of new people with your messages. If your content is interesting you can reach new audiences through your existing connections. But at the end of the day, it’s like going to a singles bar. Your end goal is to bring your date home for a more personal conversation, without competing with pictures of babies, and kittens.
That’s where email shines. It is more one to one conversation. And at least from the moment that they open your email, you fill their inbox and their screen and there are no distractions, you have a significantly higher conversion rate on activities from email rather than social media. So as you’re thinking about your marketing, make sure you have a role for each of these tools.
This marketing minute is hosted by Lorraine Ball
What is a rich snippet?
Rich Snippets is the term used to describe structured data markup that site operators can add to their existing HTML, which in turn allow search engines to better understand what information is contained on each web page. However, the major search engines have taken this a step further, and now use this markup to present richer search results, enabling users to more easily find the information they are looking for.
Sounds kind of geeky, right? Well Lorraine and Sam break it down so it makes sense to all the non-techies in our audience.
What if you had an employee who could be hard at work as you were doing something else. Sounds wonderful, right? Well that is the idea behind marketing automation.
With a little planning, you can create campaigns which will reach out to customers and prospects, with just the right message at just the right time.
As our guest, Travis Merle explains automation isn't one size fits all. It is about sending timely and personalized information in response to sales or support queries
About Travis
As a Channel Manager at ActiveCampaign, Travis works with agency partners that leverage and/or are looking to leverage marketing & sales automation as a service at market. A two year veteran, which is an eternity at AC, he spent the first nearly 9 years of his career at various agencies and media production companies. He's no stranger to marketing. He loves his partners, his teammates and the world of automation.
If you're like many business owners, you started your company to do something you enjoyed. Maybe you were a chef and you started a restaurant, or a doctor who wanted to take care of people, or a marketer who enjoyed the creative challenge of engaging customers with a product. Whatever it was, you started your company to do that thing.
Along the way you learned running a business required sales, bookkeeping, IT and human resources skills. There are multiple distractions dealing with an unhappy employee, preparing paperwork for your accountant, or calling clients who are behind in payments. Each of these tasks takes you further away from what you set out to do.
So how much time do you really spend doing what you set out to do? If your day is primarily taken up with things that you'd rather not do, you're heading for burnout. You need to recognize the warning signs and reverse course because life is too short.
To get back on track, the first step is to build a plan. Maybe you need to change your business model, hire someone to help, or outsource some of the functions which keep you from doing what you love.
if you don't love marketing, then give the team at Roundpeg a call, because we do.
These days inboxes are overloaded and social media news feeds are controlled by the platform algorithms. So, as a small business owner how do you break through the clutter to be sure customers see your messages?
In this episode our guest Alfredo Salkeld explains how texting can be the answer for many small businesses with the ability to deliver simple, timely messages to an audience interested in what you have to say.
About Alfredo Salkeld
As marketing manager, of SimpleTexting Alfredo is responsible for attracting new users to the platform then helping them see real results with SMS as quickly as possible. He and his team do this by creating expert articles, guides, videos, webinars and more full of useful, actionable advice. Thanks to this content plus SimpleTexting's stellar support team, the company has doubled in size since Alfredo joined in 2019.
Prior, Alfredo lead the content strategy for Oasis—a luxury home-sharing start-up backed by Hyatt Hotels. He also worked as a copywriter at Push, an advertising agency whose clients include national retail, restaurant, and education brands.
About Simple Texting
SimpleTexting is the leading platform for businesses who want to reach their customers by text message. Their powerful set of features allow you to send promotions and alerts, recruit candidates, provide 1-on-1 customer service, create automated campaigns, and more. Everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies use SimpleTexting to reach their audiences.
If you have ever read a comic book you know that the Super Hero has amazing powers, but also the one critical weakness. Business owners are marketing super heroes with amazing skills and talent, but weakness which can bring us an our business to the ground, like kryptonite does to superman.
Our guest, Karen Sullivan suggests that a good marketing strategy can help your overcome your kryptonite.
Curious about your marketing superpower ? Take this quiz.
About our guest - Karen Sullivan
Karen Sullivan is a fourth-generation entrepreneur and award-winning designer with a life-long passion for persuasive visual and written communication. She founded Sullivan Solutions nearly 25 years ago to help entrepreneurial companies augment their in-house marketing with expert services that help drive sales further and faster.
Her expertise enables clients to develop effective strategies that are built upon their unique strengths and make confident marketing decisions that drive demand for their products and services.
Do you have a plan for your business? I don't mean a vague generic, "Yeah, we kind of want to do this." I mean, a specific plan that outlines the steps that you're going to take to reach your goals.
If you're like many small business owners, I already know the the answer to that question is no. And that is not going to cut it. Working without a plan is like getting in your car and saying, "I'm going to drive from Indianapolis to Omaha. I have never been there and I don't have a map."
Sure, you might get there eventually, but there's a good chance you're going to get lost along the way, it may take longer to get there or you may never find Omaha.
So as you're thinking about your business, take some time to map out where you want your business to be in a year and how you're going get there.
Get started with a copy of our Business Plan Outline.
The next time you go to a networking event, ready to launch into your hard sell pitch stop and try something new. Don't ask the same tired questions. Instead, our guest Patti Farmer suggests three quick questions which will help you quickly qualify each conversation, so you know who to follow up with and how.
About our guest Patty Farmer is an award-winning Marketing & Media Strategist, International Speaker, Podcast Host, Magazine Publisher, and Event Producer and works with small business owners, entrepreneurs & speakers to attract and convert their ideal clients so they can make a big impact in the world, and bigger deposits in their bank account. Patty believes we all have a message and her mission is to help them master their marketing, leverage the media, and monetize their business in a way that creates transformation for both them and their clients while designing a lifestyle they want to live.
Small business owners are often very short sighted when they consider the value of a customer, looking only at what they are going to spend today and maybe in the the years to come.
But if you delight that customer, they will bring something worth more more than the value of all they will buy from you.
A customer who really knows and loves you, will be willing to talk about you to their friends and their families. Their endorsement is the gift that keeps on giving.
So as you think about how much you will spend to generate leads and drive prospective customers to your business, you also need to think about keeping those customers for the long term.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC: Be sure to read this check out our Customer Acquisition Worksheet that is included in our Marketing Budget kit to calculate how much you can afford to spend for each new customer.
Are you looking to expand your organization? If its a struggle to find qualified candidates. you might need to change your focus.
Typically the focus is on the candidate.The hiring company tells them to change their approach, resume, writing style, and exceptions to meet the company's needs. In today's competitive job market however, it is often the company that needs to change.
Before you look externally, you need to look internally to see what image you are projecting. If your brand image in the market is lackluster and generic you are likely to get a lot of resumes that are lackluster and generic as well, because "like attracts like".
This week our guest Career Success Coach, Lisa McDonald sat down with host Lorraine Ball and explained if you're having trouble attracting great resumes, you might want to start with your own corporate resume.
Does your heart sink when someone suggests having a meeting to discuss something? If you are like me, you have attended so many bad meetings, that it is hard to be excited about the prospect of another one.
But Dr. Rick Brinkman believes it doesn't need to be that way. If you treat your meeting like plane flight, with air traffic control ( the agenda) a flight recorder ( capturing all the ideas) and a pilot guiding the conversation, you meeting can be extremely productive.
This is a marketing minute with Lorraine Ball. When was the last time you updated your website? If the answer is more than two years ago, you're doing a disservice to yourself and your customers.
You are not providing up to date information to your clients, and you're missing out on a chance to improve your search engine ranking with frequent relevant updates.
You can freshen you content by adding new events, business tips and updated employee biographies. A regular schedule for blog posts and articles also gives customers and prospects a reason to come back.
But what about your design? Is it keeping up? Take a look at the websites of your closest competitors and be brutally honest. How does your site compare? Does it look a little worn around the edges and out of date compared to their shiny new sites?
If it doesn't stack up well, it is time for a face lift.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Download our web audit kit to evaluate your website today.
Great marketing starts with a strategy and a great strategy starts with questions. What do you do if you don't know what to ask? Well Limehub founder Raine Gaisford shares a few of the questions and a new tool business owners can use to build their strategy.
If you want to encourage someone to buy from you, tell them how to solve their problem without you. That might sound crazy, but our guest John Welch the co-owner and President of Skymouse Studios explained that is a great way to build trust.
In this conversation with host Lorraine Ball, he shared some of his best tips to generate relevant content that helps you build trust with your clients.
About John Welch
This self described fast-talking co-founder of Skymouse Studios. is an extrovert, who loves helping people communicate better.
Content answers the questions customers have as they're trying to decide if they want to do business with you.
Once upon a time marketers ran television commercials and put ads in newspapers and simply waited for the phone to ring. But that was a long time ago. It was so long ago that it seems like a fairy tale, an expensive fairy tale at that.
Today, consumers fast forward through ads and change the station on their radio. They don't want to be interrupted by your marketing. They want to be free to look for information at their own pace as they browse and search online.
And they're not just looking for coupons or discounts. They're looking for general information about trends and features, about company personnel, and examples of how your product is being used and what people think about your business.
Contagious content is something that SOME people will find so interesting they will be unable to resist the urge to share it. Andrea Breanna, the founder of Rebel Mouse explains we share things because we want to show off what we know, connect with others or because something is so striking it hits our ITMO (inability to move on).
Creating contagious content boils down to emotions: Love, hate, belief and disbelief. Great content will tap in to one or more of these emotions. And often it will be love for some part of your audience and hate for another. That's ok. It means you have tapped into an emotion and avoided the dead zone in the middle.
For more on this topic check out the blog post on Rebel Mouse
It may sound crazy, but this week's guest Dr. Shirag Shemmassian says you can actually sell more when you give away free stuff. He sat down with host Lorraine Ball to talk about how this strategy can work for any business.
How does it work? You have to be strategic about what you give away. Think about previews of your services, or quick tips and informative guides which help prospective customers fell confident as they choose to work with you. The content you share has to be high quality, but it doesn't have to answer every question. Afterall that is what you want them to pay you for.
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian and his team of admissions nerds have been helping high-achieving students get into America's top colleges, medical schools, and graduate programs for over 15 years.
Despite growing up with Tourette Syndrome and being told that his odds of academic and professional success were slim, Dr. Shemmassian completed his undergraduate degree at Cornell and his Doctorate at UCLA.
Dr. Shemmassian's expertise on the admissions process has been featured on sites like The Washington Post, NBC, and US News & World Report, where he discusses how to leverage your personal and professional experiences to create standout applications.
This is a quick marketing tip from Lorraine Ball host of More than a Few Words. Here's an interesting statistic. More than 88% of online shoppers incorporate reviews into their purchase decision. Why? Because people are skeptical. They are more likely to trust what friends and family and even strangers say about your company more than what you say
The tendency to ask for recommendations didn't start with the internet. It's always been a natural part of the buying process. So if your prospects are looking for recommendations and reviews as thy make buying decisions then asking for recommendations must be part of your selling process .
From gathering testimonials to place on your website and encouraging people to post reviews on Angie's List TripAdvisor, Facebook, or Google or even asking for personal introductions from one client to another building a word of mouth business takes work.
Looking for help? Drop by Roundpeg.biz. We would love to chat with you. And be sure to look for longer episodes of More than a Few Words wherever you listen to podcasts.
Ken Cloke is a conflict resolution expert. In this conversation with Lorraine Ball he shares some very simple tactics you can employ to diffuse a difficult situation.
1) Ask the other person, why is this so important to you? Why are you fighting so hard to win. Often when you ask that you can identify underlying issues which are really at play.
2) Take ownership of the conflict and ask the other person, what you can do to reduce the tension.
Ken Cloke is a world-recognized mediator, dialogue facilitator, conflict resolution systems designer, teacher, public speaker, author of numerous books and articles, and a pioneer and leader in the field of mediation and conflict resolution for the last 37 years.
If you want insight into hot marketing trends, it is best to ask more than one person. That is exactly what Melanie Allen and Meghan Martin of Green Loop Marketing did. They reached out to nine marketing professionals to get their opinion on what would be hot in 2020.
The result is an informative article about nine trends to watch in 2020. The article has something for everyone from the marketing novice and social media pro.
In this episode Lorraine Ball explores just a few of those nine trends. Listen now.
Marketing Tip from More than a Few Words
My husband is an amazing cook. He reads recipes and comes up with his own variations, blending and layering ingredients in new and delicious ways. And even though he's amazing in our kitchen, he should not own a restaurant. Why? Because he knows how to time a meal with three dishes for eight people. But expanding that to 30 dishes for 100 people require skills he does not have
The same challenge exists when it comes to managing professional social media. Lots of people are good on social media. They're funny and engaging and they have a large following, but just because they're good at managing their own accounts does not mean they have the skills to be a successful social media chef.
What does it take to be successful as a professional social media chef level? It boils down to two things.
- The first is a precise recipe or content calendar which describes the ingredients such as the topics, types of content, and amount of content.
- The second is a plan for managing your kitchen, delegating tasks and coordinating when and where content will be shared.
If you'd like to find the tools a professional social media chef needs, be sure to hop over to digitaltoolboxin.com
And look for longer episodes of More Than a Few Words, with host Lorraine Ball, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Imagine stepping on to an elevator and the person inside greets you warmly and begins to engage you in a conversation. Does the prospect of that conversation make you smile or horrify you?
The answer will depend on your communication style. Understanding difference in how we communicate can make your next sales call or employee interaction much easier.
In today's conversation with Yamilette Williams (Dr. Yam) explains that when you listen to the type of questions people ask you will find clues to their communication style.
If you want to be a consultant, you need to write a book. You may not be a best selling author, you don't have to be. The purpose of this book is to introduce yourself to a wider audience, to demonstrate your expertise, and establish credibility as a s subject matter expert.
In this conversation, Dr. Cindy Childress outline's the steps you need to take to get ready to write a book.
KEY TAKEAWAY: The book is not the moneymaker. It is a way to introduce your consulting, training and speaking services.
About Dr. Cindy, The Expert’s Ghostwriter, is a ghostwriter and book editor for coaches and consultants that go on to achieve bestseller status, book TEDx Talks, build coaching businesses, and create nonprofits.
She developed the Write Your Book Blueprint™ framework to create reading experiences that encourage reviews and turn readers into lifelong fans of the author. Her best clients want to publish books that make an impact, and she’s committed to write and edit their books to look and feel like any other bestseller at a major bookstore.
Dr. Cindy also teaches creative writing classes with Writespace Houston and is a foster mom with Citizens for Animal Protection.
More than a Few Words is a part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg.
Denise Praul is the owner of Whiteboard Learning a training company that provides referral marketing training to service based business people. Her most popular training is her program that helps business people create a Roadmap to Unlimited Referrals She has trained hundreds of business people on how to create proactive non-client referral marketing plans to help them accomplish their sales goals.
In this episode she shares some of her favorite tips on creating productive referral relationships.
In an effort to dominate on social media and in SEO businesses are churning out lots of content. Unfortunately most of it is crap.
So if you want to attract people, not just search engines, you need to be a better writer than your competitors.
How do you do that? Our guest, author Erik Deckers explains you need to read more and practicing more.
Ten years ago when social media was kind of a new thing. While there was a lot of research about how big businesses were using these new tools, there wasn't much information about small business so we launched our first Digital Marketing Study.
A decade later, we're still asking those questions. In this episode we look at some of the high level results from our 2020 digital marketing survey.
If you are intrigued after you listen to episode you can download the full report here:
www.roundpeg.biz/survey
Whether you are hoping to rally your team around a strategy or resolve interpersonal issues an off-site retreat or team building session can be an ideal solution. Our guest, Deseri Garcia of Vida Aventura, outlines several things to keep in mind before you head out to bond.
- Define your objectives - What is the purpose to have the event.
- Make sure your team understands your objectives and outcomes
Many people dread team building events because they are afraid they will be asked to do something that makes them uncomfortable or makes them feel silly. Creating a safe space where everyone can participate by choice helps reduce the tension.
More than a Few Words is part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg
Sometimes, as a sales person heads out to make cold calls, it feels like they are trying to storm a castle. They prepare to battle their way in the door. My sales coach, Matt Nettleton says it doesn't have to be that way.
Armed with a series of strategic questions, and a willingness to really listen to the answers, a sales person can actually encourage prospects to lower their defenses and actually invite the sales person in.
More than a Few Words is part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg.
When you face a challenging situation, before you look outward, our guest Lauralee Hites suggestion you use the process of introspection, to look inward.
She defines introspection as the ability to examine your mental and emotional state. And the process is easy if you start with three questions.
1) What is the story I am telling myself?
2) What am I doing to contribute to this problem?
3) What tools(s) to I bring to this problem?
More than a Few Words is just one small business resource in the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg,
You're familiar with Braille lettering on signs and blue rimmed parking spots which make it easier for people who are differently-abled to access traditional physical brick and mortars spaces. Now we're seeing this same idea of accessibility being addressed in the online world.
In this conversation we look at ways you can make your website more accessible to all people.
In a effort to make this episode more accessible, you can find a transcript on our website
Ready to leave your nine to five job behind? Before you do, our guest Anna Lundberg suggestions you think about the following five elements necessary to create a sustainable business.
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Create a vision for you business. And this is unique to you. Re-imagine success not as defined by others, but what you want your business to look like.
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Get your mindset right. This is about developing the confidence to face the ups and downs of your business
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Create a business model. Define your services and target markets, and how you will generate revenue.
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Define your brand. It is easy to get caught up in the day to day, focusing on the next sale, but some of your effort needs to be focused on building your brand platform. This platform will set up up for long term success.
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Find work life integration. This doesn't mean balance and an even split between work and the rest of your life, but it is about defining how your business will fit into the rest of your life.
We talk, write and create messages all day long. But do our messages actually create the impact we're looking for?
That was the topic of the conversation with Patrick Donadio. We discussed a six step process for communicating with IMPACT! Patrick shared a simple acronym to make it easy to remember the six steps. .
I stands for intention. So why am I having this conversation? Or why am I creating this content?
M is the message and the methods you will use. What do you want to say and how will you deliver the information?
P is for the person the message is for. How do you personalize the message based on who the receiver is going to be?
The first half the process is all about planning the content. The second half is about how you plan the reception or delivery?
A is for activate, bringing the message to life. How do you engage people in this interaction or communication and how you keep them engaged?
C is for clarify. It is one thing to deliver the message and something entirely different to confirm the recipient understood.
T is for transfer and transition. How will the communication change or transform the person or the situation?
Before we get into the how, let’s talk about the why. Well, the easy answer is that employee profiles are great content! They are the perfect light-hearted, human-interest kind of piece that folks love to see on social media and in email newsletters and they are a great way to regularly inject content into your blog. They really don’t take that much effort, don’t have to be that long and can be finished (from interview to finished article) in an afternoon.
The bigger reason to write employee profiles? They are the perfect way to gain trust from your community. An employee profile portfolio is a valuable collection to have at your disposal particularly for businesses in the home service and any other service industry that entails a lot of 1-on-1 communication with customers.
By having an opportunity to meet and learn more about your staff through these blog posts, you help customers become more comfortable with scheduling an appointment, inviting them into their homes or putting their trust in you.
So how do you write a good employee profile?
A good way to start an employee profile is with a simple introduction. Your first round of questions should be some nice soft ball questions to help ease your subject into the interview. Get some baseline information. Start with their name, even if you already know it, making sure to get the correct spelling. This can help establish some rapport, not to mention avoiding a misspelled name right at the top of your bio.
Questions you can ask: * What’s your name? * What’s your title? * How long have you worked at (insert company name here)?
As a business owner, every day you make choices about how to spend your time, dividing it between the mundane things that have to get done, and the interesting things that move your business forward.
If you find that you’re spending too much time on the mundane, then maybe it’s time for a virtual assistant.
In today’s conversation Jennifer Crawford, the founder of Sparent, shares some thoughts and how to decide if you are ready to hire a VA and how to prepare for a productive relationship.
KEY TAKEAWAY: If your growth is slowing down, because you are bogged down with mundane tasks, it may be time to look for a little help
About Jennifer
ennifer’s passion is helping people grow their businesses. In addition to business and conference consulting, she is also the co-founder of a recently launched company, Sparent–a virtual temp agency staffed by stay at home moms with skills to spare.
When she is not all up in your business, she performs with The Improv Imps, produces the Podcasting Smarter Podcast for Podbean, and listens to podcasts, of course!
She lives with her hunk of spunk husband, Thor and their 140 lb. drool beast, Meatball in Fairfax, VA.
Being a successful business owners depends on lots of things, but this week's guest Henriette Danel says it starts with just three things. Mindset, Strategy and Action.
In this episode, she explores how these elements build on each other as you develop a strategy to attract new customers and grow your business.
More than a Few Words is part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg.
Great content does not happen by accident. The more planning you do up front, the better your results will be. In this episode, Lorraine sat down to chat with Sam Von Tobel for a timely conversation about content planning including creating your calendar, a new tool, Sharekit.io to improve the look of scheduled content, setting goals and measuring the results.
As you start your planning, think about the rhythm of the year. Do you have a seasonal business? If so you may want to plan content themes to match the seasons or the products that are more popular in those seasons. Maybe you are going to run an aniversary promotion a calendar will help you anticipate all the assets (images, social share graphics, custom blog posts) you will need to make a large impact.
This conversation was sponsored by Sharekit.io. More drink recipes can be found here. All reviews and opinions expressed in this episode are based on our assessment of the tool.
Key Takeaway - Make your calendar meaningful by outlining specific objectives for each of your actions. Then mid month and at the end of the month you can evaluate how effective your actions were and make changes rolling into the next month.
4-time Emmy award winner, Laura Bucker joins Lorraine for a conversation about stories. How to pull the details from someone to build a story that will support your marketing messages in a compelling an emotional way.
A cold call should really be called a new call because your goals is simply to build a new relationship. Start the conversation with your power presentation. This is short, maybe eight to ten seconds which identifies who you are, what you do, and ultimately, what problem you can help somebody solve.
While you won’t make a sale in ten seconds you need to capture the attention of the other person with a message which will open them up to a longer conversation.
KEY TAKE AWAY -Be prepared for every conversation
Bio
Charlie Cina captivates his audiences and teaches them how to master the right mindset, missions, and moves to reach their personal potential to drive massive revenue. Through his writings, speaking, and consulting, he has built a vast group of followers known as Disciples of Sales.
Charlie believes that the ability to present and persuade are necessary life skills that everyone needs to succeed. He will teach you that your primary responsibility in business is to expose your brand, expose your products, expose your services, and expose your solutions to build long lasting revenue relationships.
On January 7, 2010 we published the first episode of More than a Few Words on Podbean. We had no idea how where the journey would take us, but we were hoping for a little fun and good conversations along the way.
Today, we are popping the champagne corks as we toast to the first decade. Sam Von Tobel joins Lorraine as she talks about the roots of this popular podcast as where she thinks it will go from her.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Enjoy the show, then listen to a few more, they are short!
As a leader it can be frustrating when employees make mistakes but it may not be their fault.
Before you blame them, Randy Clark suggests you step back and ask the following questions to be sure you gave them the best chance for success.
- Have they been trained?
- Were your expectations clear?
- Do they have the tools?
- Were their actions impacted by something outside their controls
- Were they following guidance from someone else?
KEY TAKEAWAY: Sometimes, there is a perfectly valid reason an employee doesn’t follow instructions.
Randy Clark is an Amazon best selling author (management and business skills) who is passionate about management training. He works with businesses to create and facilitate leadership development.
Although he continues to work with TKO Graphix as a consultant, Randy recently left his full-time position as Director of Communications for TKO to pursue his passion, leadership development. Randy gears his training to the needs of the client, offering training for future and current managers as well as leadership teams.
His training philosophy is based on service leadership. Over the past 30 years, every company Randy has worked with on an ongoing basis has grown. Here’s what Tom Taulman II, president of TKO Graphix had to say, “Randy began leadership training with TKO Graphix in 2008.
He has molded and developed our management team with his service leadership philosophy. The best thing I can share is that our business has grown by more than 400 percent in volume during Randy’s time here.”
He is the author of several books on management and leadership including:
- The New Manager’s Workbook: A Crash Course in Effective Management
- The Manager’s Guide to Becoming a Leader
- You Can’t Talk Shit Done: Adding Actions to Words
Kerry Kathleen Heaps, founder of Book, Speak, Repeat joins Lorraine for a conversation about becoming a public speaker.
If you want to grow your professional speaking business focus on your story. Think about the experiences and life lessons which make you uniquely qualified to give a presentation. Structure your presentation as a series of stories, not facts. Your audience will remember the story long after the presentation is over.
Beyond the story, you must identify 3 – 5 takeaways ( action items or relevant messages) which will make your presentation relevant and valuable for your audience.
Finally, there are five things every professional speaker needs: A current bio, several core topics. Presentation summaries for meeting planners, specific takeaways for each topic and a current head shot.
KEY TAKEAWAY – There are way more speakers than speaking opportunities, if you want to be hired, you need to make it easy for event organizers to work with you.
MTFW, hosted by Lorraine Ball is part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg
Awkward, Alone, and Afraid If you are nervous and anxious when attending a new networking event and the thought of shaking someone’s “maybe unwashed hands” gives you chills, then this conversation with Raven Richardson may be just what you need to hear this morning!
If you are like most business owners you have developed a skill for making gut decisions. But my guest Dr. Gleb Tsipursky thinks that might just be the wrong way to approach your business decisions.
The author of multiple articles and several books on the subject, including his new one. Never Go With Your Gut he presents a logical and easy to follow alternative. Listen to learn his five easy steps to improving your ability to make decisions on the fly.
Every day for the past six years, Robby Slaughter has been asking a question of the day. Sometimes, silly, sometimes serious these questions generate responses between friends and strangers.
I sat down with Robby to understand why he does it, and what he has learned along the way.
Look for Robby’s question every day on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/robby.slaughter
If you could go back and start your business over, what would you change? This week's guest Barry Magliarditi has three processes he wishes he had impletemented soon.
About Barry
Barry Magliarditi is the founder and director of The Game Changers. He has been recognised for his thought leadership by the 30 under 30, 2015 Telstra Business awards and was chosen as Australian Coach of the Year for the 2016 Invia Innovation and Excellence in Business Coaching in Australia.
Like the index in the back of a book, you web site map outlines all the information on your website. It is a powerful tool while you are building the site. And when you are done it will help search engines index the information correctly.
This week, our project lead, Britt Baue explains how she builds a site map
We have all attended meetings where nothing got done. Maybe there were great discussions, and maybe you had lots of notes when you left, but nothing changed. This week, out guest Randy Clark, the author of the new book, "You Can't Talk Shit Done" explains you need a plan behind the words.
From weekly updates to companywide mission statements, businesses fail when there is too much talk and not enough action. You Can't Talk Shit Done provides frameworks for getting the most out of business interactions, from meetings and training sessions to conferences and seminars.
Note: We did not censor Randy's title. If it appears incorrectly here, that is the podcasting platform.
Susan White, co-host of the Joy Powered Workspace Podcast dropped by for a conversation about creating a work environment where people look forward to walking in the door every day.
About Susan
Susan White is the CEO of Susan Tinder White Consulting, a Collaborator with Purple Ink, co-host of The JoyPowered Workspace Podcast, and co-author of The JoyPowered™ Team. Susan has a passion for identifying, developing, coaching, and retaining talent.
Susan’s experience includes 30+ years as a Senior Vice President & Human Resource Executive at JP Morgan Chase. Currently, she consults with executives in a variety of industries, government entities, and not-for-profits. She is a faculty member of SHRM . Susan is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional, a Senior Professional in Human Resources, a member of National SHRM and IndySHRM, and has been an adjunct faculty member for the University of Indianapolis. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from Indiana University and has completed numerous post-graduate courses.
In her free time, Susan enjoys reading, funny movies, and traveling. She is on the Advisory Board for Disability:IN, is a Trustee at Christ the King Catholic Church, and serves on the United Way Human Services Professional Renewal Committee.
We all have lots of contacts, but most of the people we know are just that, contacts. Only a small, select few are true strategic relationships for us in our business.
But those select few drive us to be better, hold us accountable and help us find the fire within that we need to achieve great things.
This week, my guest David Nour explains how we can cultivate those very special relationships.
A thinker, keynote speaker, business advisor and best-selling author, David Nour is internationally recognized as a leading expert on strategic business relationships. The author of 10 books, including best-sellers CO-CREATE (St. Martin’s Press) and Relationship Economics® (Wiley), and the upcoming Curve Benders, he delivers 50 global keynotes annually. Nour serves as a trusted advisor and an executive coach and is an adjunct professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
A Forbes Leadership contributor, Nour’s insights have been featured in a variety of prominent publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Fast Company.
He lives in Atlanta, GA, with his family. Learn more at NourGroup.com.
Thinking about a side hustle? Or maybe you have an employee who wants to do some freelance work on the side. In this episode, we talk about the do's and don'ts of cultivating work on the side.
Our guest is Laura Briggs, a writer, entrepreneur and author focusing on the impact of the freelance economy.
Monday morning at Roundpeg, right around 11 am, we set up the camera and shoot a Facebook live video. Why do we do it? That's the topic of this week's episode of More than a Few words, with Sam Von Tobel, the new host of Monday Morning at the 'Peg.
Life happens and sometimes it is hard to keep the distruptions of your life or of your employee's lives outside the workplace. This week's guest Lisel Mertes believes that you shouldn't have to keep those two parts of your employee's lives separate. As a matter of fact, learning to bring emplathy into the workplace is actually good for business.
When you are developing social media, where does the information come from? How do you figure out what to write? These are questions we get asked every day as we write content for companies as different as a flooring installer, to a bean company to a tech firm.
So Lorraine sat down with Staci Seber our social media specialist t ofind out some of the tricks of the trade.
Many of us started out as a solo entrepreneur. However, somewhere along the way the business grew and we had to make that transition from worker bee to business owner.
Today, my guest Matt Zentz of Market Path shares his journey from developer to owner.
As we get close to the 10 year anniversary of More Than a Few Words, I've been digging around in my archives. This week I've put together two episodes that both deal with small businesses and the economy. Although the episodes are 10 years old, there's a lot of relevance for business owners today.
This first episode starts with a story, but it's really about business owners using the economy and factors outside of their control as reasons for not investing and not growing.
In the second episode, I discuss why businesses needed to start spending and investing as the economy was improving. These same strategies will help keep your business strong in 2020 if the economy turns into a downward spiral, as well,
More than a Few Words is part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg.
We've all been there, with so many things to do, feeling overwhelmed and stuck. If you find yourself staring at a to-do list that is three pages long, or a giant task between you and success, then today's conversation with Andrea Liebross is just what you need.
Robby Slaughter is a man who uses time well. The author of five books, he dropped by to talk about his newest one, The New Science of Time Management.
We can't change the amount of time we have, but we can change how we think about it.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Just when you got used to millennials, along comes Gen Z. As these younger professionals are now entering the workforce and making their own purchase decisions they bring a very different set of experiences and a different set of values to those interactions.
In today's covnersation with David Vogelpohl, VP, Web Strategy of WP Engine shares the results of a survey looking at generational differences and explains how this will affect you as an employer or a business marketing to this communit.
About David
David Vogelpohl is a proud father of 3 wonderful children, an adoring fan of his amazing wife, and a >20 year veteran in digital. David works as a VP for WP Engine (a DXP for WordPress) where he leads WordPress ecosystem strategy, serves as brand lead for the Genesis & StudioPress product suites, and embark on various special missions to support WordPress and the open source community.
Let's face it, most companies need a little HELP with their content. This week, my guest Kevin Mullett shared his special forumula for content HELP.
- Humanize Your Message
- Encourage Conversation
- Listen First
- Promote Less.
Be sure to download the Content Opportunity Report:
About Kevin
Kevin Mullett, is the Director of Visibility and Social Media at MarketSnare, a product that helps multi-location brands capture local opportunity via SEO/SEM/SM at scale for franchise and dealer networks. He's an experienced web developer and online marketer with over 18 years experience. He discovers, tests, and disseminates trends in digital marketing and tools for developers, clients and popular conference audiences. His passion is photography.
Today, Heneka Watkis Porter is a succesful entrepreneur. How did she get there, and what did she learn along the way? Listen to today's episdoe to find out.
About Heneka
Heneka Watkis-Porter is a serial-entrepreneur, author, speaker, fashion designer and podcaster. She wakes up every day with a grateful heart as she lives her purpose of “life transformation through inspiration”. She is the founder/CEO of the authentic Jamaica clothing brand, Patwa Apparel. Heneka is also the creator of the Caribbean’s first Virtual Conference and Expo - The Entrepreneurial You Virtual SME Conference & Expo.
The Entrepreneurial You is a podcast for passionate and dedicated entrepreneurs and leaders seeking inspiration. Each week a global high impact entrepreneur and leader such as Seth Godin is featured to motivate and inspire listeners from around the globe.
This is a special episode of More than a Few Words, recorded live at She Podcast, a women's podcasting event. Lorraine caught up with JoDee Curtis of the Joy Powered Podcast and Danielle Ireland of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs to talk about why business owners need to get out of their office and attend events like this, how to deal with the information onslaught and set priorities on which ideas to put into practice.
About our guests:
JoDee Curtis is the Founder of Purple Ink and the ink pad, author of JoyPowered™: Intentionally Creating an Inspired Workspace, and co-author of The JoyPowered™ Family, The JoyPowered™ Team and the host of the Joy Powered podcast.
JoDee has a passion for helping organizations and individuals discover their talents and do more of what they do well! She is a wife and mother of three humans and two labradoodles, and she loves to read and travel.
Danielle Ireland will tell you she is not your mama's therapist. An, LCSW, (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) with an MSW, (Master’s in Social Work) she describes herself as a speaker. ballroom dancer. actress. licensed therapist. recovering perfectionist. wife. podcaster, and supersized laugher.
She is the host of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs. A podcast designed to be the remedy to comparing yourself to others & feeling like everyone has it figured out but you.
One to one marketing is great, but it takes a lot of time. This week, my gest Anna Osherov, an Eventologist explains that events allow you to be more productive, with one to many marketing.
About Anna
Anna is the founder of The Holistic Business Hub, a boutique venue that supports and empowers business people to bring their vision to life.
By providing a successful space where people run demonstrations, workshops and events. Our clients rapidly grow their exposure through our comprehensive business training, access to our community network, business resources and tools.
By empowering business people to communicate their message effectively they deliver value to their clients and other stakeholders.
Looking for a trade show give away or something for your team, Dean Kapsalis has a simple three step process to help you select the perfect item.
About Dean
Our guest, Fuel Merchandise Group founder, Dean Kapsalis, has been in the marketing industry for 20 plus years. A Hoosier native and IU alum, Dean’s passion for education and athletics led to a valuable college experience as a 4 year student-athlete.
Lessons learned in the classroom and on the field provided the foundation for an accomplished business career. The values of building great team relationships, performing at a high standard of excellence and working with others to reach a common goal, are the same values Dean brings to every facet of FMG.
Today, Dean’s passion is focused on leading FMG’s journey to empowering employees, delivering value to its customers and making a positive impact in the community. To Dean, Fuel is more than a business that just makes branded products. Fuel is a vehicle to help customers bring success to their missions and inspire brands to become their best.
More than a Few Words is a weekly marketing conversation, produced by Roundpeg as part of their Digital Toolbox community.
Are you constantly comparing yourself to other people to see how you measure up or are you proudly different? This week our guest David Di Giorgio thinks that perhaps cases you're suffering from "Comparanoia"
What is Comparanoia?
Is that excessive and even obsessive desire to be like other people, or unlike anybody else. Some people will say no. I don't have a comparison problem. I don't compare myself to anybody and what's interesting is when you try to be unique or unlike anybody else you isolate yourself.
About Davide
Davide Di Giorgio is the number one international best-selling author of “Being UNapologetic”, a keynote and TEDx speaker, comparanoia™ expert, and a speaking and confidence consultant for influencers and celebrities. He is a writer for The Good Men Project, Thought Catalog, Thrive Global, and Success Profiles Magazine.
His philanthropic endeavor, Project Being UNapologetic dares to tackle bullying and build confidence and self-esteem while funding dream projects for high school performing arts students.
Everyone has a story to tell. This week, my guest Alexandra Rufatto-Perry the owner and CEO of Practically Speaking, LLC, talks about how to use storytelling as part of your business communication.
About Alex
Alexandra Rufatto Perry is the owner and CEO of Practically Speaking, LLC, which helps executives and their leadership teams develop the communication skills necessary to command rooms and deliver captivating messages.
Alex is a highly-acclaimed TEDx speaker, facilitator, and mentor, using strategies she learned in nearly two decades of studying powerful communication in workplace settings.
She is a nationally certified Speech Language Pathologist, has a background in adult neurology and emotional intelligence and is an EQI 2.0 certified administrator.
Most importantly, Alex blends her scientific approach to executive presence and public speaking with her love of storytelling, laughter, and humor into her professional development work with individual clients and corporate teams alike.
Ten years ago, Bill Caskey inspired Lorraine to create a podcast. Today, he shares why every B2B company needs one.
About Bill Caskey
Bill Caskey writes books, records podcasts and produces videos with one intent: help sales teams move from ordinary to extraordinary. The market has changed dramatically, which demands you prospect and sell differently in order to succeed. Those who change their mindset and mechanics can “own” their market.
Bill proves that by abandoning the worn out sales approaches that prospects see coming a mile away, you can radically increase your income. It requires that you develop and implement a scalable plan, think differently, and take new and different actions. Bill helps clients do just that.
He has trained sales teams for 30 years, taught over 7500 workshops, and coached over 50,000 sales professionals.
He’s the author of Same Game New Rules used by hundreds of sales teams (and several other titles); creator of The 2X Group, a mastermind learning program for high sales achievers; and co-host of The Advanced Selling Podcast, a Top 30 Business Podcast on iTunes with over a million downloads and according to Inc. is one of the “19 Podcasts Worth More Than an MBA;” and host of the 2X Podcast: High Impact Sales Training for Sellers and Leaders.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Our guest, Jaime Slutzky is passionate about technology. Since 2011 she's been helping businesses run more efficiently so their owners can spend more time in their zone of genius and follow their business dreams.
We got a chance t talk about how to select new technology that will be the best fit for your business.
Jamie is the host of the Tech of Business Podcast.
Mel McMahon is on a mission to to create healthier, stronger communities and more jobs in Indiana by encouraging and facilitating greater use of independent, Indiana-based businesses.
And while that may sound a bit lofty, she is well on her way, with Indiana Originals and organization that helps local Indiana businesses connect with resources and customers.
Mel talked with Lorraine about how it works, and why it works on this week's episode of More than a Few Words.
Mel McMahon StoneCo-Founder Mel McMahon Stone is an entrepreneur, radio and television personality, and local business activist. Mel is a board member of the Indiana Chapter of the TEARS Foundation, the Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana, and her high school alumnae association. She is currently heard on 93.1 WIBC and appears on WISH-TV8’s Indy Style and LifeStyle Indy on WFYI Channel 20. She also acts as a consultant to several nonprofits and local small businesses and is a proud member of the 2013 IBJ Forty under 40 class. The Chief Everything Officer of Indiana Originals, Mel travels the state to help local business owners find the resources they need to be successful and helps consumers find local, Indiana-based businesses faster and easier.
This week my guest is JessicaKupferman the co-founder of She Podcasts and the Podcasting School for Women. We talk about the challenges of expandin the brand from podcast to Facebook group and even live events.
More than a Few Words is part of the Digital Toolbox by Roundpeg.
According to this week’s guest Liana Allison, anger is actually an emotion that we need to bring passion and creativity to life. The trick is to channel that emotion.
Liana Allison is the Australian-based founder of The Institute of Empathic Leadership. She is an international award-winning Empathic Leadership Coach, Business Woman, Spiritual Healer, Intuitive and an Empowered Empath.
Trained in a number of modalities that allowed her to pioneer a new empowered way to deal with emotions in business and in life.
Learn more
In America they are called zip codes in Australia they call them post codes. Whatever the name, this week’s guest Ross Keating believes there are lots of ways business owners can use geographic information to target marketing messages.
Your customers are not everywhere as a matter of fact, if you really check it out. You'll notice that the vast majority of your audience is probably concentrated in a fairly narrow geographic area.
My guest Ross, shared a case study where his client was targeting a large geographic area and discovered almost 93% of his clients came from within a very small radius of his business.
Burnout has been recognized as a legitimate medical issue. This week my guest, Dr. Ganz Ferrance shares his Me Method, as a way to reduce the chance that you will suffer from burnout.
From busy moms to business owners, these tips are good for your health.
Dr. Ganz Ferrance is an award-wining Psychologist, author, and former Vice-President of the Psychologist’s Association of Alberta. He has been a monthly contributor on CTV News for over 10 years and and has been featured nationally on Good Morning Canada. “Dr.Ganz” also regularly appears on CBC radio and has been a consistent “Health and Lifestyle” expert on Alberta PrimeTime (CTV2) for the past 4 years. Obtaining his Ph.D. from the Andrews University in Michigan, Dr. Ganz has been helping individuals, couples, families and organizations reduce their stress, improve their relationships and enjoy more success for over 20 years.
He gets a kick out of seeing people be their best and gives his information in a straight-forward, down-to-earth, no-nonsense way. Dr. Ganz prides himself on being a fellow “work-in-progress” and does not present anything that he has not personally put his blood, sweat and tears into. This approach has made him a sought-after public speaker – with audiences in the United States and Canada enjoying his fun, engaging, and life-changing presentations on beating stress and building superior relationships.
You can learn more about Dr. Ganz at DrGanzFerrance.com .
What do you say when someone casually asks "What do you do? "
Coach and professional speaker, Jim Karrh, believes that being able to answer that question in a clear, consistent and conversation manner is a distinct competitive advantage.
In today's conversation he talks about the message, the messenger and the habits you need to build to deliver that message consistently .
Consistency may seem boring, but according to this week's guest Barbara Stuhlemmer of Blitz Business Success creating consistent messages and processes is actually the key to business success.
This week's guest, Andrea Butcher of HRD Advisory Group believes you should live life by design, not by default. Taking control of your daily activities starts with a long term vision - where do you want to be in ten years.
Once you have the vision, you can begin to think about what you can do this week to move closer to that goal. And on a daily basis, defining what is the most important thing for you to do today.
It is hard to believe that this is the 400th episode of More than a Few Words. That is a lot of conversations. Over the years, we have had some terrific guests, some serious and some silly conversations. I thought it would be fun to go back and listen to some of my favorites from our early years.
In this episode, i have clips from four early conversations. If you are intrigued you can listen to the entire episode by clicking the link below.
Alison Carter - Position Statements - Why should I buy from you.
Jay Mattingly - Ninja Turtles and Disc Profiles.
Matt Nettleton - Finding Your ideal Client
Jarred Juett - Staying one Step Ahead of the Content Onslaught.
No matter what business you are in, if you have employees you are in the leadership business. This week our guest, Kyle Gorman of the Employer Blueprint explains how even novice managers can be more effective leaders.
Joel Russell, founder of eImagine has built company by creating a culture that makes people want to come to work.
Our friend, Javed S. Khan is back with part two of his conversation about LinkedIn. Today he share's some little known tips to help business owners get the most from the professional online community.
Javed is the owner of Empression - A Marketing Services Company
Buying a franchise can be a great way to become a business owner. But be sure you look before you leap! This week, our guest Stephanie Ewing talks about her process from preliminary investigation to final purchase of a Yoga studio franchise.
Be sure to become a founding member of the Fishers Honor Yoga Studio
Stress is a part of the package when you start a small business. Dr Pete, stress relief expert and author of the book Lighten Your Day, says it doesn’t have to be.
In this conversation with Lorraine he shares tips and tricks you can add to your daily routine to lower your stress level today.
Where should a small business start if they want to reduce their environmental footprint? The short answer? Listen to this conversation with Julia Goldstein
Consultant and author Julia Goldstein spoke with Lorraine about building green and sustainable practices into your business.
This is something companies of all sizes can do.
Julie Kratz knows that sometimes conversations are uncomfortable. Maybe you need to tell a boss, coworker or subordinate that something they doing needs to change. Is there an easy way to approach those candid conversations?
Well, maybe not easy, but Julie shares some great tips with Lorraine on how to prepare for the conversation.
Lindsey Anderson, the founder of Traffic and Leads University thinks webinars are a thing of the past. How should consultants and coaches reach new audiences instead? With a Facebook Challenge offered in a private group.
Sounds complicated? It isn't. In this week's episode, Lindsey breaks down just how simple a Facebook challenge can be.
This week, host Lorraine Ball of Roundpeg was taking notes furiously as Lindsey shared her strategy, and you will too. So be sure to have a pen handy as you listen to today's conversation.
Author and consultant, Charmaine Hammond shares her perspective and experiences building a collaboration network to support her business. Beyond simple networking, she has established a group of sponsors and champions who have helped her in many unexpected ways over the years.
Learn more -
More than a Few Words is a production by Roundpeg, an Indianapolis, digital agency.
Life is about reinvention. This week, our guest media entrepreneur, Lesley Jane Seymour shares lessons from her journey from corporate leadership role to one as an internet entrepreneur.
Lesley Jane Seymour is a media entrepreneur and one of the industry’s most respected leaders. From 2008-2016, she served as editor in chief of More Magazine, the leading lifestyle magazine for women over forty with a readership of 1.5 million. She was also the editor in chief and social media director of More.com, which attracted over 12 million monthly page views and 600,000 unique visitors.
Here latest adventure is the CoveyClub, a virtual meeting place for lifelong learners. (A covey is a small flock of birds, in case you weren’t sure about the name.)
CoveyClub is a virtual and IRL (in real life) club platform built by — and for — members and has generosity and “welcomeness” at its heart. All members believe that the more you give, the more you get. Hence the CoveyClub hashtag: #LearnGetConnect.
CoveyClub was not created to replicate the More Magazine experience — but to take it to its logical digital and IRL conclusion: connecting women who feel they are living the best time of their lives.
CoveyClub reinforces its mission of supporting women in search of their dreams by serving as an affordable launch platform for solopreneurs and small businesses who can come to CoveyClub and test new products and ideas in a warm and thoughtful atmosphere. Check out the Covey B2B services here.
Don't wait till you need cash for your business to go looking for a business banker!
This week's guest Stephanie Ewing of Key Bank explains why it pas to develop that relationship when you start your business.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, a digital agency.
This week, Lorraine is joined by one of her social media buddies, Stephanie Daily. The conversation jumps from social media topic to social media topic with an emphasis on some restaurant marketing tips.
Grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair and listen to the conversation.
This week's guest, Arin Anderson believes we are living in an age of creative democracy. Is that a good or bad thing? Actually it is a little bit of both.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, a digital agency and is hosted by Lorraine Ball
Which is better 1% of a big market or 100% of a small one? Today’s guest, Gerard Doyle of Fractal Marketing believes there is way more benefit in being at the top of a small market.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Digital agency.
In this week’s episode, Javed S. Khan shares five tips to improve your LinkedIn profile. Be prepared to stop the podcast and improve your profile along the way.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Digital agency.
LinkedIn is not just for B2B communications. In this week’s episode Jennifer Denney of Elevated Marketing shares an example of a consumer product successfully using the LinkedIn advertising tool.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg. Each week, your host, Lorraine Ball chats with marketing professionals from around the world about topics relevant to small business owners.
Brainstorming by yourself can feel like playing tennis alone. You hit the ball really hard and watch it fly, but it's not that satisfying because you don't get the return.
My guest Carrie Anton the author of Me, Myself and Ideas says it doesn't have to be that way.
Carrie says: “You have to move from get work done mode into creativity mode. In that mode we create a lot of fun, sometimes very playful activities such as things that you might have done in kindergarten.
Such as using a magazine to create a collage or writing your name backward.
When you're working, you're very deadline-driven, because you're trying to get tasks done. Your mind is focused, and a focused mind is not a great brainstorming mind”.
Have we peaked your curiosity? Listen to the episode now.
Your host, Lorraine Ball will be one of 9 featured speakers in the Day of Digital Online conference.
Listen to a preview now, then check out her full session on May 9th.
Jasmine Jenkins is one of the featured speakers in Day of Digital. Learn more at www.dayofdigital.com
Karen Leonard is one of the featured speakers in Day of Digital. Learn more at www.dayofdigital.com
Want more free time? This week’s guest Matt Nettleton shares his tips for working smarter, not harder
Bryan Caplan thinks most small businesses are missing out on the opportunity to improve their SEO and advertise their business, essentially for free with Google My Business
Our guest, professional writer Scott Flood is passionate about writing content for human beings.
This week, our guest Grant Carlile of the Mountains explains that a successful event is about so much more than the food and the venue.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg
This week business and life coach Halle Simpson talks with us about the seven steps of a coaching conversation.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, a digital marketing agency in Indianapolis
This week our guest Bryan Caplan (Bryan Caplan Marketing) talks with Lorraine about how to spice up your Google My Business Page with Photos and Video
This week it is two for the price of one as the Co-founders of Green Loop Marketing Melanie Allen and Meghan Martin join Lorraine Ball for a conversation about social media audits.
More than a Few Words
This week Doug Karr dropped by Roundpeg for a conversation about why companies shouldn't hire a web designer.
Sometimes you have to narrow your focus to increase your profit. In today's conversation with Laurie Knechtel of Truss Marketing we dive into the topic of how finding a niche can actually drive more business.
This week we spoke to Bobbi Baehne of Think Big, Go Local about how to use Facebook chatbots to deliver messages your customers will notice.
This week’s speaker, Grant Carlile believes that instead of constraining creativity, rigid process can actually set you free
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg
This week our guest, Karmen Fink describes her networking / mastermind group which offers entrepreneurs a safe space to learn, grow and succeed.
High tech products often solve problems people aren't even aware they have. So how does a salesperson convince someone to buy something they don't know they need.
In today's conversation, sales coach Matt Nettleton suggests you start by researching companies that might need your product and then calling them on the phone. Sure it is a little old school, but it works.
What do you do when a much larger, more well funded company comes into the market and starts bidding on the same ad words you want?
Well you have two choices, pay more or get creative. In today's conversation Michelle McNalley explains how you can look for alternative key words and still drive traffic to your site, without breaking the bank.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Digital Agency.
We are living in an era of unprecedented innovation. At the core of this explosive growth in new businesses, new products, and new ideas is the ability for anyone to access tremendous resources and tools from their desktop.
Information and research, collaboration tools and 3D printing are drive the costs of launching a new idea down to a fraction of what it would have cost just a few years. ago.
any period in historyWe are living in an age of exploding innovation. Every time you turn around a new
Not all ideas are good ideas. According to our guest Chris Hoyt, most even suck. But even so, with the right team, and a willingness to listen to your customers, you can launch a successful business.
If you were about to head out on a long road trip to somewhere you had never been, you would want a roadmap. The specific outline, with milestones along the way, would tell you that you were heading in the right direction.
Just like a road trip, you are driving your business to a place you have never been before, so you should have a roadmap for that as well.
In today's episode, Lorraine and Sam talk about how to start your planning process.
As a business owner, you don't always get to spend your day doing the things you love. But if too much of your time is being spent on tasks you don't love, if you are starting to burn out it may be time to consider making changes or letting go.
Ryan Parshall realized he was burning out and sold his marketing agency. Today, he works with other business owners to help them decide if it is time to flip or list.
Innovative, unconventional and low-cost marketing techniques aimed at obtaining the maximum exposure.
That is how Alan Silber of the Guerilla Agency describes his approach to marketing.
For the most part, we think of podcasts as a method of reaching out beyond your organization. But they can be a very effective tool for internal communication as well.
If your memo falls flat and your newsletters are ignored by your team, consider podcasting for internal communications.
Podcasts are a great way to make windshield time productive. Modern workforce appreciates the flexible nature of on-demand content. They don’t necessarily have time when you want to talk, but they still want to hear your message in your words.
Podcasts help you build a company culture, even if your workforce is scattered around the country or the world. They let you communicate the essence and meaning behind your message conveying the passion in your voice.
This week, Jennifer Crawford joins Lorraine for a lively conversation on More Than a Few Words
When you leave your home you lock your door. Makes sense, right? You wouldn't want anyone to steal your stuff. But what about your website? Do you lock that door, too?
This week Lorraine and Simon chat about adding an SSL to your website.
We've added a new program to our line up. In addition to the weekly conversation with marketing professionals from around the world, we're launching Just a Few Words.
This is a quick daily marketing tip available as an Alexa Flash Briefing. Every day Lorraine Ball shares a thought or idea you can put in to practice right away.
So if you start your day with a few news headlines, be sure to add Just a Few Words.
I love talking with business owners. I am always surprised at where their ideas came from and what they learned along the way. Well, I discovered I am not alone in that curiosity when I spoke to Heather Chastain, the Queen of Words and host of the Podcast, My First Dollar.
Listen as she shares some of the most interesting things she has learned along the way.
And please, take a minute to tell us what you would like to hear next on More than a Few Words.
Our short listener survey will help us determine what we should share next.
Many people think that influencer marketing is about paying someone to endorse your product. While that can work, Shane Barker says there is much more to a successful influencer relationship.
It needs to be a collaboration, which each party involved brings something of value to the table and is in it for the long term.
Do you enjoy More than a Few Words? We would like a little feedback about the program. Take a short survey now.
Often, potential customers don't know you have what they want, or even that they want what you have. That's ok, you can peak their curiosity with an advertisement on Facebook.
Once you have their attention, retargeting can keep your message top of mind.
This week, Jennifer Denney of Elevated Marketing Solutions explains how you can use these ads to warm up cold leads.
Customers can smell advertising a mile away. That's why inbound marketing, which drives potential clients to your website looking for information can be so powerful.
Instead of hitting them with a hard sell, you woo prospective customers with gentle tips that position you as a subject matter expert.
More than a Few Words is a weekly conversation about marketing. What do you think of the program? We would love to know. Answer a few quick questions now.
https://goo.gl/forms/5kXL3EW9ByadXFPR2
47 million Americans have smart speakers in their homes. So whether they say Hey Alexa, or Hey Google, or even hello Apple these consumers are turning to these devices every day to turn on and off other electronics in their home, make notes, set a reminder and even buy items on Amazon.
Lindsey Anderson (oneclicklindsey) thinks those speakers present an opportunity for marketers. How? As consumers turn on their speakers every day, they can sign up for daily briefs. These 1 - 2 minutes of news updates, marketing tips, or coaching skills are delivered directly every day.
Listen now to discover how you can use this powerful tool to grow your business.
If you are intrigued and want to learn more go to smartspeakerwebinar.com to watch a 45 minute tutorial on how you can set up your daily briefing. And check out Lindsey's new software product at SmartSpeakerHub.com
There is more to email marketing than just sending out a simple newsletter. With segmentation and click funnel tools, they can be an integral part of your email marketing. This week, Sam and Page sat down with Lorraine to talk about the tools they love, and a few they don't!
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis based digital agency.
After the sale, the real work begins. Unfortunately, many organizations do not have a specific process for a smooth handoff between the sales and execution teams.
Amy Woodall explains that without a well-defined onboarding process there are more chances to disappoint a customer as expectations are not clearly communicated.
Thinking about selling your business? It doesn't happen overnight. As Ryan Parshall of Peterson Acquisitions explains there is a lot of work to do before you are ready to sell.
The good news, you can start working on that today, even if you don't think you are ready to sell.
And when you are done listening to this podcast, grab a copy of Ryan's ebook.
Top 7 Best Ways To Prepare To Sell Your Business
What if you could put your product or service in front of a prospective customer just as they are thinking about buying?
With Google Adwords you can. Leveraging the power of search you can build your sales funnel with pre-warmed leads. Then using retargeting you can make sure those prospective clients see your ads again and again.
Sound complicated? It really isn't. This week, Jennifer Denney of Elevated Marketing explains how it works.
Hosting a conference isn’t as difficult as you think and Jennifer Crawford believes the pay off can be huge .
Planning an event for 200 or frewer attendees gives you a chance to meet face to face with people you may only know through online events. The interactions allow you to build deeper connections with your community of customers, prospects, referral partners, and yes, even competitors.
Don’t try to be all things to all people. Keep the focus narrow and you are more likely to attract the right people to the event.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
You don't need to be a WordPress wizard to craft a quality site. Content is key to getting your message across, and you shouldn't just focus on your design at the expense of your content.
On this episode of More Than a Few Words, Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Web Support Specialist Simon Efroymson talk about the many ways to improve your site's readability and searchability without having to rely on experience manipulating code.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Trade shows are overwhelming. There are so many people to talk to, products to look at, and business cards to hand out. It seems easy to get lost in the flurry. You need to stand out. What are some things you can do to get noticed at trade shows?
Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and TKO Graphix's Randy Clark talk about their trade show experiences and ways to get noticed while behind the table.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
A new workplace brings with it a whole set of challenges. It can be intimidating being in a foreign space with a completely new set of coworkers. There's a bit of a learning curve that comes with a new position. How can you overcome the stress of starting fresh?
This week on More Than a Few Words, Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Britt Baue talk about being the new kid on the job.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Adapting to change can be difficult, not just in the work-place. What do you do when you're suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar position? You can either resist the change or flow with it.
On this episode of More Than a Few Words, Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Melanie Gaston talk a bit about the difficulties that come with a change in responsibility and some of the lessons learned from growing pains.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
In the span of a month, the International House of Pancakes affectionately known as IHOP changed their name to IHOB and then back again. Was this savvy marketing or a silly prank gone hopelessly wrong?
Page Jones thinks it was one of those marketing mistakes, that everyone at IHOP hopes the world will forget about, soon.
Indiana is taking bold steps to introduce Hoosiers to the World, and the World to Indiana. Through the ISBDC (Indiana Small Business Development Center) there are free services available for business owners looking to grow their business and expand beyond our borders.
From training and counseling services, to support developing an export strategy, the ISBDC is helping thousands of business owners each year become more successful in Indiana.
To learn more about their programs, Lorraine sat down with Aaron Vigil-Martinez the Director of Small Business & Entrepreneurship at Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Troy Phelps the State Director of the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC)
Looking to use their services? Go to https://isbdc.org/ to learn more.
For generations, accountants relied on handwritten ledgers, carefully written recording every transaction generated by a business. Then came programs like Quickbooks which have automated the process.
Now the next iteration of these programs is available. Quickbooks Online. But is the software the right choice for you? Larry Marrietta of Marietta Financial Services and host Lorraine Ball talk about the pros and cons of online accounting software.
This special episode of MTFW features one of the hosts of the Digital Toolbox Conference.
If you have been paying attention to changes on Facebook lately, you will notice blue and grey check marks appearing next to company listings. These symbols identify that the page has been verified by Facebook.
In this era of scammers and hackers, verification gives visitors confidence when they visit your page. This week, Sam and Lorraine talk about why you need to verify, how to get your verification and what to do next.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, a digital agency.
When June rolls around, suddenly everything gets a bit more colorful. Rainbow flags adorn porches and automobiles. It's very tempting to hop on the pride-wagon, but should you? If you're just promoting pride to grab a few rainbow dollars, maybe you should rethink what to do the rest of the year before you plan your Rainbow strategy for the month of June.
Today Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Lead Graphic Designer Cherilyn Juris talk about when it is appropriate to fly the rainbow flag for a business.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
This week, Lorraine talks with Waylon Wright and Diana Caldwell of life science company Pearl Pathways about their web design process. If you have a company which sells expertise, not products, this episode is a must listen.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, a web design company. Curious about the final product? Go to https://www.pearlpathways.com/
Memes are almost synonymous with the internet. Memes are a constantly changing inside joke, shared by millions and distributed via the web. They can be inclusive or exclusive. They serve as commentary on shared experiences. For these reasons, memes are appealing to businesses on social media. But the question of whether or not they should use them is a much-debated one.
Join Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Social Media Specialist Page Jones as they discuss memes and their use for business.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
While some people come to your website to browse, the vast majority come for a purpose. They are looking for a specific piece of information or resource. Custom, landing pages help visitors find exactly what they are looking for.
In today's conversation, Lorraine shares some simple rules to follow as you build your landing page.
- Eliminate distractions like sidebars and navigation
- Keep the content focused on one topic
- Make the topic of the page very clear.
- Don't be afraid to be direct in your request and use all caps for the buttons. It is ok to shout a little.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg.
Everyone has a network. it is comprised of family members, friends, and former coworkers. Some people have large networks, and others have smaller, supportive groups, but every one of your employees has a network.
As a business owner, Hazel Walker thinks it is up to you to teach your employees how to use their networks, to subtly promote your business. They don't have to walk into their grandmother's 100th birthday party with a stack of business cards, but there are ways to listen to conversations and share stories without being pushy.
Hazel Walker is a Global Networker, teaching business owners around the globe how to grow referral based businesses. Learn more about here at www.hazelwalker.com
No matter how interesting your content is, if you miss the mark with your headline, no one will read it.
In today's conversation, Allison Carter and Lorraine Ball talk about the art of a headline, why writing clickbait isn't bad if you deliver on the promise, and why it is ok to be negative sometimes.
This special episode of MTFW is part of a series of interviews with the speakers from the Digital Toolbox Conference.
If your products or services aren’t represented on Pinterest, you could be missing out on a growing stream of potential customers. Discover the ins and outs of Pinterest, a tool that allows members to “pin” and share images, videos, and other objects about products and services. Learn about the site’s user base and popular categories as well as how to include your brand to gain maximum exposure.
This week, Lorraine chats with Dana Nelson about the dos and don'ts of Pinterest. This is one of six topics to be included in the Digital Toolbox Conference.
Part of what makes a podcast interesting is the skill of the interviewer. Professional podcaster, Jen Edds boils down the process of preparing for an interview into a few easy steps that anyone can follow.
She suggests:
- Be intentional – Have a purpose for each episode, and your overall podcasts.
- Have a clear idea of why your program will matter to your audience. A business podcast needs to deliver a specific message to the listeners
- Prepare questions, but don’t be married to the outline. Respond to what your guest has to say, asking questions to build on their content.
This special episode of MTFW is part of a series of interviews with the speakers from the Digital Toolbox Conference.
Google is always happy to help you spend more money. They will always show you new ways to do more with your advertising. That's how they generate $17 Billion a quarter.
While you can spend more money, the question you need to ask is "should I spend more".
Google Ads (formerly AdWords) expert, Michelle McNally explains that sometimes it will be worth it. In today's conversation learn more about the do's and don'ts of spending money on Google Ads.
This special episode of MTFW is part of a series of interviews with the speakers from the Digital Toolbox Conference.
The first step to creating really interesting and relevant blog content is to release the idea that the blog is about you and your business. It isn't.
As Jennifer Riley Simone, founder of Fresh Figs Marketing explains, great blog posts are about the questions your customers have. Your next great blog post is right there in the conversation you just had with a prospective client. Make a list of the most frequently asked questions and you are well on your way to blog content that your customers will care about.
This is one of six interviews with the speakers of the Digital Toolbox Conference. Interested in meeting Jennifer?
"You will not get everything done" For business owners overwhelmed with a long task list, that is the message business Coach CJ McClanahan wants them to hear. Once you accept the idea that some things are just not going to be finished, you can set priorities, choosing how you will spend your time.
Businesses of all sizes can benefit from video media. If you're thinking about adding video into your marketing strategy, might start by looking at what other people are doing.
Look for trends and styles which stand out, and which ones you can do without. That is what we did as we launched our expanded video marketing program
Tune in as Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Melanie Gaston chat about using video for your brand.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Google My Business has evolved a lot over the years. If you have it, maybe you're not using it to the fullest. Everything in marketing is about engagement. With all of these Google My Business tools handy, you're well-equiped to build quality relationships with your clients and web-searchers alike.
Listen in while Lorraine Ball and Erin Bemis chat about ways to own and optimize your Google My Business listing and page.
Erin is a national speaker and trainer for Google's "Get your Business Online" and a national manager for Constant Contact.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
What is the difference between marketing and PR? They're basically the same thing, right? Well, kinda. But not really. As Roundpeg's Page Jones to explains PR is focused much more on the top of the funnel, while marketing activities are more closely aligned with sales.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Whether you're working with a complete stranger or your best friend, there are a few things you should expect when embarking on a design project. Don't let the administrative stuff take effort and energy away from your redesign - go into the project with a plan.
Your designer should give you a contract, a complete set of files, branding guide, and an invoice.
Join Lorraine Ball and Roundpeg's lead designer Cherilyn Juris while they discuss why each of these pieces is so important.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Has your inbox been flooded with “Improvements to Our Privacy Policy” emails? It isn't an accident. Most global websites are scrambling to come into compliance with the European Union's GDPR (Global Data Privacy Regulation).
As Peter Wolfgram explains, even if you only do business in the US, these rules can have a significant impact on your business.
For more information, be sure to check out his blog post on GDPR and small business.
Storytelling has always been a part of marketing. But how do you tell a story in 140 characters, or with just one image? Jason Falls thinks social media marketers need to pull back from an individual tweet and look at the big picture and define the larger brand story.
Using a series of images, videos, and posts you can build a complete story of a brand over time. Listen as Jason shares examples of how companies can build storytelling into their marketing plan.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Twitter is a social network, which means that you should be interacting with other people and brands. One of the best ways to have a conversation and meet new like-minded Twitter users is by joining Twitter chats. These chats use a #Hashtag to engage with their fanbase and keep the discourse going.
Join Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Your Social Media Works' Carol Stephens and pick up a few helpful tips on how to better use Twitter to develop conversation.
Is your site showing signs of age? Like deciding when to get a new car, it may be unclear if you should throw more money at your website or go for a completely new model.
Join Roundpeg's Peter Wolfgram and Lorraine Ball as they share some thoughts about what makes a website stay relevant, and how to do it on the cheap.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Keeping your things secure in the digital world can be scary. A good password can help a lot. If your passwords look like a cat walked across a keyboard, you may not be as secure as you think.
Join Roundpeg's Lorraine and Simon as they explore a few ways to bolster your web account security.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Jen Edds is the Brassy Broad in charge. She is a musician, a podcaster and the founder of Brassy Broadcasting, a podcasting coaching company. She helps ordinary business owners find their voice on this growing platform.
Drop in on her conversation with Lorraine, as they talk about how she got started. Spoiler alert! It begins with a group of nuns.
The conversation is also filled with practical tips on how any business owner can use podcasting to put a more personal face on their business.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, a digital agency helping business owners use the range of digital tools to grow their business
When does 1 + 1 = More than 2? When you are adding the power of multiple marketing channels together..
Each piece of your marketing delivers results. But when you integrate your activities so social media drives traffic to your website which converts visitors to email subscribers, who then receive very targeted email messages the results are significanltly better.
David Fischer of Solutions for Growth share his ideas on how to bring the pieces together.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
With new details emerging almost every day about the Facebook data breach founder Mark Zuckerberg is apologizing, a lot.
This isn’t the first time Facebook has had legal issues because they played fast and loose with our data. And this isn’t the first time Zuckerberg has apologized. So will his promises to do better will be enough. And if not, what will that mean for business owners who rely on the platform to build communities and reach new markets.
More than a few Words goes global as Lorraine chats with Javed S. Khan., the owner of Empression, a Marketing Services Company based in Toronto, Canada about video messaging.
Just like their American counterparts, Canadian business owners are struggling with the ever changing demands of delivering exceptional customer service experiences in the digital age.
You can find Javed on his website javidskhan.com, or on LinkedIn.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Do you own your contacts? If you are building a community exclusively on social media, the answer to that question is actually no. You are simply renting them. You have access to them only if you play by the rules established by the platform. So if Facebook changes the rules, you need to change your approach.
In today’s conversation with Karen Leonard, we chatted about what can happen if you don’t own your contact list, and how you can move those contacts to your email list where you do control the conversation.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Twitter can be hard. Having a successful Twitter account is all in the details. Love it or hate it, Twitter is a great tool for business. Thankfully we have Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Sam Von Tobel to help us out.
Are you regularly monitoring, interacting, and posting? There are many different ways to find success on Twitter, but it all comes down to having a quality page and getting into a routine.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Earlier this year, Facebook announced that they will be refocusing their social media platform on the individual. But what does this mean for businesses, small and large?
It's time to start rethinking the way in which you're posting and interacting on Facebook.
Join Vanessa Cabrera and Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball as they discuss how to use Facebook Live to combat the changes to the Facebook algorithm
Want to know more? Check out Vanessa's free resource: 16 Ways to Use Facebook Live
And be sure to check out the video which started it all: Death to the Facebook Business Page?
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Branding. It's not just who you are, it's how you present yourself. Is your current brand doing everything it can? When should you start thinking about a rebrand?
Join Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Cherilyn Juris as they discussed the recent revamp of Roundpeg's brand. Pick up a few tips from the pros to start thinking about before you refresh your style.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg. Looking for more branding resources, check out Cherilyn's Rebrand InfoGrahpic
Tune in with Lorraine of Roundpeg and Randy Clark while they explore what it means to be a good leader.
Great leaders aren't born. Sure, some are born with more of an aptitude for socialization, but this doesn't mean they're naturally better off than someone more reserved. Charisma alone doesn't equate to quality leadership skill. Learn what makes a great leader with Lorraine and Randy.
Randy Clark is the author of several books on organizational leadership including:
The New Managers Workbook
The Manager's Guide to Becoming a Leader
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
In today's episode, Lorraine and Jennifer from Social Media Rescue talk about what to do on social media when things go wrong.
Mistakes are inevitable. Things will go wrong. Don't wait until the moment a crisis arises - plan a method to address unhappy customers for any mishap, be it big or small.
Learn more about what Jennifer did when one of her clients was having a terrible, very bad day.
We first met Jennifer on that very bad day as we interacted with her on twitter as she managed crisis response for one of her clients. We were so impressed we wrote about how she handled the crisis, keeping her customer's customers informed and engaged in this blog.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
There is an old expression, that you can't put lipsitck on a pig. Basically there are some things which are too ugly to fix with a little makeup. Talking with Sara Mannix of Mannix Marketing, Lorraine discovered the same is true for websites.
Sometimes what a customer wants to is drive traffic to their website and that won't be very effective if the website itself isn't state of the art.
Lorraine and Sara talk about the good, bad and ugly of getting to the 'why' of your brand.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
In the second of a two-part series, Lorraine and her guest Cathy Cain-Blank of CC Marketing and Communications dive deeper into Linkedin. If you are ready to ramp up your LinkedIn profile, this program is for you.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Do you show up every day, knowing that you will make a difference in someone else's life? You have the potential to be that person to someone.
Everyone needs somebody to lean on. Are you that person?
Join Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Your Social Butterfly's Ellen McDowell as they discuss the One Philosophy, a book by Nancy Matthews.
You can find their original session here.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
No matter how interesting your email campaign is, it won't be very effective if people don't open your email. Discover tricks to command attention and drive readers to open your email as soon as it arrives in their inbox.
This is an excerpt from a longer presentation on subject lines. You can view the entire video here.
Looking to get your LinkedIn program started? In this first of a two-part conversation with Cathy Cain-Blank of CC Marketing and Communications.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a digital agency focused on helping business owners use digital marketing tools to grow.
Every year, since 2010 we have studied internet marketing trends among small business owners. This year the study looked at social media platforms, email, blogging, and internet advertising.
This week we share some of our findings in this podcast. And if you would like the entire report you can find it at https://roundpeg.biz/2017/06/internet-marketing-report/
Join Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Lydia Thurston while they discuss the new updates to the Facebook stream algorithm that drastically changes the way that marketers use Facebook.
If you are not aware, on Thursday, January 10, Facebook announced changes to its algorithm to increase engagement by showing more content from friends and family members and less from publishers and businesses. We can expect Facebook to almost completely stop showing posts from brands, news outlets, and businesses.
It will be painful but you do have options. Essentially, in order for your content to be seen by your fans, you will need to be more human, more responsive, more interactive, and engaging. And yes, you will need to advertise.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
The questions on every business-owner's mind: how should I blog? Am I blogging enough? Why is blogging important?
Join Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Sam Von Tobel as they discuss the basics of blogging.
The Blogging Guide mentioned in the podcast can be found here.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.
Customers are likely to believe what other people say about your business. That's why reviews are so important. In today's podcast, Lorraine chats with Bryan Caplan of BJC Branding about how to collect reviews and what to do when you get them.
Learn more about BJC branding and their new review monitoring tool.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, and social media agency.
You wouldn't get in your car and drive without a map, if you didn't know where you were going, so why do you think you can drive your business without one?
For more than a decade images have ruled the internet, but 2018 is shaping up to be the year of the video. With cameras in everyone's pocket, it has never been easier to create a video to market your product.
This week we explore some of the trends on how and why you need to be thinking about video.
We also talked about a new tool, Promo by Slidely, which will make it easier than ever to create professional looking short videos.
More than a Few Words is produced by Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Social Media Firm
Everyone knows the best place to look for a dead body is on page 2 of a Google search. Why? Because no one will actually look there. To avoid a fate worse than death, small business owners need to embrace and active SEO strategy that includes:
Research - Think like your prospective customers, then check your assumptions using the Google keyword planning too.
Relevance - Use your keywords in all parts of your website to increase its relevance. That includes in titles, subtitles, urls, and meta descriptions.
Realistic Goals - In a crowded marketplace, it may not be realistic for you to try to dominate broad terms. Narrowing your focus and concentrating on niche keywords may help you drive more traffic in the long run.
Revenue, not Rankings - At the end of the day, winning search and driving traffic is only half the battle, you must be ready to convert visitors to prospects when they arrive at your site.
Want to learn more about this topic? Check out the full-length webinar
It doesn't matter how good your email newsletter is, if you don't have enough people to send it to you won't have a chance to share your information.
In today's program, Lorraine shares an excerpt from a longer presentation on how to grow your email list. Find more email resources from Roundpeg, an Indianapolis email marketing firm.
Julie Kratz, a highly-acclaimed leadership trainer, speaker, and author, joined us for a conversation about male allies.
- We talked about what they are - Supportive, but not necessarily a white knight
- Why women need them - Because there are still too few women in leadership positions
- What is in it for men - Being a male ally has benefits for everyone involved.
Julie is the author of the book ONE: How Men And Women Partner For Gender Equality! and the founder of Pivot Point an organization devoted to developing leaders.
These days everyone is pumping out content. There are blog posts and pictures and video that all follow a predictable formula. After a while, every company looks the same.
One way to stand out in the timeline, particularly on Twitter is to create a hashtag and use it consistently. At Roundpeg we selected #OHatThePeg as a way of infusing a bit of fun and personality into our timeline.
As we share funny snippets of conversations heard around the office it is like letting the world eavesdrop on us.
This week, Lydia and Lorraine talk about some of their favorite tweets along with a few tips for starting a hashtag of your own.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a social media firm in Indianapolis.
Last week we made hand turkeys. Sure it is a silly thing for adults to do, but as Sam explained, there are several good reasons why every business should.
Lorraine Ball and Sam Von Tobel are part of the turkey making team at Roundpeg, an Indianapolis marketing firm.
At Roundpeg, we love all our customers, but we definitely enjoy working with our food clients a bit more. Why? Well, of course, there are the products, but also the creativity and the opportunity to promote product customers really enjoy interacting with.
So if you manufacture or distribute a food product, or run a restaurant or shop sit back and enjoy today's podcast.
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a food marketing firm.
Today, Erik Deckers is recognized across the country as a humorist, author, and marketer. But just a decade ago, that wasn't the case. So how did Erik make that transition, and build his personal brand? That is the subject Branding Yourself, (3rd Edition) by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacy.
I had a chance to sit down recently with my good friend Erik to talk about the book, what's new and the relevant lessons for anyone looking to build a personal brand.
From social media profiles to face to face networking tips, Erik firmly believes you need to brand yourself as someone who is willing to share what they know, learn from others and add value to every interaction.
More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball
Advertising is easy. For a relatively small investment, even a novice marketer can reach a wide audience. but when you are ready to go beyond the basics, then Lindsey Anderson has some solid tips for you. From building an audience by "Carpet Bombing" or retargeting your ads from landing pages used in your Google Adword campaigns, she explains how you can reach the right people at the right time.
Want to learn more about Lindsey? Check out her podcast at trafficandleadspodcast.com or her website oneclicklindsey.com
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a digital agency in Indianapolis
Albert Kaufman considers himself a lifelong networker. In this conversation, he shares his opinions and tips for making the most of your networking activities. Learn more about him at www.albertideation.com
More than a few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a marketing and web design firm in Indianapolis.
Your website has to do more than just look good, it needs to be filled with keyword rich, recent and relevant content. In the second of a four-part series, Lorraine looks at some of the most common content mistakes and how to avoid them.
These podcasts are excerpts from a webinar on the same topic. To view the webinar, click here.
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a web design firm.
Wordpress is promising us that Version 5 of the popular software is going to be packed with some pretty significant changes. The biggest is Gutenberg, their new text editor.
The developers are promising that the Gutenberg editor will revolutionize how we edit content, but is it really the best thing since sliced bread?
While some users are excited, others include plug in developers are concerned the changes are being rushed.
MORE THAN A FEW WORDS is a production of Roundpeg, and Indianapolis-based Wordpress development shop.
When was the last time you looked at your website - really looked at it the way a prospective customer might. If it has been more than a few months, it has probably been too long. In today's episode, we begin a conversation about auditing your website and outline the design elements you should keep in mind.
Be sure to check out the complete audit your website webinar and companion workbook.
As a marketing professional, my attention is usually focused on generating leads. While leads are important, at the end of the day, your business runs on sales, not leads.
Unfortunately, too often business owners focus all their attention on the top of the sales funnel making sure they are generating lots of leads. Then they are unprepared when the lead converts to a sale. They and their sales team don't have a repeatable process which converts leads to sales.
Sales coach, Matt Nettleton of Sandler Training, shares simple tips on how to convert those prospects into customers.
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg
Your customers on looking for information when they are at their desks, from mobile devices when they are on the go and even in real life. Do you have tools to reach them wherever they are?
Corey Trojanowski, of Delivra shared his thoughts on how and why we need to look beyond just a simple email or direct mail strategy.
More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of Roundpeg a digital agency
Trying to get prospective customers to engage with you on Facebook or your website? Josh Haynam of TryInteract.com suggests you ask people questions which help them learn something about themselves.
Polls and quizzes allow people to talk about their favorite subject, themselves. At the same time, they let you, the business owner learn more about them so you can personalize your marketing.
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a digital marketing firm, which just might have a few questions for you.
This week our guest is Dylan Careker, the marketing manager at Flexpac. Dylan is pretty passionate about his belief that there is a place for every business on social media.
If you would like to follow Dylan, look for him on Twitter. @carekerd
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a social media marketing firm.
Psychographic segmentation divides your market based on consumer personality traits, interests, problems, values, philosophy, and motivations.
With data from social media, it is easier than ever to use psychographic tools to segment your market. As marketers, we love the ability to zero in on a specific audience. However, this same information can be used for a wide range of applications, many of which were never anticipated.
When Applebee’s announced they would close 135 locations in 2017 I wondered what had happened to the once-popular chain. As I looked at their recent history it became very clear, that their desire to appeal to millennials had led them down a path, far away from their core customers.
They didn't connect with the new market and they turned off their loyal fans.
In this podcast, Sam and Lorraine explore where they got off course and how they and other companies need to focus on their target customers if they want to succeed.
If you want to learn more about defining your target customer, be sure to grab a copy of our target marketing workbook.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a marketing strategy firm.
One of the most important things to do at the beginning of a web design project is to get key decision makers in a room and brainstorm to create a wish list.
That was the topic of our conversation with Barbara Carneiro of Word Revolution.
If you want to kick off your own brainstorm session, you might want to grab a copy of some of the web design worksheets available from Roundpeg, a Wordpress Web Design Firm.
Where is the line when it comes to free speech? What can you say and where can you say it? The advent of social media has made this question even more challenging to answer.
As social media companies work to prevent terrorists and other "hate groups" from using their platforms to spread their message, the question of how to control, and what to control come up again and again.
In today's podcast, Lydia Thurston (the new kid at the 'Peg) and Lorraine talk about some of the changes Instagram has instituted and how small business owners should be thinking about their content in this new era.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis social media company.
Websites and marketing tools are smarter than ever. Today you can track prospective customers from your email to your website and back again.
When you know where these prospective customers are going, Carlos Scarpero says you can begin to share content in a regular pattern on relevant topics to strengthen the connection.
More than a Few Words is a Production of Roundpeg, a marketing firm specializing in marketing automation campaigns.
When it comes to marketing, you only have so much credibility when you are talking about yourself. Sometimes you have to step back and let other people, your customers or referral partners do the talking for you.
That user generated content, is often more authentic and more compelling than anything you could say about yourself. In this episode, Lorraine talks with Erin Sparks of Edge of the Web Radio about different types of UGC.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a content marketing firm in Indianapolis
SEO is a complicated topic. But Nicole McCullum of Captivate Designs breaks it down to a few simple ideas every business owner can start using right away.
If you are lucky enough to be in NYC you can attend one of her upcoming two-day workshops.
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a web design agency in Indianapolis
Welcome to More Than a Few Words – a marketing conversation for business owners. Each week, Lorraine Ball chats with industry leaders from around the world about marketing, social media, design, and technology. The brief episodes are filled with practical tips and trends you can apply to your business today.
More Than a Few Words is a part of the Digital Toolbox from Roundpeg.
What do you think if polls? Love them? Hate them? Really don't care?
See what I did there? I asked you a question and gave you choices to make it easier for you to answer. That is the key to a good poll.
In today's podcast, Sam and Lorraine talk about Facebook polls.
More than a Few Words is a production ofhttp://www.roundpeg.biz Roundpeg, an Indianapolis digital agency.
People are significantly more likely to believe what other people, even strangers say about a business before they believe what is published on the company website.
People have always relied on the opinions of others. Today, with so many online reviews sites, in all sorts of industries, it is easier than ever to find out what other people think.
This is an excerpt of a longer conversation, on all sorts of user generated content. If you want to learn more about this topic, check out Lorraine's presentation at the 2014 MixWest Conference.
MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, a social media agency.
Do you love Twitter? Dana Nelson does. In this episode, she shares success stories and tips for anyone hoping to make connections using Twitter.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a digital marketing firm in Indianapolis
This week our guest is writer Sue Toth. Sue provides writing and editing services, helping business owners tell their stories.
We talked about how to get started and where to find good ideas for your blog. If you would like more information to help you start your blogging program, be sure to check out our workbook,
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Marketing Firm.
Have you tried Facebook Live yet? Marketing strategist, Vanessa Cabrera thinks you should. In this week's episode, she shared some of her favorite tips on how to get started, create a great video and then promote, promote, promote your content.
Don't forget to grab her checklist here.
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a digital agency in Indianapolis
You can put anything you want on your Instagram account. But if it is nothing but 300 selfies I am going to judge you.
This week Lorraine rants a bit about this narcissistic practice and shares a few tips t creating a productive Instagram account for business.
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a social media agency in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Every entrepreneur faces challenges as they try to get their business off the ground.
Susana Fonticoba of www.rightclickadvantage.com & www.marketingsisters.com things women face additional challenges when it comes to pricing our services and speaking up about our expertise and our business.
More than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, a digital marketing firm in Indianapolis
Talk companies about Yelp advertising and you will get an earful. Much like Facebook and Google AdWords, business owners can use Yelp advertising to get preferential ranking and placement. The results, and perception, of Yelp advertising, are extremely mixed. For every success story, you’ll find another labeling Yelp advertising a scam.
So what do I think? Is Yelp worth your hard-earned dollars? Sam and I talked about this the other day. This is our conversation.
For more on this topic. check out the complete blog post
Let's face it, sometimes things don't work out exactly the way you planned them. While this is true for all of us, it is especially true for small business owners
Just when you think everything is just perfect, life hands you a lemon. Maybe your best employee decides to take a new job or your largest client decides it is time for a change.
Listen as Bryan Caplan of BJC Branding talks with Lorraine about the strategies small business owners need to transform lemons into lemonade and move forward.
Make a cold glass for yourself and spend a few minutes with us.
More than a Few Words is a Production of Roundpeg, a Digital Agency
Interested in starting your own podcast? This week Lorraine chats with Debbie Dechambeau of the Select Business Team about the basics of podcasting. She also shares some ideas on how to use your podcast as a business tool.
If you enjoy the topic, be sure to check our blog at www.roundpeg.biz for more on this topic.
In today's episode of More than a Few Words, Melanie Diehl , Your Social Gal talks about the importance of having a Google Business Page. It won't replace your website, but it is a valuable tool to improve credibility and SEO for your core website.
More than a Few Words is produced by Roundpeg, a digital agency helping small business owners using social media, web design and content marketing tools to grow.
Ready to jump into your web design project? Roundpeg web designer, Peter Wolfgram thinks maybe you should slow down. It's not that he doesn't want to do the project, but he wants you to be prepared. In this episode, he shares a list of things you should do before you contact him, or any web designer.
More than a Few Words is produced by Roundpeg, a digital marketing firm.
Are you taking advantage of cross-marketing strategies to grow your business? Vikram Rajan of Raviate & PhoneBlogger.net thinks it is something every business should do. Whether you are working with other companies who serve a similar target audience or asking your customers to talk about you on social media, the possibilities are endless.
Listen as Rajam shares just a few cross marketing hacks in a conversation with Lorraine Ball of Roundpeg
Every small business owner knows tt is hard to attract a steady stream of new customers. Nick Cavarra of Social Punch Marketing thinks there is a better way.
We chatted about strategies to stay connected to your existing clients and drive repeat business and referrals through them.
More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Digital Agency.
It is summer, and my guess is you are looking for fun and interesting things to do this weekend. And if you are like Sam, our digital specialist you are probably looking at concert venue websites.
As he was planning out his weekend, he noticed lots of differences in the websites and was inspired to write a two-part blog post about the good, bad and ugly of event venue websites.
Listen to our short conversation hitting some of the highlights of what he learned along the way.
I was introduced to the One Philosophy by Ellen McDowell the founder of Ellen McDowell – Your Social Butterfly. We talked about the first three principals and how small business owners can apply them throughout their business but particularly on social media.
Auto response campaigns make it easier to stay in touch with prospective and former customers, delivering relevant information at just the right time.
Moore than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg
Why You Need Employee Profiles On Your Website Every organization is made up of people. We know that, but some companies seem to be content to hide behind a faceless corporate profile.
While that may be ok, for a large corporate entity, small business owners have a unique advantage as customers build relationships with individual employees. And, those relationships can be built in person and online. One way to start that relationship is by introducing your employees with an employee profile or interview.
"You've got mail"
Has it really been almost twenty years since we first heard those words?
Like any relationship, our feelings about email have certainly changed. From something, we looked forward to, to something we now sometimes dread. But through it all, regardless of how we feel, we have remained loyal, opening our email every day.
So as a marketer, email is still one of the best ways to deliver messages to our customers. In this week's episode, we talk about how to increase the number of people who open, read and react to your messages
Every year, Facebook adds new features to keep individuals on their site longer and attract more and more small business owners. Ultimately they hope you will advertise, but they lure you in with lots of new content options like Facebook Live to Slide Shows and Canvas for mobile.
During a multi year research study Hazel Walker and Frank De Raffele, Jr made some surprising discoveries about the role gender plays a role in networking activities.
Their results are published in the book Business Networking and Sex. We were lucky to have them join us for a lively conversation on Valentines Day a few years ago.
What is the Linkedin Blitz? It is a concentrated 30 day program to improve your results on LinkedIn. Does it work? I gave it a try a few years ago and I think it made me a real fan.
Do you know if you are making good marketing choices? If not, it’s time to get serious. Download our FREE bundle of marketing budget tools.
When you do, you’ll learn all you need to know to make good marketing decisions where and when to spend your marketing dollars.
Don’t spend another penny until you download our budget bundle!
People don't become customers overnight. It is an ongoing process which often begins with a visit to your website.
Thanksgiving is in November and Christmas is in December, right? Well if you are in retail or hospitality your planning for these important months starts way before the weather gets cold. Tune in for a few tips on how to get your holiday marketing kicked off now.
There are lots of things to keep track of when you try to improve your SEO. In this episode we focus on the basics every small business owner should know.
Our digital specialist Leisha Jenkins had some easy to follow advice for anyone planning a social media strategy.
For more information check out the companionblog post
When you're busy (which, let's face it, is always), it's so easy to let a week slide by without writing any new content for your blog or responding to content sent over by your marketing company. It's understandable, but in order to have great content marketing, you've got to be consistent. In this week's marketing podcast, we discuss how to keep up with content marketing even when life's crazy.
From our archive: A conversation with Allison about bringing consistency in your marketing
Your brand position statement isn't just marketing hype. Used correctly it defines what you want customers and prospects to think about your company.
It defines who your customer is, what they want and how you are uniquely qualified to meet their needs. It outlines the impression your company leaves in the mind of a prospective customer by answering a very simple, but important question. Why should I buy from you?
More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a digital strategy agency in Indianapolis
From our archive: About 18 months ago, Allison and I debated whether Facebook was on the way out. We agreed that even though people were spending less time on Facebook it still had a place in the marketing mix of many small businesses.
We talked about the shifting demographics and user behavior, the addition of hashtags, the overuse of ads and most importantly, what all these changes mean to small business owners.
Show highlights:
- Facebook is a victim of its own success. More than 60% of people in the US and 90% of young Americans have Facebook accounts, there is little room for larger market share.
- The average time on site on site is still more than six hours a month. The audience is still engaged.
- As a business owner, engage with this community on a personal level. Facebook is a backyard barbecue where you can earn business by sharing the human side of your business.
- Want to learn more? Listen to the entire program.
Sales begin with pain. Customers come to you when they are not happy about something. It is your job to figure out what is causing pain and show them how your product can make the pain go away.
This short program is from our archive and features Lorraine's former sales coach, Matt Nettleton.
A good inbound marketing strategy involves getting customers to your website, offering them something they want, and receiving their contact information in exchange for your resources. Landing pages and lightboxes are two tools used to gather customer information, but they have stark differences. How do you know which one is right for your strategy and how do you use conversion rate optimization to get more customer data?
Whether you enjoyed the big game or felt your gut sink in the final moments, this year's Bowl was packed with big budget ads. Some were funny, some were sad, and all of them were expensive. Were they all smart advertising choices? We weigh in with our opinions.
When you sell home services like carpet cleaning, roofing, or plumbing you rarely have a chance to play on your own turf. The sales pitch is almost always in the customers house, where they are most comfortable and you are a little off balance.
So how do you level the playing field? A little information goes a long way.
What if you never had to find another new client ever again? Sound too goo to be true?
If you adopt a Customer for Life strategy you might discover you don't need as many new clients as you think, as the ones you have come back time and time again, and bring their friends.
There was a time when your home page needed to contain all that you did. The format was much like the front page of a newspaper with a series of article snippets with links to learn more. But the trend has shifted. Today, the most effective home pages are designed to lead visitors to the right place with one strong call to action This week our brief podcast focuses on what your home page should look like and what should you change.
If you were going to build a building you would start with the Groundwork. The same is true for your 2015 marketing plan. Whether you are a relatively new business or a company with a long history, it is good to stop and check your foundation as the new year begins. Here’s a list of what your marketing groundwork should include:
Discover how our new Groundwork Sessions can help you strengthen your foundation.
It is not enough to have a broad plan for your business. You need to have specific, measurable goals which you can translate into action.
How are you going to reach your goals this year? You could hire us to write your marketing plan, but then what? You’ld have a well written document but unfortunately, the real work – figuring out how to implement it would still be ahead of you. We think there is a better way for business owners who want to be actively involved in creating and executing their strategy.
Introducing Groundwork Sessions A six month program which includes equal parts training, group coaching, one on one consulting, and the hands on practice you need to build your marketing plan.
We have been talking to quite a few business owners lately who are excited about starting their new business. Unfortunately, it seems as if they haven't done their homework. There doesn't seem to be a plan other than opening and selling. To us, that seems like a recipe for failure.
What type of marketing will you be doing a week or month from now? What about in six months? How will your different marketing activities work together to drive sales?
If you can’t answer those questions, you need a marketing calendar.
This simple one-page document is a great tool to help you stay on track with your marketing all year long. No matter how big or small your marketing budget is, a well-organized calendar will help you save time, lower costs, track progress and ultimately increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Want a content calendar of your own? Download one here
Online Form - Content Calendar
Looking to jump start your business idea with a little capital infusion? With online fundraising tools like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, it is easier than ever to raise the money your need.
I loved the website we launched in September of 2013, so why did we completely overhaul our theme just a year later? These days a year is a long time in the life of a web design company and although it looked good, it lacked flexibility on some of the interior pages. Also there are so many cool new tools and features we are building into sites for our clients, and I wanted some of them on our site as well. .
Fortunately, our website is built in WordPress so swapping the theme didn't require rebuilding a lot of our existing content. I could have the new features on my wish list, without a complete overhaul. Learn about some of the enhancements we made, without giving up the design we loved.
What started as a joke turned in to an interesting social media experiment when we decided to use kittens in our seminar marketing campaign. The results surprised us, and I shared them during a presentation at the Fall Social Media Dames Conference.
Business is still about relationships. And when it comes to the internet those relationships are measured by who links to you and to whom do you link. While Google no longer puts the same weight on links that it once did, links from high quality sites will still bring search authority and better yet, real visitors to your site.
Let's face it, today your website visitors have a shorter attention span than ever before. So how do you keep readers interested long enough to digest your message? This week we will take a quick look at ways to create content to be consumed quickly.
For more on this topic check out our blog post on this same topic. http://www.roundpeg.biz/2014/11/write-people-short-attention-spans/
Some of your marketing effort should be focused on people who are right on the verge of a purchase, and have made their intentions known. Do you have systems in place to make sure they jump towards the big “Purchase Now” button.
One of the most surprising events in the social media community in 2014 was a decision by Copy Blogger to close down their Facebook page. With more than 38,000 fans this seemed like a strange move for a social media/content company.
They did not make the decision lightly, but as they looked at the interaction on their social media pages, they realized their community did not want to interact with them on Facebook. A smart decision for them with many great implications for small business owners. Even now, almost three years later this there are lots of good lessons for any company thinking about jumping into social media and a big way. More than a few words is a production of Roundpeg, a social media firm in Indianapolis
When a prospective customer comes to your website or enters your physical retail store your primary objective is to interest them in something you have to sell or share. This week we talk about ways you can do just that.
It is a hard thing to accept, but no matter how cool your product is there are people out there who don't want it. Instead of wasting time trying to get the attention of people who don't want to buy, use marketing resources wisely to attract people who do.
Download our Target Marketing Guidebook to learn more http://www.roundpeg.biz/everyone-customer/
Most customers are not ready to buy right away. You need to move them from Just Browsing, to Interested,to On the Fence, to Hooked. This week we talk about what to do when someone is in the "hooked category.
Don't assume your customers know what you really offer. Ask questions and confirm the order.
From high touch to high tech here are some of our favorite suggestions on how to grow your email list. This week we share some of our favorite tips. And if the show has left you wanting more, you can download our compete list of 50 tips.
This is a recording of Lorraine talking with Erin Sparks of Edge of the Web Radio about User Generated Content.
Even if you hire someone else to manage your social media and content strategy, you need to stay involved. Here are some tips to help you take the keys to your marketing program.
The sales process may begin when a customer calls, but it doesn't end there. In many industries you need to have a follow up process to nurture the lead till the customer is ready to buy. Do you?
This week we are talking about Pigeon. No, not the annoying bird which leaves a deposit on your window. We are talking about the latest Google update focused on making reviews of your busienss easier to find. Now more than ever small business owners need to be collecting reviews.
No one tries to create a website customers and search engines hate, but let's face it, we know it happens all the time.
Don't let this happen to you! Download our FREE web design guide.
More and more companies are jumping into the content game, cluttering in-boxes and news feeds. How do you compete to be sure your content is seen, read, liked and shared?
One approach is to to simply write more, but at some point there is a diminishing rate of return. The other approach is to write smarter. Here are a few things you can do with your content strategy to rise above the clutter
Need help getting your content program started? Download our FREE tools: .
- Content Calendar
- Blogging Workbook
- Inbound budget workbook
While you may never be able to compete with large national brands, if you only serve a local community you don't have too. Instead focus your energy on winning local search.
For more on this topic check out : http://www.roundpeg.biz/2014/08/tapping-local-seo/
Some people say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Every wonder why? It is because our brains process images significantly faster than we can process words. In an instant, they convey a range of emotions and ideas.
With the ability to quickly impact your audience, it is no wonder than more and more businesses are relying on images as part of their online strategy.
Many business experts agree one of the best ways to grow a business is with “OPM” (Other people’s money). The idea is to reduce your risk and multiply the impact of your capital with loans from banks or resources from investors. The influx of capital helps accelerate the growth of a business.
In a way, this same strategy can apply to your online marketing. To accelerate the expansion of your brand you need “OPC” (Other people’s content). In marketing circles the technical term is user generated content (UGC).
Want to learn more on this topic? Check out my presentation from Mixwest 2014.
Let others work for you - How Small Businesses Can Grow with User Generated Content from Roundpeg
LinkedIn continues to evolve and improve. This week we take a look at two exciting new additions to the platform.
Sometimes video can do more in 30 seconds than you can do in five or six pages. Today we talk about some of the how and why of small business video.
When it comes to content marketing it takes more than just great words and ideas. It isn't just what you say, but where you say it that makes the difference.
With more and more companies developing content, the company with the best distribution strategy will will.
It isn't enough to get people to come to your site. You need to welcome them, engage them and keep them coming back. Inbound marketing strategies can help you do just that.
When people repeat themselves too often, you tune out. And it isn't just a semi senile grandmother people are ignoring, it is messages from companies just like yours. And it isn't just customers, prospects and potential employees who are zoning out on your messages. Search engines get bored, too. When you duplicate information on multiple pages within your website or copy information from other sites it does more harm than good.
This week we talk about ways to avoid the pitfalls of duplicate content.
Content marketing makes sense for almost any business. This short program describes how a bean company used content marketing to drive sales.
Below you will find the accompanying slide deck. Randall beans social media dames from Roundpeg
There are lots of successful companies which have been around 20, 25 or even 30 years without a website. Do they need one now?
Lorraine tends to fly by the seat of her pants, and Jarred loves process and systems. This week we talk about why a more organized approach is the right choice for most businesses.
Did you ever wonder what other businesses are really doing online? How much time are they spending and where they are spending it? Well we were curious so we decided to ask and share the answers with you.
This week we will share some of the results from our small business survey. If the show is interesting, and you want to learn more your can always download the full report here.
Google has made another round of changes to their search algorithm. These changes are revisions to both their Panda and Payday Loan updates. Does all that sound like too much SEO Speak? That's ok, this week we break it down and talk about why you should care.
Customers will always have complaints and inquiries about your services or products- it's all part of doing business. In the modern age of smartphones and the Internet, your clients are only a few mouse clicks away from asking you questions or blasting your brand on Facebook and LinkedIn. Do you have a strategy in place to engage with your audience and help solve their issues using new media?
A guide to using your web analytics to drive your marketing strategy. If you aren't happy with the total amount of traffic coming to your website then dive in to the analytics and look at your traffic sources.
This week we will break down the different types of web traffic and what you can do with your marketing to support you web efforts.
Trade shows and conferences can be tedious and time consuming, but they can also been profitable if you do a little bit of proper planning. This week we talk about some of our trade show experiences- both good and bad- to explain how businesses can make shows profitable. Want to learn more? Download our trade show success guide.
There is no one perfect design for your home page. In this week's show we weigh the pros and cons of different designs and talk about things you should consider as you plan your next web update.
When you write something for your blog you hope someone will read it.. Every now and then you get a bonus when someone likes the content well enough to share it excerpts on their blog. And if that blog has high traffic the quality link is worth its weight in gold.
It's simple - you want to get noticed and be successful. The number one goal for any small business owner is recognition and exposure for their brand. Breaking through the noise and putting yourself in front of the right potential customers takes careful planning and a bit of innovation. How can you leverage new and unique opportunities to stay ahead of the game and stand out in the crowd?
LinkedIn is making some big changes. Product pages are out and the new Showcase Pages are in.
Wondering what are Showcase pages and what can you do with them? Jarred and Lorraine will step you through some of the exciting opportunities these pages can give small business owners.
To read more on this topic go to our blog
How did you access your email 10 years ago? Yahoo? AOL? Hotmail? Or were you an Outlook users? Regardless of what you were using, your world changed ten years ago when Google launched Gmail. For those of you who signed up right away and even those of you still waiting to create your first Gmail account, the launch of this product changed how we all expected email to work.
Now 10 years later, Google is still innovating. Join us as we talk about where they have been and where we are all likely to go next.
A thriving company culture drives innovation, entrepreneurship and productivity. Has your business gone through all the necessary steps to define a clear mission and purpose? Developing these crucial culture elements and publishing them for your potential customers to see builds trust and authority. You can also use the principles you develop to help guide everything from the hiring process to partnerships with other businesses.
Building great relationships is the key to any successful business endeavor. Most people don’t have the time to get networking wrong. Having a game plan for each event you attend and each relationship you develop goes a long way in building your brand, growing you business and establishing trust in the community.
The question is: Where do you start? This week we will share our favorite tips and tricks on how you can build a productive business network.
Want to learn more about this topic? Fill out the form below to receive a free copy of our Guide to a Healthy Networking Habit.
The technology of the internet continues to evolve. So what's next? What will the internet look like just a few years from now?
Not every advertising vehicle is right for every business.Should you advertise on Linkedin? Yelp or the Yellow Pages.com? This week we will talk about some things you should keep in mind And if you want to learn more, download our Online Advertising Guide.
Branding is easy with a new company. You have clean slate. There are no expectations, no existing impressions to overcome. That isn't the case when an 11 year old company decides to change their name.
Our guest this week, Muhammad Yasin the Marketing Director at Perq shared the ups and downs of that company's recent re-branding exercise.
You have been spending months working on your blog posts, but no one seems to be reading them. This week Jarred and Lorraine talk about some of the reasons readers are not flocking to your site, and how to fix that.
Twitter is the ticker tape newsreel of the modern era. It's a global watering hole, perfect for researching the latest trends, following breaking news, and interacting with the needs of customers. Its low barrier-to-entry puts everyone from celebrities to plumbers on the same playing field. Have you found your brand's voice among the crowd?
This week, Lorraine introduces newcomer Jarred Juett to the Roundpeg family. They discuss the maturation of Twitter - from its infant stage as a platform for snark, gossip, and true innovation, to its evolution as a tool for customer service, broadcasting, and transparent communications.
While every business plan covers the same basic topics the emphasis is different based on who will be reading your plan. What a banker wants is dramatically different from what an investor needs to know.
Want to learn more? Download our free business plan outline.
The big game was a blow out, but what about the advertising battle played out on social media and on TV? Anne and Lorraine talk about the real winners and losers of yesterday's game.
All good things come to an end. That is especially true for content marketing. Even the best campaign can only run so long. So how do you know when it is time to call it quits?
It is so much easier to do anything when you plan ahead. That is especially true when it comes to your content marketing.
It is tough to do your best work if you wait till the last minute to create a blog post, email or social media update, Using a content calendar, you can organize your month around topics, themes or events which are relevant to your business. You can anticipate the kind of content (video, photograph,blog post, landing page, worksheet or ebook) you will need to support each of your themes. What should your content calendar look like? You can find an example here or download our worksheet and create your own.
When it comes to your website there is always something new. A new feature or tool. This week we share some of our favorite web enhancements, things you can do to improve the functionality and user experience of your website.
If you enjoy the podcast, consider downloading our white paper on this same topic for even more suggestions. .
When it comes to your product or service, who are the influencers? Who will others look to when they need help deciding what to buy? Do you have a specific plan to get these people on board to help you market your product? Allison and Lorraine discuss who is and isn’t an influencer, and how to reach out to these critical word-of-mouth marketers.
While the big social networks of Facbook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google + get lots of attention, there is a vast "underground" or private internet that bypasses these platforms completely. Increasingly, we're seeing a shift away from the kind of mass broadcast social media that has dominated for so long toward a smaller, more intimate social experience.
While this shift was lead by younger adults and teens, it is now spreading as all users are recognizing that not everyone needs to know everything about you. As a user, I think this healthy; as a business owner, it presents real challenges. If people are fleeing Facebook, how do you connect with them socially?
This week, we talk about this growing trend, and how you as a business owner can stay one step head. In addition to the broadcast, check out Allison's blog post on the Private Internet.
For businesses which have formed in the era of the internet, we have grown accustomed to getting our tools for free. But things are changing. Innovative tech firms have discovered that building a sustainable business requires a revenue model built on finding ways to get users, visitors and community members to pay for some or all of the services they receive.
It is going to be more expensive for small businesses, but Lorraine and Allison are actually in favor of the decline of free software. Listen now to discover why
Does your brand really need to have an opinion on everything? We don't think so. For example why exactly did the childhood favorite brand of canned spaghetti feel the need to comment on the 72nd anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor? Was their content relevant or even remotely touching?
Actually no, and the negative backlash from the social media community probably left them wondering why they ever thought it might be a good idea.
After having spent several years building a strong Facebook community, it is frustrating to see posts with visibility to less than 10% of our community. That is no accident says Facebook as they look to increase advertising revenues.
Want more people to see your updates? Well then you need to advertise.
When you're busy (which, let's face it, is always), it's so easy to let a week slide by without writing any new content for your blog or responding to content sent over by your marketing company. It's understandable, but in order to have great content marketing, you've got to be consistent. In this week's marketing podcast, we discuss how to keep up with content marketing even when life's crazy.
More than just marketing hype, your brand position statement is about creating an impression of your company in the mind of your prospective customer. It is the basis on which all your other marketing should be built.
A positioning statement contains the following elements:
- Description of the target customer
- Benefits sought by the target customer to solve a specific problem
- Your unique solution
This week we kick around examples of good and bad position statements.
Word of mouth has always been a powerful way to build your business. Even in the age of the internet it still is. The difference? The words are now being shared on line on referral sites like Yelp and Google+.
Are you taking advantage of the tools at your disposal? You should be.
What if you threw a party and no one came? These days with the internet, and especially social media that is highly unlikely. You can use your website to house event information, send email invitations, invite people to register online and share their experiences real-time. In this episode, we look at how do you harness all these resources to really create positive buzz for your event. For more on this topic, check out blog posts on Roundpeg.biz
Build a brand by not talking about your product? Done well, that strategy is not as crazy as it sounds, especially if you are trying to appeal to the Millennial generation. Chipotle has done just that by focusing their advertising, not on the product, but on their commitment to sustainable farming and more healthy natural foods.
This strategy has delivered tasty bottom line results and strong growth. What can your business learn from Chipotle? Listen now and find out.
JC Penny has been in business for 100 years. Cleraly they did a lot of things right over the years to stay in business as other retailers have come and gone. But these days, they are struggling as they try to be something they are not.
What would you do to turn the situation around? Well Allison and Lorraine certainly have some ideas for them.
English is not a static language. New words, phrases and grammar rules are added all the time. In this episode we talk about why we must, evolve along with the beautiful, messy English to create effective marketing More on this topic can be found here: http://www.roundpeg.biz/2013/09/grammar-rules-change-deal/
The economy cycles up and it cycles down. Learning to roll with the punches is part of running a successful business. This week we talk about things a business owner should be doing as we head into a sluggish 4th quarter. For more on this topic go to: http://www.roundpeg.biz/2013/08/small-businesses-and-the-economy/
While we love it when companies outsource their marketing to us, sometimes the best decision is for them to bring on a staff member. Trying to decide what is right for you? This conversation might help
While we love it when companies outsource their marketing to us, sometimes the best decision is for them to bring on a staff member. Trying to decide what is right for you? This conversation might help
When it comes to marketing many business owners are surprised what a big impact a few little things can make. It is easy to remember to send the big campaigns, get the booths ready for the trade show, but success is in the details and the consistent follow up.
This week, Allison and Lorraine talk about some of the little details that can make a big difference in any business and why, they are often overlooked.
What is content marketing? It is information you share with prospects which help them reach a buying decision without overtly selling. Content can be video, audio, pictures, eBooks, blog posts, email or social media update.
Using any of these formats you mission is to maintain an informative tone, while still leading the most qualified prospects to the decision they need to work with you.
While large companies can afford a few bad hires, small businesses can't. This week we explore the ups and downs of finding the perfect person. And if you are looking for a job, this conversation is directed at you as well. Pay attention and discover how to get to the heart of the interviewer, and get the job.
The lines between on and off line are blurring, but some stores, particularly high end retails stores seem slow to make the move. Given the computer savvy nature of their customers, this seemed a little odd. But maybe they are just trying to build an extraordinary in person experience.
Join us this week as we share some of our adventures on a recent trip to the mall
Your brand is what you want people to think about your company, and feel about your company. The logo, color, and font choices should all support the impression you want to create.
Businesses go through growth stages and there is a little pain at each step. From hiring employees to deciding when to our source or add a new system, these changes may hurt a little, but are necessary in the long run if you want to move on.
As much as you would love to sell to everyone, you need to accept that Everyone is NOT your customer. No matter what you sell, there are people who will want your product and other's who won't.
Now limiting who you target, does not limit who you sell to. It is simply a way of deicing where to focus your resources. As a small business owner you need to focus precious marketing resources on connecting with people who might really want to buy.The others will find you
While a healthy ego can help you have the confidence to launch and run your own business, left unchecked it can lead you down the wrong path. There are times to trust your gut, and times to take the advice of others. Successful business owners learn to find a balance between the two.
Google has just rolled out another change to their popular email tool. your inbox is now presorted into tabs, with only the most important content hitting your inbox. Is it a productivity enhancement or one more set of hoops to jump through. As you will discover as you listen to Allison and Lorraine the answer depends on how you use the tool. But regardless of how you use it, or even if you use it at all, there are implications that will effect the open rate of your weekly newsletter.
Oh, and as an added bonus we also shared some impressions of the new Facebook insights.
The biggest challenge most beginning bloggers face is where to find the content to fill all those blog posts.
As web and mobile technologies improve, pictures and video are becoming a more important part of the social experience. To keep up, or stay one step ahead, we have seen a number of changes in recent weeks including the introduction of Rich Pins on Pinterest and 15 second Instagram videos. What does this mean for you and your business? That is at the heart of this week's conversation.
Some "experts" are seeing the recent declines in the time people are spending on Facebook as a clear signal that Facebook is dying. I think their predictions are a bit premature. Facebook is still huge social media platform so don't count them out yet.
This week we talk about some of the changes in demographics and user behavior, the addition of hastags, the over use of ads and most importantly, what all these changes mean to small business owners.
Just like a dog is easily distracted by a passing squirrel, small business owners are distracted by new toys, tools and technologies. So how do you find a balance to stay ahead of your competitors without running in multiple directions and not getting anything done?
Lorraine and Alison share some of their favorite tips for managing this fine balance.
It is time to move past interns and part time employees. Social media is serious marketing and needs to be treated that way. This week we take on the topic of social media management. Our conclusion? It isn't so much a job as a job skill that everyone should have.
Often abused and overused, email has gotten a bad reputation. But if done well it, used to send relevant messages to an interested audience email will still deliver extraordinary and cost effective returns. This week Allison and I talk about ways to make your email marketing more effective.
For many small businesses, summer means one thing: interns. Should you be hiring an intern? Do they need to be paid? And what should they be getting out of it, anyway? Lorraine and Allison use their years of supervising--and being!--interns to shed light on how interns can be a big help to your business, and how they can slow you down.
It's June! The days are longer, the temperatures are rising and people are starting to think about vacations. It's unfortunate many of the small business owners I work with make the mistake of skipping vacations because they are afraid to take the time away from their business.
But you need to take time to recharge your batteries, see and do new things and look at the business from a distance. To help you do just that Lorraine and Allison talk about strategies to plan for your vacation so it is fun, relaxing and worry free. Listen now or subscribe to our feed through iTunes and listen to in on the go.
Now that tax season is over, it’s a good time to look at ways to reduce your tax bill next year. Join us as we chat with Gregory Simons about how you, the small business owner, can get ahead. About Gregory Simons: Greg has been an accounting professional since 1988, having worked for two Big Four accounting firms as an auditor and manager for special projects for six years. He also worked for a Fortune 500 company as an Internal Auditor for over a year. In 1995, Greg founded Simons Bitzer & Associates and has focused his time on providing services to small- and medium-sized businesses in Central Indiana. He has served as Chief Financial Officer for several organizations, and has specialized in working with tax agencies to resolve difficult tax matters. Greg’s current focus is on managing client relationships, working with businesses in strategic areas, helping clients resolve common business issues, and working with the firm’s Tax Specialists to maximize tax savings to businesses and individuals. Greg was honored in by being named the 2011 Outstanding CPA in Public Practice by the Indiana CPA Society.
CJ McClanahan believes that fundamentally, every business has the core objective to “deliver goods or services in a fashion that provides an en ever increasing value to the shareholders.” Additionally, in a highly competitive, constantly changing marketplace, all businesses must adhere to one additional ideal in order to thrive and effectively adhere to their core objective that is to “provide an exceptional experience for their employee that inspires and enables them to grow and achieve their goals.” About CJ: CJ began his consulting career as a licensed business coach with Action Coach and was soon recognized as one of the top coaches in the United States. He was named the “Rookie of the Year” and “Coach of the Year” in his territory and was recognized nationally with the “Action Man of the Year” award. CJ started reachmore, in September of 2003, 5 days before his son Ian was born all because he was inspired by a book. Send him an email at books@goreachmore.com and he will tell you which book inspired him and also give you a list of his favorite books.
With changing rules from Google and new technology, keeping your marketing one step ahead of your competitors is an on going challenge. That’s what drove conference organizers John and Linda Coonen to organize the first CMS Expo in 2008. Their formula: invite the best in the CMS community to showcase what they can do to empower others. Today the event brings together web professionals in businesses, non-profits, education and government units
Great videos begin with great stories. This week, we will talk with Lisa Whitman, co-owner of Digital Stories Productions, about how to use stories as the foundation of a great video. Lisa describes herself as a host, interviewer, listener, story teller, producer and professional chit-chatter. I am really looking forward to a great conversation about capturing the stories of your business.
About Lisa Lisa Whitman - Owner and President, Digital Stories Productions Lisa is passionate about helping individuals, organizations, businesses and companies tell their story and share their message. As the owner of a full-service video production company, she oversees the written and visual content and communications for their clients, which include Community Health Network, Franciscan Alliance Health Network, Hyatt Recruiting, Direct Employers, and several Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. In 1994, she served as a video journalist in Russia and traveled its eleven time zones interviewing those in the Ministry of Education. She has been a writer and video producer for Indianapolis Woman Magazine and has a website call LocalLisa.com. She was the host for Fox59’s ‘Indy’s Marketplace’ television program, and has spent the past twenty years as a professional interviewer. As a former home-school mother, she and her husband Travis now spend much of their time balancing work projects while overseeing homework, making meals, traveling to sports practices and volunteering through their church and in the community. Lisa is active in women’s networking organizations, serves on the board for Women Empowering Women Network; a mentoring organization. She was the 2012 emcee for the Integrating Women Leader’s Conference and is the spokesperson and VP of communications for the Bally Foundation; a resource for those with special needs. She is also a writer, blogger, and mother to 5 energetic kids ages 3-16.
Today you’re focused on building your business, but someday you may want to sell it or turn it over to your employees. All too often business owners wait until it is way too late to start mapping out an exit strategy. Our conversation with T. Ray Phillips, owner of The Family Business Legacy Company, LLC., will be about building your exit plan. T. Ray is the ideal person to talk about this topic. He was the first person in Indiana and among only 500 nationwide to successfully complete the Certified Family Business Specialist designation offered through the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Additionally, he holds the Accredited Estate Planner designation from the NAEPC & the Chartered Financial Consultant designation from the American College. He also earned his Graduate Certificate in Business Succession Planning from the American College.
In the rush to create content for blogs, emails and social media, many small business owners fall in to the trap of simply re-purposing content they find elsewhere. While some of this information is good to share, you need to have your own perspective as well. If you want to stand out, you have to include content only you can share. From stories about your clients and projects to events around the office, content is a great way to give prospective customers an inside view of your company. Sharing your thoughts and opinions help customers understand why they should buy from you and not one of your competitors. This was the topic of Allison’s presentation at the recent Build Indy Conference. You can see her slides from the event below as you listen to this week’s episode of More Than a Few Words. Allison and Lorraine will talk about how to create content only you can write but we would love to hear your suggestions on the topic as well.
Talking with entrepreneurs in Indy, I often hear complaints about the lack of local funding in the city. Today’s guest Brandon Smith is trying to change that. He is part of a new venture Localstake, which connects investors with companies looking to raise capital. The twist? This Internet-based platform focuses on micro-investments on a local scale. About Brandon Smith Before starting LocalStake, Brandon was an investment analyst at J.P. Morgan in private banking. While there, he was responsible for investment analysis and risk monitoring for high net worth families, foundations and business owners.
Business owner Joel Russell believes a business should do more than just produce products and services. A business should be actively engaged in making their community a better place to live. From programs which engage employees in fundraising for charities to contributing a portion of company profits to causes he supports, Joel has built a company that does more. This week, we will talk about how you strike a balance and create a company that is a good community citizen. About Joel Russell Joel Russell founded eImagine Technology Group in 1998 after a successful career in both the technology and financial services sectors. He is an energetic entrepreneur who brings to the company a passion for excellence and a solid foundation in technology and business best practices. He embodies the eImagine philosophy that empowering employees to improve their personal and professional lives, their working environments and their communities makes the difference between a good company and a great company.
A vibrant artistic community will adds interest, jobs and revenue to a city. Indy is lucky to have an organization like IndyFringe at the center of our community. From modest beginnings just under a decade ago, the Indianapolis Fringe Festival has grown into an annual cultural attraction that keeps drawing record audiences. With eight different venues, 64 performing groups and 384 performances in 11 days, the festival brings performers from around the world to Indy. IndyFringe has grown to include DivaFest, The Winter Magic Festival , OnyxFest, Jabberwocky (in collaboration with Storytelling Arts of Indiana) and a series of other performances throughout the year. At the helm is Pauline Moffat, Executive Director of Indy Fringe. Named as one of the IBJ’s Women of Influence, Moffat is an unending source of ideas and energy, transforming the festival into a vehicle which provides an accessible, affordable outlet that draws diverse elements of the community together and inspires creative experiences through the arts.
A great brand is more than a great logo. Having a truly iconic brand means understanding who you are and what you offer to customers. From the pictures you chose to the words you write, every part of your business should reflect your value proposition. This week we will be talking with brand strategist Nila Nealy about ways to make your brand memorable. About Nila Nealy Nila is a Certified Brand Strategist and owner of TwentyTwo. She helps businesses become great brands by uncovering powerful brand positions, ensuring internal brand adoption, and delivering creativity that establishes market differentiation.
If you don’t make sales, you won’t have much of a business. While we all know that’s true, it’s easy to get distracted and focus on busy work instead of the business of sales. Sales doesn’t have to be hard or overwhelming if you work at it consistently. This week, our guest is Matt Nettleton who will share some of his best tips for making your sales efforts more productive. About Matt Nettleton Matt is my sales coach. He teaches sales and sales management at TrustPointe, a Sandler Training company in Indianapolis.
Long before podcasting was cool or easy to do, our guest Alan Houser began experimenting with the medium. Now, after more than seven years, he has racked up a library of interesting interviews and helpful tips for people just starting down this path. We will start the conversation by talking about podcasting as a marketing tool. But Alan is a man of diverse interests. He describes himself as a designer, filmmaker and podcaster who lives in a barn. We’re never quite sure where the conversation with Alan will end up, but it’ll sure be fun.
Throughout his twenty year career, meteorologist Paul Poteet has done one thing, consistently - talk to people about the weather. He has been the voice of the weather on a number of local radio and television stations and in recent years he has shared his weather updates via social media. About Paul This is Paul Poteet’s 31st year of working as a media personality in the Indianapolis market. He’s been a part of central Indiana mornings on tv and radio since 1993.
It's a new year, and time for a new start to your business and your life. This year, you're going to eat healthier and exercise more, right? Our guest Pamela Reilly hopes you will. Pamela is a naturopathic consultant in private practice providing holistic wellness services. After identifying the cause of an illness, Pamela helps clients restore wellness using a natural, integrative approach. I first met Pamela through Twitter, where she shares an interesting mix of health tips in her stream. Today we will be talking with her about how she has used social media to grow her practice.
Go it alone or go with a partner? It’s a question many business owners have to answer as they build their company. This week we will be chatting with serial entrepreneur Arifa Aronson about her advice and lessons learned from her positive and negative partnership experiences. About Arifah Arifah is passionate about being green. She is president and sole owner of ReHaus Inc., a residential construction company that focuses on sustainability.
Search engine optimization and social media are an important part of driving traffic to your website, but getting prospects in the door is not enough. Once they arrive, do you have something for visitors to do? Are you capturing their email addresses to stay in touch and move them along the sales funnel? This week, we’ll be talking with Michael Reynolds about how content like white papers, reports and surveys can be powerful tools in your quest to convert visitors to customers. About Michael As a consultant and professional speaker, Michael creates stunning website design and professional digital marketing solutions. Michael is president and CEO of SpinWeb.
Looking for something interesting to do in Indy his weekend? Just ask Ben Risinger. He turned a passion for the city into business as the founder and on-air host of DoItIndy. Along the way, he has also learned quite a bit about using social media to market and support community events.
Join us as we talk with Ben Risinger about some of the best practices of a community event using social media.
About Ben
With over 12 years experience in the communications and management fields, Ben has worked in professional and collegiate athletics, travel and tourism, non-profit and retail management industries.
Looking for something interesting to do in Indy his weekend? Just ask Ben Risinger. He turned a passion for the city into business as the founder and on-air host of DoItIndy. Along the way, he has also learned quite a bit about using social media to market and support community events.
Join us as we talk with Ben Risinger about some of the best practices of a community event using social media.
Hard to believe it’s a brand new year. This week on our marketing podcast, Allison and I will discuss the importance of starting the year off with a business and marketing plan that will help you achieve your goals.
You may have noticed recently that Google has been aggressively promoting their AdWords product. If you are trying to figure out where to get started, or even if pay-per-click is right for your business, this is is one program you don’t want to miss. Join us this week as Tamre Mullins, the newest member of the Roundpeg team, shares basic PPC tips.
Are you gearing up for spring trade shows? Want to make the most out of your investment? Whether you’re planning a booth at a conference or a massive display at a home show, you’ll find today’s program helpful. Join us as we talk with Shawn Quick Raflik of Fine Promotions about what to do before, during and after your trade show to get the biggest bang for your buck.
The Internet has significantly changed the way we market. It begs the question, does anyone print anything anymore? While we love internet marketing, we think there is still a place for print. Join us on More Than a Few Words on Dec. 12th at 10:30 a.m. as we talk about the changing role of printed materials in the age of the Internet.
What is the role of print publications in the age of the Internet, Listen as Kyle Garago, Editor-in-Chief at the Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration News shares his perspective on how he and his team are continuing to create relevant content for the contracting industry. He talked about about finding the balance between online and offline content which keeps readers and advertisers coming back. He also shared some insights on how contractors are making the transition to the digital era as well.
If you want people to notice your company online, give them something to look at. A great way to present information is through the use of an infographic, the equivalent of a digital poster. Infographics have skyrocketed in popularity as they are easily shared, attractive and promote brand awareness. On December 5th at 10:30 a.m., join us on More Than a Few Words as we talk with Chris Lucas about the elements that go into producing a remarkable infographic.
About Chris Lucas Chris Lucas is Vice President of Business Development at Formstack, a company that allows users to build smart forms with the ability to manage and collect data. He will be sharing some of the lessons Formstack learned from the creation of their infographic, The Anatomy of a Perfect Landing Page, which went viral last year.
There are always rules, including about what you can and can’t say in your marketing. In some industries, the rules are general suggestions, while in others, there are strict guidelines with specific legal penalties for violations. Accounting, financial services, insurance and legal services all fall into the category of “regulated industries.” Given the constraints, how do you create compelling marketing in these industries? That is just one of the many challenges marketing consultant Nancy Myrland faces every day as she helps lawyers and other professional services firms create a strong online presence. Today, we’ll discuss how you can create compelling marketing content even if you’re bound by strict regulations.
The holiday season is just heating up as retailers battle for shoppers’ mind share. As consumers create their holiday gift lists, retailers have been gearing up with innovative marketing strategies to beat the competition. Join us we chat with retail experts Eric Tobias and Rachel Modiano Johnson of iGoDigital to learn the best practices that top retailers use to cut through the noise.
About our Guests: Eric Tobias, President and Founder Eric is the Founder and President of iGoDigital where he is responsible for guiding the company’s strategic direction and day-to-day operations for its largest clients. Eric is a serial entrepreneur who is recognized as an industry thought leader in multi-channel retail commerce. Rachel Modiano Johnson, Director of Marketing Rachel is the director of marketing at iGoDigital and is responsible for driving the company’s overall marketing strategy. She leads efforts in marketing strategy, brand management, corporate communication, message generation, campaign creation, event marketing, and social media strategy for iGoDigital.
A few years ago, I commented on a blog post about how you decide who you choose to follow on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The comment led to a lively online conversation with Des Walsh in which I politely disagreed with his approach. In response, he invited me to chat with him via Skype and connect on LinkedIn. While we don't talk to each other regularly, I do keep up with him via his status updates on LinkedIn. And so when he invited me to join his 30 Day LinkedIn Challenge, I was intrigued. In just a few weeks, I have significantly expanded my activity on LinkedIN, with extremely positive results. Better conversations, more web traffic and even an interview for a magazine as a result of a question I answered. In this episode, Des and I will talk about a few LinkedIN basics and how you can improve your LinkedIn experience.
About Des Walsh - Des is a power LinkedIn user and so far the group has really helped me expand my LinkedIn activities. I have enjoyed being a part of the group so much, I convinced Des to join me for a conversation. Des was also gracious enough to share one of his presentations on the topic of how to build a solid following
30 Day Linking Blitz 2012 Webinar 1 from Des Walsh
Joining us for MTFW, our weekly marketing podcast, is author and marketing strategist Ruth King. She is a serial entrepreneur with more than seven successful businesses on her resume. She is well respected as a leading authority on marketing in the heating and air conditioning industry. She is also the author of a new book,The Courage to Be Profitable.
It's easy to write marketing plans for products people want to buy, things like cars, vacations, food products and clothes. But what if your product is something people need, but don't want to think about - insurance or funeral services? How can you reach potential customers in a tasteful and relevant way? We've worked with several clients in these types of industries lately, so we thought it would be fun to focus this episode of our marketing podcast on some of the things that we are testing and where we have seen some success.
Generally, a hobby is defined as something you do for personal enjoyment while a job is something you do to make money. So what happens when your hobby becomes your business? Nancy Lee is a contemporary designer and award winning metalsmith working in copper, silver, brass and gold. Work sometimes includes unusual semi-precious gemstones and found objects. Techniques include etching, heat-treatments, and multiple patinas to bring warmth and color to the metal. The ancient techniques combined with modern methods help bring forth tomorrow’s treasures. Nancy Lee is the owner of Nancy Lee Designs and an instructor at the Indianapolis Art Center. You can see examples of her work here.
We think Indianapolis is a great place to run a business, and Ron Gifford, Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, thinks so as well. In his new position, Ron oversees public policy initiatives with a primary focus on regional transit initiatives. Join us on Wednesday, October 24 at 10:30 as we talk with Ron about the process of attracting companies to Indianapolis and the role public transportation will play in the future success of our region.
Ten years ago, a handful of people started meeting in a bar to discuss how they could work together to grow their individual businesses. From that humble beginning exchanging business cards, an organization emerged with groups around the globe. Rainmakers has grown its networking focus to include group consulting services for small businesses. Nikki Lewallen, our guest this week, is the Executive Director of Rainmakers. She’s been a key part in the explosive growth of the company for the past six years. Her passions include public speaking and facilitating, and she’s excited to continue to share her marketing and networking passions with us at Roundpeg.
Social media is a great way to connect with prospects and clients. It is also a terrific way to share expertise. Dr. Greg Magnusson, owner of Leo's Pet Care in Carmel, Indiana and the official vet of Roundpeg, uses both his blog and Twitter posts to help keep our pets healthy.
Lorraine is still away so join Allison, Jenna and Peter as they chat about life in a small agency…and probably cats.
One of our favorite guests in MTFW history is Muhammad Yasin. Director of PR and Social Media at HCCMIS, Muhammad has a great sense of humor and an encyclopedic knowledge of social media. It’s always a great show when he drops by. Muhammad and his coauthor Ryan Brock of Metonymy Media will join us to discuss their new ebook
Nothing New an Irreverent History of Storytelling and Social Media. Nothing New is the long history of people who told the right story at the right time. The book explores the world of social media in the digital age and looks to the past to learn that when it comes to the art of storytelling, there’s nothing new under the sun.
How comfortable will you be to one day put your business in the hands of the next generation? Orr Fellowship believes in raw education and real world experience for young people. Orr Fellowship fosters recent graduates and immerses them into the world of entrepreneurship and the reality of executive-level positions.
This week we will welcome Jonathon Corwin, digital marketing coordinator at Bluelock CloudSuite . He is an Orr Fellow alumni and was definitely able to showcase his talents through his experience with the organization. Jon was named Online Marketing Champion at Orr and has a passion for startup businesses, web design and entrepreneurship.
Indiana is a great place to start a new business. With a vibrant, supportive community, new business owners are just a meetup away from developers, founding partners and investors needed to launch their idea. At the center of the community is Verge, one of the most dynamic monthly events. We will be talking about Verge with one of the organizers, Tony Monteleon. He will give us a preview of the upcoming PowderKeg conference as well as the Indy startup community, tips for startups and much more. This is one conversation you don’t want to miss.
The conversation included
- Information about Tony’s favorite books The E Myth and 4 Steps to an Epiphany. If you are thinking about starting a business these are must reads.
- The things every startup needs: Find a mentor, get connected with a lawyer and of course come to a Verge event
- A preview of the up coming PowderKeg conference – Look for information on early bird registration
To hear about all of this and more listen to the recording below or download through iTunes and listen on the go
We are excited to have Cindy Hartman with us this week to discuss how to create a successful turnkey business package. Since 2004, Cindy owner of Hartman Inventory has been helping people and businesses conduct inventory of their belongings in the case of a burglary or disaster. They often found themselves talking to other would be business owners about the process of creating a business like theirs. They began offering a turnkey business package. Join us as we talk about this interesting alternative to franchising as a way to expand your business.
Everyone wants to be on page one as customers search Google for a business like theirs. Unfortunately, there are often millions of possible options.
So how do you move to the top of the page? Search engine optimization strategies help you organize information on your website and present it to the search engines in a logical manner. This is not as easy as it sounds because the search engines continually change the rules, and your competitors are working just as hard to be on page one as your are.
This week we will chat with Andrew Gouty, CEO of Rella SEO, about ways small business owners can implement SEO strategies without breaking the bank. Since 2009, Rella SEO has established its presence as a go-to internet marketing firm. Andrew is a firm believer in turning his clients into makers and providers. So if the topic makes you want to pull your hair out, tune in this week to hear Andrew chat with us about SEO for small business.
On a regular basis Allison and Lorraine talk about the importance of creating a content strategy which will serve two masters: search engines and people. What do people want? We’re happy with pictures and visually pleasing things. When we’re reading, we want short, simple and to the point. Search engines, on the other hand, thrive on repetition and redundancy which, if done wrong, is really annoying to readers. This week Allison and Lorraine will discuss how to create a web content strategy for people and robots.
If you dream to start a small business but you’re stuck somewhere in the beginning stages, tune in this week to get advice from a legal standpoint. Matt Griffith of Indiana Business Law explains in plain terms what you can do to jump start your business and finally get it up and running.
Matt works a lot with business owners and solopreneurs. He knows exactly what it’s like to start a business in Indiana; he is an entrepreneur, investor and business owner himself. He is the senior attorney at Indiana Business Law and he works to help small business owners maximize opportunities while minimizing risks. One of the things every new business owner should have is a business plan! Get a copy of ourblank outline here.
We all think we understand the importance of building business relationships with customers. But do we really know how to establish and nurture these relationships to let our business benefit? This week our guest Serina Kelly of Relevate chats with us about how to create and keep successful relationships with loyal customers that may sometimes be taken for granted. Serina knows how to connect with past, present and potential clientele to get results. She believes in the power of consistent, useful media and good timing to build customer relationships. Don’t miss her expert advice this week.
The web has continued to expand and change. As it does, your web design needs to change as well. This week our extraordinary web designer Peter and I will discuss new web trends as well as the do’s and don’ts of good web design.
f you have been reading our blog lately, you know we have been talking about email marketing, a lot. Why? Because this often overlooked tool, when used properly can deliver some terrific results. There are definitely some right and wrong ways to use eMail and this week we are talking with someone we think can shed some light on the topic. Join us as we talk with Jim Cota, president and creative director of Rare Bird, Inc. Rare Bird, a marketing communications firm, is an email powerhouse, sending out a staggering 5 million emails per month for their clients. Jim will share some of his best email marketing tips. The show with Jim will air live at 10:30AM on July 18th.
Marketing has always raised legal questions: Can you say that? Will I sue you if you do? The move of marketing to the internet has brought all of those questions to a new platform as well as raising quite a few more. Join us today as we talk with attorney Kenan Farrell about business and intellectual property issues, including copyright, trademark, trade secret, patent, and privacy issues. Kenan has a broad base of expertise so don’t be surpirsed if we jump from technology and new media to the arts.
It is the week of the 4th of July, so we assume most of our readers and listeners will be taking the day off. But just in case you are craving a little dose of marketing, we thought we would share a recap of some of our best clips from the Half Baked Marketing ideas from Steven Shattuck. If you are a regular listener of #MTFW, you know that each week, Steven joins us for the last 10 minutes of the program to kick off a conversation about one of his half baked ideas. Allison and I, and sometimes our guests kick around ways to refine the idea and make it viable. Today we present three conversations:
- How to improve the Post Office
- How to improve the NPR Pledge Drive
- How to use marketing and social media to get Pacer fans re-engaged.
This is one of our favorite parts of each week’s podcast. We hope you enjoy the collection. And if you have an idea you would like us to discuss, post it here or share it on Twitter using the hashtag : #mtfw. And don’t forget to join us next week, when we will be live with another episode of More Than A Few Words
MTFW has gone international to find out if marketing different around the world? We are going to find out. Our guest this week is Olwen Dawe -founder of Irish Business Intelligence. She will be calling in and sharing her thoughts from her home in Ireland. If you want to hear more about Olwen, check out her latest webinar on small business planning.
You know you need to blog regularly, but how do you develop good content? This week’s we will be chatting with TJ Furman about that topic. We will be talking about how to create good content which will serve the interests of both search engines and real people who come to your website. About TJ has been with Marketpath since February 2008. As the business development manager, TJ is responsible for establishing strong, enduring relationships with a sole focus on client success. TJ brings exceptional knowledge and experience with search engine optimization (SEO) strategy and implementation. TJ graduated with a BS in Kinesiology from Indiana University.
From the adrenaline filled highs to the crashing lows, we will be talking about life in a Tech Startup. Our guest, Brian Deyo knows both. A serial entrepreneur, his latest venture “Last Bite” was the result of an idea pitched at a startup weekend. Join us as we talk about some of the things he has learned along the way.
Brandon Corbin is one of the most creative people I know. A tech whiz, he is also a serial entrepreneur, podcast host, and active member of the Indy Verge community. Join us as we talk to Brandon about technology, startups and more.
The results are in from our 2012 social media survey. We will be releasing the white paper in about a week, but for now Allison and I will be talking about some of the things we learned in this year’s study. Some things we expected, but other things were definitely surprises. Join us for what is sure to be a lively conversation. And stay for the whole program, because Steven Shattuck will be dropping by with another half baked marketing idea.
This week, we’ll have a conversation with Jacob Schpok, the state director for the Indiana Small Business Development Center Network (ISBDC). As state director, Schpok leads Indiana’s efforts to provide management counseling and educational services to small business owners and entrepreneurs.
As a small business owner, your entire business sits in that computer on your desk. What happens to your business if the computer is lost, destroyed or hacked. While online backups like Carbonite preserve your information, they don’t protect it.
In this segment of More Than a Few Words we take a look at social media and non profit causes. We are joined by Alex Keys, Vista Corps Volunteer for Indy School on Wheels.
Social media sells houses. At least it can in the hands of a real estate agent who understands how to use the tools to connect and promote a business or product. Today we will be talking with Kristie Smith the founder of Indy Homes Real Estate about marketing and social media.
I caught up with Scott Case, CEO of Startup America after his presentation at the launch of Startup Indiana, and he was gracious enough to share a few thoughts with me. So even though you can't capture the energy of the event, you can get a feel for what it was about from the short podcast below.
Ever wonder what would happen to your business if you just “hit the road” for a month or more? Join us for today’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Jon Arnold, founder of Tuitive, a truly virtual business. Last year, after more then a decade of operation, Jon shut his office, but not his business. His employees went home, and he and his family hit the road in their camper. Their goal was to spend a year touring the US before his kids were too old.
Join us for another episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Duncan Alney, owner of Indianapolis social media company Firebelly. In addition to running a successful social media firm, Duncan has been a force connecting the Indianapolis social media community. From informal breakfast meetings, to the popular social media club after hours events he has pulled us away from our computers for a series of lively face to face networking events which have helped us get to know each other a little better.
Lately it seems like everyone is talking about Pinterst. While we have written a few blog posts on the topic, it is hard to scratch the surface in 400 words. So this week Allison and I will be talking about this new platform. What it is, and more importantly what we think the business applications are.
How do you train young entrereneurs? Long before the internet, budding entrepreneurs sold Lemonade. On street corners all across the country, on sunny days, you could find them with paper cups, cardboard signs and pitchers of lemonade. Today a national movement runs programs to bring back this old style entrepreneurship. In Indianapolis, Lemonade Day will be Saturday May 19th.
Everyone loves to eat, and everyone loves to discuss the best (and the worst!) restaurants on Twitter. How can businesses make sure they’re taking advantage of the social media craze? Join us for tomorrow’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Jeffrey Summers about how restaurants can use marketing and social media. Do you have any comments or questions? Call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865 or drop us a comment on Twitter. Direct the comment to@roundpeg or use the hashtag #MTFW so we are sure to see your remarks.
Want to know what’s going on in Indy? Do what I do, and check out Around Indy. The local events website celebrated ten years on February 1, 2012. The site ranks in the top 1% of all Web sites in America, according to Quantcast.com. Passing 60 million hits in December 2011, checking out their daily calendar is a regular part of my routine. The site is the go to resource for most of the Indianapolis social media community.
Social media is increasingly becoming a critical part of the television viewing experience. With many viewers now watching with a “second screen” in front of them, live tweeting and Facebook updates are changing the world of television like never before Join us for today’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk toCarolyn Baumgarten who manages the social media program for the popular TV series Shark Tank, airing Friday nights at 8:00 EST on ABC. Do you have any comments or questions? Call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865 or drop us a comment on Twitter. Direct the comment to @roundpeg or use the hashtag #MTFW so we are sure to see your remarks.
I am really excited about our guest this week. I have known Lalita Amos of Total Team Solutionsfor about nine years. She is smart, outspoken and funny. A coach and leadership development specialist, she is an active member of the Indianapolis business community. Do you have any comments or questions? Call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865 or drop us a comment on Twitter. Direct the comment to @roundpeg or use the hashtag #MTFW so we are sure to see your remarks.
Hamilton County is a great place to start a business with a strong economy and great support from local government. It is also home to the Entrepreneur Advancement Center, a relatively new 501C3 focused on fostering economic development and an entrepreneurial mindset in Hamilton County. With programs ranging from a high school business plan competition, rural small business loans, monthly networking and a community-wide celebration in the fall, the EAC is making things happen in Hamilton County. Join us this week as we talk to the association’s executive director, Cathy Langlois about entrepreneurship in Hamilton County.
In the startup community, funding is all the craze. But what if you could build a business from scratch? What if you didn’t sell equity in the early stages? Could the business grow? Have businesses been built like this? It can, and they have. There exists a rare breed of entrepreneur, one who has what it takes to create a self-funded company—bootstrapped—and build it into a blue chip company. Join us for today’s episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Nick Carter about his experiences growing his firm AddressTwo as an “unfunded” venture. Do you have any...
Social networking is critical for forming business relationships and meeting new colleagues, prospects and customers, but don’t forget about taking the conversation offline, too. Join us for an episode of More than a Few Words as we talk to Randy Clark about the importance of face-to-face networking in a digital world.
Delivering great customer service is about actions and words. While it is important to coach your employees on how to resolve customer complaints and what to say, it is also important to focus on how to say it. The same is true as you try to communicate your vision as a business owner. Effective leaders know what to say and how to say it.
Guest Ellen Dunnigan
To do marketing well is always a challenge. To do it in a heavily regulated industry can seem impossible at times. But with a little creativity and a lot of hard work, you can overcome regulatory hurdles to create innovative marketing that gets results. We’ll be joined by Muhammad Yasin, social media strategist for HCCMIS, a travel health insurance company. Learn how you can make regulations work in your favor.
It is Valenties Day, and so we are sharing a special episode of our regular podcast with guests Hazel Walker and Frank De Raffele, Jr. They are the co-authors of the book: Business Networking and Sex, The book and our conversation will be about SEX. (Well really gender differences.) We will talk about issues that are controversial, and possibly push some buttons. It was a very lively conversation
These days, everyone is talking about social media, and almost everyone is an expert. Well today on More Than a Few Words we will talk with someone I really think is an expert. Our guest is Erik Deckers one of the authors of No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing (Pearson, 2011). We talked about social media users who are serious about using this tool as part of their business marketing strategy.
In this episode of our marketing podcast, we will be talking about graphic design To every parent, their baby is a beautiful and special angel. Many businesses feel the same way about their logos, websites and other graphic designs. How do you tactfully tell a client their design is ugly, and help guide them to a better aesthetic?
Just because you are a cook, does not mean you should be a chef in a restaurant. The same is true for your business.
As some of you may know, we’ve been having a bit of an identity crisis here at Roundpeg. For years, Lorraine used the @roundpeg Twitter account as both her personal account as well as the company account. But as the company grew and evolved, that situation became more and more difficult for Lorraine and the rest of the Roundpeg team. A few months ago, Lorraine finally made a clean break and divided her persona into two distinct parts: @roundpegand @lorraineball.
Starting a business is filled with challenges. Even once you have your business up and running, the challenges don’t stop. For example, finding a way to get out of your business when you are ready to retire. There are several choices: selling the business, transferring it to employee or children, or simply shutting it down. Listen as we talk with business transition expert Chris McEvoy about things you can do now to smooth they way for your exit down the road.
Startup Weekend is a global movement which brings together aspiring entrepreneurs to share ideas, form teams and most importantly, launch startups. Imagine taking an idea and turning it into a viable company within 54 hours. It can happen! Tune in to this weeks program as we talk with local organizers Jim Bartek and Denver Hutt. And if you are ready to sign up, join us this weekend at http://www.startup.weekend.org
In his presentation at Techpoint's Innovation Summit, Michael Stelzner talked about the different types of content you needed to create for your blog. After the program, I caught up with him for a brief interview.
Searching for a new employee can be tricky. It’s time consuming and expensive, so it’s important to create the right job descriptions. Recruiting is a necessary evil so listen up as we chat with experts Jennifer Lewellen, Business Development and Human Resources Consultant at Safari Solutions.
Everyone is busy, especially small business owners. It's just the nature of the beast. But it doesn't mean that you can't effectively manage your time in a way that gets things done. In fact, Robby Slaughter and Michael Reynolds are going to join the the Roundpeg crew and share their productivity suggestions. Both are experts in using time effectively.
Balancing multiple social media accounts can be difficult. But balancing different personalities on those accounts is even harder. How can you manage it? Join us as we chat with Kyle Lacy, the author of Branding Yourself about building a social media brand.
Also joining us in the house will be Leilan McNally , or the Big Kahuna as he’s often referred to, about his experiences managing multiple brands. We will be talking about the good, the bad and the ugly of managing multiple brands.
Lorraine will weigh in as well, because she just made the jump from Roundpeg’s Twitter account to a personal one.
Developing an environmental strategy is good citizenship, but as you discussed with our guest Jennifer Riley Simone, it can be good marketing as well. The conversation drifted from how companies incorporate green into their marketing, to how green causes can take advantage of new technology.
While good marketing rules apply in all industries, there are nuances. Some tactics simply work better in some industries. Join us this week as we look at marketing and social media tactics being used to deliver messages to modern homeowners. Our guest is Branden Fitzgerald, owner of Gicko Roofing.
All sorts of companies and associations need marketing support, not just consumer products. So how do you approach marketing for community events and social causes. Join us as we chat with Steven Shattuck, the communications director Irvington Halloween Festival, about their marketing activities.
While the rules for stellar marketing apply to all industries, there are nuances. And some tactics simply work better in certain industries. Join Roundpeg today as we look at marketing and social media tactics in the fitness industry. Even if you missed the live conversation, you can listen to the perspectives of two fitness marketing experts Drew Larison and Marcia
About our guests: People say business isn’t personal. Drew Larison says those people are wrong. Business should be the most personal thing in the world, and with today’s technology there is no reason not to treat it that way. Drew is Internet Marketing Manager at Kokomo Auto World and co-founder of Kokomo Social Media. Follow him @MrDrewLarison
Marcia Erne is an ACE Certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She is co-owner of KnowSweat Workouts, a fitness development company. Along with participating in and teaching Tae-Robics, a high energy kickboxing workout, Marcia and her partners conduct KickStart, a weight loss motivation exercise education class. She also trains in boxing and Sport Karate. Marcia is also a kindergarten teacher, and has developed KidFit, a workout for children that includes cardio, strength training, and stretching. Follow her @MarciaErne, or visit her at www.marciaerne.com.
When people think of marketing, they typically think about creative ads to sell toothpaste or diapers, compelling campaigns to encourage donations to the humane society, or drive traffic to popular restaurants. But high profile, interesting consumers products are not the only products which require marketing. Join us on as we talk to Erin Couch and Arin Anderson of the National Retail Hardware Association as we talk about the challenges of marketing in such a specific niche.
Do you have what it takes to go after the really big clients? And more importantly, should you? This week we spoke to Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith, (@thewhalehunters) founder and president of The Whale Hunters and Matt Nettleton, (@mattnettleton) my sales coach from Sandler Trustpoint about selling to big companies.
At Roundpeg we spend a lot of time with clients focused on using social media to “tell their story” Long before social media, there was PR. And even today, in a very wired world, there is still a role for traditional PR. In today's episode, we talk about the role of traditional public relations in your marketing mix with Jennifer Reginer, an Indianapolis Public Relations professional. As an BohlsenPR account executive, Jennifer works clients such as Rich Mullins Film, Masala Bhangra, Indy Food Swap, Green Lab and with indie authors through client Author Solutions
Joining the Roundpeg crew to talk about food: Lauren Fiedler, known by her twitter handle as @BrewhousePRLou, and Angela Patton, also known as @leftbankcafe. These two talented and passionate restaurant professionals are working to bring old school marketing strategies to new tools like social media to engage patrons, and keep customers coming back.
As the craft beer industry has exploded over the past few decades, a new marketing niche has emerged. Many beer drinkers are no longer willing to consider their beverages or their brew a commodity. Join us as we talk with Mike Thilman, a district manager for world class beverages as he addresses how his company competes in the craft beer market. In addition to Mike, we will be joined on the show by Hazel Walker, founder of Lipstick on the Rim, a beer appreciation group created by women for women who has some very specific opinions about the mistakes beer marketers are making.
Love it or hate it, Klout is one of the most widespread measures of on line influence. Reaching beyond just how many followers it looks at how often people engage you in conversations and share your content. It evaluates not just the volume of conversation, but the level of conversations you have with people who are influential. It is quite common among members of the Indianapolis social media community to compare Klout scores and tactics to improve them. Why? People with high Klout scores are sought after by advertisers, given free perks ( Klout rewards) to describe their interactions with a product. But it is a far from perfect measure. Joining Allison and I this week are Scott Howard, Kevin Mullet and Randy Clark to talk about the pros and cons of Klout. More than a Few Words is a podcast produced by Roundpeg an Indianapolis social media company.
On Wednesday, August 10, we had a chance to talk to Will Hardison, founder of Mediaplug, an Indianapolis web design firm. On this episode of More Than a Few Words, Will shared some of the lessons he’s learned in the three years he’s owned his own business. He also gave business owners insights into how he utilizes Facebook ads for both Mediaplug and the company’s clients.
There is an huge community of educated and influential women who have chosen to stay home with their young kids. Unlike previous generations, these women are not willing to disconnect from the business world. They use social media and blogs to stay connected.
Are men and women really that different or do we just have a tendency to just focus our differences instead of our similarities? We enjoyed chatting with Hazel M. Walker, the “Referral Strategist” on More than a Few Words. We discussed Business Networking and Sex, the subject of Hazel’s new book, coming out in 2012.
In today’s competitive job marketing the internship experience is becoming a requirement for college students, and they’re also becoming increasingly harder to land. Once you have an internship, being successful at it is a whole new challenge. Roundpeg’s interns Melissa, Scott and Stephanie will discuss their internship experiences as well as tips for other students who are considering an internship.
Have you sold as much this year as you were hoping to? There is still half a year left to meet your sales goals. If you aren’t sure how to get your small business sales activities started, tune into our sales conversation with Matt Nettleton for tips on how to get your sales process moving.
About Matt: A part of the team at Trustpoint, he is my sales trainer, and is responsible for some pretty big shifts at Roundpeg. We are currently running 60% ahead of last year in revenue, and profits are up even more than that. I have come to trust what Matt has to say about sales. Just be warned, he is direct, says what he thinks, and isn’t afraid to call you out when he thinks you are blowing smoke.
Research shows that YouTube is now the number two search engine after Google, particularly for the under thirty crowd who are in increasingly turning to YouTube over Google as their searching needs. But what do YouTube and marketing have to do with each other? This week we will be talking to special guest Rocky Walls of 12 star media about how small businesses can effectively leverage this resource to enhance their marketing and PR strategies.
There are many misconceptions when it comes to age and social media. Recent studies have found that people aged 65 and older are the fastest growing age group on Facebook and that 47% of people aged 50 to 64 use social media today, proving that social media has now become anyone’s game. But the bias against age groups persist. Young professionals often have trouble demonstrating they understand the business applications of the tool, while folks in the over fifty crowd may struggle to prove they can manage the technology.
Everyone knows that Linkedin is a great tool for job hunting and networking with large companies, but what about Linkedin and small business? We will be discussing how small businesses can effectively use Linkedin as a networking tool.
Wordpress Web Design: Last week Jay and I had a great discussion on More than a Few Words, ( our weekly podcast) about Wordpress plugins. We asked for suggestions from the community on twitter and facebook and built a great list to add to our favorites. We have been using Wordpress as the foundation of our web design business for several years and thought we had a pretty good list of standard plug ins. But this program helped expand our list. There were so many good suggestions, we had a hard time, narrowing down which ones we would talk about. We might have to do another show on this topic later this year. Some of our favorites included: Social Metric. I found this plugin in a blog post by Adam Small, a writer for Marketing Tech blog. At a glance you can see how social your blog is; which posts are liked, tweeted, stumbled or mentioned on LinkedIn.It creates a great comprehensive list of statistics and you have the ability to post to any of the major networks right from your dashboard, giving a little extra love to specific posts. Will Hardison, of MediaPlug suggested we take a look at LiveChat. This is a terrific addition for anyone who needs to have this functionality as part of their website. In the process of researching wordpress plugins for this show, our intern Scott came across many great sources. Lorelle VanFossen, a self-proclaimed plugin slut, her words, not mine has an entire blog full of plugin reviews. I am going to be adding her blog to my reader, so I can stay on top of the latest tools. Another interesting set of plugins came from Nicholas Cardot . Thank Me Later creates an automated message to anyone who comments for the first time on your blog. We received one of these messages, and it was warm and personal. It wasn't until we went back to his site, and researched his other recommendations did we discover it was automated. By then we were already engaged in a real time email conversation with Nicholas, and that was the point. Want to learn more? You will have to listen to the rest of the pod cast here:
I had a chance to catch up with Ann Fisher of HR Alternative Consulting, Inc and talk about some of the challenges small business owners face with regard to HR compliance.She believes PEOPLE are your most valuable asset. And she provides resources to increase productivity, retention and avoid costly legal issues.
No one sets out to annoy their customers, but all too often business owners do just that. How? By creating websites which are not customer focused, have too much flash, too much or too little information, hard to follow navigation or slow loading pictures. This was the topic of a recent episode of More than a Few Words when I sat down to chat with Jay Mattingly about how small business owners can avoid these mistakes
If your small business offers a consumer product Facebook is an easy tool to use. But what if you are a B2B company? Is there a way for you to use Facebook? We think there is, and that is going to be the topic of today’s podcast. Allison and I discussed some of the strategies B2B companies can apply to connect with customers on Facebook. Facebook isn't just for consumer products. Every company can use this tool to crate a more "human" image.
Our topic for this week: Blogging for business. You can see some of the questions and discussion on our blog http://www.roundpeg.biz
Jay Mattingly of Roundpeg sat down with Andre Gribson of Sycamore Commercial Lending to talk about the challenges of church lending.
I sat down recently withL. Andre Gibson, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Sycamore Commercial Lending. He shared with me how his frustrations as a banker led to the formation of Sycamore.
I sat down recently and talked with Marcus Colson, Chief Operating Officer of Sycamore Lending to talk about their Accounts Receivable lending products.
Jay sat down with Alex Baker, Chief Executive at Infinistorm. Alex has a passion for technology and every time I speak with him I learn about new ways businesses can leverage technological advances. As I caught up with Alex in a very noisy coffee shop, he was very excited to talk about "virtualization". While large corporations have taken advantage virtualization for several years, it is now a viable alternative for smaller businesses, which make up the core of both Alex's (and our) clientele.
In a recent conversation at Roundpeg, Taylor talks about the difference between school and the real world, as well as some tips for small business owners when they work with graphic designers.
I caught up with Tony Scelzo in a noisy coffee shop recently, and we talked aobut some of the changes at Rainmakers. An integral part of the Indy small business community, working with AddressTwo, they have automated the process of making strategic connections and managing contacts. They are, as Tony says, the eHarmony of business. To learn more, listen to our conversation
Jay Mattingly finally upgraded to an iPhone, and with it comes the capability to record interviews with some of Indy's brightest, young professionals. Up first, Will Hardison of Media Plug.
While there are no firm rules about what to say, and what not to say on Twitter. Today's comments by Kenneth Cole, was clearly a misstep. In today's podcast Allison and I talk about what the shoe manufacturer should have done, and what lessons small business owners can take away from their mistake.
Erik Deckers, co-author of Branding Yourself: Using Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself sat down with me in a noisy coffee shop to talk about his new book about personal branding
Recently Robby Slaughter and I were speakers at the Dominate Your Destiny Conference. After his presentation, I asked Robby to share just a small piece of what he covered in his presentation on productivity tools and ways to change your habits for a brief episode of More than a Few Words. In today today's podcast he talks about a new way to think about your appointment calendar.
In the course of writing her new book, Hazel has discovered a lot about how men and women define relationships differently.
I spent a few minutes with Nick Carter talking about how any small business, but specifically insurance agents can use AddressTwo to stay connected to existing clients, create cross sell opportunities, and convert prospects to customers.
If you are using social media to drive traffic to your website. be sure you measure the results of your efforts.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles each brought different skills to the team, making them the ultimate crime fighting machine.
Their team structure is one many organizations should emulate for a chance at success
The editors of Food Source Magazine have discovered that not all PR is good PR. In this podcast Allison Carter shares how other small business owners can avoid the same fate.
I write about blogging on a regular basis, and sometimes it is nice to just change things up a bit. So, today, I am going to talk about blogging. In this short podcast I share some of my favorite strategies for generating blog content.
Jay Mattingly and Nick Carter will be teaching a marketing seminar for small business owners which challenges the assumptions about how you should run a business.
Directing your marketing at customers who are just outside your comfort zone will allow you to continue to grow you business
In the world of social media, it is not just how many followers or fans you have, but how often the choose to interact with you!
Sometimes a customer is too big or too small. In today's podcast I talk about spending your time on customers who are just right.
I don't think good companies are changing their service levels, but I think they are using new tools to improve their response times. ... and companies who are not as good as they should be are discovering that consumers have power!
Matt Nettleton of TrustPointe shared his perspectives on uncovering pain in the sales process.
After more than 21 months of recession, many small business owners do not know how to react to a recovering economy. In today's podcast I talk about the single most important strategy for small business owners in the recovery ... consumer spending!
I had a chance to sit down recently with Dave Anderson of Pinpoint Multimedia to talk about video. Dave, a video strategist shared some tips for small business owners considering adding video to their website.
Every member of the Roundpeg team brings something unique to the job, talent skills, and a perspective that is uniquely their own. Some are more outgoing, and other's a little shyer or more laid back.
This week on More than a Few Words I interviewed our graphic designer Taylor Brough. He is a graduate of The Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Art at Indiana University, so he brings a unique artistic style to our design projects. While he is more comfortable drawing than talking, I did get him to share some of the parts of his job he loves best.
Since joining the team 18 months ago, he has truly masted the art of the WebBanner and the effective 6 x 9 postcard, but his favorite projects are definitely his logo designs:
In addition to interviewing friends and local business experts, I have had some fun interviewing members of the Roundeg team for my podcast: More Than a Few Words. In this podcast, you get a chance to meet the newest member of the Roundpeg Team; Jay Mattingly. A recent graduate of IUPUI, Jay brings a great sense of humor and can do attitude to his role as an account executive and web designer.
Although he has only been here a few months, he already has some great projects under his belt including websites for the Lung Care Group and Greenwater Infrastructure. While you can find him here at Roundpeg, he is also out and about at Rainmaker events, and Paul Poteeet’s Gotta Eat events around town, so if you see him, be sure to say hi!
As a small business owner, there are days I feel like I have been run over by the economy. There I am minding my own business, driving along, when along comes the economy moving full speed ahead in a downward direction. It is easy to make excuses and let the impact slow me down!
But I have big plans so I know I can not let the external factors like the continued sluggish performance of the economy distract me from my goals and objectives. What about you? Do you have a plan to keep your small business focused? That is the topic of today's podcast!
As a woman, I know it is all about the clothes. And that is exactly what Shawn Quick Raflik and I talked about when she dropped by recently; CLOTHES. What do you wear to a trade show? What type of branded apparel looks professional, and makes a memorable statement in your trade show booth.
My friend, Laina Moloski dropped by the other day to talk about all the new changes at C & S Consulting which include her new books, and new web site. In this first podcast we focus on her new book: But it is My Business in which she shares tips and realistic ideas for small business owners. From ideas on how to terminate employees to tips on sales and planning, Laina approaches the process of owning a buiness with humor and serious advice. The book will be launch on March 30, but it is available now for preorder at http://candsconsulting.biz/
Meet my sales coach, Matt Nettleton. I love his direct, no-nonsense approach to building my business.
One of the things we have focused attention on lately is the difference between my average customer and my ideal customer.
The average customer, are the clients I attract now. But the ideal, are the clients I want to do business with. Doing business with these companies will help me grow my business over time.
Want to learn more about the difference? Take a moment, and listen to the interview with Matt
This is the first interview we have moved over to Podbean from Blog Talk Radio. All these episodes will be available on iTunes and MoreThanAFewWords.com