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Challenge the status quo with your business—in good faith
Hardly a day goes by where we don’t hear about a new change Elon Musk has made to the world of tech.
And while these changes are often framed (at least by Musk) as “advancements” to the industry, many critics (myself included) are wary of the impact of these – often seemingly abrupt and impulsive – changes.
Because while there’s no doubt Musk is challenging the status quo in all of the industries he has his hand in, my concern is that he’s doing it to build his ego, not for the benefit of society.
The problem with techniques and templates that oversimplify your business
There are endless resources online for those looking to ‘up’ their marketing game: templates to hone in on your target audience, specific formulas you can follow to grow your social media account or increase your email list, and techniques for getting clear on where and how you should be showing up online, to name a few.
And, while there’s nothing wrong with the intention behind these resources, there are a few issues that tend to come up when business owners rely too heavily on them.
The cost of burnout and how to avoid it
I regularly work with creatives and business owners on honing in on their marketing plans and strategy, and more often than not there is no shortage of ideas. There’s rarely a lack of inspiration or an empty to-do list. Instead, I’m generally shutting ideas down (in a loving way), streamlining processes, and encouraging entrepreneurs to be more realistic with what they focus on and commit to.
Because although their ideas might be new and fun and exciting, there is always a cost to pursuing them. And far too often I see business owners spinning their wheels – trying to do way more than they have the resources for, and bringing themselves to the point of burnout, because they don’t have a plan in place.
How to know when the expert you're hiring is the right choice
Many entrepreneurs have bigger business goals than what they’re able to achieve on their own. They crave bigger impact and expanded reach. They want to free up more of their time and energy. They desire greater revenue.
This transformative business growth can’t happen though, without the recognition that you don’t have all the answers, and that you can’t do everything on your own. These goals generally require hiring, delegating, automating, and outsourcing.
Here’s how to know you’re making the right choice when hiring.
How to create effective calls to action (CTAs) in your content
Your call to action directs your audience as to what you want them to do in each piece of content. It provides consumers with clear next steps and direction, which can reduce friction for customers, prevent decision fatigue or overwhelm, and generate more conversions.
Unfortunately, these calls to action are also often misunderstood, which can make them frustrating.
Here are some examples of the common issues I see with CTAs and how to fix them.
How learning chess reinforced my love of strategy and strategic marketing
Earlier this year, my son decided he was going to teach me how to play chess, and despite my initial disinterest, he not only managed to successfully persuade and teach me, but I even almost won a game against him...once!
As green as I am on the chess board, I have a deep appreciation for the time players spend learning various tactics, as well as the skilled practice of thinking through and playing out different scenarios. Thinking strategically in marketing and business is a lot like a chess game, which is why chess is so often used to visually convey strategy.
Let’s explore the parallels between chess and business and marketing.
How to test the credibility of the experts you highlight
Though most of the time random quotes and mentions of an author or creator won't have an impact on your brand or reputation, doing a little extra work to vet the people you highlight in your content is a good way to reinforce what you stand for.
It’s almost inevitable that consumers will draw parallels between you, your business, and the content you’re sharing. Whether those associations are positive or negative is largely up to you.
Don’t risk losing the trust of your audience because of something that could be avoided with some upfront time and energy on your end.
Prioritizing diversity of sourcing in your content
With recent news and emphasis in the media on diversity (and the sad lack thereof), systematic and systemic discrimination, and the need for companies to prioritize inclusivity in their business, you’ve likely been rethinking how your company is currently running, and what changes you need to make.
An area that’s often unfortunately overlooked, as business owners make their way through revisions to their hiring practices and procedures, putting guidelines in place to ensure the marketing media and copywriting they use are more inclusive and representative, and surveying current and past employees for feedback, is prioritizing the diversity of sourcing in your content.
Small business pricing and profits: The importance of aligning your prices to your values
Pricing can be tough when you’re a small business or solopreneur. As business owners, we’re intimately connected to our clients and our pricing. Because of this interesting dynamic, I find small business owners make more emotional decisions, modifying (or not modifying) their pricing based on what they feel their clients can afford.
It isn’t enough to simply pick a number that sounds good out of thin air for your program or service. It isn’t enough to just check a few items off your “marketing to-do list.”
Your pricing needs to reflect your values. And when you take the time to gain clarity on your values and goals for each of the offers you have, you’ll feel much more empowered to share about your business, promote your services, and find your clients.
Brand, brand, branding: What does it all mean?
Do you know what branding is? What about a brand? Or a Brand?
While these terms are commonly interchanged, they’re all unique elements of your company, and all deserve your time and attention in different ways.
Let’s break them down.
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