Jun 30, 2020
On this week’s episode of Market Like a Boss Podcast, I’m answering ALL your marketing questions. These questions are all about marketing and my business. As you guys know, I like to be completely transparent with my audience and have an open discussion!
Let’s dive in...
What triggered your #1 mindset shift? (2:18)
This is a really good question. Mindset is key. I talk about this a lot because your mindset truly controls the success of your business. Mindset can cause you to miss out on opportunities and potential clients because of your fears. It took me a while to shift my mindset. I had to work with my coach on this. She had to challenge me and ask me the hard questions. She asked me, “do you want more clients?” Of course I said yes, but the truth was I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to deliver.
Is a sales funnel necessary? (6:12)
It all depends on your goal. If you’re looking to bring in more passive income, a funnel is a great way to do so. Remember to start with the end goal of what you want the funnel to achieve and work backward from there.
Is there a template for writing social media content? (7:38)
There’s NO template. So many female entrepreneurs search for the “secret” template that gets the most engagement, but there is no cookie cutter when it comes to marketing. What works for one person doesn’t work for another. Don’t think of it like a template, but rather ask yourself...what does your audience need to hear from you? Create your social media copy with that mindset.
How much personal info should you share in posts? (11:02)
I’m very transparent about my marketing, my journey, and goals that I have reached, but you don’t need to be as open as me. Share as much as you’re willing to - but remember that your audience does need to connect with you emotionally in order to decide to invest. Don’t build up a wall with your audience. Talk to them human-to-human because people tend to need to gain your trust before they would want to work with you.
One boundary I’ve set for myself is that I don’t talk about a particular struggle I’ve experienced while I’m still in it. I share it afterward so that I always have the perspective of having gone through it and come out on the other side.
Should I share any family pictures on my social media channels? (13:36)
Throw out the word “should.” It’s your choice if you want to share your family pictures. It won’t affect your marketing if you don’t. That being said, if your brand is based around family you may want to consider giving your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your family (however you feel comfortable).
How do you start a Facebook group and create a loyal following? What about starting a podcast? (16:21)
When it comes to a Facebook group or a podcast, just start. I started my Facebook group with no long-term strategy...in fact, it was born out of a free challenge I was running online and I needed a place to house the videos. After the challenge was finished, I left the group open and voila, Market Like a Boss was born.
I love groups and building relationships so I just kept showing up every day, which is how I build a loyal following. If you have a group, consider the experience you want your audience to have and what will keep them coming back. I highly recommend posting and engaging every day. Show up no matter how many people are tuning in. When it comes to a podcast, I recommend coming up with a list of topics you want to talk about and be sure you’re clear on what you want your audience to gain from listening to you.
How do you manage multiple social media platforms? (19:01)
I definitely recommend using automation when possible...for the right activities. I normally batch out content once a week and created a designated time on my calendar to develop new content. Also, repurpose and reuse any existing content because it saves you time and some people might not have seen it the first time. I also use scheduling tools like Buffer to schedule ahead of time or RecurPost for any recurring daily content in my group like questions and prompts.
How do you post valuable content without being repetitive? (20:53)
It’s ok to post the same thing more than once because people might not even remember this post or didn’t see the first time. Most women feel like they have to be in a constant state of creating content. Save the content you’ve created and think about how you can reuse it again. For example, I record my FB lives and repurpose some of them as podcast episodes. I also repurpose my lives as blog posts too. So I’m creating one piece of unique content (the FB Live) and sharing it multiple places and in multiple formats.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made? (21:57)
When I first started my business I was doing full-service marketing and as a result, I took on so much responsibility for my clients. I was doing everything for them and thinking about their business 24/7. When I shifted to coaching, my mindset had to shift too. I started holding my clients accountable and challenging them to think for themselves. They became more committed to the work we were doing and got better results.
What's the funniest thing you’ve ever done that ended up being a good idea? (24:14)
Honestly, when I first started I developed a challenge and started my Facebook group. I thought I would shut the group down after the challenge, but here we are a couple years later where I have almost 3000 members and 95% of my clients come from the group. Never did I think that my first challenge was going to lead me here
Does email marketing work in today’s world? (25:08)
Short answer? Yes. We live in a world where we’re attached to our phones and email is the first thing we check before getting out of bed. Doesn’t mean you HAVE to do email marketing but if you’re not at least building an email list you’re leaving money on the table.
How can I land my first paid client? (26:20)
Build relationships and talk to people. Network in your own backyard and consider who could be a good referral partner for you (ideally someone who offers a complimentary service to yours). Tell your friends/family about your business and who you serve. Bottom line: just keep focusing on serving and showing up.”
Should you work for free to build a portfolio? (29:10)
I truly don’t believe you should ever work for free. Some may disagree, but here’s the thing: you have experience in your field or you wouldn’t have started your business. Even if you haven’t landed a client yet, that experience still translates. Plus when you work for free, your heart usually isn’t fully in it and the client isn’t as committed, which means it’s difficult to reach the desired result. Instead of working for free, consider a special introductory price.
What should I do if I’m targeting several groups of people? (30:58)
If you are targeting several types of clients, your marketing and messaging will get watered down. You want to focus on one group of people who you can serve best. A broad or vague message won’t catch the attention of your dream clients.
What’s the best way to build an email list? (32:25)
Create a free resource (lead magnet) on a topic that someone could download or watch in exchange for sharing their email address. Be sure your lead magnet addresses their most immediate problem and gives them a quick win. If you’re stumped for ideas, consider what your dream client needs to know in order to get the best and fastest results working with you.
How do you know when you’re coming across salesy? (33:16)
If you have to wonder whether you’re coming across as salesy, then you probably are. In fact, I’m willing to bet you’re putting pressure on yourself to land the client. How about focusing on the person you want to serve and helping them solve their problem? Don’t look for the sale - in fact, clients come when you’re not focused on landing them.
What are your thoughts on marketing via direct messaging? (35:40)
I prefer to build relationships outside of a direct message. This could be answering a question that was posted in another FB group and directing them to my group. Regardless of which path you choose, build the relationship first. Sometimes, I will do a quick hello or check-in on someone through DM if we have an existing relationship, but I always start the conversation outside of Messenger first.”
How can I prioritize being visible without it taking all my time? (38:18)
Schedule time once a week to batch all your content. This has helped me so much because it's so easy to get caught up with content and social media, but having a designated time to work on it all at once will save you time. Also, I have a shared folder of all my content so that my team can go back and pull content for my social media calendar without me having to review it. Saves a ton of time! I also use a tool called Group Leads to automatically approve new members to my group, save their info, and add them to an email list where I have an automated welcome sequence giving them more resources from the group.
Outside of that, there is a certain amount of time you’ll need to devote to building relationships (you can’t automate that piece). Prioritize that and show up everyday to talk to your people. Remember - if you’re not consistent in showing up, you can’t expect your dream clients to show up for you.
I truly hope this marketing Q&A was helpful! If you have additional questions, please shoot me an email at michelle@vroomcommunications.com and I’d be happy to answer!
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