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Importance of Having A Brand Messaging Strategy

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Creating a brand message that you can use to convey your value to your customers on all levels, is vital to building a reputable identity and a relationship with your target audience.

 

Marketing is both an art and a science.  It’s your connection to your marketplace and tells new customers, existing clients, partners, and other important industry relationships exactly who you are and how you can help them. As a result, you want the tone and messaging of your marketing to be entirely reflective of you and your business. Brand messaging strategy plays a critical role in the overall success of your marketing plan and helps ensure you reach your customers in a relatable, memorable way that suits your business’s identity. 

 

In order to grow and succeed, you need a tangible brand identity that helps you develop a relationship with your target audience. To do this, you need to create a brand message and then build a brand messaging strategy. This includes:

  • Identifying competitors
  • Recognizing your competitive position
  • Understanding the needs of your target audience
  • Creating messaging to communicate this value
  • Modifying this statement per platform

It’s all about knowing your market, your audience, and yourself. Let’s get started!

Cultivating Your Brand Message

Brand messaging is all about getting down to your audience’s level and telling them who you are, why you’re here, and how you’re going to help them. It’s the phrasing that you use on a regular basis on your website, your social, and your marketing to describe and sell yourself. 

In our previous post about creating a competitive positioning strategy, we discuss identifying your unique selling point (USP) as a business. You need to single out what makes you special, unique, and valuable, and communicate that to the consumer. 

The language and tone that you use in your brand message should reflect your brand identity. If your business personality is casual but confident, it should be reflected in your messaging. For example, look at Nike. Nike’s business personality is confident and inspirational, and their customer promise is “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” Their slogan, “Just Do It,” is very reflective of that. It’s memorable, and it makes sense.

Why is Brand Messaging So Important?

Having a consistent brand message increases your recognition and reliability. Customers know what to expect from you, and in turn trust that you’ll deliver on your promise. It allows you to build a relationship with your target audience and to develop a reputation as a business. It also provides language for everyone in your team to use when communicating the value and purpose of your business, leaving no room for inconsistencies.

Something important to keep in mind is that you can only communicate so many things at one time. Your messaging should be short and to the point. Don’t try to explain everything about your business in one slogan. Identify your strengths, and highlight those.

How to Create a Killer Brand Messaging Strategy

As one of the fundamentals of marketing for all small business owners, your first step is to create a brand and a general brand message. Now you need to take this vision and create a brand messaging strategy that puts all of this into a trackable and actionable plan.

Think about Amazon. Their brand promise is to deliver a large selection of products at low prices with no hassle. And boy do you know it! They constantly advertise their fast shipping, huge inventory, and product deals. They highlight what sets them apart from the competition and how they’re meeting your needs as a consumer. It’s on their packaging, on their commercials, flooding your Facebook feed with ads… everywhere! 

Your Brand Messaging Strategy Guide

The basics of marketing all come into play when creating the framework for your brand messaging strategy. Here are four basic steps you need to take when creating your own:

  1. Create your brand message by identifying your USP among your competitors.
  2. Identify your target audience and their needs.
  3. Communicate your value in short, easy to understand language that aligns with your business’s identity.
  4. Modify for different platforms, but maintain the core message. Be consistent!
  5. This message modification is key. You need to be able to explain your brand promise in a corporate situation, a quick pitch, and in a casual tone. 

Our Summary

In order to have a solid, recognizable business identity, you need to create a brand message that explains how you’re different from your competitors and what you promise to deliver. This statement should reflect your business personality and be consistent in all of your marketing. This is the foundation of a solid brand messaging strategy, and is how you become a business that people remember and trust.

It’s never too late to master your marketing fundamentals. In Her Brand & Co.’s The Lucy Lab (8-week marketing accelerator), you’ll learn everything you need to create and implement to launch a successful go-to marketing strategy. Our next cohort goes live in the Spring. Learn more here.

 

 

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Stand Out With Color Theory Marketing

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Color plays a huge role in building your business’s identity and marketing to consumers. Choose the right colors to send the right message and build a memorable brand with color theory marketing! 

Over 90% of consumers say appearance is the #1 factor that influences their purchase decision. That’s not really surprising: just think about how important color is when we make a purchase of just about anything. This is something that we as business owners can take advantage of, and is a major consideration of color theory marketing.

Color theory marketing is how marketing experts use color to persuade and influence consumers to feel and act a certain way. You can use color theory to make your brand stand out, as well as make your message clear and easy to read in your advertisements. Different colors have different connotations, and these nuances should be considered when choosing colors to build your brand identity. 

What is Color Theory in Advertising?

Color theory is the study of the way that colors impact the way that people act and feel. It is how we attempt to persuade and influence consumers with one look. 

Using the right color, and right color combination, sends a message about your brand. Similarly, you can use colors that make you stand out among competitors. Unusual colors such as yellow and orange are sure to make an impression among a sea of sleek black and gray brands, for example. However, you don’t want to give the wrong impression with your color scheme and stand out in a bad way. 

Why is Color Theory Important?

Color grabs attention, and what good is an advertisement that doesn’t draw attention? Consumers are also more drawn to colorful advertisements versus those in black and white. In a study conducted by Readex Research, it was found that 33% more readers recalled seeing a colorful version of an advertisement than the black and white version of the same ad. 

This is why it’s incredibly important to choose the right color to associate with your brand. That quick magazine ad is how you make your first, and likely lasting, impression.  Who is your target audience? What kind of emotional reaction are you trying to get from them with your message? What kind of service are you offering? All of these aspects and more are taken into account in the study of color.

Using Color Theory Marketing to Stand Out

We often stress the importance of positioning your business to stand out among the crowd, and your visual brand is a crucial step in accomplishing this. After all, it’s your identity and the way you present your business to the public. It is not a decision that you should take lightly, and the subtle nuances and connotations of color should be taken into consideration.

Delivering your Message with Color Theory

You likely use color theory here and there in your marketing efforts without realizing. For example, don’t you check to make sure that you’re using contrasting and complementary colors so that your message is readable and attractive? In this way, color theory is used in order to make your message stand out and draw attention from readers. 

Colors build atmosphere. Calming colors such as greens and blues set a different tone from deep reds and purples. What is appropriate for your message? Here is a quick guide to help:

  • Red is exciting and passionate.
  • Yellow and orange are cheerful, exciting, and energetic.
  • Pink and purple are classically feminine, but also contrastingly innocent and sophisticated, respectively.
  • Green is commonly associated with wealth, as well as nature and health.
  • Blue can be used in many instances, and inspires communication, strength, and sincerity. 

You can build your brand’s personality with colors that send a particular message. What color, or combination of colors, tells your business’s story?

How to Choose the Right Colors for your Business

There are a variety of tools and resources you can use when selecting the color scheme that fits your brand and appeals to your client base.  To implement a great color scheme use the following steps.

  1. Know your audience
  2. Understand your market and how your brand will fit
  3. Understand your brand identity and what it is trying to convey
  4. Decide if you want to blend in or stand out
  5. Determine your core color
  6. Use a color picker to identify additional colors.  Our favorite is www.coolors.co/
  7. Implement your color scheme across your branding

Our Summary

The ways that colors mix, contrast, and complement each other are all important aspects of color theory marketing. Perhaps most interesting is the way that specific colors make us feel a particular way. These factors are used to make memorable advertisements, portray your brand personality, and send a clear message. And because of this, it’s important to choose the right colors to send your message.

Want to learn more? Take Her Brand & Co.’s Color Psychology for Marketing course by becoming a member for an in-depth look at the role of color in marketing persuasion and customer perception and decision making (along with dozens of other marketing and branding classes). Sign up today!

 

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Importance of a Competitive Positioning Strategy

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Carve out market space for your business with a competitive positioning strategy that will help you stand out and convince customers to choose you among your competitors.

You understand why you created your business, how your service meets a real need, and why your business does it better than anyone else. But does your audience know that? Sometimes that can be a difficult message to communicate, particularly if you are lost in an oversaturated market, a new market with an undefined audience, or if you are meeting a new need that customers don’t even know they need met.

That’s where a competitive positioning strategy comes into play. 

A competitive positioning strategy is how you communicate your value to customers and differentiate yourself from your competition. Conveying your competitive position, or value, is necessary in order to stand out among your competitors. You have to define how your service is unique in terms of:

  • Price/Value
  • Quality
  • Overall unique selling points (USP’s)

With a differentiation strategy, you can solidify your space in the market.

Differentiating yourself is incredibly important to define your brand, value, and purpose.

Solidifying a Competitive Position in Your Market

What is competitive positioning? Put simply, it’s how you compare to your competitors. It’s how you stand out, communicate your value, and convince customers that you’re the best choice for their needs.

To figure this out, you’ll need to do a fair amount of research. You need to understand your competitors, the size and habits of your target audience, and opportunities to penetrate the market. Without this knowledge, you won’t know where your business fits in your market. This is a continual process regardless of the age of your company.  Understanding your value proposition is vital to getting the right message to your customers.

Why is Differentiation Positioning Important?

Regardless of the size, age, or demographic of your market, it’s imperative to understand where your business falls and how it is viable. This will help you find the space where you’ll fit and help customers understand how you’re different from your competitors.

For example, let’s say that your research of competitors reveals that your prices are the lowest of the bunch, or that you are the only one with 24/7 customer service, or that your product quality far exceeds all others. Whatever it is that makes you stand out as a business, that is what you want to communicate to your potential customers. Establishing a competitive position explains to customers how you stand out as a business, and why they should choose you among your competitors.

Basically, you need to figure out what it is that you do differently from everyone else, and why customers should be interested in you in comparison.

Creating a Competitive Positioning Strategy that Works

Not every differentiation positioning strategy will work for every business. It depends on your niche, your offerings, and your competition. In the end, it’s all about messaging your brand.  Are you a premium brand, a value brand, or one that fits somewhere in between and simply provides the best product or service possible to your target audience. You must identify your unique selling points (USPs) and communicate them.

This is actually a huge part of strategic marketing and SWOT analysis. By identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you know how to communicate your worth while also seeing how you can improve.

For the purpose of positioning, however, you need to focus on your strengths and opportunities.

Defining Your Competitive Positioning Strategy

Here are some examples of USPs to highlight in a differentiation strategy:

  • Value – Does your service give the most bang for your buck? Communicate how the value of your service exceeds all others. Perhaps you have services included at no extra cost, or your prices are more attractive than your competitors.
  • Quality – Is your product at a higher quality than your competitors? This could mean something different depending on the market, need, and product. For example, perhaps you’re selling a product that is more durable, more light-weight, or more portable.
  • Uniqueness – Is there something about your service that is undeniably unique compared to your competitors? Perhaps you fall into an otherwise unoccupied niche. In this situation, you are not necessarily the cheapest or best, but you serve an otherwise unmet need with your product.

Creating a competitive strategy means thoroughly researching these types of USPs and how they compare with your competitors. As you formulate your research, document your specific positioning, and then focus your efforts directly on your plan. 

Our Summary

A competitive positioning strategy is crucial to find your space within the market, communicate your value to potential customers, and to stand out among your competitors. To do this, you need to understand your market, audience, and your strengths. This takes time, research, and consideration, but it is necessary to find your niche and solidify your brand. 

Are you ready to take your branding to a whole new level? Check out Her Brand & Co.’s Marketing Mastermind for the coaching and accountability you need to take your business to the next level.  Apply today!

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How to Become a Digital Marketing Expert

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Women who own and operate small businesses have to wear many hats.  An absolute key to success with any company is to have a digital marketing expert helping guide the promotion of your products or services.  As a small business owner, that expert might have to be you!  No problem, we’ve got you covered with an in-depth look at becoming an expert in digital marketing.

Marketing your business online isn’t really an option- it’s a necessity. People are spending more time than ever online, and online shopping is becoming the norm for many. Plus, digital advertising is less expensive than its traditional counterpart, and it allows you to maintain a constant relationship and presence with your target audience.

A digital marketing expert is someone who can reach, interact with, and market to their audience online. They have a mastery of digital marketing and advertising fundamentals, including:

  • – Search engine optimization (SEO)
  • – Search engine marketing (SEM)
  • – Content, email, and social media marketing
  • – Online advertising
  • – Optimizing their digital content strategy

 

Digital marketing experts are analytical, have a wide array of knowledge, and are always keeping up to date with trends.

Don’t get overwhelmed! We’ll walk you through the process of becoming a digital marketing expert.

Main Concepts in Digital Marketing and Advertising

You’ll need to know how to reach your audience, how to interact with them, and how to market to them. It’s more than just advertising: it’s understanding trends, the needs of your target audience, and analyzing results.

What is Digital Marketing?

Put simply, it is selling your business online. Mobile, video, audio, and social media content are all pieces of the puzzle. Digital marketing experts are those who have a mastery of their fundamentals. This includes:

  • SEO and SEM – Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing go hand-in-hand to a master online marketer.  Learn how to both have their website rank well as well as strategically place ads to engage resulting visitors.
  • Online advertising – After identifying your audience, you need to identify how to reach and engage with them. You must identify when pay-per-click (PPC) or paid search advertising are viable options.
  • Content Marketing – Be able to write high quality content that conveys that value of your product to your audience and engages them. Employing user-generated content is a no-brainer.
  • Email Marketing – Know how to build an email campaign that gets results. If this concept is new, consider checking out our article Email Marketing 101 for Small Business Owners.
  • Social Media Marketing – Digital marketing experts are social media gurus and know how to keep their audience engaged and when to use targeted ads to further their reach.

Of course, there is more to it than just these concepts. However, if you want to become a digital marketing expert, these are the most basic fundamentals that you will need to have a solid understanding of.

Characteristics of a Digital Marketing Expert

  • Analytical Thinking – View trends, results, and campaign data to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Make sound advertising and budgeting decisions based on your analysis. You can’t manage what you don’t measure!
  • Focus on Strategy – It’s easy to get caught up in posting and pinning, but to do it strategically with a master plan ensures the best chance of success.  Develop a plan and stick to it!
  • Fundamental Mastery – Every expert has a mastery of the skills above and knows how to put all of them together to develop a personalized strategy for a business.
  • Willingness to Learn – Keep up to date on trends and the needs and habits of your target audience. The landscape is always evolving, and you need to learn and grow in kind.

Solidifying Your Digital Content Strategy

Everything that we’ve outlined above plays a huge role in your digital content strategy. The next step is taking all of those pieces to build and distribute online content that generates results. It is a key element of a successful marketing plan.

You’ll need to create engaging copy that you’ll then optimize and promote across multiple channels.

Building Engaging Online Content

What is online content? It’s your blog posts, social media posts, podcasts, tutorials… you name it! Anything you create and post online is your online content. It’s how you speak to your audience.

When building online content, you need to keep all of the above information in mind. You need to communicate your value, engage your audience, optimize per platform, and figure out what’s working and what isn’t.

While your message will remain the same across all platforms, the way you communicate your value will change. The content within your tutorial, meant to inform your target audience, will not be the same as on your Facebook page.

You also need to separate your free content from your paid, premium content. You use your free content to lead potential customers to your paid content. Think of an informative blog post that compels clients to purchase a course with more in-depth information.

Our Summary

If you want to become a digital marketing expert for your small business, you will need to have a firm grasp of marketing and advertising fundamentals, including SEO and SEM; online, email, and social media marketing; and how to optimize your digital content strategy to engage with potential customers. You also need to be analytical and willing to continue to learn every day. 

Applications are OPEN for the Her Brand & Co. Marketing Mastermind cohort! This 4-month, virtual program is for female entrepreneurs and business owners looking to scale or expand their growth and traction. Apply today!

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How to Exceed Expectations with Customers and Yourself

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Go above and beyond to inspire brand loyalty and keep your customers coming back to you again and again. Learn how to exceed customer expectations every step of the way! 

Did you know that 86% of customers will pay more for a product if their expectations are guaranteed to be met? At the end of the day, your client has expectations of your service. Being able to understand and exceed their expectations, not just meet them, is your key to success.  Customer retention is far more important, and profitable, than customer acquisition, and you want to do everything in your power to have your customers return again and again. 

To grow and succeed as a business, you need to exceed the expectations of your customers. Regardless of your service or industry, you will need to take specific steps to ensure that you are exceeding their expectations, such as:

  • Providing personalized service
  • Responding quickly to inquiries
  • Being communicative with clients
  • Ensuring a smooth and easy experience with your business
  • Regularly welcoming feedback from customers

Take a look at this beginners guide on how to exceed expectations with your customers and, ultimately, with yourself.

The Key to Exceeding Expectations With Customers

It’s no surprise that customers are willing to pay more for a service that will exceed their expectations. If your business makes them feel valued, they will value you in return. They’ll have no desire to shop around for an alternative. So how do you get to that stage with your customers?

Be sure that you’re not providing cookie-cutter service to your clients. Personalize and tailor their experience, especially at the beginning of your relationship. Consider using a CRM that will allow you to easily address clients personally in emails and allow you to build customer profiles with their specific information.

You can also set up a responsive social media page that will allow customers to connect with a person who will work with them directly. If you are a customer-facing business, take the time to listen and don’t give generic excuses.

Don’t be afraid to be overly communicative with your clients. If there is a delay in a product or service, then be open about it. Similarly, don’t promise a product or service that you can’t deliver. And, at the end of the day, if you are at fault or unable to deliver, apologize and make things right.

Quality should always come before instancy, but no customer wants to wait forever for a response. Be sure to provide quick and accurate responses to those who ask questions.

Guide Customers Through Your Service

9 times out of 10, your client doesn’t want to have to approach you with their problem. If there is a chatbot, information hub, or FAQ section on your website, that will be enough for most basic help that they will need. Better yet, direct your clients to these resources as soon as they subscribe. 

Learn from your Customer’s Experience

Sculpting the ideal customer experience should be one of your first priorities when you’re building your business. You’re sure that you’re the best one to meet their needs and exceed their expectations, and that’s why you’re taking these steps to build your brand and provide quality service.

In order to reach that point, you need to be willing to accept that you’re going to have to do a bit of learning and adjusting to make sure that you’re truly able to exceed the expectations of your clients.

There’s Always Room for Improvement

We’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating: never underestimate the power of feedback. Harness the power of the customer feedback survey after you provide a service or in your regular newsletter.  Make it quick, simple, and to the point. Include questions such as:

  • How can we improve our service / products?
  • Do you have everything you need from us?
  • Would you recommend us to a friend or family member? Why?
  • Do you have any recommendations for improvement?

Customers will be glad to be part of your self-improvement process, and you’re letting them know that their opinions are valued.

Empower Yourself with Outstanding Service

When you feel as though you truly understand your service, your clients, and how the two can work together to create the perfect experience, you’ll find yourself exceeding your own expectations in turn. It’s a truly empowering feeling to be confident in yourself and the business that you’ve built. 

Our Summary

While there’s no pleasing everyone, taking a few easy steps to exceed expectations with your customers will go a long way in building your brand and inspiring loyalty. Personalize your customer’s experience with both your customer service and regular communications, be sure to provide a thorough and speedy response, and welcome feedback at every turn.

Want to level-up your branding and learn how to build your brand’s visual identity? Check out Her Brand & Co.’s membership for access to workshops, courses, and monthly events. Sign up today!

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How a Customer Success Strategy Increases Revenue

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Become a brand that invests in their client’s future. A solid customer success strategy is a two-way street for value: your client’s value in your business, and the profit you make by securing and maintaining them. 

Did you know that consumers tend to remain loyal to brands that have high-quality customer service? You probably did. But did you know that that high-quality user experience can directly translate into increased revenue for your small business? 84% of companies that emphasize user experience have reported an increase in revenue. By implementing a customer success strategy, you can both minimize costs and increase your profits. 

What is customer success? It is guiding your clients through your offerings and helping them reach their goals. Implementing a solid customer success strategy will increase your revenue by helping you to retain clients, increasing upsell opportunities, and preventing losses. By understanding the difference between customer success vs. customer service, you will be able to turn your client’s progress into your own profit. 

Customer success is the new customer service, and we’re here to help you make the change.

What is Customer Success?

Customer success is placing value on your client’s ability to use your service to accomplish their own goals. It is emphasizing your investment in helping the client succeed. And if they become successful through your business, then you are successful.

It is anticipatory. It’s about crafting their experience from the first moment they click onto your website, not just when something goes wrong. What will the client want to know about your service right away? How can you guide your clients to information that they need not only to use your product but to accomplish their goals with your business?

A Customer Success Strategy that Increases your Revenue

It is far less expensive to retain clients than it is to go out and acquire new ones. Even a 2% increase in client retention is a profitable equivalent to cutting costs by 10%. By spending less time pursuing new leads and instead investing in your existing client base, you’ll maximize profit while accruing minimal new costs. Additionally, your ability to upsell will increase dramatically with clients who are loyal to your small business because of your investment in their experience.

Don’t underestimate the power of feedback, particularly in this case. Learn how and why your clients are using your product so that you can proactively market your services with this purpose in mind. Learn what isn’t working for your competitors, and fill in these gaps. You’ll be able to sell your product by communicating how your business will outperform your competitors’ ability to help your clients succeed.

Customer Success vs. Customer Service

It is vitally important to be able to craft outcomes. We go over this in a little more detail in a previous blog post on designing your website. To summarize, you need to put together the features of your service with the ultimate user experience in mind.

How is this different from customer service? Traditionally, customer support is reactionary; you solve problems as they occur. With a customer success strategy, you are developing a relationship with the client from the very beginning and anticipating any problems they might have.

Here are a few examples of the differences between a traditional approach to clients and a success driven method. 

Good Customer Support

True Customer Success

Answer the phone when a client has an issue.

Provide online tools that help the client troubleshoot their own issues, chat quickly with an agent, and then call for additional assistance.

Fix an issue when a client tells you there is something going wrong.

Provide regular reporting and communications with customers letting them know how things are going.  Give them continual data to prove success.

Offer additional services when the client contacts you with a need

Set markers and triggers that will flag you that customers could utilize additional services, parts, or products based on the data you are gathering.

Respond quickly to any inquiries on your website.

Provide a rich description of your business offerings with buy now, on-demand trials, or other ways to experience your products without requiring the customer to wait to hear back from you.

Turning Customer Support into Customer Success

There will always be some aspect of client support to your business. You should be focused on finding the right solution for the client, and make sure that the client finds value in the experience and maintain open communication. Users will always have questions, and you will have to provide answers and guidance.

With a customer success strategy, the guidance begins as soon as the service is provided. Instead of being reactionary to a user reaching out for advice, you’re the first one to extend the hand. Offer advice on how your client can utilize your business to succeed. You’ll need to learn how to define progress for each client and direct them to content that will help them achieve their goals.

Understand the key performance indicators that will help you guide future clients. Depending on your business, this may be incredibly straightforward or somewhat complex. However, it is necessary in order to uncover how your business can lead clients to their end-goals.

Our Summary

By investing in user experience with your small business, you will be able to retain clients and minimize costs associated with reaching new clients. This, in combination with the upsell potential with loyal clients, will help you to increase your revenue. Turn your support team into a success team by guiding your clients and helping them succeed, leading to your own increased revenue as a result!

Ready to become a marketing pro? Become a Her Brand & Co. member today and gain access to all of our courses, workshops, and monthly events. Join today!

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Best Business Startup Tools for Women Entrepreneurs

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Ready to take the leap and launch your startup, but intimidated by the process? We’ve compiled a list of some of the best business startup tools that every woman entrepreneur will want to use to poise themselves for success. 

Women entrepreneurs are gaining traction and making names for themselves- now more than ever. If you’re a female entrepreneur looking to launch your own startup, you may feel as though you meet barrier after barrier to success. To help you overcome this, we’ve put together a list of some of the best business startup tools. 

Must have tools for women entrepreneurs include

  • Tools to conduct daily activities
  • Accounting software
  • Time and task management resources
  • Social media management tools
  • Customer relationship management software

Each of these tool types will help poise her and her business for success as they help her organize, create efficiencies, and communicate with those she does business with.  

We have compiled a list of the best business startup tools that you need to get started with your small business. These crucial tools include: 

Regardless of the maturity of your business or the industry that you’re in, there are some tasks that you’re just going to need help with. Let’s take a look at some essential resources for every successful venture.

Basic Business Startup Tools

Whether you’re just getting started or just starting to get organized, these are some of the best business startup tools that you can use to organize your tasks, set goals, and build a solid foundation for a well-functioning startup. 

Workplace

A place to write documents, make spreadsheets, put together presentations, and more: you’re going to need a workspace. Finding the right platform to conduct yourself digitally is crucial.

The most popular online workplace platform is Google Workspace. This is the professional version of the Google products that you use on a regular basis, such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The paid version of Google Workspace provides you with a unique business email and other perks.  

Accounting

You’re doing business, and business means numbers. Regardless of your industry, you’ll need some sort of resource to keep track of invoicing, payment processing, budgets, etc. 

Don’t try to get by with just using Excel and keeping track on your own. Why add that level of stress and maintenance to your process? Accounting tools such as Wave Accounting and QuickBooks are here to help you keep track of every accounting task your startup will face. 

Time and Task Management

We have provided an in-depth look at a number of time and task management tools in our article Time Management Tools for Ultimate Productivity. But let’s take a look at a few great resources that every woman entrepreneur will want to use.

For the one-woman show, Todoist is a lifesaver. Create tasks, organize them by their due dates and priority, and set reminders for yourself. Todoist also works for teams, but more expansive platforms such as Trello are better for those working in groups. The best business startup tools are customizable to your needs, and these products are perfect for that! 

Marketing Tools for Your Startup

Let’s talk marketing.  A daunting concept at first, these startup tools can be worked into your Strategic Marketing plan to help ease the load and make marketing a breeze. 

Customer Relation Management

A customer relationship management system, whether simple or complex, will go a long way in helping you build a client base and build your startup. Depending on the tasks that you complete on the day-to-day and the type of service you provide, there are a number of CRM systems that could be a good fit for you.

HubSpot and Neon are both CRM software with free versions that allow you to manage customer accounts, send out newsletters, and more. Streak is also a simple software that allows you to track interactions with others, manage client information, and create mailing lists all in your email.  Streak is also free when used by just one person, and can be upgraded for team use.

Social Media Management

Don’t forget that, on top of managing your business, you need to manage your online presence. Stay consistent in your social media messaging with social media management platforms like HootSuite. If you’re making posts across multiple platforms or using multiple profiles, social media managers are an absolute must.  

Our Summary

You and your business are both unique. And as a woman entrepreneur, our challenges are often different than our male peers. Set yourself up for success with some essential startup resources that will help you conduct business, organize your tasks, consolidate accounting protocols, and manage marketing. 

Want more personalized advice and guidance for women entrepreneurs? Her Brand & Co. offers regular marketing and branding masterclasses, and fireside chats with successful female entrepreneurs. Sign up for a membership today to take advantage of all of the support that we have to offer! 

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Writing a Newsletter from Scratch for Your Small Business

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Ready to start email marketing for your small business? We’re here to show you exactly how to build an impactful newsletter that engages your readers and turns them into clients!

Writing a newsletter from scratch isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort. After all, 64% of small businesses use email marketing to reach their customers- and with 4 billion daily email users, there are so many reasons to get started today!

When writing a newsletter, you need to consider:

  • The content you’re sharing
  • Your audience
  • Your email layout
  • The best email distribution service

Your small business newsletter should be a valuable marketing tool that, at the same time, provides something of value to your subscribers. 

To help you accomplish this, we’ve compiled a list of best tips on how to write a newsletter that works for you.

While there are a lot of steps necessary to take your letter from start to finish, this roadmap will show you where you need to customize, where you need to stick to the basics, and how you can keep subscribers hooked from the first time you land in their inbox.

How to Write a Newsletter That Works for Your Small Business 

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when writing a newsletter for the first time. It’s a tried-and-true tactic used by millions to reach consumers. That being said, you and your business are unique, which means that your online letter should be, too. 

Constructing Content

Before you begin developing content, ask yourself why you are writing a newsletter. Are you updating your subscribers on news and events? Are you providing readers with a run-down on content you’ve produced over a certain period of time, i.e. blog posts or videos? Your content should be focused on accomplishing that goal.

It’s worth repeating that you need to know your target audience when you create marketing content. What kind of content is valuable to your reader? Do they want industry-insider information? Do they want a discount? This is crucial to identify before writing your newsletter for the first time.

Choosing a Layout

When you have the function of your letter pinned down, you need to then choose the layout.

It’s extremely important to consider the type of content you’ll be sharing when deciding on a layout. Will you be sharing large blocks of text? Try a newspaper column style. Sharing a ton of images? Blocking off different sections with clear headers would be better. 

Regardless of which style you go with, remember to keep things simple and easy to read. These letters are meant to quickly share information, and no reader wants to have to dissect your publication to get to the point.

Distribution

There are a number of email distribution services out there, and all have their own merits. Some offer nonprofit discounts, while others have great built-in form creators, and others are as customizable as you can imagine. More popular choices include Flodesk, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and HubSpot.

Building Your Small Business Newsletter

Newsletters are a great way to promote your small business while providing valuable content to your community. Email letters offer consistent client communication that we consider to be one of the 3 Key Elements in Every Successful Marketing Plan. With this in mind, take a look at a few tips on how to build your newsletter.

  • Signing up – At the bottom of this article, you’ll find a clear “Subscribe to Hear Brand & Co.” section. We make it easy to subscribe, and we also make it clear what the value of the content is.
  • Signing out – At the same time, you don’t want to hold anyone hostage. It’s common practice to have an opt-out link at the bottom of your email.
  • Offer incentives – How many times have you seen “subscriber exclusive” discounts? Discount codes, free webinars or pamphlets, exclusive content of any kind- offer some kind of incentive to gain new subscribers. 
  • Catchy subject lines – The average email open rate across all industries is less than 20%. If you want to grab interest, you’re going to need to do it from the subject line. This is also where it is important to know your audience, and what information is valuable to your reader.

Our Summary

Email marketing is key to any marketing plan. You’re writing a newsletter to interact with your customers, provide them with valuable content, and to grow your small business. To do that, you’re going to need to build an email letter that helps you relate to your subscribers, sharing the information they want (and likely need), and keeping them coming back for more.

Ready to take your marketing game to the next level? Her Brand & Co.’s Marketing Mastermind will help you go beyond the basics and catapult the growth of your small business. Apply today for the next cohort!

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How to Start a Podcast on YouTube with Confidence

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Podcasting isn’t just audio anymore. In fact, many listeners even prefer having the accompanying video content. If you want to get involved in the trend and wonder how to start a podcast on YouTube, keep reading.

Nowadays, YouTube is one of the most popular platforms for podcasters. This might come as a surprise, but video podcasting has risen tremendously in popularity, and this has probably left you wondering how to start a podcast on YouTube.

There are several items you need to have and tasks that need to be completed to begin podcasting on YouTube.  Some priorities to accomplish when getting started include:

  • Invest in the right equipment and software
  • Choose the best theme and schedule for your topic
  • Promote to your target audience
  • Collaborate with guests

Check out these tips on how to start a video podcast and build a solid foundation for a successful online show. 

There might be a lot that goes into launching your own show, but we’ve got you covered with this comprehensive checklist.

Your guide on how to start a video podcast

Equipment, recording, editing, publishing, marketing – it seems overwhelming to start a podcast of any type, it doesn’t have to be. Take it step by step, and you’ll be running your own show in no time.

Crafting your show

You probably already have an idea for your topic. Next, you’ll need to choose a theme and format for your show. Will it be interview-based? Will you teach or inform your audience? Or are you telling a story? Choose one and be generally consistent with each episode.  You don’t have to be rigid, but having a general theme and a format your users can count on will help your following increase.

Setup a schedule

The next step is to solidify a broadcasting schedule. Pick a day, a time, and stick to it. Listeners will want to know when your next episode is going to be released!

For your publishing strategy, consider the most popular times and days for listeners. Trends come and go and habits change, so keep on top of the most opportune times to publish that specifically fit your audience.

Choosing your equipment           

You’ll need some basic gear to start a podcast on YouTube:

  • Microphones – if you invest in any piece of equipment, it should be your microphone. Some may fall under $100, such as this Samsung Q2U mic on Amazon, while others like this TZ Stellar are pricier.  Read reviews and ensure you find a mic that is high quality and specifically designed for podcasting.
  • Headphones – a good pair of headphones are crucial for the recording process. Pick a pair that are comfortable and adjustable. There are endless options, so pick a budget and work from there.
  • Software – some of the most popular audio recording software include Audacity, GarageBand, and Adobe Audition. Remember to choose a software compatible with your computer.
  • Camera – Popular recording camera choices include this Logitech webcam, this Razer webcam, or this budget-friendly Konnek Stein

The right gear will help you sound great, keep your guests comfortable, and generally help you create a more professional quality. 

Promote, promote, promote!           

With online content, there’s no avoiding promotion. Think about your target audience and what social media sites they tend to use. As an alternative to overloading social media, reach out to your target viewers where they are.

You might consider paid promotion. YouTube advertising is cost-effective and helps you reach your target audience easily and quickly. For help determining if you can afford paid promotion, check out our article on How to Create a Marketing Budget for Your Small Business.

Tips for podcasting on YouTube         

YouTube is a powerful online content tool. It’s one of the largest social communities on the web, the second-largest search engine on the internet, and the best place to launch a video podcast.

Even though it is one of the top podcasting platforms out there, it shouldn’t be the only place where you publish your show. In our article How to Start a Podcast with No Audience, we share some of the different hosting sites, as well as other tips related to building your show from the ground up. Check it out!               

Collaboration

The right guest can make your show dynamic and engaging. The easiest option for beginners is leveraging your friends and current connections. You can also search for shows similar to yours and reach out to their hosts or past guests. In a post-COVID world, virtual interviews and collaborations are common, making it easier than ever to reach out to make new connections.

Our Summary

Video podcasts are rising in popularity and many want to join in on the trend. If you’re one of those wondering how to start a podcast on YouTube, be sure to cover all of your bases with the right equipment, schedule, and promotional strategy.

If you’re new to the online content creation game, you’re just in time for the December Masterclass! This class is free to everyone tuning in live and helps you solidify your vision, set realistic goals, and put together an effective marketing strategy. If you missed it, no worries! Her Brand & Co. members get access to the replay plus many others in our vault. Get your membership today!

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How to Start a Podcast with No Audience

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If you’re considering beginning a podcast, you’re not alone. Over 57% of U.S. consumers tuned in during 2021, and the medium is growing more popular every year. Launching your own might seem daunting, but you don’t need a huge online presence to get started!

Anyone can start their own show, even if they currently lack an online presence. We’ve put together a launch checklist to show you how to start a podcast with no audience. Once you take these small steps needed to get started, you can build your own homegrown audience. And it’s easier than you might think!

If you’re thinking about how to start a podcast with no audience, you need to lay out a solid podcast launch strategy. To make sure you have your bases covered, consider this basic podcast launch checklist:

  • Identify your topic
  • Identify your target listeners
  • Determine length of your show
  • Make an upload schedule
  • Choose a platform
  • Market to your ideal listeners

With this step-by-step guide, you can build a solid foundation for a successful online program. By taking a grassroots approach and targeting exactly who you’re trying to reach, you’ll be able to build and maintain an interactive, like minded community for your show – and keep them coming back for every episode!

Your Complete Podcast Launch Checklist

There are many other facets to building your own show, but these are the basic steps that you need to take to set up a strong foundation for a successful series.

  • Identify your topic – If you’ve made it this far, you likely already have a topic in mind. If not, think about what you’re trying to accomplish. Are you trying to inform? Entertain? Start a discussion and create a community?  Choosing a topic you are passionate about is always a great idea.
  • Identify your target audience – Though you don’t have a following yet, consider what this group looks like. Luckily, we’ve created this quick, 30-minute guide on identifying your target audience. And it’s free!
  • Figure out what they want to know – Take the time to research some FAQs on your topic and trending topics within that category. Also consider your own questions on the topic, do some research, and share what you’ve learned! Again, this all depends on the topic that you’ve chosen.
  • Determine your upload schedule – Will you be uploading every week? Every month? Decide before you publish your show so that your listeners will know when to come back for your next episode.  Consistency is king when working to keep a podcast audience.
  • Determine the length – Uniformity in length is also important for gaining regular listeners. If your first episode is 30 minutes, listeners will expect the next one to be, too.
  • Choose your platform – Think about storage and bandwidth limits on a platform, how easy it is for you to use, how easy it is for your listeners to use, and its cost. There is no one-size-fits-all, so review your options and think about which platform is the best fit for you!
  • Purchase quality gear – The right microphone(s), headsets, and USB interface can make a huge difference in the quality of your recording.  If it sounds amature, your chances of attracting an audience are reduced significantly.  

Incorporating Marketing Into Your Podcast Launch Strategy

We identified our listeners, and so now we need to reach them. For an introduction on this process, take a second to review our 3 Key Elements in Every Successful Marketing Plan. We review how to really get to know your target audience, and how to use that information to build a marketing strategy. If you’re looking into how to start a podcast with no audience, this step is the most important to take to make sure you’re able to effectively market your show.

An easy method is to submit your show to directories such as Spotify, Google, and Apple. Being a guest on other shows, or having guests on your own show that have followings of their own, is another great way to get your name out there.

Our Summary

You might not know where to start if you want to launch your own show, but it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. As with any major project, putting together an outline of points to address will make it infinitely more manageable. Taking basic steps to identify, define, and plan your program will help you hit the ground running, even if you’re trying to start a podcast with no audience.

For more help marketing your idea and reaching your target listener base, check out our Membership! As a Her Brand & Co. member you will have access to everything in our vault.  Including easy-to-use, people-based marketing strategies that’ll guide you through your customer outreach. Sign up today!

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We’re Her Brand & Co, an educational platform and membership community that teaches early-stage female founders how to brand and launch their businesses into the market. You can learn more about us here, and check out our upcoming events here.

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©her brand & co.  |  all rights reserved  |  terms & conditions  |  payment terms & conditions  |   contact  |  [email protected]

 

 

 

we are Proud members of The Female Founder Collective

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