Startup Marketing

TL;DR: I had an existential crisis and I don't know if I want to podcast anymore. I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I decide if it still fits in to my life. As I've always said, content creation is a full time job in big businesses. Right now, I create content that isn't as strategic or well-prepared. I don't mind creating, but I'm not willing to give the content the marketing time it needs to grow. Thank you all for listening. Get out there and Start Marketing. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

How to prepare a strategic marketing plan for your small business.Cooler temps are approaching and that means that the hustle and bustle of marketing through the holidays is upon us. But, before we get too caught up in having an amazing fourth quarter, we need to reflect on our efforts this year and prepare for strategic marketing in 2023. In order to avoid starting the new year doing the same ol' same ol' that may not even be working for us, or starting the new year doing spaghetti marketing (throwing things at the wall to see what sticks), learn how to create a strategic marketing plan that will grow your business. The steps to prepare for 2023 marketing: Evaluate your 2022 strategies Set your business goals for 2023 Set your budget for marketing in 2023 Select your strategies Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Use these three small business marketing strategies instead of social media.Social media isn't the only way to promote your small business, gain brand awareness and increase visibility for your products and services. There are other free alternatives to social media. Learn about: Reddit Public Relations User Generated Content and how to execute each marketing strategy to increase branding and awareness for your business. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to move your target audience from a cold lead to a sale. If you're struggling to convert leads into sales, today's episode is for you. We talk about how to reverse engineer a path to "yes". This is really just moving backward through the sales journey your customers go through to make sure you have content that addresses each phase and creates confidence to help move them to the next phase of the sale. Each phase of the sales process creates an opportunity for you to have marketing strategies that move your buyers closer to a final sale. We walk through an example of a wedding photographer and a few main phases and the types of content they can create to close the sales loop. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to create videos that engage your target audience for your small business. Do you ever wonder how someone's videos get people to stop scrolling and actually watch them let alone engage? There's a few easy things you can do to help stop the scroll and get your target audience to pay attention: Research your audience Answer one question Bullet list your points Create intrigue Use text Learn how to create videos that will engage your target audience and get more eyes on the content you work hard to create. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to create content pillars to keep your content on-brand.Creating content can feel overwhelming when you don't know what to talk about. Using content pillars helps: Create cohesive on-brand messages Keeps you relevant to your target audience Helps build your authority and trust Makes you more efficient in your creation process Helps move your target audience toward a sale It's a fast easy exercise to do that has a lot of benefit. Music: Tuesday, by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to make your content more visible with keyword research.You spend a lot of time creating content that doesn't get a lot of visibility or engagement. What can you do to change that? Conduct keyword research. Use Google searches Use Wikipedia Use Uber Suggest/Google Search Console Build your keywords and phrases into your content on your website, Google Business Profile, social media, hashtags and blogs. Publish consistently and over time, your content will gain visibility. Music: Tuesday, Sascha Ende, Music.io

Five free marketing strategies that are not Facebook or Instagram. I get asked pretty frequently what free alternatives are out there for marketing that aren't social media marketing. While social media marketing is tried and true, it's a big ask to do organically for small businesses or solopreneurs. Content may be king, but if you don't have the time to do everything the algorithm wants you to do, you're stuck spinning your wheels creating content that gets little to no visibility but takes a ton of time to create. So what can you do instead? Networking Google Business Profiles Referral and review programs Pinterest Create a hashtag strategy I've talked about some of these before: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ef4fd0e0-86dc-422a-b82c-5f3e20907dde (Pinterest) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/b80a9efd-baf4-42df-84c1-a71ca935f830 (Networking) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/557164f0-f983-4f54-b4b7-90e1a312f892 (Google Business Profiles) Music Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to tell if your marketing is successful.I get asked two questions frequently: What's the best free way to market my business? How do I know if my marketing is successful? Marketing should support, not distract from your business goals. There are three simple steps to measuring the effectiveness of your marketing: Create a sub-goal for each strategy that's tied to your business goal for the year. Track each strategy but understanding costs and utilizing pixels/unique identifiers Set a time period for your strategies.  If your marketing isn't generating positive ROI, it's not for you. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Why having a website for your small business is critical to reaching your target audience.It's tempting to use social media as a stand-in for your website. But it's dangerous to build an audience on rented land. Why? Because if the algorithm changes or the platform goes away, so does your hard-earned audience. Using a website is critical because: You own the brand aesthetic You own the data You own the audience You control the messaging You can ask for the sale Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to create lead magnets to grow your email list for your small business.I didn't understand the mechanics of how to deliver a lead magnet when I wanted to start my email list. So today, I break down how to get started and what kinds of lead magnets you can consider. Key takeaways: Develop your strategy Design your lead magnet Deliver your lead magnet Of course, my favorite email provider is https://flodesk.com/c/SP1YT2 (Flodesk). Use my link to sign up and receive a discount on this amazing platform. This is an affiliate link, but I only recommend products I really believe in. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to do email marketing well for your small business.Email marketing can generate high ROI for your business - $42 for every $1 spent! That's huge! But how do you do email marketing well? Get the opt-in - don't find yourself blacklisted or violating CAN-SPAM laws Use a good email marketing system like https://flodesk.com/c/SP1YT2 (Flodesk) Create a welcome email Follow the 80/20 rule Create a calendar to stay ahead of the game Email marketing will help you with visibility among your target audience. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Create partnerships that boost visibility for your small business.Today we talk about one of my favorite free marketing strategies: borrowing audiences and creating partnerships. This is a great, inexpensive way to boost your visibility to your target audience, but does take time to build. Here's what you want to do: first, you want to cultivate a relationship: help share their content, volunteer to fill in gaps that they advertise for, be active in their audiences Once you've cultivated a relationship, and this will take time, look for gaps that you can help fill for them Propose a partnership that allows you both to win - you don't want to be selfish and use it simply as an opportunity to advertise to their customers, but rather as a way to boost their credibility and get a nod from them Ways that you can do this: look for other local partners that aren't in direct competition with you, but are parellel to your products/service identify areas of overlap and gaps for each other that you can fill  brainstorm ways that you can cross promote each other and help lift each other up: emails, co-hosting events, sponsoring events, giveaways with each other's products Use https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Connection-Approach-Business-Personal-ebook/dp/B09YNZ2HMZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=360FPO3JPXRQC&keywords=the+wealth+of+connection&qid=1655986359&sprefix=the+wealth+of+connection%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1 (The Wealth of Connection) to give you a roadmap about how to build genuine relationships and partnerships. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn why your small business needs a marketing budget and how to create one.To grow a business, you need income or influence. You'll either pay to reach your target audience through advertising or you need influence; a network that allows you to reach them organically. What is a recommended marketing budget? For B2B: 2-5% of gross revenue For B2C: 5-10% of gross revenue How to build your budget: research your industry set clear goals know what you should spend on each marketing strategy Action step to take today: do the math and figure out how much you should be spending on marketing each year. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how consistent marketing increases ROI for your small business. Today we're talking about consistency and using a marketing plan to keep you consistent. Marketing requires 7-10 touches with your target audience before they take action. If you're not consistent or not frequent enough, you're starting that cycle over every time you reach your target audience. Key takeaways: block time to create consistency create a mini marketing plan to be effective during that time align your goals and your marketing to make them successful Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to increase the effectiveness of your small business marketing in one simple step.This week's quick win is identifying your target audience. Marketing is about getting the right people at the right time in the right place with the right message for your products or services. Knowing your target audience will help you do all of those things and make you more effective and efficient in marketing your small business. You can identify your target audience by: conducting interviews with potential target audience members looking at existing sales information competitor research market analysis/trends listing what your target audience ISN'T What you're looking for: trends and similarities between buyers Geographic: location, region, climate, etc Demographic: age, gender, occupation, education Pyschographics: lifestyle, opinions, values Behavior: occasions for use, benefits seeking Your target audience will give you clarity and focus. It will also help your marketing convert leads better. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to implement the story brand framework from a certified guide.If you believe in the power of story brand as much as I do, you'll be excited for this practical action-oriented episode about how to implement the story brand framework. Key Takeaways: Use the story brand frame work on your website, social media, emails, and all marketing materials Start with your homepage to implement Use your story brand script to brainstorm and plan your content Begin with the transformation your character will have with you Address the gut, brain and heart when crafting your messages for a powerful impact This framework works for all businesses Even if you think there isn't a deeper human need for your product or service, this framework will help you identify those needs Raj Lulla is a husband, dad and author. He's also a certified story brand guide at https://www.fruitful.design (Fruitful Design Co. ) https://www.rajlulla.com (Connect with Raj) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn about the story brand framework to craft messaging that converts your target audience.I am so hyped for this episode! The story brand framework can revolutionize your business. It's so powerful it can help you: Reposition yourself in the market Increase your ROI Clarify your target audience This framework is authentic and easy to follow. Key Takeaways: You must know your target audience well Storybrand attracts the right clients and repels the wrong ones Storybrand can make you more efficient at marketing your business Raj Lulla is a husband, dad and author. He's a storybrand certified guide at https://www.fruitful.design (Fruitful Design Co. ) https://www.rajlulla.com (Connect with Raj) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Content creation burnoutThis week, I'm burned out on content creation. I'm wondering where it fits in to my business and if it's even worth it. I'm so burned out, I didn't even realize my mic wasn't plugged in for my recording. And, I couldn't even bring myself to re-do the episode. The question I want to ask is: Is it fair for marketing experts and coaches to tell you to "just create content"? I don't think it is. It's well intentioned advice because content really is king. But content creation is a full time job. Is it sustainable for small business owners and solopreneurs? You tell me. Shoot me an email: katlynn@getauthenticbranding.com

Learn from a small business owner about how to successfully market your business for growth.How do you grow your business to six figures? Nicka Johnson, owner of https://budgettosuccess.net (Budget to Success )shares her marketing strategies and tactics. Spoiler alert, she could basically host this podcast! She's embodied all the strategic lessons we've talked about and used her tenacious spirit and drive to succeed to implement them and grow her business to six figures during the pandemic. Key Takeaways: Exhaust free advertising before you move to paid advertising Make sure your paid advertising fits within your budget Be consistent with your presence Be authentic in your content Align your marketing strategies to your business goals and measure them to make sure they're contributing positive ROI Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

For a podcast called "Start Marketing" you might wonder why I actually stopped marketing my business. Spoiler alert: I started a rebrand process and determined there was much more strategy work to be done behind the scenes in order to make it meaningful. This week I use my monthly marketing update to pull back the curtain and explain: Why a logo change should never just be a logo change How I reframed my positioning in the marketplace The framework I used to create more powerful messaging How I'm re-strategizing How I'm re-branding Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn about digital and targeted advertising that gets results for your small business. How should you execute digital ads? According to today's guest, you shouldn't. Yes, you should be doing them because they're a great, trackable way to generate leads for your business, but if you're not a digital ad expert, you should be hiring someone to run campaigns for you. Key Takeaways: Your budget needs to be large enough to generate enough leads that it will be meaningful to your business Identifying your goals before you begin running ads helps create successful campaigns Hire a professional to do your ads to maximize your spend and ROI Today's guest is David McBee. David started working with business owners back in the days of the original search engine: the yellow pages. When the Internet was born and he showed an aptitude for how it would impact his clients, he embraced the technology, becoming an Internet Trainer, traveling the country and teaching hundreds of sales reps and business owners about Internet Marketing. In 2008, David had the opportunity to be trained at Google's Mountain View Googleplex, becoming one of the first Google AdWords Certified Trainers. Having worked for a handful of Internet Marketing agencies and as an independent consultant, David was recruited to be the National Director of Training for a targeted advertising company. In this role, he works directly with business owners to help them understand the inner workings for targeted advertising, programmatic display and connected TV to increase brand value and grow revenue. Connect with David by Googling him. If he isn't the top search result, he isn't doing his job correctly. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn about targeted advertising for your small business. If you don't have money to invest in advertising, don't start a business. It's a bold claim made by today's guest, David McBee. But, it's not an incorrect statement. You have to have two things to grow a business: income or influence. It can take years to grow organic influence. Most small businesses believe they're going to generate leads and sales from digital marketing or targeted advertising. But in order to make money, you have to understand the strategy behind targeted advertising. Key Takeaways: Targeted advertising uses data to display digital ads to your target audience (what you probably think of as stalker ads) Your budget needs to be large enough to generate leads at scale so the profit is noticeable for your business Targeted advertising is advantageous for small businesses because it's trackable Today's guest: David McBee started working with business owners back in the days of the original search engine: the yellow pages. When the Internet was born and he showed an aptitude for how it would impact his clients, he embraced the technology, becoming an Internet Trainer, traveling the country and teaching hundreds of sales reps and business owners about Internet Marketing. In 2008, David had the opportunity to be trained at Google's Mountain View Googleplex, becoming one of the first Google AdWords Certified Trainers. Having worked for a handful of Internet Marketing agencies and as an independent consultant, David was recruited to be the National Director of Training for a targeted advertising company. In this role, he works directly with business owners to help them understand the inner workings for targeted advertising, programmatic display and connected TV to increase brand value and grow revenue. Connect with David by Googling him. If he isn't the top result, he isn't doing his job correctly. Music: Tuesday, by Sascha Ende, Music.io

This week's episode is a hot seat coaching session with Jenna Reich of https://jennareich.com (Jenna Reich Photography. ) I had so much fun and I am so invested in what Jenna's doing because it resonates with me as a mom. I tried to keep this to 30 minutes, but just couldn't! Learn how to position your business and create messages that convert your target audience. Jenna is a documentary photographer; instead of meeting your family in a meadow at golden hour, she comes to your home and spends the day with you. She captures what day to day life is like for kids and their parents--documenting all the little moments that families want to remember, like the way your toddler holds your hand when you walk to the kitchen or scoots onto your lap for story time. The way your teens laugh when they tell you a good joke. Equally as Instagram-able as the family photos we've all grown accustomed to, she helps you create a time capsule that you can look back on that brings you joy. Jenna's restarting her successful photography business after living overseas for several years. Her questions include: How to position her business to her target audience How to learn more about her target audience How to create messages that will teach people what she does and lead to booked sessions What to include in a nurture sequence Creative ways to get her name out in a new community We cover a lot of ground in this episode! Key takeaways for Jenna are: Interview past clients about why they worked with her Interview parents in her current network that can tell her why they'd consider documentary photography Create messages that are simple and precise to describe the experience she provides using the StoryBrand script of identifying and speaking to potential clients' external struggles (traditional photo sessions are stressful and nobody wants to remember the day), internal struggles (as moms we want to remember all the little moments we know make up our daily life with our kids and see ourselves on our motherhood journey) and philosophical struggles (families ought to be able to recall good memories when they see photos) Create a nurture sequence that introduces documentary family photography and overcomes objections clients may have Partner with local non-profits that support families to give a mini session away that the non-profit can promote on her behalf thus increasing awareness of her services I genuinely enjoyed unpacking all of this with Jenna! What she does speaks to my soul and I hope you enjoy today's episode! Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to build a credible website for your small businessIn this week's episode, my guest Derek and I discuss how to build your own credible website. As a small business owner, you may not have the money to pay someone to build a website for you. The good news, is that you can build a credible website on your own. Key Takeaways: Start by reverse engineering a path to "yes" for your customers to purchase Make sure you have clear call to action buttons Use free tools like https://www.semrush.com/ (SEM Rush) or https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/ (Uber Suggest) to help you identify keywords Understand the story you want to tell by using the https://storybrand.com (Story Brand) framework Keep your design simple Derek Jensen has a passion for building systems and processes for people that scale and create the capacity to do what they do best every day. His experience has included working with large brands down to small startups in industries ranging from Powersports, management consulting, finance, legal, hospitality, software as a service, and manufacturing. Understanding each situation, the individual and company needs, allows Derek to assess and provide solutions that best support product sales and improve efficiencies and performance. Derek's experience building and launching products have helped the companies he works with to add new revenue, develop a more extensive more engaged customer base, increase internal and external communication, and create increased capacity. His work has directly resulted in leaders reaching their next level goals. Derek and his wife, Grace enjoy spending time with their four children, Cora, Asher, Micah and Declan, and their dog. In their spare time, they support their children in their passion for becoming playground connoisseurs. As a family, they also enjoy traveling together. Purchase Derek's https://www.readylaunch.co (course) for expert guidance to build your own website. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to create customer confidence in your small business with a website. Having a website for your small business is critical - even if you design it yourself. Why? It creates confidence in your consumer that you are a legitimate business. How? By allowing you to tell your story, showcase your expertise and provide a direct call to action that you lack on social media. It's tempting for small businesses to rely on social media as their "website", but it's a risky move because you don't own the space. If your favorite social media platform suddenly closes shop (as they sometimes do), you don't want to be left high and dry without a website to help you reach customers. Key Takeaways from this episode: Websites create confidence in your customers Websites build authority for your business Websites help you convert more leads into sales This week's guest is Derek Jensen. Derek has a passion for building systems and processes for people that scale and create the capacity to do what they do best every day. His experience has included working with large brands down to small startups in industries ranging from Powersports, management consulting, finance, legal, hospitality, software as a service, and manufacturing. Understanding each situation, the individual and company needs, allows Derek to assess and provide solutions that best support product sales and improve efficiencies and performance. Derek's experience building and launching products have helped the companies he works with to add new revenue, develop a more extensive more engaged customer base, increase internal and external communication, and create increased capacity. His work has directly resulted in leaders reaching their next level goals. Derek and his wife, Grace enjoy spending time with their four children, Cora, Asher, Micah and Declan, and their dog. In their spare time, they support their children in their passion for becoming playground connoisseurs. As a family, they also enjoy traveling together. https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekajensen/ (Connect with Derek. )

Learn how to increase visibility and create awareness about your products and services.This week's episode is a hot seat coaching session with Clarissa from Setting D Ranch. Her and her husband Dan are third generation ranchers selling whole hogs and cows. They recently added individual cuts and shipping to their business. Clarissa's challenge is how to create awareness about the new part of their business and generate new customers. Key Marketing Strategies we discuss: Identifying a target audience Creating partnerships with other local vendors to cross promote each other Adding long form content such as recipes, shopping lists, or videos to Setting D Ranch's content schedule Creating seasonal content for Pinterest that links back to the website where they can cross-sell accompanying cuts and boxes. Using email to capture more repeat business Deep dive into strategies: Target Audience: while food seems like it's for everyone (because it is), identifying who's making the decision to purchase and following through on the purchase can help you identify people like them. Once you've identified who has the purchase power, you can create content for the channels where they can find you. We determined that women, and moms specifically, might be a good target audience. Another target audience might be meat eaters who are looking for healthier or more eco-friendly purchasing options. Setting D Ranch already has existing partnerships with a local farmer's market and many of the vendors. One way to capture more business is to cross-promote the other vendors she partners with by creating a guide about how to shop for all of your weekly meals at the farmer's market complete with a grocery list and recipes to make it easy. This content translates easily over to Pinterest where recipes are one of the top types of content. Because we could be targeting moms, creating recipes and content that explains how purchasing whole hogs and cows can make meal prep easier would be a great starting point. Creating recipes or videos showing how to prepare the meat could also be valuable content to attract new customers. Following up on Pinterest, my favorite platform for small businesses because it can drive traffic back to your website and doesn't require you to have a lot of followers to have good reach, creating seasonal content for summer BBQ's or winter months that refers people to the pre-cut shipped boxes on the website could bring in additional customers. Finally, using email to encourage repeat customers is a smart, cost effective use of that data you already have. It's easier to create repeat spenders than it is to create new customers. Just make sure that you have them properly opting in to your promotional emails so you don't accidentally get marked as spammed or put on Google's blacklist, rendering your emails useless. Interested in purchasing from Setting D. Ranch? https://www.settingdranch.com (Check them out. ) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

This week, I'm pulling back the curtain and telling you the marketing strategies that are working well for me and the ones that aren't working so great for me. Plus, I analyze why I think certain strategies are underperforming. Spoiler alert: I'm not being consistent. Consistency is the key to great marketing. Strategies that are going well: Pinterest marketing Networking Relationship building Strategies that aren't going well: email marketing guesting on podcasts Your marketing plan should play to your strengths and your capacity. While mine plays to my strengths, it doesn't fit in with my capacity. So how do you create consistency in your marketing strategy and see success? Give this episode a listen! https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61fb544760ada4164ea707b7 (Join my email list) https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Work-Love-Your-Career/dp/1951412494/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CDLOWHNKZJTP&keywords=Fran+Hauser&qid=1646796399&sprefix=fran+hauser%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-1 (Preorder Fran's Book) https://inspirotequila.com (Inspiro Tequila by Mara Smith) https://lisa1973.com (Lisa's 1973) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Are you a small business that wants to be a big business? Branding is the key to attracting your ideal clients and making your marketing more effective and efficient. But how do you build a resilient brand? Learn how to build a brand for your small business.Help your small business grow and scale by building a resilient brand.Key Takeaways: You do not have to outsource branding to an agency in the early days of your business Build a brand by identifying: Who you are What you stand for Your Target Audience and Your voice Use design as a silent ambassador of your brand There is so much strategy that goes in to building a brand and it's not just for big businesses. Help your business grow and scale by making sure every part of your brand, from your decisions to your culture is aligned and sending the right message. Today's guest is Kristen Graham Brown. Kristen is the owner and chief creative officer at Hoot Design Company. After working in advertising in Chicago, Kristen started Hoot as a custom paper and design shop. 11 years later, it's a boutique branding agency with 14 employees and a home in a newly renovated building Kristen and her husband purchased at the end of 2020. Hoot specializes in full scope branding which starts from the inside out, it includes culture and every touchpoint someone has with the brand. They specialize in the hospitality industry where customer service and brand experience are essential to success. https://hootdesigncompany.com (Connect with Kristen) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Do you want to be in charge of creating the narrative around your brand or would you rather leave it to chance? Every big business started as a small business. If you want to be resilient, you need to focus on your brand early. Learn why branding is important for small businessesCreate a resilient small business by building your brandKey Takeaways: You can tell your own brand story or you can let others tell it for you Having a brand helps your small business survive A brand is the heart and spirit of your business A brand will attract your target audience Branding is not just the designs you use in your advertising Having a brand will make your marketing more effective Having a brand will make creating your marketing more efficient Your brand will guide every decision you make in your business from purchasing to culture to marketing Today's guest is Kristen Graham Brown. Kristen is the owner and chief creative officer at Hoot Design Company. After working in advertising in Chicago, Kristen started Hoot as a custom paper and design shop. 11 years later, it's a boutique branding agency with 14 employees and a home in a newly renovated building Kristen and her husband purchased at the end of 2020. Hoot specializes in full scope branding which starts from the inside out, it includes culture and every touchpoint someone has with the brand. They specialize in the hospitality industry where customer service and brand experience are essential to success. https://hootdesigncompany.com (Connect with Kristen) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to be a guest on podcasts to promote your small business. Hey Start Marketing listeners and welcome to today's episode where we're going to do a deep dive into how to use podcast guest spots as a way to promote your brand and business with our returning guest, Elaine Appleton Grant.  Elaine Appleton Grant runs Podcast Allies, LLC, a training, consulting and podcast production company. She's passionate about teaching solopreneurs and mission-driven leaders how to produce and grow high-quality podcasts. A lifelong journalist, she reported, produced and hosted shows for three different NPR affiliate stations — WBUR (Boston), NHPR (New Hampshire) and CPR (Colorado). Today her work revolves around strategic storytelling: the most purposeful ways individuals and organizations can use well-crafted stories to reach their objectives. She has written and produced audio stories or podcasts for organizations ranging from NPR and Wondery to the University of Colorado, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Environmental Defense Fund. Learn how to: Pitch yourself as a guest Find podcasts to be a guest on Be a good guest and get the most out of your episode What to do if I get nervous What to do once your episode goes live Key Takeaways: Create a good https://getauthenticbranding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Podcast-One-Sheet-SMB.pdf (one sheet) Make it easy for the host to say yes to you by providing questions/topic ideas Listen to one or two episodes to ensure you're a good fit Have a unique perspective to give to their audience https://getauthenticbranding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Podcast-One-Sheet-SMB.pdf (Katlynn's one sheet) https://podcastallies.com (Connect with Elaine) Podcast Liftoff: From Creation to Promotion, Get Your Podcast Off the Ground https://podcastallies.com/podcast-liftoff-overview (https://podcastallies.com/podcast-liftoff-overview) Save $50 with discount code TRUSTYOURSELF Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn why podcasts are an effective marketing strategy for your small business. Hey! Start Marketers, don't forget, this season we're shaking things up and trying to really live up to our mission to make marketing more accessible and actionable for you. In the spirit of breaking things down, we're splitting our episodes into two segments. You'll get to hear from each guest two times. The first, just like today, to hear about the strategic power of their marketing strategy and the second, the following week to hear about the bite-size tactics to implementing the strategy. I'm really pumped for this format because it's going to keep my shows shorter, but also because it really does make marketing more accessible and actionable for you. Today's guest is a fantastic storyteller with a journalist's mind and a friend of mine from the Total Life Freedom Mastermind, Elaine Appleton Grant.  Elaine Appleton Grant runs Podcast Allies, LLC, a training and podcast production company. She's passionate about teaching solopreneurs and mission-driven leaders how to launchg and grow high-quality podcasts. A lifelong journalist, she worked for three different NPR affiliate stations, from the east coast to the mountain west. She has written and produced audio stories or podcasts for organizations ranging from NPR and Wondery to the University of Colorado, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Environmental Defense Fund. Today her work revolves around strategic storytelling: the most purposeful ways to use well-crafted stories to reach your objectives.  Obviously, I'm a podcaster, so I really believe in the power of podcasts to help tell your story and market your business, but I always think hearing about a powerful marketing strategy from not just myself, but another industry expert lends it more credibility. So, today Elaine and I are going to walk you through why guesting on a podcast is a great marketing strategy for your business. Note, I didn't say starting a podcast, because that's a whole different ball game (but also one Elaine can help you with!). Key Takeaways: Guesting on podcasts is a free marketing strategy Tools to help you streamline the guest booking process Why podcasting is an effective marketing strategy for small businesses https://podcastallies.com (Connect with Elaine) Podcast Liftoff: From Creation to Promotion, Get Your Podcast Off the Ground https://podcastallies.com/podcast-liftoff-overview (https://podcastallies.com/podcast-liftoff-overview) Save $50 with discount code TRUSTYOURSELF Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn where to find marketing resources for your small business.Grow Nebraska Marketing Monday's partnership announcement. I'm so excited to announce Marketing Mondays presented by Grow Nebraska in partnership with the Start Marketing podcast. Every Monday beginning February 7th from 12-12:15, I will host an Instagram live Q&A session with marketing tips for small business owners. https://www.instagram.com/buynebraska/ (Follow Grow Nebraska on Instagram). Anyone can join; you don't have to be local! Grow Nebraska members will receive additional benefits such as monthly newsletters and opportunities to be in the hot seat for my monthly coaching sessions. Non local listeners can get the newsletter updates by subscribing to my https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61fadfad6114df05454c4ece (email list) and get their chance at the hot seat by joining the https://getauthenticbranding.com/startmarketing/ (Start Marketing Community). Music: Tuesday, By Sascha Ende, Music.io

Marketing strategy sessionThis week it's my first hot seat episode! The hot seat is when I offer a small business the opportunity to be on the podcast, go through their biggest branding or marketing challenge and I coach them live on the air. This week, in the hot seat, is my friend Jeremy Allen of No B.S. Branding. I was surprised that Jeremy asked to be on the show; he's actually helping me work on my graphic identity. In this episode, we talk through his challenge of being the cobbler with no shoes when it comes to branding and how to create awareness for his new business. We cover: brand strategy Pinterest marketing Google Business Profiles workshops niches Join the https://getauthenticbranding.com/startmarketing/ (Start Marketing community) for your chance to be in the hot seat. Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to use networking as a powerful marketing strategy for your small business.Learn how to build a powerful network that helps grow and scale your business. On to today's show. I've been looking forward to this interview for a while because it's with a guest that I know well because I belong to his community, Vincent Pugliese. Vincent is, first and foremost, a husband and a father. He and his wife Elizabeth homeschool their three sons in Bredenton, Florida. Vincent is the host of the Total Life Freedom Podcast, a daily, short form show teaching you something new about every day about business and living a life of freedom. He recently launched The Wealth of Connection, a podcast studying the super connectors of the world through deep conversations. Vincent's new book, The Wealth of Connection will be published in the spring of 2022, and he is the leader and founder of the Total Life Freedom Mastermind, connecting and helping entrepreneurs live a life of time, money and location freedom.  You can check out what he has going on at http://totallifefreedom.com/ (totallifefreedom.com) and connect with Vincent on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/totallifefreedom1/ (totallifefreedom1). Key Takeaways: How to build a network to promote your business How to use your network to grow and scale your business How to approach networking authentically so it doesn't feel like a sales pitch How to talk about your business with your network so it feels relevant Take an actionable step every day to build your network: use one hour to connect and talk with your network Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn why it's important to build a powerful relationship network to help you grow and scale your small business. Learn how networking can be a powerful marketing strategy for your small business. On to today's show. I've been looking forward to this interview for a while because it's with a guest that I know well because I belong to his community, Vincent Pugliese. Vincent is, first and foremost, a husband and a father. He and his wife Elizabeth homeschool their three sons in Bredenton, Florida. Vincent is the host of the Total Life Freedom Podcast, a daily, short form show teaching you something new about every day about business and living a life of freedom. He recently launched The Wealth of Connection, a podcast studying the super connectors of the world through deep conversations. Vincent's new book, The Wealth of Connection will be published in the spring of 2022, and he is the leader and founder of the Total Life Freedom Mastermind, connecting and helping entrepreneurs live a life of time, money and location freedom.  You can check out what he has going on at http://totallifefreedom.com/ (totallifefreedom.com) and connect with Vincent on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/totallifefreedom1/ (totallifefreedom1). Key Takeaways: Why building a network is critical to your success as an entrepreneur Why networking is a powerful marketing strategy When to start building your network The best way to use your network to grow and scale your business Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Marketing Strategy for Growing a Podcast This week I'm talking about how I'm changing my marketing plan for 2022. Instead of trying to build the entire marketing engine, I'm focusing on one strategy each quarter so I can do a deep dive and learn how to be great at each one. My strategies are all tied to growing this podcast into the top 25% of marketing podcasts. They include: Being a guest on podcasts Utilizing Pinterest Growing my email list Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende at Music.io

This week, I recap the marketing strategies that worked well and the ones that didn't as I close out 2021. Hey Start Marketing listeners, welcome to the final episode of 2021. It's hard to believe that this year is already done and over with. Today, it's just me and as a way to wrap things up and set up next year's season, I wanted to do this solo episode. It's been almost two years since I started my business and this podcast. So i think this is probably long overdue, but I want to review what's been working well when it comes to my marketing strategy and what hasn't. This will become a regular segment for Start Marketing. So, let's dive in.  Let's start with something that's had some ups and downs when it comes to marketing: my website. Now, you all know that I'm strong proponent of having a website for your small business. It's where you can tell a more complete brand story and sell your products and services better than when you rely on social media for your business. Plus, you own it, which means it can suddenly up and disappear like a social channel can.  what went well about my website? I've been able to update my story as my brand and target audience has changed. I feel like it's a really great representation for me and it can house my podcast recaps which helps give me an SEO boost.  What hasn't worked well for me? it's not so much about what hasn't been working as what I wish I would've put off investing in. Here's some context: when i started my business, I had a target audience identified and doubled down on them. I paid someone to write awesome, SEO optimized content for me. And then a several months later, I changed my target audience. And I hired someone to write brand spanking new copy for me and do a bunch of on-site SEO work. And then, a few months later, I found myself back at my original target audience. I think. Maybe. The thing is, I didn't know what I didn't know. I thought I was being smart about getting ahead of the SEO game; starting early with content and a keyword optimized site. But, what I didn't know was that in your first few years of business, you can (and probably will) change your target audience as you learn what works for you and what doesn't. So it's not so much that this marketing strategy didn't work, it's just that I wish I had waited to invest in SEO text until I was super sure of the direction I was headed. I can easily roll back my website to an earlier version, that has my original text on it, but that would also mean that I spent almost $3k on something I'm not going to use. Ouch. Omg, it hurts to say. My advice when it comes to this marketing strategy is to DIY the text on your site until you're absolutely sure you know your target audience. Give it a couple of years of business to let things settle so you don't get marketing strategy whiplash. And spend unnecessary dollars.  Also in the bucket of things that didn't go well in the SEO game: signing up for YEXT. this was at the suggestion of someone I worked with early on, who has done great work for me in the past. Even she admitted that in hindsight it wasn't what she would recommend today. Yext, for those who don't know, is a service that will update your search engine listing for every known search engine out there (google included) at once. In theory, for SEO purposes, you're supposed to have the equivalent of Google My Business on every site that offers a directory listing. There's hundreds of them. But, it's expensive (about $600/year) and it's not really necessary. Focusing on Google My Business is a good first place to start. Save yourself the money. That's pretty much my advice when it comes to SEO. Focus on creating good content and learn how to publish it with solid SEO keywords and phrases, but save yourself the dollars and invest in SEO later down the road. You don't need to be rank #1 in google to get started.  Something that's gone well for me has been...

Learn how to create a brain friendly brand for your small business.I'm pumped for todays episode because it covers one of my favorite topics: branding. And you all know how much I enjoy a good brand conversation. Todays guest brings out the marketing nerd in me and makes me feel like I've just had a brush with branding celebrity.  This week's guest is Megan Kent. Megan Kent is one of America's premier brand strategists, with over three decades of experience coaching brands on how to find and maximize their inherent strengths. She's held leadership positions at some of the world's premier ad agencies and shaped brand strategy for some of the world's most important brands—Clinique, BMW, Coca Cola, the New York Times, Microsoft, and Brand USA. Having witnessed both success as well as failures in the advertising industry, she began to reassess industry practices and seek out more predictable solutions. With the aim of understanding more deeply the consumer decision-making process, Megan spent over a decade immersed in the science of the mind. By combining her real-world experience with the latest findings in cognitive science, she developed a new branding model called Brain Friendly Branding®. She has identified 7 easily deployable “Brain Friendly” behaviors that brands can use to more powerfully connect with deep-seated human instincts, and begin building neural pathways to YES for their brand. Today Megan is founder and CEO of Megan Kent Branding Group. Key Takeaways: people are naturally inclined to avoid what makes them feel weird big brands start as consistent small brands telling stories is critical to brand building https://megankentbrandinggroup.com (Connect with Megan) https://www.amazon.com/BUILD-IRRESISTIBLE-BRAND-Brain-Friendly-Branding®-ebook/dp/B099BMHDRF/ (Buy Megan's Book) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to build a sales funnel for your small business. Learn how to fix a sales funnel that isn't working for your small business. We've talked about building funnels in the past, which is essentially mapping out the journey you want your potential buyers to take and intentionally leading them through a small series of 'yes's" to get them to purchase. But, have you built a funnel only to find you've got kinda ho-hum results? You can see the leads start, but you never see them close? Well, if you're wondering where you're losing your potential customers along the way, but you're not sure how to fix it, then I'm excited for you to meet our guest today, Dan McGaw. Dan McGaw is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and the CEO of http://mcgaw.io/ (McGaw.io), an analytics and marketing technology consultancy and SaaS platform, http://utm.io/ (UTM.io). In addition, Dan also finds time to be a 500 Startups Mentor, and has previously started the first business accelerator in Orlando. He's also a thought leader in the MarTech world and CXL instructor on the topic. Having spoken at the leading Marketing conferences and online events, including Traction Conf and Forget The Funnel, his expertise lies in helping businesses extract and interpret the right data to grow their revenue exponentially. Dan previously served as the Head of Marketing at Kissmetrics and in the past he's worked as a CMO consultant for a number of high-growth companies, implementing tools, offering support, and analyzing data. In 2015, Dan was selected to be a United States Ambassador of Entrepreneurship by the United States Department of State, where he had the privilege to advise the government, universities, and private corporations on how to build entrepreneur ecosystems. He even flew out to Mexico to be an entrepreneur ambassador for Tijuana and Mexicali! Key Takeaways: What makes a successful sales funnel How to keep your sales funnel simple How to identify weak spots in your sales funnel How to create a sales funnel that resonates with your target audience Why you need to understand your target audience before you build your funnel https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmcgaw/ (Connect with Dan) Music: Tuesday by Sacha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to develop your target audience for your small business. How having a target audience streamlines your marketing. This week's guest is Jeff Solomon. Jeff has a varied startup background as a six-time founder with three exits, most notably: selling his Saas CRM company Velocify in 2017 for $128 million. He co-founded the accelerator http://Amplify.la (Amplify.la) in Los Angeles, he teaches high school entrepreneurship and is one of the top advisors on http://Clarity.fm (Clarity.fm). Key Takeaways: What is a target audience How do you get to know your target audience Why customer development is critical to business and marketing success Connect with Jeff https://bak.me (Website) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to use videos on social media to grow your small business. Learn how videos can help you reach your target audience. Professional videographer tips. This week's guest is Matt Peet. Matt Peet is a Videographer turned Marketer. He got his start shooting weddings 10 years ago where he learned how to shoot and edit video fast. He then took that to the entrepreneur space and has been the videographer at large 4000 person events and small 30 person masterminds in places like Puerto Rico. Some of his clients include John Lee Dumas, Disney, Podcast Movement, Woodhouse Day Spa, and more. He has shot at events with speakers like Dan Kennedy from Magnetic Marketing, Pat Flynn, Tony Robbins, and Mark Cuban. Key Takeaways: How video helps boost your reach How video helps you engage with your target audience How to make adding video to your content easier How to find creative video content ideas What you need to film good videos Connect with Matt: https://mattpeet.com (Website) https://www.facebook.com/matthew.peet (Facebook) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/matt-peet-marketing-podcast/id1553536313 (Podcast) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to create a brand for your small business.How to build a brand that resonates with your target audience. Our guests today are Emily Soccorsy + Justin Foster of Root and River Branding. They are a brand strategy team that guide leaders to master intrinsic branding. Intrinsic brands are known by their consistently evocative language, standard-setting experiences and legendary storytelling. They believe that every great brand is a spiritual experience and starts with a powerful message and have recently co-authored the book called Rooting up, Essays on Modern Branding. Key Takeaways: How to create an authentic brand How to build a brand that resonates with your target audience How to build an ethical brand Connect with Root + River https://rootandriver.com (Website) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to use Google My Business to help your small business grow. Using Google My Business to help your business rank in Google searches. This week's guest is Amanda Tento. Amanda owns TDM Marketing and is the determined mom. When she was three months pregnant she was determined not to go back to her 9-7 managing a credit union branch. She started The Determined Mom Digital Marketing Agency to help small business owners grow their business and reach more customers. I have 13 years of business management experience and I use it daily for my clients and my own business! The Determined Mom offers SEO, WordPress Design, Social Media Management, Ads Management, Blog Writing, SEO and Marketing Coaching and more! We serve Mom Business Owners to help them grow and prosper while spending more time with their kids! Key Takeaways: Why everyone should claim the Google listing How to update your Google My Business listing How to use Google my Business to help find new customers How to use Google my Business as an SEO tool How to maintain your listing Connect with Amanda: https://www.thedeterminedmom.com (Website) https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedeterminedmomshow (Facebook) https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandatento/ (LinkedIn) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to identify your target audience.Learn how to pick a niche.Why small businesses need to know their target audience. This week's guest is Christiane Mohr. Christiane has a masters in marketing and helps health & personal development coaches to build an ethically rooted & profitable business by defining their niche and their stand-out offer that they love to talk about (and fearlessly).  Key Takeaways: Why having a niche is important Why having a niche can help you make more money How to identify your target audience How to connect with your target audience Connect with Christiane: https://christianemohr.com (website) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to define your personal brandHow to create a personal and professional brandThis week's guest is Tracy Borreson. Tracy is a corporate marketing dropout, personal brand advocate and a believer that bringing your personal brand to work is best for you and your business. Key Takeaways: How your personal brand shapes your professional brand How to define your personal brand What authenticity looks like in your work Connect with Tracy https://www.tlbcoaching.com/your-guide (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandsthatspeak/ (LinkedIn) https://www.instagram.com/tracyborreson11/ (Instagram) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn about digital marketing for small businesses.Market to your target audience in a way that leads them to purchase. This week's guest is Naira Perez, owner of Springhill Digital. She's a digital marketing and paid media enthusiast who works with small businesses to help them grow their digital footprint. Key Takeaways: Marketing communication as a two way street What is digital marketing How to use digital marketing for small businesses Connect with Naira https://www.springhilldigital.com (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/nairaperez/ (LinkedIn) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to adapt your marketing strategy to your target audience.Learn how to build a network and create a community. Anjali is an innovative and enthusiastic Marketing professional with over 7 years of work experience broadly ranging from Corporate firms to Marketing agencies to Startups. Her expertise and skills lie in Digital Marketing, Strategy & Planning, Brand & Account Management, Social Media Marketing and Blogging. She has executed strategic marketing initiatives and solved brand issues creatively for several projects under her belt. Anjali is also passionate about empowering Immigrants living in the States. She writes helpful articles on life in the US at theanjalinair.com where she shares resources for Immigrant women to establish a career and navigate their new life in the States. Key Takeaways: Learn how to find your target audience Learn how to a adapt your marketing strategy to your target audience Learn how to use your network to create a community https://www.instagram.com/adesigirlinus/ (Connect with Anjali) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to connect with your target audience and create an authentic Instagram vibe.Our guest is Caroline Addington. Caroline is a scientist who discovered she had a real gift for organic marketing, building community and creating a compelling vibe on Instagram. When her friends who were coaches started asking her how she was doing it, her business was born. She's deeply in love with helping heart-centered online coaches finally figure out how to attract their ideal clients on Instagram.  Key Takeaways: How to create an authentic Instagram and social media vibe How to be authentic and vulnerable on social media How to build relationships without spending all day in someone's DMs Alternatives to cold DM's to make sales How to approach social media with intentionality Connect with Caroline https://www.carolineaddington.com (Website) https://www.instagram.com/caroline.addington_/ (Instagram) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

learn how to write messaging for your small business that gets your customers and ideal clients to take action. This week I chat with Carrie Carr. Carrie helps her clients write engaging emails that drive action. Whether you're launching a course, launching a new product or warming up a cold audience, Carrie can help. Key takeaways from today's discussion: Messaging should drive action How to get people to open your emails Crafting intriguing subject lines What you should say to drive sales Connect with Carrie http://www.groundworkcopywriting.com (Website) https://www.facebook.com/groundworkcopywriting/ (Facebook) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Learn how to automate marketing for small businesses. This week's guest is Linda Barutha. A former IT professional who uses her organization skills to help small business owners automate their business and marketing. Key Takeaways: why automating your business will help you grow faster the difference between a hobby and a business how to work in your business, not just on your business how to repurpose content Connect with Linda: https://www.lindabarutha.com (Website) Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io