Your cart is currently empty!
Tag: tips and tricks
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: The Smartest Thing You Can Do
Why Repeating Yourself is the Smartest Thing You Can Do for Your Brand
Ever feel like you are saying the same thing over and over again?
Good. You should be.
One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is assuming that their audience remembers everything they say. But here is the truth people are busy, distracted, and overwhelmed with content every single day. If you want your message to stick, you need to repeat it. Not just once or twice, but consistently and intentionally.
Repetition Builds Recognition and Authority
Think about the brands you know and love. You do not need to see the Nike swoosh to know “Just Do It.” No need to think twice to recognize Apple’s sleek, minimalist messaging. You can probably even hear McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle in your head right now.
That is not by accident. That is by design.
These brands hammer home the same message consistently until it becomes second nature to their audience. Their slogans, values, and unique selling points are woven into every ad, every campaign, and every piece of content they put out.
Your business should do the same.
The Rule of 7: Why Repetition Actually Works
Ever heard of the Rule of 7?
It’s the marketing principle that says someone needs to hear your message at least seven times before it truly registers and takes action. This isn’t just some random number marketers invented; it’s based on consumer psychology.
Think about your own buying behavior. How many times do you scroll past a product or service before finally clicking, subscribing, or buying? Most likely, it takes multiple encounters—through ads, emails, social posts, or even word-of-mouth recommendations—before you even consider taking action.
That’s why strategic repetition isn’t just helpful; it’s essential. Each time your audience encounters your brand, it nudges them closer to making a decision. So don’t fear repetition. Embrace it as the powerful tool it truly is.
The Fear of Being Redundant
I know what you are thinking.
What if I annoy people? What if they get bored?
The truth is, they will not.
Most people are not reading every email you send, catching every social media post, or watching every video. Even if they do, repetition reinforces your authority. Instead of seeming repetitive, you come across as consistent. And consistency is what makes you memorable.
How to Make Repetition Work for You
There is a difference between mindless repetition and strategic repetition. You do not want to copy and paste the same thing everywhere. Instead, you want to reinforce your core message in ways that feel fresh and engaging.
Here is how to do it effectively:
Stick to a Few Key Messages
Your audience should be able to recognize what you stand for instantly. Define the three to five core messages that you want to be known for and build everything around them. Whether you are posting on social media, writing an email, or creating a video, your content should always tie back to these key themes.
Find Different Ways to Say the Same Thing
You do not have to use the exact same words every time. Tell stories, share client experiences, use bold statements, or break things down into bite-sized tips. Some people connect with facts, others with emotions, and some need to see real-world examples before something clicks. Repeating your message in different formats helps it reach a wider audience.
Weave it into Everything You Do
Repetition should not be limited to one platform. It should be a core part of your website, your emails, your social media captions, your presentations, and even your conversations with potential clients. The more places people hear your message, the more they associate it with you.
Own Your Signature Phrases
A great way to make repetition feel natural is to develop signature phrases or concepts that people associate with you. Maybe it is a specific way you describe your process, a catchphrase you always say, or a unique name for your framework. An example from what I do is, “Posted is Better Than Perfect.” These become shorthand for what you do and make you instantly recognizable.
Trust That Your Audience Needs to Hear It Again
You might feel like you have said something a hundred times. Your audience has probably only heard it a handful of times. If it is important to your brand, keep saying it. Keep reinforcing it. Keep showing up with the same energy and conviction every single time.
Repetition is What Makes You Unforgettable
The brands that stand out are not the ones trying to reinvent themselves every five minutes. They are the ones who plant a flag, claim their space, and repeat their message until the right people cannot ignore them.
Next time you hesitate to repeat yourself, remember this, the people who need to hear your message are not tired of it yet. They are just starting to notice.
Keep saying it. Keep showing up. Own your voice.
Soon, they will not just remember you, they will choose you.
Let’s Talk About Entrepreneurship, Mindset, and Success
What happens when three smart, relatable entrepreneurs—Monica Monfre, Erica Reitan, and Marc Ronick—sit down with hosts Jonathan Howard and Mimi Langley for a roundtable chat? You get a lively, no-BS conversation packed with advice and stories that hit home. Here are some amazing takeaways from this season 2 episode of Coffee Social
1. Those “I Made It” Moments
You know that feeling when everything clicks, and you’re like, “Yep, this is it”? The panel had their share:
Marc Ronick’s Highlight Reel: For Marc, it was hosting his first Empowered Podcasting Conference. Marc went from working solo to standing in a room full of people you’ve brought together. That’s what community-building magic looks like.
Monica Monfre’s Take: Recognition has always been Monica’s vibe. Whether it’s a big shoutout from an industry leader or a random stranger recognizing her from Instagram, it’s all about those meaningful moments.
Erica Reitman’s Breakthrough: HGTV sliding into Erica’s inbox after finding her interior design blog was a game-changer. Her big takeaway? Dream bigger because why not?
2. Mindset: The Secret Sauce
Here’s the thing about mindset: it can make or break you. The crew broke it down:
- Marc Ronick: Marc swears by his morning routine—exercise, meditation, and growth time. Oh, and he keeps a stash of positive feedback for those days when imposter syndrome shows up uninvited.
- Erica Reitman: Erica’s go-to line, “Your brain is a dick,” is painfully accurate. She’s all about learning how to deal with those mental spirals and coming out stronger.
- Monica Monfre: Monica’s secret weapon? Human design. Knowing she’s a “projector” helped her lean into her natural strengths and find joy in her work.
- Jonathan Howard: Jonathan keeps it real—avoid burnout by setting realistic goals and making to-do lists you can finish. Celebrate every little thing you check off.
- Mimi Langley: Find your “business bestie” or coach. Because sometimes, you need someone to hype you up when you’re feeling meh.
3. The Pivot Playbook
Let’s be honest—pivoting can be scary, but it’s necessary. Here’s how they handled it:
- Monica Monfre: Monica ditched the “guru” advice to stick to one offer. Her mantra? “If it’s not lighting you up, it’s time to pivot—even if it’s just a half-pivot.”
- Erica Reitman: Erica embraced her need for change, realizing that pivoting isn’t failing—it’s growth in action.
- Marc Ronick: Adapting to client needs and keeping an open mind has been Marc’s winning strategy. Sometimes it’s not about reinventing the wheel—just tweaking it.
4. Redefining Success
Success doesn’t look the same for everyone. Here’s what the group had to say:
- Monica Monfre: Success isn’t just about making money. For Monica, going back to a full-time job that fuels her passion was a win.
- Erica Reitan: Learning to let people (and herself) just be has brought Erica peace. Success is as much about personal growth as it is about professional wins.
- Marc Ronick: Marc’s definition of success? Helping podcasters find their voice. It’s all about those one-on-one wins.
- Jonathan Howard: Entrepreneurship isn’t a race to an endpoint. It’s about celebrating your journey, however messy or slow it might feel.
Takeaways You Can Use
- Celebrate Your Wins: Big or small, a win is a win. Don’t let it go unnoticed.
- Fix Your Mindset: Start a morning routine, journal, or try Erica’s “add to cart” technique for reframing envy as inspiration.
- Embrace Change: A pivot isn’t the end of the world. It’s just the next chapter.
- Own Your Success: Forget cookie-cutter goals. What feels successful to you? That’s what matters.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up, learning as you go, and having a little fun along the way. Whether you’re just starting out or thinking about your next pivot, these takeaways are here to help you crush it—on your own terms.
Special thanks to all of our guests for this episode. To catch the full episode of the Coffee Coffee Social Podcast just click here!
7 Smart Content Creation Strategies
Fuel Your Feed: Creative Content Ideas Made Simple
Ever find yourself staring at your phone, desperate to post something brilliant but coming up blank? You’re not alone—but crafting a content creation strategy doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth. Jonathan Howard and Mimi Langley recently tackled this all-too-relatable struggle on a recent season 2 episode of Coffee Social, and let’s just say it was brimming with hot takes that will wake your tired content creation strategy right up!
Grab your notebook (you’ll need it) and let’s break it down.
1. Everything Can Be Content (With a Catch)
Mimi kicked off the conversation with a truth bomb: “Everything can be content.” Jonathan agreed—with a caveat. Your content needs to align with your brand—a key part of any strong social media strategy. Whether it’s your cat knocking over your latte or a heartfelt realization about your business journey, tie it back to your message. Always ask yourself: what’s the goal of this post?
Pro Tip: Share the quirky and relatable moments, but make them meaningful. Your audience will love the human touch, as long as it’s on-brand.
2. Start With What You’ve Got
Long-form content is like hitting the jackpot for content creators. Jonathan said it best: it’s a goldmine for enhancing your social media content creation strategy! Think about all the amazing ideas packed into blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, or even social audio rooms, all of which can supercharge your social media content strategy. Each one is a treasure chest waiting to be opened.
Take a single blog post, for example. With a dash of creativity, that one piece can fuel an entire week’s worth of content. Picture this: three Instagram carousels breaking down key points, a few snappy reels highlighting the juiciest bits, and a series of stories that keep your audience entertained throughout the day. The trick is to dig out those golden nuggets and turn them into bite-sized gems that shine on social media.
Pro Tip: Treat your long-form content like a holiday feast. Carve it up into delicious servings and enjoy the leftovers—your audience will keep coming back for more!”
3. Your Notebook: The Ultimate Treasure Trove
Jonathan swears by his notebook collection—a powerhouse tool for shaping an effective content creation strategy. With over 40 of them filled to the brim, he’s basically a walking treasure chest of ideas. Whether it’s questions people have asked, thoughts sparked by a good book, or random flashes of creativity, Jonathan captures it all. And he’s right: the questions people ask can be pure gold for content creation. Think about it—one simple inquiry could inspire an entire series of posts, videos, or stories. Every scribbled note is a potential spark for your next big idea. So, grab your own notebook (or five) and start jotting—your future content will thank you!
Mimi’s take? Write it all down. Whether it’s a client question, an interesting conversation, or even an idea sparked while driving past a gas station (yes, that happened), jot it down. Your next post might already be sitting in your notes app.
4. Borrow (and Build on) Inspiration
Great ideas are everywhere. Blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and even trending news can spark something brilliant. Jonathan is a big fan of “news hacking,” a creative technique to amplify your social media content strategy by leveraging trending topics—think Taylor Swift, Super Bowl ads, or that viral meme everyone’s sharing.
Pro Tip: Use tools like Answer the Public or Google Trends to find popular questions in your niche and create content that boosts your content creation strategy by being relevant and timely.
5. Daily Life is Content Gold
Your day-to-day life isn’t boring—it’s relatable. Mimi suggested using your emotions and experiences to craft vulnerable posts that resonate. Feeling stuck? Talk about it. Overcoming a challenge? Share the lesson. It’s not about perfection; it’s about connection. People do business with people, like real a$$ people!
Pro Tip: Remember, “it’s not win or lose; it’s win or learn.” Share your growth moments with your audience—they’ll thank you for it.
6. Ask Your Audience
Who better to tell you what they want than your audience? Think of them as your personal focus group, just waiting to spill the tea. Use Instagram polls to get a pulse on their interests, drop a Q&A box in your stories for real-time feedback, or take it a step further with 15-minute Zoom chats. These one-on-one conversations can uncover struggles and spark content ideas that genuinely hit home. Bonus? They’ll feel seen and heard, which means you’re building trust and loyalty while brainstorming your next post. It’s a win-win!
Pro Tip: Make audience interaction a regular part of your strategy. A monthly coffee chat (virtual or IRL) could be a game-changer.
7. Repurpose Like a Pro
This might be the most freeing advice of all: it’s okay to reuse content. In fact, Jonathan emphasized that repeating your message isn’t lazy; it’s strategic. Consistency builds recognition by reinforcing your core message in your audience’s mind. Think of it like a catchy song on the radio—the more people hear it, the more they associate it with you. Repetition helps establish familiarity and trust, making you the go-to expert in your niche. Plus, new followers might not have seen your earlier posts, so repeating key ideas ensures no one misses out.
Pro Tip: Think of your content pillars as your brand’s greatest hits. Keep playing them—your audience won’t get tired of a message that resonates.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling stuck, remember this gem from Jonathan: “Your content should always feel like you”—a non-negotiable for a winning content creation strategy. If it feels generic, you’ve missed the mark. Make your content personal, engaging, and aligned with your brand.
Setting Your 2025 Goals for Social Media
Setting Goals for Social Media
Ready to make 2025 the year you finally crack the social media code?
Setting social media goals isn’t just about tossing random numbers in the air and hoping some of them stick. It’s about creating a roadmap that ties directly back to your overarching business goals, clarifying what “success” really means, and putting solid measurement systems in place so you can track your growth over time (and not drive yourself bananas in the process).
Aligning with Your Business Goals
Before you even think about follower counts or engagement rates, start by looking at the big picture. Where’s your business headed in 2025? Expanding into new markets? Launching a suite of digital products? Trying to move from 1:1 client work to a more scalable model? Whatever your business goals are, ensure your social media strategy lines up.
For instance, if you’re introducing a new course, your social media goal might be to drive a certain number of qualified leads into your funnel each quarter.
Nail Down the Right Metrics
Measuring success on social media is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. It’s way more nuanced than just “I want 10K followers by June. Let’s break it down further because “just get more followers” is so 2018.
If you truly want to know whether your social media is pulling its weight, you’ve got to look under the hood and focus on the right metrics—the kind that tie back to your actual business objectives.
Engagement Rate:
Let’s start with engagement because, honestly, it’s the metric that reveals whether your audience is a living, breathing community or just a number on a screen. Engagement rate factors in likes, comments, shares, saves—essentially any action a user takes that shows they care about your post.
A strong engagement rate suggests your content resonates, sparks conversation, and influences decisions. If you’re consistently hitting a higher-than-average engagement rate, you’re not just pumping out content; you’re building a relationship with your followers. If your engagement is good you have officially moved past the scrolling the dating and hookup sites phase.
Click-Through Rate (CTR):
Next up is CTR, a fancy term for “How many people actually clicked that link you told them to?” Whether it’s the link in your bio, a “Shop Now” button, or a swipe-up in your stories, CTR helps you see if you’re successfully nudging folks down the funnel.
A solid CTR means your content is compelling enough to get viewers off the platform and onto your site, landing page, or whatever magical corner of the internet you’re guiding them toward. In short, CTR shows that your social presence isn’t just about pretty posts; it’s a gateway to something bigger—like actual conversions and sales.
Conversion Rate:
If CTR is about movement, Conversion Rate is about results. Did that click lead to a sign-up for your newsletter, a consultation booking, or even a sale? This metric is the ultimate proof that social media isn’t just for “brand awareness” fluff; it’s a full-blown business development channel.
Tracking conversions helps you see what’s working and what’s not. Maybe your Reels are bringing in a wave of new email subscribers, or your LinkedIn posts are driving more course bookings. By zeroing in on conversion rate, you can tie your social media activities directly to your revenue and growth goals. This is where you connect the dots between social media “vanity metrics” and actual business impact.
Brand Sentiment:
Last but definitely not least, there’s the often-overlooked but oh-so-important brand sentiment. Numbers are great, but how do people actually feel about you and your brand? Are they excited, inspired, and sharing your posts with glowing praise—or are they dropping sarcastic comments and unsubtle eye rolls?
It’s not a metric with a neat decimal point, but you can gauge sentiment by monitoring comments, DMs, and even external mentions (like when someone raves or rants about you on Twitter). Tools like social listening software can help quantify this, but even a good old-fashioned human scan of your community’s feedback can work wonders. Healthy brand sentiment means you’re building trust, loyalty, and a positive reputation. That’s pure gold in the long run.
Putting It All Together:
In other words, don’t just rely on follower counts to tell you if you’re “killing it” on social. True success might look like a small-but-mighty audience that consistently engages, clicks through, converts, and genuinely digs what you’re doing. By focusing on engagement, CTR, conversion rate, and brand sentiment, you are focusing on the things that can create real growth.
Getting SMART
Vague goals will lead you straight to content purgatory—staring at your phone, wondering where you went wrong. Enter the tried-and-true SMART framework, which is basically your personal trainer for social media success. It forces you to ditch the fluffy “I want to do better on social” and replace it with something you can actually measure and achieve.
Specific: So instead of saying, “I want more followers,” get crystal clear—“I will add 1,000 new, engaged Instagram followers by the end of Q2.” No wiggle room, no guesswork, just straight-up clarity.
Measurable: Make sure you can track whether you’re crushing it or crashing. You can count followers, tally up those DMs, or check how many email sign-ups came from your social link. Hard numbers = no second-guessing.
Attainable: Push yourself, but don’t set the bar at “Add 100,000 followers next week” and then freak out when it doesn’t happen. Your goal should be ambitious but still doable—something that will stretch you, not snap you in two.
Relevant: Align your social goals with what matters to your biz. If your business goal is to launch a new digital course, maybe your social goal should be boosting your email list sign-ups, not just raking in random likes from people who’ll never buy from you.
Time-Bound: Give your goal a deadline. “By end of Q2” or “before the product launch in April” sets a finish line to work toward. Without a time frame, you’ll be in that perpetual “someday” zone, and trust me, that’s not where you want to be.
So, bottom line: SMART goals keep you focused and action-oriented. They take your big-picture dreams and break them down into stepping stones you can actually follow. Just choose the right ones, track your progress, and watch your 2025 social media game go from meh to mind-blowing.
Plan Your Content Approach
Once the goals are set, it’s time to figure out what you’ll actually post. Will you lean into Reels for behind-the-scenes looks at your new program development? Maybe you’ll roll out a series of educational carousels to warm up leads for your January course launch.Align your content themes with the goals you’ve set so you’re not just throwing spaghetti at the wall.
Signature Style Over Trends
Yes, 2025 will have its fair share of shiny new content formats, viral dances, and algorithm changes (cue collective groans). Don’t just chase trends for the sake of it. Remember, your Signature Style is essential so put more weight on wht makes you special instead of the trends. If you notice something that aligns with your signature style and will support your goals—great. If not, feel free to skip the daily lip-sync extravaganza and focus on what matters most.Get Ready for 2025—Starting Now
Think of this as your secret weapon for the new year. This guide includes:
- 2024 Content Audit Checklist: Figure out what’s actually working so you can double down on it in 2025. (Goodbye random guesswork, hello clarity.)
- 2025 SMART Goal Setting Worksheet: Set goals that keep you laser-focused on what you really want to achieve in 2025
- 2025 Trend Cheat Sheet: Stay in-the-know with the upcoming social media trends, so you can hit the ground running instead of playing catch-up.
No more feeling invisible. No more wasting hours fiddling with posts that go nowhere. Let’s boost your visibility, your vibe, and your results. Be ready to smash 2025 by when the ball drops.
Review, Adjust, Repeat
Social media is ever-evolving, which means you’ll need to be just as flexible. Check in on your metrics monthly or quarterly. If your engagement isn’t moving the needle, tweak your content. If your CTR is stalling, try different calls to action. Goals aren’t set in stone; they’re living targets you can adjust as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t.
The Bottom Line
Setting your social media goals for 2025 is about being intentional, strategic, and just a touch ruthless with what you focus on. Align with your business vision, measure the right metrics, get SMART about it, and be ready to pivot as needed. Do that, and by the end of next year, you won’t just feel like you’re “doing social media”—you’ll feel like you’ve finally mastered it.
This is your year, lets go!
Brand Alignment: New Year, (Re)New Brand
Brand Alignment: Conducting Brand Reviews to Ensure Brand Health
It is a commonplace for a brand to overlook the importance of alignment. Companies view a brand as something that is completed once and requires little or no maintenance. This tendency to overlook brand alignment is why we developed the New Year (Re)New Brand webinar. The webinar serves as a reminder of the importance of conducting a yearly review of your brand.
Completing a yearly brand review ensures that any adjustments and realignment necessary for your brand occurs. The practice of completing a regular brand review also creates awareness of shifts in the marketplace, your business, or your employees. It also allows your businesses to adjust to small changes before any significant issues arise. When a brand is no longer appropriately aligned, the impact can be dramatic.
The Impact of A Poorly Aligned Brand
What happens when your brand is no longer aligned with your story and values? One of the significant impacts of a brand being out of alignment is the loss of trust from your customers. This loss of confidence is most visible when customers no longer believe the claims that a brand is making. Additionally, customers don’t think the company is making good on its claims. Another significant impact of poor brand alignment is the perception that the brand is out of touch with the current marketplace or possibly even reality. These are generally symptoms of brands that are dramatically misaligned. The practice of conducting a yearly brand review will prevent poor brand alignment from ever occurring.
Yearly Brand Alignment Review
Conducting an annual brand review is an essential part of maintaining a healthy brand. This will ensure that youer brand remains appropriately aligned with your unique brand story and values. At JRH Graphics, we recommend utilizing the 9 Components of Brand Workbook as the starting point for your annual Brand Review. During this review, you should look at the changes you have made in the past year. Additionally, account for shifts in the market and eliminate any invalid differentiators.
A thorough brand review helps you feel confident that you are entering the new year on the right foot. Go into 2020 as a brand and business that is fully aligned and ready to make a difference.
Business Transparency: Real Conversations Series
Are You Ready to Dive Into Transparency Head First
Jonathan Howard of JRH Graphics and Melanie Richards of Increase Your Visibility Discuss Business Transparency
- Jonathan Howard
- JRH Graphics
- www.jrhgraphics.com
- jhoward@jrhgraphics.com
- facebook.com/jrhgraphics
- instagram.com/jonathanrhoward
- Melanie Richards
- Increase Your Visibility
- https://increaseyourvisibility.biz
- melanie@increaseyourvisibility.biz
- faceboook.com/IncreaseYourVisibilitywithMel/
- Illuminations Groups: bit.ly:/IamVisible
Business Transparency
In its purest sense, business transparency means apparent, unencumbered honesty. A transparent company is a company that is honest in its business practices. However, there is more to it than that. Open companies do not hold anything back from their employees, customers, and investors. No hidden agendas and the narrative is unified. Transparency requires all information required for collaboration, cooperation, and collective decision making is available. Transparency is essential to the success of any business in the correct marketplace and a major building block needed for trust to be established. Simple right? You all know what that definition means and how you can apply it to your business. That’s okay we aren’t sure about some of it either. It’s not surprising that many believe that transparency is nothing but an overused buzzword.
A Real Conversation
Business transparency is precisely the type of topic we love to cover on the “Real Conversations Series.” It’s a hot button subject and many people have strong opinions on topics like this. Hot button topics provide for exciting conversations. Jonathan of JRH Graphics and Melanie Richards of Increase Your Visibility sit down to have a real discussion about transparency. Nothing to sell, no agreed-upon discussion points, no script, and no roadmap. Just a real conversation that touches on a wide variety of subjects ranging from the role of vulnerability in transparency to the role respect plays in business. For new entrepreneurs we explore the importance of just showing up as well as allowing your true self to guide your way. And for established entreprenuers we look at what it means to be an expert adn the key steps needed to establish your expertise on social media.
This lively conversation was important and very fun to have with Melanie. We hope that it helps entrepreneurs understand a bit more about difficult topics such as transparency and how they may impact your business.
What Are Your Takeaways?
Jonathan and Mel provide you with their takeaways at the end of this video, but we want to know what you have as takeaway. What did you learn? What stuck with you? Has this video changed the way that you look at transparency as a whole. We would love to hear your comments in the comment section of the blog below or on social media! If you have questions that you want answered, please reach out and ask us.
Also, please share what would have made this video better or what expectations you had for the video that were not met. Our goal is to continue to provide you withthe best information available, with a practical spin.
Please note, this is the 2nd in the Real Conversations Series, if you would like to see the first one look for Authenticity Beyond The Buzzword!