Tag: tips and tricks

  • Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: The Smartest Thing You Can Do

    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

    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

    1. Celebrate Your Wins: Big or small, a win is a win. Don’t let it go unnoticed.
    2. Fix Your Mindset: Start a morning routine, journal, or try Erica’s “add to cart” technique for reframing envy as inspiration.
    3. Embrace Change: A pivot isn’t the end of the world. It’s just the next chapter.
    4. 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

    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 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! 

  • Content Creation Made Easier: Using What You Have

    Content Creation Made Easier: Using What You Have

    Updated June 2024

    Content Creation is a Full-Time Job + Overtime

    Content creation can be hard. It can be time consuming. Content creation can be a downright pain in the butt. If you have ever been in charge of creating content for a business, non-profit, or even for your personal blog you know that at times it feels like content creation is your full-time job. And it is making you work overtime.

    Seriously, we feel your pain!

    We have adapted a couple tricks to make your life easier.  In Content Creation Made Easier we will discuss strategies that will make your content creation easier. The first one which we discuss here is what I called Breaking Down Your Blog. I believe that adopting the strategies outlined in these blog posts will revolutionaize your content creation strategy, and make you a happier content creator.

    Before The Creation Even Starts

    Prior to revealing our first hack, there is something that should be done before the content creation even begins. You must find a content scheduler that allows you to post as far as 6 months in advance and auto publishes to the platforms that you utilize. Yes, 6 months in advance. Although, I would prefer 12, but six will suffice. It should also be a tool that you like to use, not one that you dread. Simply because if its a drag you aren’t going to want to do it and you won’t get the most out of these content hacks.

    Breaking Down Your Blog

    Create Blog and Affiliated Social Media Posts Simultaneously

    Do you have a business blog? Are you creating regular posts for it? Is this content also being shared on your social media?

    If you don’t have a business blog, you should consider starting one, and you can read why (insert link). If you aren’t using your blog as the basis for your social media posts, you might be missing out. Your blog and social media should be closely related, feeding into each other and serving as powerful tools to answer your audience’s questions and establish yourself as a leader in your niche.

    Two to Twenty Birds with One Stone

    Creating your blog posts and the affiliated social media posts simultaneously is an efficient way to maximize your content creation efforts. If you write a well-structured blog post, it will naturally include sections that discuss specific topics. These topics often have sub-sections explaining certain ideas. If an idea is important enough to have its own sub-section, it likely deserves its own social media post too.

    For example, if your blog post has three main topics and each topic has three sub-sections, you’ve already got 10 social media posts. Here’s how: you’ll write a post about the overall topic of the blog and why it’s important, which is one post. Then, you’ll create nine more posts based on each topic and sub-section. So, 1 overall post + 9 topic/sub-section posts = 10 social media posts.

    Why The Scheduling Tool is Important

    I don’t recommend bombarding your audience with 10 posts on the same topic over two weeks. It’s essential to vary your content. What I do recommend is creating the content and then scheduling the posts. Typically, I write one blog post a week and post about two concepts from my blogs each week. The first post is about the new blog, and the second post is a subsection from a previous blog, ideally related to the week’s new blog topic, but this isn’t always possible.

    In an ideal scenario, you revisit blog topics on your social media with a fresh perspective (a new subsection post) every 5-6 weeks. When you publish the blog, you also add the posts to your scheduling tool for future dates. This approach allows you to “set it and forget it” (though you will still need to engage with the posts). You’ll adjust the posts for the best fit, but this method provides you with pre-set content weeks in advance.

    An Exercise in Abundance

    A few years ago, I asked members of my Facebook group to break down one of my previous blog posts into potential social media posts. The blog post we used is listed below along with the results. From this blog, we came up with the following social media post topics:

    1. Creating connections
    2. Selling the emotions (2 posts)
    3. Being heard in a crowded marketplace
    4. How your brand story creates uniqueness (example post)
    5. Why story is the most powerful and flexible tool (longer form post)
    6. Reviewing key aspects of a brand story
    7. Sharing TED Talks and EchoStory resources
    8. Tapping into emotions (example post)
    9. Connecting with your audience
    10. “First this, then that” storytelling examples (2 posts)
    11. Exploring the “Why” (Why you do what you do)
    12. Why your audience should care

    From this single blog, we identified approximately 14 social media posts. While this is above my average, it was a content-heavy blog covering many essential storytelling topics. Creating social media posts simultaneously with the blog keeps the content fresh in your mind. You’ll only need to do hashtag research once, the photos used in your blog are readily available, and other potential slow-downs are minimized.

    The Most Amazing Thing

    If you keep this up for just five weeks, with an average of 10 posts per blog, you’ll have almost one post per week ready for your social media for nearly an entire year! Imagine that—one less post to create every week for a year, and you’re only five weeks into this strategy. Isn’t that amazing? I promise, this hack can be a social media game-changer. For the past three months, I’ve been doing this, and I no longer feel the constant anxiety of needing to create content for my profiles. I always have something ready in the pipeline if needed.

    But What If I Don’t Blog and Have No Plans to Start One?

    I’m not here to argue (though I do encourage considering a blog)! You can use this hack for other content, such as breaking down your monthly newsletter to customers or creating five posts over five weeks based on an excellent article you found, like “The 5 Best to Do .” Content creation is challenging, but this hack is about working smarter, not harder.

    Pro-Tip

    Ready to go pro? Video content engages audiences at much higher rates than other forms of content. Whenever possible, create video content. When breaking down content into posts, identify which ones might be better as videos. Record these videos while the topic is fresh (wear season-neutral clothing) and use them when needed. Getting one video from each piece of content will help establish you as a leader in your niche.

    Now Your Blog is Working As Hard As You

    Your blog is now carrying some of the content creation load. Even if you handle all the content creation for your blog, you’re streamlining the work. Creating content in advance alleviates the “oh my god I need something to post” panic we’re all too familiar with. You can adapt this strategy to suit your needs, but I believe it can transform how you approach and manage content creation for your business.

  • Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos & Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos & Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Updated June 2024

    Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Creating fresh and current content for your social media posts can seem daunting. Or is it? In this blog, we’ll provide you with ideas for 9 photos and 9 videos that you can easily capture each week to keep your content vibrant. These will streamline your content creation process and ensure all your social media profiles remain engaging and on point.

    Yes, 9 photos and videos a week, and the best part is they feature you going about your daily life. While these won’t replace the need for professional shoots, they will complement them with high-quality content, helping you build your own custom stock photo and video library. For more details on maximizing a photoshoot, check out this blog post! As you know, I am a huge advocate for using your own photos on social media; it’s the best way to differentiate yourself from the get-go.

    It’s Almost Time to Reveal the 9 Photos, But First…

    First, take a moment to consider the type of content you typically post on social media.

    What kind of content generally resonates with your audience?
    Are you regularly posting on specific topics or categories?
    What do you have planned for the next three to five weeks?

    Keep these questions in mind as you review the nine photos you can take daily. You can tweak, stretch, or expand on one or all of them to fit your specific needs. Remember, I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. I’m giving you these nine images and videos as guidelines based on my social media expertise and what has the potential to engage. Feel free to adapt them to your needs!

    9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Drumroll Please

    1. Daily Routine
    2. Morning Coffee
    3. Full Body Shot/Big Movement Video
    4. Detail Shot
    5. At the Office
    6. With a client or customer
    7. Work close up
    8. Behind the scenes
    9. Life Outside of Work Shot

    The Daily Routine

    I made this the first of the 9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh because it’s the easiest to capture. Simply take a photo or video of something you do every day.

    Why this?

    Because it’s something you do daily, there’s a high chance you’ll talk about it on social media or it will impact your content in some way. Having a relevant visual ready to use when discussing this routine saves you from scrambling for a post idea. Plus, you won’t need to rely on overused stock photos to showcase a unique aspect of yourself or your business.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Think about what you enjoy posting and what your audience engages with. Is it your fitness routine? Haircare? Outfits? Are they asking you specific questions? Use this insight to guide which daily routines you should document. Need a starting point? Pizza, pets, and babies always perform well on social media.

    The Morning Coffee Shot

    I know what you’re thinking: “Really, coffee? You want me to take a photo of my coffee first thing in the morning?” And maybe even worse, “You expect me to take a video of it?” Yes, even if it’s before you’ve had your first sip! Capture that perfect coffee cup shot or a video of your coffee-making ritual.

    Why This?

    Food, babies, and dogs are universal favorites; everyone eats, dogs are man’s best friend, and babies are cute! Similarly, coffee is a nearly universal connector on social media—something almost everyone can relate to.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Not a coffee drinker? No problem! What’s your drink of choice in the morning? What jumpstarts your day? Whether it’s tea, a donut, a protein smoothie, or even a pair of stylish shoes, whatever gets you moving and motivated in the morning works. The key idea behind the coffee posts is to share what energizes you, so feel free to substitute with your own morning motivator.

    The Full Body Shot & The Big Motion Video

    Next on your list of daily photos to keep your content fresh is the full body shot. This means capturing a photo of yourself from head to toe, doing something—anything. As long as your attire is brand-appropriate, you can’t go wrong. For the video, aim for a big movement, such as walking.

    Why This?

    A full body shot is versatile and can be used in both your stories and feed on social media. People do business with other people, not faceless companies. To get people to do business with you, you need to build trust and let them feel like they know you. These photos and videos help create that connection and build trust more effectively.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Don’t worry about looking like a model. You don’t have to be a model—just be yourself. Avoid overthinking, over-staging, or over-editing. This photo isn’t about creating a perfect, imaginary life. It’s about featuring your authentic self, the real face of your brand.

    The Detail Shot

    The detail shot or video is essential for defining your signature style. For example, my Converse sneakers have been a staple in my brand. This was intentional, as I often feature content of my shoes in stories and on my feed. My footwear subtly communicates that my brand is fun, bright, disruptive, and not your typical business. Similarly, my sequin hat reflects the fun and sparkly nature of my brand.

    Why This?

    Detail shots and videos can be used for various purposes on social media. I used my shoes to convey an abstract aspect of my signature style. For a simpler, more straightforward example, a watch could be used in a post about deadlines, setting SMART goals, or your dislike of waiting.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Be creative with this one. It can be details of what you’re wearing, elements of your office, or a part of your everyday life. This approach is also useful for future content about specific aspects of your business. For example, if a housing form is due by a certain date, take a photo of the top of that form on a desk, or a video of someone filling out the form and use it in your post. It’s much more engaging than a generic stock photo.

    In The Office/Work Shot and Video

    Another great way to keep your content fresh is with office shots. These are photos or videos of you at work, doing what you do best. While a day at the office might seem mundane to you, your loyal followers are interested in seeing more about your daily routine. Mix it up by capturing different parts of your office or various aspects of your job. Focus on the more interesting tasks you perform and document them through photos or short videos.

    Why This?

    You’re on social media to showcase the work you do and attract your ideal clients. It’s natural to show your audience what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and where you do it. Consider what your ideal client would want to see from someone in your role, and create content that will engage them.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Review your previous content to identify what performed well on social media. If you’re a web developer, for instance, you could include photos of you working at your computer, videos of you collaborating with a web designer, or attending a training session on a new programming language. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your shots.

    With a Client

    I know you might be hesitant about this next photo or video idea, so let me say this: the client does not need to be identifiable. The focus should be on you. Be creative and find a way to show yourself interacting with a client or customer. It could be as simple as you behind a desk with the back of your clients’ heads facing the camera, or a close-up video of you demonstrating something to the client, with only your hands visible.

    Why This?

    You can’t build trust on social media and demonstrate your expertise without showcasing your work. Featuring client interactions is crucial. Highlight your first touchpoints or ways you build trust with clients. Even if you use stand-ins instead of real clients (totally our secret), it’s so important to depict these interactions.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Professional development sessions, speaking opportunities, media events, and more are perfect for capturing photos and videos of you working with clients or potential clients. Make sure someone is available to capture these moments, whether it’s your hubby, friend, or a professional photographer. Take advantage of these opportunities to showcase your client interactions.

    The Work Closeup

    This is what I am doing right now, as I revise this blog post I am recording myself (two birds, one stone) So the idea here is to capture some content up close of you doing something in your business. This is great for stock photography and also to use as B-roll for short-form video. Think about things like, you writing out your plans on an eisel, or your fingers typing on the computer, or writing in a jourmal. Those all work.

    Why This?

    Because when you talk about your work, it is great to have photos that you can post that show you working. Be sure to capture  a variety of photos and videos so you have a library to choose from, although It doesn’t matter that you are writing down the steps to take in your business over the next nine months, but you use the photo in a post about how writing allows your thoughts to flow. In most cases they can’t see the text. You will find that these are the most flexible and useful photos to take as many of them as you can!

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Think about the things that you tend to post about and what an excellent generic visual could be that highlights either what you are talking about in the post, or the feeling you want people to get from the post, etc. We are working on creating a library of flexible and usable stock photos and videos for your business.

    Behind the Scenes

    What are some of the things that you do for your business behind the scenes, or what things would people not ever be able to guess about your business? Photos and videos of different behind the scenes aspects or videos of prepping for an event, photoshoot, or other special occasions are always phenomenal for engagement. Be sure to grab content of this. 

    Why This?

    This is essential because everybody likes a peek behind the curtain. Behind the scenes is always engaging because people want to see the real life person behind what they see that they assume is scripted and perfected.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    All of the images you take should feel real; they shouldn’t be too polished. They should not depict a beautifully perfect life. Make sure to leave your behind the scenes content believable. If it’s too perfect, it shows up as inauthentic, and you could lose credibility.

    Life Outside of Work Shot

    I completely respect a person’s choice not to include aspects such as children in their brand. That is your choice. What I do advocate for is that every business shows off a little bit of life outside of work. If it is you going home and reading a book, walking a dog, cooking, or going to the gym. Those are all great, and you should take photos or videos of you doing them.

    Why This?

    It makes you human, a real person outside of the walls of the business that does cool things and has actual struggles, goals, and dreams. Don’t wipe all the things that make you human from your business; it will erase any possibility of you being able to engage your ideal audience out with it.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Social Media is supposed to be social. The things you do outside of work are just as important as those you do at work. 

    Those Are The 9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Using these nine photos as a guide will help you eliminate some of the stress caused by social media. We promise you will feel less overwhelmed, have stronger posts and be able to level up on social media much more quickly.

  • Time Saver 2: 30 Days of Content From One Photoshoot

    Time Saver 2: 30 Days of Content From One Photoshoot

    Content Creation Time Saver 2: Creating a Ton of Content in One Day

    We previously discussed how to break down your blog to create weeks of content. For this Time Saver we are focusing on our next content creation time saver: How to Get 30 Days or More of Content from a Single Photoshoot. I perfected this tactic while working in DC with Career Coach Lea Berry and have been using it ever since—a major win! You can see some of the results from her photoshoots here.

    For many businesses, hiring a photographer is a worthwhile expense, especially for those creating content for social media. To make the most of this investment, plan to get as much content as possible from the photoshoot. Our second content creation time saver will help you plan your photoshoot and maximize the number of usable shots. While each of us creates content differently and has unique needs, the following ideas can be applied universally.

    Steps to Maximize Your Photoshoot

    1. Review Your Schedule of Posts
    2. Research
    3. Plan
    4. Schedule Time
    5. Execute
    6. Hustle
    7. Expect the Unexpected and Roll With It

    Review Your Schedule of Posts

    Start by reviewing your content calendar. Identify the promotions, blog posts, and campaigns you have planned for the upcoming month. Visualize the photos you need for these campaigns and begin researching ways to capture those shots. Pinterest can be an excellent resource for inspiration. Although I’m not a frequent user, I keep inspiration boards for different types of photoshoots. Printing out the shots you like and using them on your storyboard can help as you dive deeper into planning the photoshoot.

    After Reviewing Scheduled Posts

    Identify any gaps in your schedule and plan how to fill them. I usually recommend planning and scheduling 70% of your content in advance, leaving 25-30% for flexibility, current topics, event photos, etc. Scheduling 70% in advance while allowing for flex space lets you remain timely without scrambling to post daily. However, some months you may only need 10-15% of flex content, so always plan additional posts just in case. Treat them as your B-roll—your security blanket for when all else fails.

    Research Concepts, Locations, and Shots

    Now that you have identified the campaigns and posts you need photos for, it’s time to research concepts, locations, and shots. Scour Pinterest for ideas and inspirational images that align with your brand. Once you have gathered these inspirational images, start looking for suitable locations. I maintain a list of potential sites and use Google Maps to pin places that might work for future shoots. My Google Map, titled “Potential Photoshoots,” helps me keep a running list of locations and quickly decide how to group sites for a cohesive and productive shoot.

    Not Too Crazy, Not Too Bland

    When planning your concepts and locations, strike a balance. Avoid overly complicated setups that are hard to complete in the time available, but be creative enough to keep your content fresh throughout the month. Vary your outfits to add visual interest to the shots. Remind your photographer of the purpose of the images, ensuring they know all the photos are for the same month. This way, they might suggest additional shots or remind you to switch things up during the shoot.

    Finalize Your Plan

    For those who feature themselves in their Instagram feeds or are lifestyle bloggers, these next steps might differ slightly. Since I am not in most of my shots, I select three general locations and review must-have and secondary shots within those areas. Here’s an example from my last content creation day in New York City:

    • Hudson Yards
      • Must-Have Shots: The surrounding neighborhood and The Vessel
      • Secondary Shots: The Shed and Hudson Yards Buildings
    • DUMBO, Brooklyn
      • Must-Have Shots: The iconic shot under the overpass and surrounding neighborhood
      • Secondary Shots: Architectural details and bikes
    • Brooklyn Bridge Park During Golden Hour
      • Must-Have Shots: The sunset with views towards NYC
      • Secondary Shots: Weather-dependent

    Once the plan is finalized, work on scheduling and execution. Consult your train schedule and plan your route using Google Maps. For my NYC shoot, I knew I needed to Uber from Hudson Yards to Brooklyn to have enough time to explore and capture all the desired shots.

    The Execution

    You have your shots and locations picked out, and the theme of each shot is clear. Your photographer has the inspiration images. For my last trip to NYC, I stapled a bunch of my inspiration shots, directions, and must-see areas together and put them in my bag for reference. I recommend doing the same and providing a copy to your photographer in advance. Now, it’s time for the execution!

    The Clothing for Your Photoshoot

    Wait, even I need to plan what I’m going to wear for each shot. If you are in most of your photos, this is even more important. I recommend three main looks that can be quickly changed up with layers and accessories. For example, start with a skirt, top, blazer, and chunky necklace. After several photos, remove the blazer, then later change the necklace and add earrings. Go for easy but dramatic changes. Scarves are another favorite accessory for this reason.

    Another consideration is non-generic stock photos. I had a client who did daily prompts and we always struggled to find the right free stock photos. During her photoshoots, she would bring different supplies and while she changed at each location, I would take stock photos for her to use. It made posting those prompts simpler. So, think about your needs and prepare for them.

    Now, It Is Time to Hustle

    You’ve completed the planning and arrived at your first location. Your photographer is ready, and you’ve reviewed the plan. Now it’s time to hustle. You’ve packed your day (or hours) with your photographer and need to create your content for the month. Stay focused, stick to the schedule, and get the shots! When you arrive at each location, gather everything you need for the shots and change into your planned outfit.

    First, get the essential shots at each location—these are the shots you cannot do without. If you stay on schedule, then proceed to take the secondary shots. This strategy ensures you cover your 2-3 locations and get the necessary images. If you’re running behind, skip the secondary shots and move to the next location. Drink water, stay focused, wear comfy shoes between locations, and don’t rush. Rinse. Repeat!

    Flexibility Is Key

    Planning and sticking to the plan is crucial, but flexibility and adaptability are equally important. You never know what opportunities might arise. During my last trip to NYC, my schedule included three locations. However, while walking past the Empire State Building, a kind gentleman handed me a free ticket because he couldn’t use it. After verifying it was real, I decided to take the opportunity. This meant arriving at Hudson Yards a bit later, but it was worth it. By the end of the day, I had gathered enough content for the month, even though I forgot my backup battery for the camera. I was okay with skipping the sunset at the Brooklyn Bridge.

    And Done

    By the end of a day like this, you’ll be tired, no doubt. It’s hard work, but you’ve made the most out of your day and will have some outstanding images to show for it. The best part is you only need to do this once a month to get the images you need. The more you do it, the more photos you’ll have for social media. Good social media images and videos are key to better engagement, so this strategy will pay off and make your social media life much easier!

  • Using Hashtags Effectively on Social Media

    Using Hashtags Effectively on Social Media

    Using Hashtags Effectively on Social Media

    There are numerous benefits to using hashtags effectively in your social media posts. Hashtags assist in discovery. They allow your ideal clients to find you when you utilize the right hashtags. They can help you stay in touch with existing customers. You can boost a marketing campaign with a well-planned strategy around hashtags. Utilize hashtags to actively research what your competition is doing on social media as well as track current trends using hashtags. The all-mighty hashtag also helps ensure that your content shows up with similar content, which increases discovery. However, this only applies if you have a strategy and are using the right hashtags. So we will be reviewing why it is essential to use hashtags and on what platforms. The general rules when using hashtags. What types of hashtags you should use.  We will also review how you research hashtags and how to put your hashtag strategy into play.

    Why Use Hashtags?

    Remember when you used to go to the library. Before computers, you would go to a large wooden stack of drawers somewhere in the middle of the floor. When you opened the drawers, you would find thousands of cards. These cards cataloged the contents of the library and made things more manageable. #Hashtags are the card catalogs of social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. They help organize all the posts that are uploaded daily into neatly organized buckets of things that are alike. Hashtags help you quickly find something you are looking for, and they help you get noticed! Hashtags are little organizational powerhouses when appropriately utilized.

    Additionally, hashtags can also help you build your brand, build brand loyalty, and increase engagement. Since all of these things are key for businesses, we think it makes sense for you to have a comprehensive hashtag strategy.

    Additional Notes on Hashtags

    A couple quick notes on hashtags, first use hashtags that will help your audience find your content on Twitter and Instagram. Hashtags are not functional on Facebook except for the inside of groups if the group uses hashtags as a way to organize topics. When posting an update from Instagram to Facebook, make sure you clear any hashtags and check all of your @tags.  Secondly, research hashtags before using them and make sure your content belongs in the hashtag, and the hashtag is active on the platform you plan to use it on. Thirdly, the best way to research a hashtag is on the platform you wish to use it on, sure some of the apps are okay, but the most up to date and accurate info is within the platform.

    Rules to Make Your Hashtag Strategy More Effective

    If you want to have an effective hashtag strategy, there are some general rules to follow. These rules include some vital do’s and don’t like the following: Do research all the hashtags you plan on using and Don’t use hashtags that have millions of posts associated with them. Check out the full list below.

    Do These Things As Part of An Effective Hashtag Strategy

    • Create Content Specific Hashtag lists for yourself.
    • Have a brand-specific hashtag or hashtags.
    • Utilize community based hashtags. Community-based hashtags are ones that indicate a specific service, location, industry or event
    • Research the hashtags you competition is using
    • Review hashtags that influencers in your niche are using
    • Utilize hashtags that are specific to your niche
    • Use at least one hashtag in every Instagram and Twitter post
    • Research hashtags before you use them
    • Include hashtags in your content after a few line breaks or in the first comment

    Don’t Do These Things As Part of Your Effective Hashtag Strategy

    • Use the same hashtags for every post
    • Utilize hashtags that have millions of posts
    • Create a Facebook post and leave Instagram only hashtags in it
    • Use hashtags that have been banned on Instagram
    • Create a post complete with hashtags without researching the hashtags used
    • Utilize hashtags that don’t apply to your content.
    • Make your post look “spammy” by overfilling it with hashtags

    An Effective Hashtag Strategy and What Hashtags to Use

    Everyone wants to know what hashtags they should use on their social media posts, and what I have realized is they want a one size fits all answer. Unfortunately, that answer doesn’t exist. Why does it not exist? Because your content is different from everyone else’s content, and because your audience is different from everyone else’s audience. So nobody can tell you to use these 15 hashtags, and you will be successful. No app can promise you that if you put in your best hashtag, it will give you the best 20 to grow your business, it does not work like that. Instead you must research your niche and figure out the number and quantity that works best for your specific profile.

    Researching Hashtags

    The first step in researching your hashtags is to define your niche and create your customer avatar. Knowing your avatar creates a specific target for your content, therefore, making your research more accessible.

    Going Down

    Researching hashtags requires you to go down a bit of a social media rabbit hole so make sure to set a time limit, bring a pad and paper, and drop a trail of breadcrumbs so you can find your way out! Now, go onto Instagram with a singular mission of finding niche-specific hashtags. The more specific, the better as more conversation (engagement) is happening around super niche hashtags. Go to Instagram and search a fairly general hashtag in your field, look at the top posts and pick one you are attracted to and seem to match your brand aesthetic.

    Scroll down and see what other hashtags were used in the post, select one that is more specific than your original, and see what you discover on that page. After a few rounds of this, you should be arriving at some niche-specific tags and going, man, I didn’t even know somebody did (fill in the niche-specific blank). Make sure you are writing the more specific hashtags down or adding them to a custom list of tags by the theme which it goes. Whenever your timer goes off immediately remove yourself from the situation so that you don’t lose your entire day. Repeat for each one of the types of posts or themes you post.

    What you Are Looking for When Researching

    You are looking for what are often called “community hashtags” They are hashtags that target a specific service like #weddingphotographer or a product like #freshlybakedbrownies or an industry like #gasgrillassemblers. Community hashtags also can focus a particular event #memorialday5K or a particular location #NYCwinebars or even a day of the week #wateringwednesday. These are all much more specific than hashtags like #photographer #brownies. Your ideal hashtags probably sit below this level; for example, I could search #dogs, and while hunting underdogs, I discover the hashtag #puggles and quickly discover #pugglesofNY. While reviewing those tags, I find two super specific tags #pugglestruggle and #everydayimpugglin.

    Next Steps

    After researching and looking for unique niche tags you will want to double back and take a look at posts from your comphetition, industry leaders and influencers withing your area and see what hashtags they are using. Is your competition killing it on a hashtag, but they have no competition there? Is an influencer identifying an upcoming trend in a hashtag? Also, pay attention to how many hashtags, where they place them, or any other differences that could indicate a change of preference of your audience. I do not recommend doing this first because it may limit your focus, and you may not find the most exciting tags.

    Putting Your Hashtag Strategy to Work

    How to Start if Never Had A Strategy

    If you have never had a hashtag strategy and don’t have lists of hashtags you use for specific posts, you are pretty much starting from scratch. The first thing you will want to do is to create hashtag lists for each theme. Keep these in a document you can access from any location. I also recommend creating hashtag lists for specific holidays, events, and other significant occurrences. Put those particular hashtags on your content calendar. Your next step is to begin utilizing these hashtags and seeing what works.

    For each post, use a core list of hashtags specific for that content. If there are a couple of additional tags for a post you want to use add them on to that post, not into your core list. Test some posts with the hashtags in the caption after some breaks. Test others with the hashtags in the first comment. Finally, test some posts with five hashtags, some with fifteen, and some with thirty. What works best? Measure the success of each post based on the actual numbers. Not your gut feeling. Revisit each core list every few months and trim the dead weight and add new niche hashtags.

    If You Had A Hashtag Strategy Before

    If you had a hashtag strategy before and you broke your hashtags into content specific lists, I would recommend testing your lists against one another and see how they do. In some cases, you may need to combine the best performing hashtags from your old and new lists. If that is the case, just select the best-performing ones from each and create that third list and use that going forward. If the original list outperforms your old collection on every post for every category. Then you have a #winning hashtag strategy, and you go with your new list.

    In Conclusion

    To sum up all the key points here:

    • Hashtags are essential tools you should utilize on your posts
    • There are some best practices for hashtags like research before you use
    • You should always look to use niche hashtags and hashtags with less than 1 million posts
    • Build your own unique content specific hashtag lists to use with your posts
    • Regularly measure what is working and refresh as needed.

    Keep these tips in mind, and you won’t hate hashtags ever again!

  • Brand Alignment: New Year, (Re)New Brand

    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

    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

    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!