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How to Use a Content Upgrade to Grow Your Business and Email List

In today’s world of digital marketing, it is important to stand out from the crowd and really be able to provide your audience value.

Today, we will be discussing the importance of utilizing content upgrades for your business.

These are FREE downloads and added benefits to your blogs that your audience wants.

How it works:

  1. This shows your audience that you are an expert in your industry, by providing valuable content on a topic your audience is already looking for. You are able to connect with them and start building trust with them. It’s about the – Know, Like, Trust factor. 
  2. By utilizing Content Upgrades it allows you to grow your email list. Having a strong email list to market to is like gold. This happens because in order for your audience to receive their free content upgrade they need to enter in their name and email.  Another key factor to using Content Upgrades is you are able to understand your audience more and really know what they are looking for so you can write more content for them. 
  3. Once you have their email address you can remarket to them with future items similar to your content upgrade, this is called the nurturing process, building the trust with them so they will want to do business with you.

So, let’s take this one step at a time and go through the process of what a content upgrade can be and then how to create one.

Content upgrades are the free downloads that you sign up for in exchange for your name and email address. The content upgrades can be a variety of things. 

One key place you can look to start thinking of what your content upgrade should be is your FAQ section on your website. This FAQ section gets a TON of SEO benefits from Google, so looking at what your top questions are or event turning those FAQ into a content upgrade.

Here are a few examples of content upgrades.

These upgrades can come in many shapes and forms, but typically include:

  • Tools and Resources List
  • Secret Podcast Episode
  • Checklist of the steps taken in the blog
  • Regular Checklist 
  • Additional Related Content
  • Downloadable PSD files or other design assets
  • One Month Free of your product or membership site
  • A Printable
  • Swipe Copy (people love swipe copy, FYI, this is used more for affiliates, content they can copy and paste to promote your product or program)
  • Transcripts for Audio or Video Recordings
  • Worksheets to support a blog post
  • eBook
  • Case Study
  • Interactive handout
  • Video series

You can also think outside the box and include:

  • 15-minute phone calls
  • Strategy reviews
  • Free sessions
  • Etc.

The goal of these upgrades is to increase the number of subscribers on your email list.

All of these items can be used to grab the attention of your target audience. You are creating a valuable piece of content that your audience wants, they then give you their name and email to download this content upgrade.

Now, that you have an idea of WHAT a content upgrade is, it’s time to start planning what you should be creating for yours.

We have a worksheet for you to go along with this blog and to be able to jot down your ideas. Please download your free copy now to continue with this blog. (See how we are using a content upgrade?!?!)

Download Your FREE Content Upgrade Worksheet

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It’s very important to be clear about what you are going to create, and understand that you will have multiple content upgrades. You may do a content upgrade for each blog post, or each service you offer.

For example, if you are a nutritionist and work with clients one on one, you may write a blog and your content upgrade would be a grocery checklist or a food substitute checklist that your audience can download for free then they learn to trust you.  Then if you have another blog or maybe even promoting your coaching services you may have a 3-part video series as your content upgrade to help your audience know, like, and trust you along with giving them valuable information within the video series.

Now, that you have figured out your topic and then format you want to create your content upgrade on, it’s time for the fun part!

How to Create Your Content Upgrade

To create your content, you could have a:

  • PDF: These are great for workbooks, checklists, Guides, etc. Simple tools like Word, Pages, Google Drive Slides, or PowerPoint are all easy to save as PDF’s.
  • Email Course: These don’t even require PDF’s. In an email course, you are sending valuable information over the course of a few days. This makes it so the recipient isn’t overwhelmed by information and sees your name pop up more frequently. MailChimp allows for automated email sequences, which is a great free way to share this content.
  • Free consultation: All you need here is your phone. You can use Calendly.com to set time blocks that you are available for consultations to reduce the back and forth.

As subscribers are added to your email list, it is important that you are tagging these individuals with what they were interested in. For us, for example, someone who is interested in information on how to manage their Facebook, won’t be interested in information designed in educating other social media managers. We want to make sure any future emails we send to our list align with the topics they initially were interested in.

Let’s dive a little deeper and talk about how to create each of these things. 

1. Use Google Docs or Word to put your thoughts on paper or screen

I love using Google docs because it is a live document and you can use it from any device, it is also great if you have a team that will be working on this project together.

Don’t worry about fonts, colors, visual appeal at this point. It is just about getting the words on the paper at this point.

You can add images and change font later once you have the content complete. Sometimes, I worry too much about the visual appeal at the beginning that I lose focus on the value of the content.

2. Time for the Creative Part – Creating your Cover

Graphics are very important to your content upgrade, they are the main thing that drives the attention of your viewers. We use an awesome tool called Canva, this is where we create the cover image, you can use the 8.5×11

They have Free themes you can edit, add your own font, brand colors, images where you can do one of two things here, you can just create your cover

3. Creating Your Google Doc into PDF

If you choose to use Canva just to create your Cover image then you would download that image to your computer, then head over to your Google Docs and insert that image on the first page.

Then you will want to make sure you have a footer with your contact info:

  • Company Name
  • Website
  • Email Address
  • Logo

Check to make sure you have the images in the correct areas, the fonts you want and the right brand colors. If you do not have the correct brand color number you can use this FREE Chrome extension ColorPick Eye Dropper, this works to pull the correct color number that then you can add to Google Docs and Canva.

Once that is complete you can go to File > Download As > PDF

Save it to your computer. This saves it in an 8.5×11 PDF.

4. Adding the PDF to your website

You want that PDF to have a URL so you can add it to your sign-up form within MailChimp or Lead Pages. 

You can upload this PDF to your WordPress website into the media area, this gives you the URL so you can hyperlink the download within your welcome messages in your sign-up form. We love to use MailChimp because it is free and very simple to use.

5. Bringing it all together

Now, you have everything created and ready to start having people sign up, right?

It’s time to create your landing page and your form so people can start signing up to get your free content upgrade.

Like we said in step 4, we use MailChimp because it is simple and easy to use.

There are other options like using your website or LeadPages as well. In the video below it walks you through the MailChimp process.

Wrapping it all up

I hope from this blog you are able to see the big picture behind these content upgrades/free downloads. There are so many different ways you can tie these into your marketing. One thing I love about content upgrades is it gives that extra oomph to your blogs. I love the creative process of creating a content upgrade.

Have fun with this process and maybe create 2-3 to start and see which one performs better!

Lead Growth Management

Social media networks and search engines can change their algorithms without warning. Email marketing is currently (and historically) the most effective way to continue building trust with prospects, increase recurring revenue, and see an ROI from other marketing efforts. The Social Speak Email Marketing team works with your strategist to build content upgrades, welcome series, and newsletters to stay top of mind.

We are here to help!

 

 

How to Use a Content Upgrade to Grow Your Business and Email List

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How to be the Go-To Health/Wellness resource for your local audience

How to be the Go-To Health/Wellness resource for your local audience

The health and wellness industry has been booming which is amazing!  Companies and people are finally taking their health seriously and are looking for reliable resources to guide them and their staff to a more healthier lifestyle.  Though that is great, it does mean that we are seeing more and more health and wellness companies pop up.  So the question is, how do you become the “go-to” resource for your community?

Networking

Networking within your community is the best way to self-promote, create relationships, and see what your community is looking for in terms of a health and wellness resource.  There are many great ways to connect through local networking:

  • Lunch and Learns– Set up times with local businesses to come in during lunch hours and present on a topic or provide demonstrations.  Corporate health has been on the rise and companies are paying more for preventative care now more than ever.   With you demonstrating what your services are or presenting on a common health issue that the company may address, the employees and upper management will start to see you as their resource and will most likely come to you for future needs.
  • Community workshops/events– These are great events to showcase what you offer and what your specialty is.  It’s also a way to see what the local needs are in terms of services or topics they are interested in.  The more you are seen in your community, answering questions and presenting on topics, the more people will remember you as the health and wellness person.
  • Webinars– Webinars can connect you to the people in your community who may not have the option to meet you one on one or attend an event you are at.  They are can download the webinar and watch it when it’s convenient for them so you can reach a larger population and they can refer back to it anytime.  Another great thing about webinars is that you can link them to your site and social media pages from the video to help drive traffic to your sites right away.

Networking in the community #wordofmouth #networking #smallbusiness #healthandwellness

Content Upgrades

Content upgrades can give your local community a sample of what you offer.  These can work for multiple types of health businesses from health coaches to clinics through different types of content upgrades:

  • Resource Guide to your Niche- This guide can show off some of the services you offer by offering information or a go-to guide on specific topics.  People can download it and have material that will drive traffic back to your site for more information.
  • Cheatsheets, Challenges, and Checklists, Oh my! – All of these are great action-based materials.  That means it gives your community something to follow up with or physically try.  Challenges get people motivated, excited, and talking about your content and business.  Checklists can be referenced over and over again. They are also easily updated to accommodate multiple topics.  And who doesn’t like a cheat sheet that can help make their health journey a tad bit easier? Add items such any numbers, conversions, quick reference points for a health topic, etc.
  • Free Trial– Get people using your services with a trial run.  This can give them a snapshot of what you do in your business and can spark interest.
  • Case Study– For more clinical businesses or businesses that want to show scientific benefits, case studies can be used as content upgrades.  They give your community facts about the types of services you are offering, but, always make sure that you site the case study and check that it’s from a reputable source.

Social Media Content

We are living in a social media time.  Most people, once they meet you, will look you up on social media.  The content you post can have a huge impact on their impression of you and your business.  Create an engaging and education-heavy environment through your media content:

  • Engaging Instagram stories– Using Instagram and Instagram stories can be an amazing way to engage your community.  You can utilize IG Stories to post personal messages, ask questions, and create a buildup to an event.  Followers can comment on your stories or you can respond in real-time when doing a Q&A session.  To see how to use IG Stories more in depth, check out our previous blog:  Using Instagram Story Tools to Engage your Viewers
  • Tagging other Resources– A great resource knows other resources in the area and since we can’t be an expert on everything, we need to work on gaining other reliable resources.  You can tag them and lead your followers to other reputable resources in the area which builds relationships with residents as well as local businesses.
  • Videos to showcase your specialty– Social media videos can connect you with your followers through your work.  You can post demos of what you do, testimonials of successful past customers, or anything that aligns with your specialty and what you are trying to accomplish through your business.

Professional Networking

Building relationships through community events is very beneficial but there is a whole other community you may be missing- the professional networking community.  Corporate health and reaching the working community can open other doors for your business.  There are also really fun ways to network with local businesses:

 

  • Trade Shows– These events can give you an insight into what the needs may be based on questions asked.  It’s also an opportunity for you to meet locals and other business owners and while building relationships.
  • Hosting a Lecture Series– Hosting a lecture series for local businesses can give you a way to present what your business  can offer their employees and why you should be their contact for all things health related.  By setting up a series, you can display what you offer and continue to bring in new topics of interest when you come back.  As a health resource, people will probably have many questions so following up the series with a Q&A can have a great impact on how you are received as an expert in your field.
  • Industry Happy Hours– These are fun ways to get business owners out in the town and be able to connect outside of work.  These are great events to build relationships, see what the needs of businesses are, and have a little fun while doing it.  They are low-pressure but be sure to have business cards or samples of what you do.
  • Join Organizations– By joining local organizations, you are showing the neighborhood that you are invested in the community and care about what happens in it.  You will also get opportunities to be more involved in the local events.  The more you can get out into the neighborhood, the more people will get to know your face and what your business stands for.

These are just some of the ways to that you can build up relationships, get involved in your community, and support the local people in their health journey.  Relate to where your business is and fulfill a need.  Once people start to see you around more, see that you are invested in the community, and see your passion/knowledge of what you do, you will start to become the first person they think of when they think of health topics.

Professional Networking #networking #businessnetwork #supportlocal

Content Upgrades for networking #cheatsheets #checklists #freetrial #challenges #promocode

 

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What Makes a Strong Social Media Content Strategy?

What Makes a Strong Social Media Content Strategy

How many of us spend more than an hour per month planning content for our social media platforms?

If you are anything like me or I should say how I was in the past 😉 I had all these great ideas and topics I wanted to talk about, pictures I would want to stage, videos I wanted to shoot, blogs I wanted to write, the list goes on, and then I would get caught up in work & life! Yep, and forget to implement all these awesome ideas.

In today’s day and age, it is so important for your business to have a clear and consistent plan with social media. As we all know social media is always changing or adjusting something if you don’t have a clear plan it is easy to get lost in mess. 

It’s easy to say you are going to block time and put together your strategy for the year, but honestly, does that happen?

Each year I love to check out what the social media trends are going to be for the new year, and what the experts think will change, or what will be needed. We then as a team take that advice or tips and implement them it into our own marketing strategy.

whats your social media plan?

But, did you get into business to follow social media trends? I don’t think so, that’s why you are here reading this blog now!

Your social media content strategy is something that does take time to plan, I am not saying it is going to be easy or happen in an hour, it does take a little leg work up front to really dive deep into your brand/business to identify which direction you need to go in. Listening to your audience, monitoring insights, analytics, and talking to your customers and/or clients. 

Each social media platform has its own personality and your audience will engage with you differently on each platform. So it’s important to look at each platform as its own entity and create a content strategy around that platform. Now, some content will be able to go across multiple platforms, but if you do that, put that content out on different days.

I am not a huge fan of the same post going out at the same time to Facebook, Instagram, Linked, and Twitter you see it 4 times and that doesn’t give your audience any true value.

If you are sharing a blog post create a few different posts that you can put out to the social media platforms.

Before we dive into the 4 ways to create a strong social media content strategy, I wanted to talk a little bit about blogging and how that feeds into your social media content. This is a piece that is often overlooked, below we talk about setting goals, one area is building website traffic. If you are not blogging about valuable content on your website, what entices people to want to click over to your site?

We have put together a FREE Blog Sharing Checklist that you will also be able to implement into your social media content strategy.

Download Our FREE Blog Sharing Checklist

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So, let’s get started, today, we will be covering 4 areas to create a clear and consistent content strategy for your social media.

Let’s start with Goal setting

When it comes time to create your goals for your social media, you can think of SMART goals

SMART is an acronym for:

  • Specific: Your goals should be clear, simple and defined.
  • Measurable: This is where analytics come in. You want a goal that has one or more metrics.
  • Achievable: Is it achievable or is it not possible within your resources?
  • Realistic: With your current resources of time and money, is it possible to achieve your goals?
  • Time-sensitive: Every goal needs a time frame, whether it’s one year or several months.

We recommend you look at monthly, quarterly, and annual goals. You want to think of these different areas:

  • Brand awareness – with over a billion people on social media daily, yes daily, you can check those stats here, it can be a little difficult to stand out from the crowd. Looking at social media to help build brand awareness is a great idea. There are a few components to building brand awareness that we want to think about when writing down our goals.
    • Identifying your target market
    • Building a good experience for your audience
    • Increasing engagement
    • Creating conversations with your audience
  • New Leads – When it comes to social media people are always looking for the ROI, the key factor is what does ROI mean to you and your business? New leads can be new email signups, new clients, people that are looking at your shopping cart, subscribed to a content upgrade, or even blog followers. This is where the SMART goal setting comes into play, it’s important to be very clear on what the new leads mean to you. 
  • Traffic to the website – This is a piece I love to monitor each month, it’s amazing how much traffic we get from our social media platforms. If you have Google Analytics on your website it monitors the traffic sources so you can see where people are coming to your website from. When it comes to setting a goal for website traffic, it helps to use % like I want my website traffic to grow by 35% of views coming from just social media platforms, or I want my website traffic to increase by 50% from sharing my blog posts to Pinterest etc. 
  • Building community and brand authenticity – This is a big trend for social media right now, and I shouldn’t call it a trend but more of a value. It has been brought to the attention of business owners and brands all over that people/your audience want to know WHO you are. What your business or brand stands for, being a transparent and authentic business or brand allows you to create a loyal community. At the end of the day, our social media platforms are our online communities. I always think of social media as an online networking event. It takes time to build relationships and it’s a two-way street. You need to engage with your audience, ask questions, active listening, and much more to build this community. What does an authentic business or brand look like for you? How would a strong and loyal online community benefit you? 

Content Strategy

Now, that you have your goals defined, it’s time to put the content together that your audience is looking for. With social media platforms saturated with all different types of content and updating less than every second, it can make it difficult to stick out from the crowd.

You want to give your audience value, content that leaves them wanting more, you are the expert in your industry and people want to do business with YOU!

How do you create a clear content strategy? 

We must first define your brand’s voice:

  • Look at your company’s core values
    • What important to you?
    • What is your demographic, and how do they speak?

Then we can move into how to bring that voice into storytelling, let’s be real, people love stories! Every good business and brand has a good story behind it!

  • Humanize your brand
  • Share stories about your brand
  • Work on connecting with your audience on a deeper level
  • Share relevant content that relates back to your core values and brand

Now, we dive into keyword research and finding the pain points of your target audience. Finding out this information is NOT to create a bait and switch strategy, but again, to really connect with your audience on a deeper level and find out where their struggles are at so you can create valuable content around their needs.

Here are a few tools to help with keyword research:

How to find your audience’s pain points for you to solve:

  • Ask your current customers/clients
  • Create a survey and send to your email list
  • Ask your social media followers

You always want to have a good mix for your social media content strategy and being consistent. It’s great if you take the time to craft together this amazing post that gets a TON of engagement and then you post NOTHING for over a week, that one badass post serves NO purpose now.

Going back to the point I made earlier, keep your audience wanting more!

Types of content you want to create

You can do this by getting creative with your content.

1- Blog posts
2- Products
3- Videos
4- Company personality
5- Curated content or industry news
6- Gifs
7- Events or networking events
8- Original photos
9- Testimonials
10- FAQ
11- Content upgrades or free resources
12- Podcast or books
13- Company milestones
14- Inspirational quotes
15- Fan content
16- Infographics
17 – Employee/Owner stories
18- Power/Referral partners
19- Product reviews
20- National observances days, Nation # day, National Awareness day

I love getting creative and providing our audience with awesome content that they can implement into their business.

Content Calendar – bringing it all together

The fun part is creating the content, thinking of all the different topics, ideas, videos, pictures, etc you want to use for your social media strategy. The hard part is being consistent and having a plan. As you can see this is a process and it takes time. 

Take some time and find a system that works for you, there are plenty of tools out there that we have used and recommend to help you and your team stay on the same page.

Tools to look at:

Tips to thriving with your social media content strategy: 

We have created a simple Google Sheets content calendar that allows us to stay organized. Content Calendar Template – Content Calendar

So, I did a little research

When I started on this blog I did a little research to a few bloggers/influencers to see where their struggles were with digital marketing and how they have overcome them.

I asked these 3 questions:

1) What are the top 3 struggles you have faced with your digital marketing strategy?
2) How have you found Social Media and Blogging to help your business?
3) Where do you feel you need to most support with your marketing on a monthly basis?
Our Responses: 
  1. Fit Bottomed Girls said the top 3 struggles they have faced in the digital marketing world have been – Getting through the digital noise and clutter, Defining a clear budget for marketing, and Converting readers to customers of our own products.

    Since their business IS blogging social media and blogging play the most important role in their business, it has allowed them to establish a brand, a community, a voice, and a platform!

    Where they said they needed the most support was driving in new traffic and sales copy.
    logoJennipher Walters CEO/Co-founder, Fit Bottomed World LLC jenn@fitbottomedgirls.com | http://fitbottomedgirls.com/

  2. Tabitha Blue with Fresh Mommy Blog said her top 3 struggles she has faced in digital marketing is time – making the time for everything, putting all the ideas together and keeping it consistent, Once she writes the blog post, now what with writing  captions for sharing blog posts to social – eye-grabbing and appealing that makes people want to click through to full blog, and lastly figuring out the right topics people want to learn about.

    Again, this is a lifestyle blogger and her business revolves around her and the brand she has created. She has been able to empower mothers all over the world with her content.

    Where she said she could use the most support was creating systems for sharing blog posts, best times and days to post along with having a consistent social media strategy.
    Fresh Mommy Blog This is her happy place where motherhood, food, travel, design, and stylish little things collide. Tabitha is a certified life coach, mom of four and she wants to empower busy women + moms to feel organized to do more of what they love… and feel confident to do it in style! Website: https://freshmommyblog.com/  Email: hello@freshmommyblog.com

  3. Dee Gautham Fitness said her top struggles with digital marketing are finding the balance between personal and business, writing posts around self-expression and still giving the reader enough value, writing purposeful content, and optimizing for revenue vs. followers and what’s that sweet spot.

    Dee is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, Online Coach, published author, and speaker on women’s body image and self-confidence expert, she works with her clients in a group setting or one on one. She has found that Instagram has been the most beneficial to her brand and building brand awareness, really being able to connect and engage with her audience. She is only blogging twice per month but feels that is something that will grow as she grows more.

    Where she said she needed the most support is having a consistent strategy with social media and blogging, self-expression and sales.
    Dee Gautham The mission of Dee Gautham Fitness is to help women get in the best shape of their lives – physically AND mentally – so you can feel, look, and perform your best, and reach your highest potential in this world. https://deegautham.com/

In conclusion, you can see there is a theme about taking time to create the right content strategy and staying consistent with it. Once you do the leg work, in the beginning, it is easy to add more to it and adjust each quarter.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to do a whole year at once, but work on a quarterly basis. Ask yourself, is it time to regain control of your marketing? We have the solution for you!

Often marketing managers and business owners feel as though the content they are creating doesn’t drive the business towards a set goal.

Content is created in a haphazard manner and there isn’t enough accountability or guidance to make sure each aspect of a digital marketing plan is as effective and efficient as possible.

This is why we created the “Roadmap to Digital Marketing”

We’re experts in content creation, SEO, email marketing, sales funnels, WordPress development, and social media. We also have exclusive access to new cutting-edge resources and trends in digital marketing.

Our clients rest easy knowing that their marketing efforts are being handled in the most efficient and effective ways possible for their business. With monthly accountability coaching and quarterly content calendars, we help you to make sure your entire team is following best practices and has access to training materials and tutorials.

Would you like to set up a FREE 30-minute consultation to learn more about this solution for your business or to see what pointers we can give you on your strategy?

Book your FREE session today

We hope you are as excited as we were to create your strategy!

xoxo

What Makes a Strong Social Media Content Strategy_

What Makes a Strong Social Media Content Strategy – SMART goals, brand awareness, building an authentic brand, and more!

 

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Preparing at Work for a Stress-Free Vacation

As professionals, our days revolve around our work and to leave it can feel wrong or like you are going to miss something important. It can make things like vacation cause anxiety which can ruin well-deserved time off.  And let’s face it, we deal with stress and anxiety at our jobs everyday so why wouldn’t we try to have a stress-free vacation?
The good news is, there are things we can do prior to leaving to ease our minds and ensure that our team has everything they need to continue to be productive.

Have a point-person

Most managers have one employee that they have confidence in and tend to trust with larger projects or important deadlines. When prepping for vacation, have a discussion with that employee to see if they would be willing to answer as a leader in your absence. The tasks for this employee can differ based on what you think is needed most.  Examples of those tasks may be:

  • Conflict resolution
  • Scheduling for employees
  • Contact for clients
  • Responsible for goals set

Set Team Goals

By setting specific goals for your team in your absence, you help leave a focus for your team and ensure productivity stays high. These goals can be normal goals but setting new/short-term goals will give your team a new sense of motivation while also providing an end date. Picture coming back from vacation with a new goal met and your team proud of the work they have accomplished!

SMART GOALS

When setting team goals, even if they are short-term, you should always remember to follow: SMART goals

  • Specific:  State clearly what you expect from your staff.  Include your point-person when making the goals so you are both on the same page and they feel confident in the goal.
  • Measurable: Use metrics/numbers for your goals so there is no confusion on what the goal is.
  • Achievable:  Make sure your team can hit the goal.  If they hit it, morale will go up leaving your team proud of the work they accomplished.
  • Relevant:  Setting a new goal can mean that you have your team tackle a project that has been put aside but make sure their goal is relevant to their long-term goals.
  • Time-bound:  Give a firm timeline of when you expect the goal be accomplished.

Open Communication

Leading up to your vacation, make it known that you will be out of town. Give exact dates of when your last working day is and the first day back. By doing this, it will open communication between your team and encourage them to get their questions in before you go and know when they can connect with you when you get back. By opening communication, your team will hopefully bring to light any issues they are dealing with or foresee happening and can deal with it before vacation.

Schedule a Check-In Day

As much as most of us want to completely unplug during vacation, it is hard when you have work goals and a team trying to make them happen. To help ease your mind and make it easier to come back to work, schedule a check-in day (or two) with your point-person. Make this a quick 30 min call to address any issues, get updates on productivity, and re-assess temporary goals if needed. This call can put your mind at ease but make sure that it is short and to the point as you are supposed to be relaxing and trusting your point to take the lead.

Prioritize Any Issues

As much as we want to think no issues will arise and all will be fine, business is full of issues or situations that need to be addressed by the manager. In this case, if situations come up, you need to be able to prioritize them. Figure out which ones need attention ASAP, which ones you can delegate, and which ones can wait until you are back.

Conclusion

We all deserve a vacation and to be able to unplug. By taking these preparatory steps in order to set your team up for success, you will be able to enjoy your vacation and come back to a successful team.  If you have tips that have helped you enjoy a stress-free vacation, send them our way so we can add them!

 

Preparing for a Stress-Free Vacation #vacation #workprep #management

SMART GOAL Setting for your team #vacation #management #SMARTGOALS

Point Person Tasks #empowerment #tasks #righthandperson

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Implementing good habits for business owners and their teams

Implementing good habits for business owners and their teams

I feel like this year is different than other “New Years”, I always create a vision board, write down my goals for the year and what I want to change or implement for the New Year, but this year I am really focusing on creating healthy habits for my life.

2018 was a HUGE year for me personally just around personal growth.

After reading a ton of self-growth books, leadership books, business strategy books, and more, one thing that almost every book mentioned was to implement good habits and how it would play a big role in your personal life and flow over into your business life.

I have heard it takes at least 21 days to implement any habit. 

Whether we are setting good habits or breaking bad habits, I know for a fact it is all about repetition and STOP procrastinating!

Today, I want to talk about the top 10 habits to have in your life, you will notice there are more personal than business.

Here are the top 10 habits to implement in this new year and continue every year:

1) The first thing first is creating a good morning routine.

This means waking up early, some entrepreneurs wake up between 4-5am, that is a little TOO early for me still, I get up between 6-6:20 am each morning.

If you feel you are not a morning person, a little tip is set your alarm 15 minutes earlier each day WITHOUT hitting Snooze, until you start getting up at that earlier time each day.

By getting up earlier allows you time to set your daily intentions, I do this through morning journaling, taking 5-10 min each morning to write down my thoughts, intentions, action items for the day. This is also a great time to get inspired by listening to a TED Talk, audiobook, meditation, affirmations, anything that inspires you for the day, rotate through your favorite things!

Tony Robbins has referred to the first part of your day as the magic hour, or where the magic happens, I have also heard this being called the power hour!

I know for myself if I have an hour of undisturbed time, no calls, kids, social media, meetings, etc it is AMAZING what I can get done in one hour. When I wake up early and after my morning routine I can get done almost half of my daily work before anyone even wakes up on a good day 🙂

2) Let’s talk about our Time Management

This piece is something we can all struggle with, being able to get everything done, or having those days where it’s 7 pm and we wonder what the heck did we accomplish today.

A few things that can help us with managing our time:

  • one thing I have learned is time chunking, or time batching. This process is where you block out a certain amount of time to focus on one project or task at a time. Even us awesome multitaskers need to time batch to make sure we are putting 100% towards that task and not allowing distractions.
  • It helps to have a clear plan for each day, you can start by writing your intentions for the day or write the top 3 things you want to accomplish for the day are, rather than having a LONG to do list you can manage to check off 3 things per day, there is a great tool to help you accomplish this called the Eisenhower Matrix.
  • Some have also followed the “Eat That Frog” book by tackling the one thing you have been putting off and getting that done each day. It’s really about stopping the procrastination and checking things off your list.

 

3) The education

We never know everything and there is always room for growth! A part of being successful is learning new things, asking questions, and always educating yourself. 

  • Be curious – even if you think you know the answer or how to do something ask someone or your team how they do. This is something people like myself AKA control freaks struggle with, we like things done our way and our way only, well with that mindset there is no room for growth. There can be many ways to get one thing accomplished.
  • Read – take time to read blogs both about your industry but also other topics that you have interest in, listen to audiobooks, podcasts, YouTube videos.
  • I know it sounds cliche, but learn something new every day

4) Set Boundaries

  • You need to have clear boundaries with your clients, customers, contractors, and employees, you are not around 24/7, they will respect this, trust me! 
  • Technology – this is a BIG task for anyone with a computer, tablet, mobile device and also anyone that has email or social media. We are constantly drawn to our phones, checking emails, social media, the list goes on. Define your hours for these tasks.
  • Setting boundaries allows you the freedom and flexibility in your life. We need to respect our time.

5) Your Tribe

It’s important as a business owner/leader to create a good tribe of people in your life. This may mean you have different tribes like:

  • Friends and family
  • Co-workers or team
  • Networking or colleagues
  • Whoever you choose to be a part of your tribe make sure they are on the same page as you, they have similar core values, they are positive, uplifting, and most important supportive of you and your life.

We can get so bogged down with toxic people in our lives that tend to drain our energy, they don’t mean to do it on purpose, it’s just where they are in their lives. In order for us to succeed and step to that next level, we need to surround ourselves with positive and supportive people. AKA our Tribe.

6) Healthy Lifestyle

I know this can be on everyone’s New Year Resolutions list, but as I get older each year, I realize how important it is to take care of my body, this is the only body we get and the only mind, we need to stay sharp! We can accomplish this by 

  • Eating healthier – being conscious of the food we put into our bodies
  • Drinking enough water – more than the normal 64 oz a day
  • Exercising or being active – walking, yoga, kayaking, hiking, biking, gym, etc. Keep your body moving
  • Taking control of your life – it’s too easy to get comfortable and slack, eat out, eat fast food, I am not saying to never do those things but in moderation. 

To show up and give 100% every day we need to make sure we are giving our body the nutrients it needs to be able to do that!

7) Know Your WHYCreating Healthy Habits in your life

This is something I honestly had struggled with until this year, I never thought of my Why or how it would impact my business along with my team. There is a tool called Why Institute this helped me discover my Why. It also relates to your core values. 

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What impact do you want to have in the world, both small and large?
  • Why did you start your business?
  • What’s one thing that motivates you the most?
  • Why is it important to you to be successful?
  • What does success look like to you?

The deeper you dig the clearer your why will be, the more honest you are with yourself the better.

A few resources:

8) Me Time

I know this may sound a little selfish, and maybe it is, but this is a big piece that is often forgotten, especially if you are a woman business owner, we get so caught up is work, family, taking care of everything that we forget to take time for ourselves. This goes back to tip 6 about having a healthy lifestyle. Taking “Me Time” is apart of creating that lifestyle. 

This can be things like:

  • Going on a walk
  • Reading a book
  • Grabbing a cup of coffee and reading
  • Unplugging from ALL devices and distractions
  • taking a bath
  • Traveling
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • This “Me Time” is all about feeding your soul!

You can also use this time to discover a hobby or interest, maybe you enjoy coloring, painting, making jewelry, etc. I know for myself when my daughter was born in 2012, I wanted to make her soap, shampoo, lotion, and use the best essential oils for her, her skin was sensitive, now I can’t bake or cook for the life of me, but making soaps, essential oil rollers, bug spray, lotion, and whatever else I found on Pinterest was very relaxing for me. It allowed me to take my mind off work and try something new, and still to this day I make our own goat milk soap and now I make it for all of our family members including my dad because they love it! It brings me joy to be able to make our own soap. This is “Me time”.

9) Focus on positivity and being grateful

With the world of technology, it is easy to get caught up in the social media scroll, looking at what everyone else is doing and we start to compare ourselves and get jealous. There is no need for this. This habit of focusing on positivity and being grateful will help elevate you to the next level. It is all about changing your mindset, and really implementing these habits are all about your mindset and commitment to yourself. 

Start every day in your journaling routine to write down 3 things you are grateful for, do this each and every day. Look around and see your accomplishments, family, friends, a roof over your head, food on the table, it’s the little things we take for granted and those are the things we should be grateful for every day!

A few ways to increase your positive in your life:

  • Speak with positive words
  • Think positive thoughts
  • Come from a place of abundance
  • Say affirmations each day
  • Be kind to others
  • Give yourself grace and praise for what you have been able to accomplish
  • Work on visualization
  • Think before you speak
  • Compliment someone each day
  • Let go of the things you cannot control

By focusing on the positive things in your life you are raising your energy levels to focus on the good and reach your idea of success.

10) Evaluate, Reflect, and Improve

As you journal, and start to implement these good healthy habits in your life take a moment at the end of each day to reflect and evaluate your day:

  • How did it go?
  • What conflicts did you have?
  • What did you like most about your day?
  • What was a challenge you had?

Successful business owners are always looking to see what they missed or how they can improve their character. Even if you have a day where you didn’t feel you accomplished much, or maybe didn’t have much communication or interaction with anyone, still take time for self-reflection. It can be very useful to jot down these reflections to be able to look back and evaluate them and then the following year you can continue to improve them. Just to be clear, this is NOT the time to beat yourself up or point out the wrong things you did or didn’t do, but to simply reflect on your day and see where there is room for improvement.

This gives your mind that mental clarity, feel free to discuss with someone from your tribe if you need to talk through something.

 

Conclusion

I have outline 10 awesome good, healthy, positive habits to start implementing into your daily life and I would love to see how they have changed your life, or which ones you are implementing. I am working on all of these myself, so we are in this together!

Cheers to a healthy lifestyle, successful habits, and truly creating the life you have always desired!

Implementing good habits for business owners and their teams

Implementing good habits for business owners and their teams
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Personal Branding Tips

We have been talking to our clients a lot about building their personal brand and how to do that. In this video, below I share with you 7 tips on building your personal brand.

Personal Branding Tips

1. Work on building relationships
2. Really understand your value that you offer
3. Be authentic and transparent
4. Include personal pictures and videos into your digital marketing
5. Live your brand in your everyday life
6. Be consistent with your marketing, social media posts, blogs, videos, newsletters, etc.
7. Listen to your audience

BONUS– share your why and your story!

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Entrepreneur Series Interview with Jeff and Nancy Stolbom – KNOWN

It’s interesting how your life plays out when you think you will be working for corporate forever, and then something changes and you find yourself as a business owner. Creating a life you never thought of and at the same time would never trade in!

More about KNOW

KNOWN is a web development company. we specialize in digitally empowering
small businesses in more than 80 different industries to maximize their
visibility and credibility in the digital marketplace. We provide a
variety of services from web design, web development, SEO, SEM, E-Commerce
development, and mobile apps.

KNOWN was founded in 2010 from the idea that all small businesses should
have a great online presence. The founder, having spent more than 20 years
in the technology sector, observed the services being provided small
businesses for years, and realized that a very important part of their
marketing was either completely missing or not getting the attention it
deserved.

The web developer market space is full of uncertainty due to gimmicks,
overused technical sales jargon, and promises that can’t be kept. all of
this leads to unmet expectations and the unwillingness to invest in your
business’s marketing and technology. KNOWN will guarantee that you will
not get any of that from us.

We are a small business like many of you and have many of the same
challenges you face each day. At KNOWN, we are honest, transparent,
affordable, trustworthy, accessible and experienced.

We promise only what we can deliver!

Contact information:
Website is www.GetFoundBeKnown.com
866-217-0955   Toll Free
Jeff@GetFoundBeKnown.com or nancy.stolbom@getfoundbeknown.com

Like Us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Knownllc
Follow Us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Known_LLC
Connect with Us on LinkedIn at
https://www.linkedin.com/company/known-technology

 

 

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Mompreneur Interview Series: Kim Engle – Pure Harmony Massage

I love when women follow their hearts and it leads them down a path they had never imagined when the universe aligns you with what you need to be doing and it works out. Even when you think it may not. In this interview, Kim tells her story of how she became a small business owner.

 

More About Kim

Growing up, Kim never imagined being a therapist. Actually, when she was in kindergarten she wanted to be a tree.

Her parents believe in natural healing, so, growing up Kim did get massage and chiropractic. Kim went to college to be a teacher but after a few years, she came to the conclusion that college wasn’t for her.

Kim’s still not sure what drew her to massage, but, after her first day of massage school, she realized she had found her passion.

Her passion is healing and facilitating the well being and harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. Kim uses her intuition to guide her through each session. Every client is different so no session will be the same. Through Kim’s technique of massage therapy and reiki, physical stresses of the body and mind are relieved. This allows the body to naturally begin the process of healing.

Kim has discovered through her experience that when you commit to getting massage therapy on a regular basis you will feel healthier, happier, and revitalized. She invites you to experience and enjoy the difference.
​
Kim is a nationally certified & licensed massage therapist. She graduated from the Core Institute of Massage Therapy in 2001. She is certified in pregnancy and infant massage which is now one of her specialties as well as being a Doula. Kim is proud of having the privilege to provide and help women have a positive birthing experience. Kim was trained in Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy™ in 2006. For a complete healing experience, Kim can balance the flow of energy using Teiki and Meditation.

Connect with Pure Harmony

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Mompreneur Interview Kim Engle Pure Harmony Massage

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