Category: Business

In Part 1 of this blog topic, we talked about the definition of the “like, know & trust” framework, and 6 ways you can build it.

Today I’m going to talk about one specific way you can build this framework, and that is through freebies. I’ve talked about these several times before! Freebies refer to a free resource, like a blog, video, downloadable, etc. that you provide to your ideal customers in exchange for their email address.

Building Like Know & Trust through Freebies

Your success as a business owner is directly related to the value you provide to the marketplace, so think about these questions: What value do your customers get as they consume your content? What will make them trust you? And then want to work with you? And then want to refer you? And then want to keep coming back for more?

It is essentially anything that you think will be valuable and relevant to your ideal customer. It’s a piece of important content that can be exchanged for contact information. The easiest way to put a freebie together is to consider repurposing content you already have. You and I both know how long it takes to create an incredible piece of content. Once we hit publish and put it out into the world, it just stays in that one location. But what if instead of never looking at that piece of content again, you leverage it to work harder for you by packaging it up into different shapes and sizes. For example, you can transcribe audio, or craft an email from blogs, or create quotes and graphics from old content.

An Exercise to Help You

Let’s move on to the exercise where we are going to create freebies for our audience. When thinking about the types of freebie you can provide, I want you to consider the following prompts for ideas.

What is the most urgent piece of information that my ideal customer wants? So in other words, what do they need to know so desperately that they can integrate into their lives right now. Step-by-step self-guided relief protocol? A 5-step solution to a problem they have?
What will immediately make their lives easier, more convenient, and more enjoyable before they even work with you? Guided meditation? A discount code to products you partner with?
What resource do they need before they work with you?

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

3 Fun & Easy Business Building Activities You Can Do Right Now

by Christina Giordano

February 16, 2021

Business building is mostly perceived as hard, challenging, tough, etc. It doesn’t always have to be! In this blog, I’ve come up with a few “fun” business-building activities that you can integrate into your daily schedule right now.

Subscribe to a business-oriented podcast. I’m definitely a fan of podcasts, but if you’re into reading you can subscribe to blogs or e-newsletters or even groups, like this one, too. But I don’t want you to just look up random business themed content. I want you to begin to follow leaders and entrepreneurs that you will actually enjoy listening to or reading from. This is what will make it worthwhile. And it doesn’t have to be only one – you can follow various leaders. The point is that you are taking a step towards learning more and therefore continuing your business education in an easy and effective way. And bonus? It’s free content, and still tremendously valuable.
Make yourself more visible. Ok, so I know that this doesn’t sound fun to a lot of people, but it totally can be if you go into it with an open mind. Whatever social media platforms you use, start posting more frequently. Share pictures, infographics, quote images, videos, whatever you find inspirational. This isn’t about posting just to post. This is about getting comfortable with putting yourself out there in a way that shows who you are, what you’re about, what you believe in, and what inspires you. You can absolutely create and follow a content strategy for this if you have one. I personally plan content at the end of each week for the following week.
Follow and engage with people in your industry. Mention them, share their work, and comment on their posts. Social networks are meant for engagement, and people love it. I get thrilled every time I see someone sharing my content on their platforms. It brings me so much joy. So, spread the love. Who can you share about? Or talk about? Or mention? You might be surprised by the conversations that happen because of this.

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

How to Create More “Flow” States in Your Life & Business

by Christina Giordano

January 22, 2021

There are two types of flow that I’m going to talk about today.

The first form of flow is the one that is achieved when you are fully immersed in a task and you’ve basically completely forgotten about the outside world. You also feel happy and in control and even more productive and creative.

Has this happened to you before?

When you need to achieve this state of flow, I want you to consider these suggestions:

Choose work that you love. I mean this even in regards to the marketing work you do too. If you dread something, you’ll have a really hard time getting into flow with it. And listen, I know that not all of us like the idea of marketing, but I truly believe that there is something you can do that is marketing-related that you actually enjoy. And perhaps it takes some brainstorming to figure out what that is, but if you pretend as if there are no rules in marketing, then you have the opportunity to get really creative.
Find your quiet, peak time. This is the time of day when you actually have the time, flexibility and space to work on the tasks you need to work on. For me, this is when my son is napping. I literally have a gearing-up phase for this so that I am at my most productive and conscious. I will most likely make a cup of green tea or coffee. I’ll most likely meditate. And I will definitely set up my space in a way that is thoughtful and not chaotic.
Relish in the feeling of flow. When you lose yourself in this type of flow, it’s truly amazing. It feels so good to pour yourself into something that is worthwhile. Acknowledging the feeling of flow makes it easier for it to return to you. So, when I’m sitting there and the writing is so easy and just coming out of me, I get aware and conscious of that. And I say to myself, this feels so great to feel this way. And being aware of my state of mind in this conscious way, helps me dive into the feeling of flow more quickly each time and also makes it last longer.

The second form of flow is the one that you experience day in and day out. It’s the feeling that you are truly in flow with your life. Imagine lying on your back in a stream. Flow is when you’re just moving along with the current. You’re not flailing or trying to swim upstream. You’re just moving along with the water. You want to “be like water,” which means be changeable and adaptable, and most importantly flowing in the direction you’re meant to go.

I wanted to provide a few tips here as well that I’ve learned from spiritual teachers.

When you think you’ve surrendered, surrender more. When you think that you’ve given it all up to the Universe or God or your angels, release it even more. So, when I’m worried about anything, I release the need to control the outcome and the how, and I completely surrender with the knowing that I will be okay.
Consider your Middle Space. This is something I learned about recently, but it has helped me tremendously. This is the state of mind where we are our most centered and aligned selves. So, this is when we have perspective. Our energy isn’t moving too far one way or the other. It’s neutrality. You essentially distance yourself from the highs and lows and that you might experience so that you can get a clear perspective of how your beliefs and habits might cloud your vision or how your actions might work against your true desires – all judgement-free.
Consider the 3 Ps of Perseverance. This is a sneak peak to a module in my upcoming signature program that I’m launching soon, but the 3 Ps of Perseverance are Power, Patience and Persistence. When you combine all three, and embrace them on your journey, you truly become unstoppable. So consider those words and how you might need to uplevel any one of them in your life. Perhaps you need to exhibit more patience, or maybe you need to step into your power more, or maybe you just need to remember to be persistent.

How do you step into a state of flow?

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

The Quarterly Review Guide for the Aligned Entrepreneur

by Christina Giordano

January 7, 2021

All About The Quarterly Review

What is a Quarterly Review?

First things first: What is a quarterly review? This is about having regularly scheduled review sessions with yourself. I personally recommend quarterly reviews, which is what I’m going to focus on today, but you can do these review sessions monthly, but at least annually, so that you’re on the right track for business growth.

So what are these quarterly review sessions you’ll have with yourself? This is essentially a one to two-hour session you reserve with yourself, on a regular, quarterly basis, and you answer the prompts I’ll provide for you today. You can also integrate other planning and review activities into this session, such as content planning, or a marketing strategy session, or an accounting review. Or perhaps you integrate a whole state of affairs review session. The bottom line is to get clear – that’s the key word here – on where you have been, where you are now, and where you want to go.

And what does this have to do with marketing? Well let me tell you, building a business is marketing. And if you’re clear on how you’re building your business, you’re also clear on how you’re marketing it. Need I say more?

Why do we need a Quarterly Review?

So, first things first, what happens during a quarterly review? There are a few purposes to these. First, it gives you an opportunity to look at and review the current state of your business. Second, it gives you the opportunity to plan and initiate future strategies.

Now, this does require some sort of business vision that you have in mind for yourself. For today’s purposes, I’m just going to recommend that you think about what you want and why you want it. Envision what you would like your business to look like in 3 years or 5 years down the line. Without this general vision in mind, you’re not actually going to be working towards anything. And the goal here is to work towards your ultimate dream life – living the way you want, where you want, on your terms, and fulfilling your highest potential. So, if you’re just getting started on this journey of wanting to be more intentional about your business, think about that vision first.

How to Do a Quarterly Review

Now that you know the purpose of a quarterly review, do you see how you might be able to integrate them into your business? Quarterly reviews aren’t just for CEOs and they aren’t just about Profit & Loss spreadsheets. They’re a great opportunity for you to be intentional and purposeful about your business so that you can keep it meaningful.

So what does a quarterly review session look like? Simply block off 1 to 2 hours during a day of the week when you can do this and actually commit to it, and then ensure that it is repeated prior to the following quarter every year. So, ideally this session would take place at the end of December in preparation for Quarter 1, at the end of March in preparation for Quarter 2, at the end of June in preparation for Quarter 3, and at the end of September in preparation for Quarter 4. Simply block off this time to work on your business. I prefer to write out my quarterly reviews on my computer so that I save everything. I simply open a fresh online document. Name the document Q4 Review & Goals. And then here are the questions to ask yourself. This is essentially a reflective and brainstorming session. There are no bad ideas or thoughts. Simply let yourself go and know that what you are writing is your truth.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Past:

What are you most proud of accomplishing this quarter?
What have you truly enjoyed about this quarter? How did this make you feel?
What have you not enjoyed about this quarter? How did this make you feel?
What vulnerability or fear has emerged this quarter? How did this make you feel?

Present:

How do you feel about the direction of your life?
How do you feel about the direction of your business?
What are you grateful for?

Future:

What would you be so proud to accomplish this upcoming quarter?
From the list of things you enjoyed this quarter, how can you continue and/or integrate more of it? How would that make you feel?
From the list of things you did not enjoy about this quarter, how can you diminish or decrease it? How would that make you feel?
Based on the vulnerability or fear that has emerged this past quarter, what would it take to look it directly in the face and become more brave this upcoming quarter?

These questions are so important to your growth, not only professionally but also personally. This is your moment to truly grow. Once you get clear on how you want to proceed with your business, the planning becomes much easier. You’ll repeat these actions every quarter to incorporate both growth and consistency into your life and business.

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

How to Identify Your Niche

by Christina Giordano

October 8, 2020

Today I’m going to be talking about your niche, and we’re going to cover a few things. First, I’ll talk about what a niche is, then I’ll talk about why you need one, and then I’ll go into some questions to ask yourself to help you find yours. Following the more practical aspect of this, I’ll talk about it from a soulpreneur perspective, so that you can digest this in a way that is aligned.

What is a Niche?

A niche is essentially a segment of a larger market distinctive of its own unique needs, preferences and identity. It’s small, specific and very well known to you.

Here’s the thing – while it’s lovely to want to help everyone, focusing your love and energy on a specific group is a much more effective way to go. A niche is essentially a larger group of your ideal customers who all have a specific and common challenge or dream.

How to Find Your Niche

Here are some questions to ask yourself to find out your niche:

What’s the personality of your audience?
How does your audience want to feel?
What stressed them out and keeps them up at night?
What do they secretly wish for?
What common life experiences or background do you and your audience share?
Who do they love and what do they buy already?
How are you similar and different to who they already love and what they already buy?
Now start focusing on what you can offer them. What does your audience nee and what can you give them?
If your offerings exist on the market, what’s your audience buying and from whom?
What makes you and your products different? What makes your offerings unique?
What does you audience need that isn’t available yet or accessible to them?
There needs to be ease and joy in creating your offerings, what feels good for you and utilizes your gifts and talents?

An Aligned Approach to Finding Your Niche

There’s a quote that works very well with this topic, by Frederick Beuchner. He says: “Your vocation in life comes from where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.” This refers to something that I like to call the “sweet spot” in business. It’s somewhere in the middle of what you most want to deliver and what your customers most want to buy.

For those of us who feel that our work is our calling rather than just a means to an end, finding a niche is so important. It’s all about identifying what matters to you at the core of your being. If you believe your soul work is linked to your physical work, you have something to do here. And that one thing that matters to you is the anchor.

Until you identify this message that you are meant to express here, your business will be too dispersed. Of course, this process is a journey, just as our life purpose is a journey rather than a category. When you find your voice and define your work around how you choose to make an impact, your business comes alive in a new way. When you own the truth of who you are and what you are here to do, what you actually do here becomes aligned. And you become empowered.

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

Using Brand Archetypes in Your Business

by Christina Giordano

August 27, 2020

The tips that I’m about to share with you in today’s blog about brand archetypes are specifically related to your personality as a brand. All brands have personalities. These can also be viewed as a brand image. I personally like the term personality because it’s often easier for me to step into a personality than it is an image when I write.

Brand Archetypes & Copywriting

If you’ve ever heard of the 12 archetypes, these are essentially characters with goals, fears and strategies. Each of us is able to identify with at least one archetype. I personally work with 3 different archetypes in my copywriting, using more or less of one in different platforms and promotions. I’ll share details on those later on.

Once you figure out which brand archetype you are most aligned with, you can then craft your brand, your messaging and your offerings in a way that creates understanding and familiarity. When people understand your brand, you can build that like, know and trust factor that is so necessary in today’s marketplaces.

Now I’m going to describe each of the 12 archetypes, but I encourage you to also do some research if one or two of them feels aligned with who you are and what you believe you are meant to do. I personally get my information about the archetypes from Kaye Putnam. She is a Psychology Driven Brand Strategist and she has an amazing quiz on her site that will help you tap into your brand character. The descriptions that I’m about to provide you with originated from her and her site.

The Brand Archetypes Explained (via Kaye Putnam)

The Caregiver is empathetic, generous, and committed. You serve your people by putting the focus on them and their needs. Those you serve feel safe and supported in their pursuits.
The Creator is inventive, unique, and vibrant. You intend to inspire creativity in everyone around you. You help us realize our unique vision, and to express ourselves and our individuality.
The Entertainer is humorous, light-hearted, and the life of any party. You’re playful and excited to help others get more enjoyment out of life!
The Everyman is friendly, down-to-earth, and loyal. You remind us to do the hard work and stay humble. You’re right at home building a community that is accepting, honest, and vulnerable.
The Explorer is the trailblazer and adventurer. You are among the few who dare investigate the world. You help us find more of the freedom and fulfillment we seek.
The Hero is a warrior and the victor. Your goal is to show your clients the ample rewards that come from hard work and discipline. You inspire us, as you overcome challenges like a champion.
The Innocent is optimistic and pure. You show us that being a good person and seeing the bright side brings out the best in others. Your brand loves simplicity – the world doesn’t have to be complicated.
The Lover is passionate and devoted to your people. You cherish pleasure and relationships. You desire a world where people appreciate beauty in life, so aesthetics are crucial to blazoning your brand message.
The Magician is a visionary, an inventor, or even a spiritual guide. Your goal is to transform lives.
The Maverick is bold, revolutionary, and unapologetic. You do things your way. In your wake, the status quo is disrupted. If something isn’t working, it’s overturned. Those with you find freedom.
The Royal is sophisticated, ambitious, and influential. Your goal is to build a prosperous and successful community. You lead by example. Your captivated audience aspires to be a part of your inner circle.
The Sage is analytical and wise. You know how to employ the truth to make your impact. You are the expert, the thinker. You value knowledge and facts, and your aim is to share those insights with the world.

How I Work with Brand Archetypes

Now, as I said earlier, I work with 3 archetypes, and I’ll tell you what they are: The Explorer, The Creator, and The Magician. When I use these archetypes, I’m putting myself in the mindset of those specific personalities, and I’m also leveraging their colors, typefaces, symbols and words that come with them. For example, the Explorer carries with it more earthy tones, so you’ll see a lot of earthy and neutral tones in my brand. I also enjoy using Explorer symbols, so you’ll see lots of star emojis within my content and on social media. Now, the Creator in me is a little more vibrant and unpredictable, so you’ll see brush strokes in my designs and pops of color here and there. The fonts I also use have a unique and expressive flow and vibe as well. And when it comes to the Magician, I pay more attention to the words associated with it, such as: Alignment, Empower, Vision, Imagine, Discover – things like that.

Think about what archetype you might want to integrate into your copy and brand. Aside from building a like, know and trust factor, the archetypes really do help you establish more of an emotional connection with your ideal customers. Do some research and have fun with this.

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

Media Relations 101

by Christina Giordano

August 13, 2020

Looking to tap into media relations, leverage publicity and press to increase attention around your business? This blog is for you!

Why Publicity?

Here are 4 potentially reasons:

Because it gives you and your business credibility,
Because it raises public perception, positioning you as a thought leader,
Because it’s a less expensive and time consuming way to gain visibility, and
Because it unlocks opportunities in your business, perhaps opening doors for you with people who would find you specifically through the media.

Media Goals

So now that you know why you might want publicity, let’s talk about some possible goals you might have with publicity:

Maybe you want to get clients as a service-based business, coach or consultant. → If this is your goal, you might want more long-form media like podcasts so that you can use that time to build a know, like a trust factor. This will produce much more credibility for you than a quote.
Maybe you want to get a book deal or high-profile speaking gig. → If this is your goal, you might want to focus on national publications, where typically publishers and event planners are looking. So, think glossy magazines, television morning shows, NPR, top newspapers, etc.
Maybe you want to sell physical products → If this is your goal, you might want to look for gift guides or product round ups, or business owner features. You might also want to connect with influencers, which are the influential people who show up on social media with large followings. This is slightly outside of the scope of PR, because you may need to pay for this, and I won’t dive too much into influencer marketing today.
Maybe you want to become a paid freelance writer → This is where you pitch yourself as a content creator in your field. Instead of being the subject matter of the story, you would be the subject matter expert. You’ll see examples of this on Forbes, Inc. and other entrepreneur magazines and publications.

So, the first part in media relations is getting clear on your goals.

Building a Portfolio

There’s a PR technique called Stacking, where you work your way up through various media levels. You start with niche audiences (like podcasts and guest blogs) and work your way up from there.

You want to do this Stacking technique because larger publications or TV channels will want to see your reel. They’ll want to see how you operate as a guest. If you haven’t racked up these local, smaller appearances, you won’t have anything to showcase. So, you’ll want to build up your portfolio from the ground up.

So how do you start stacking? Well, you start making press connections, and you want to make sure you do the following tactics in order to accomplish this:

Be discoverable. This just means: don’t be invisible. Are people (particularly those in media) able to find you online? Are they able to know exactly what it is that you do and how to reach you?
Research. This means building your media wish list. I’ve talked about this before: Twitter is a PR goldmine. Everyone in the media is on it, so start there.
Think about “What is in it for them?” The #1 complaint from press is that people ask them for things but offer nothing in return. The press needs people watching their shows, so how does your feature or story or content benefit their audience?
Connect with people in the media, and look at it like a courtship. This goes beyond just researching media. You want to follow, like, share their content. Give feedback and reviews. You want to slowly build a relationship so that they know who you are and how they can work with you.

Headline Worthy Plotlines

Now, after you build the relationship and when you’re ready to make your pitch, you want to think about how you can become “headline-worthy.” And listen to me when I say this: everyone has interesting stories to tell. Yes, even you! And I’m going to give you a few ways to brainstorm those stories through the following plot lines.

Plotline #1: Overcoming the monster – This kind of story is where the main character sets out to defeat the villain. So, if this applies to you, what monster were you facing and how did you overcome it?
Plotline #2: The heroic quest – This is where the main character sets out on a quest to find or do something and hit roadblocks along the way. This is basic entrepreneurship, so think about your quest and if it’s headline-worthy.
Plotline #3: Renewal – This is the come-back story – business takes a hit, pivoted, made a comeback.
Plotline #4: Rags to riches story – This is the classic cinderella story.
Plotline #5: Origin – This one is interesting because no two origins are alike. Think about how you got started and the most pivotal moments.

Does this help you think about media relations differently? I hope it does. PR seems like something that only experts and publicists can do, but it’s not true at all. I’ve been able to secure placements on TV news stations and high profile publications for my clients, and I did it with zero experience.

5-Part Pitching Email Template:

Part 1: Subject line: Begin your pitch with a clear and compelling subject line that captures your story idea.

Part 2: Opening: Always open your pitch with a concise introduction of who you are and how you serve. This should be 25 words max.

Part 3: Get Personal: You want to include something personal to let the reader know you’ve done the research.

Part 4: Story Idea: After your introduction & personalization, give them your story idea in no more than 2 paragraphs. And you can use bullet points to break this up if necessary.

Part 5: Closing: This is just a simple, but clear, call to action or question, such as “Would you be interested in having me on as a guest?” with your contact info included.

And so how do you tap into media relationship from a soulpreneur standpoint? This one is very easy and it’s really about being as authentic as possible. Find media outlets and people that truly resonate with you, and don’t just select ones that are easy to get placed in or with. You want them to really vibe the way you do. And again, whatever you put out there, always do it from the heart.

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

SEO 101: Basics + 3 Best Practices

by Christina Giordano

July 23, 2020

This blog is a beginner level review on what SEO is and what it can do for you, along with 3 best practices (both beginner and advanced) that you can integrate into your strategy.

3 Components to SEO

On-page SEO refers to the content that’s “on the page,” and how to optimize that content to help boost the website’s ranking for specific keywords.
Off-page SEO refers to the links that are directed to the website from elsewhere on the internet. The number of “backlinks,” and the authority of the publishers carrying those links, help you build trust in the eyes of a search engine.
Technical SEO refers to the technical aspects of a website and improving them in order to increase the ranking of its pages, so actions such as making it faster, easier to crawl, and understandable by search engines.

While there is no “secret sauce” to ranking in search results, I’m going to talk about a few best practices that you can implement regularly. Outside of these recommendations, you should stay current on SEO news and best practices through continuing education and monitoring trends.

SEO Basics

SEO is not a one-time job. Whether you’re creating a brand new site or updating a current one, you’ll want to make sure your site has a strong foundation through technical SEO. You’ll also want to review your processes as you create new content and update old info through on-site and off-site SEO. And finally, you’ll want to measure and track your efforts on a consistent basis to ensure that your SEO practices are in fact helping you.

So, what is SEO? I’ll explain it to you this way: when you have a question, I’m guessing you go to Google to find the answer. Well, your potential clients do the exact same thing! Everyone has questions and problems they want solved, and they use search engines to find the answers. SEO is the practice of growing your site’s visibility in the organic search engine results so that when someone types in a query that is relevant to your work, you’ll show up in search results.

How do search engines work? Search engines, such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo, send out robots, also known as spiders, to crawl websites for content. The search engines then store and build an index, or library, out of this info. When someone enters a query into a search box, the search engines use complex proprietary algorithms to display results pulled from their databases. The ranking of these results is affected by the content’s relevance and popularity. Now, the algorithms for search engines change all the time, and I would highly recommend staying up to date on these changes by subscribing to their news and updates.

3 Best Practices for SEO

A common on-site SEO strategy is blogging. Content marketing through blogging can be an incredible way to rank for keywords and engage your website’s users. Every blog post is a new web page that gives you another chance to rank in search engines.
A common off-site SEO strategy is reviews. Within your Google My Business pages, it’s important that you allow your customers to write reviews based on their experience with you. Think of ways you can be creative in asking people to submit a Google review onto your Google Business page.
Another common off-site SEO strategy is back-linking. Search engines calculate rankings based on a bunch of factors, and one of the most important ways is back-linking. A backlink is a link that one website gets from another. The quality of the link is far more important than the quantity. An example of a backlink is this: One blogger writes about you or your services (or classes), and then links to your website within their content. The more authority the website has, the more it helps your website to increase its own ranking.

There you go – a quick review of SEO and 3 best practices you can integrate into your SEO strategy. Hopefully these tactics help you get started with SEO so that you can leverage search engines effectively.

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/

3 Growth Hacks You Need to Try

by Christina Giordano

July 16, 2020

The following is a guest blog from Taktical Digital.

Every company is looking for new ways to grow and differentiate themselves from other brands in their niche. While it’s easy to find articles and blog posts that claim to provide reliable strategies for growth, many of these pieces end up repeating the same generic advice.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best ways to adjust your growth mindset and make large-scale changes that affect every area of your business. Some quick tips can obviously help you make minor adjustments, but it’s critical to look at the big picture if you’re serious about sustainable growth. Don’t forget to check out our free resource guide for more information.

Think in Terms of Data

Effective marketing requires human input, but it’s important to recognize the role of information in developing and fine-tuning campaigns. Data provides concrete, actionable insights into your brand’s marketing performance, helping you identify weak points and make the necessary changes.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise that data-driven strategies lead to a variety of opportunities that simply wouldn’t be available without first gathering information from customers. For example, you can use data to identify customer pain points or compare performance across multiple channels. Improving your data collection practices is the first step toward optimizing your marketing strategies.

Leverage Automation

Social media marketing used to be a relatively niche field, but a strong social media presence is now critical for brands in virtually all areas. Fortunately, contemporary automation software makes it easy to streamline your campaigns on social media and other channels.

For example, marketing automation tools allow users to schedule social media posts and set up comparisons between different variants. In general, automation streamlines a wide range of simple tasks, giving your team the opportunity to spend more time on other areas of your business.

Run Contests

Social media contests are one of the most effective ways to engage your customers, allowing you to reach a large audience for the cost of a few prizes. The best contests involve a prize that’s directly related to the core values of the brand.

A bike company, for example, might give away a free bike rather than simply offering an Amazon gift card or another generic gift. Keeping the contest relevant to your brand helps you connect with people who are more likely to be interested in your products.

Business growth is never a simple or straightforward process, but even a few small adjustments can have a surprising effect on your bottom line. These tips will help you generate more leads and develop campaigns that resonate with your unique audience.

Building a Website that SELLS

by Christina Giordano

July 7, 2020

When it comes to a website, particularly a homepage, you want to think of it as your digital storefront.

The very first thing that visitors should know when they first land on your website is exactly what you can do for them. That’s it. That’s the big secret.

Now there is a standard flow that’s based on psychology but also aesthetics. Here it is:

At the top of the page, before the scroll, is a header describing what you can do for someone. It should immediately answer the prompt: I’m here to help you….
Under this can be prioritized differently, but it’s generally the following:
- A brief about section (so, who you are)
- Your offerings (so, what you offer or your services or products)
- Testimonials (so, how you’ve helped others)
- Blogs, podcasts, videos, links to subscribe (so, what you know)
- How to connect (so, how someone can reach you)

One of the most important things you can do is be crystal clear on the reasons your website exists – for you and your visitor. What are your objectives? What specific goals are you trying to achieve with your website?

Sample objectives include the following (but are not limited to the following!):

Grow your email subscriber list
Sell your product or program
Book a service or appointment
Subscribe to your podcast
Inspire visitors to comment on blog posts
Enroll people in a rewards or loyalty program
Build trust and credibility

You will see that these objectives all involve taking action in some way. This is frequently called a “call to action.” Whether it’s buying something, opting in to something or subscribing to something, your goal is for them to take any action to become a new or future customer.

One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of entrepreneurs make is when they start filling up their website with all kinds of links and graphics and social media icons that drive traffic away. You want your visitors to stay on your website and then take an action on your website.

Ask yourself these questions to discover your website objectives:

What are the top 3 objectives of your website?
Why is my ideal customer visiting my website? What are they hoping to learn, solve or purchase from me?
What emotions are they hoping to feel by visiting my site?
What information do they want from me right away? Use the words or phrases they would use.

The way to figure out if your website is functioning like a digital storefront and actually working for your objectives is through the 3 C’s.

The 3 C’s of an Effective Website

The First C: Connecting to your audience: Your website should be able to instantly connect your ideal customer to your business. You want to make sure that your messaging and the way you format the website is really customer-focused. Think about what your ideal customer wants to see and read.

How to make sure you’re connecting:

Ask five people (preferably ideal customers or favorite clients) for their honest feedback. Send them your site and ask them the following questions:

When you look at my site, do you instantly know what I do, who I serve, and how I can help?
Is there anything confusing about my website?
Can you easily find where to sign up for ___? (This could be the newsletter, opt-in, free report, webinar, etc.)
Does my website seem cluttered or unprofessional in any way?
Is there anything else you’d like to share about the site to help me improve it?

The Second C: Collecting potential leads: As part of your marketing strategy, your website must be able to collect and capture names and email addresses for the purposes of marketing to your customers and reminding them that you can solve their current problem. Besides making sales, growing your list is the most important reason for your website. It’s a way to build that “know, like and trust” factor of your business. Most people won’t purchase from you on the first visit to your website, so collecting emails in an effort to continue marketing to them is a great way to build genuine trust over time.

How to make sure you’re collecting:

Now you have to find out if your website effectively collects people’s names and emails. Aside from sales, your website should also collect sign-ups through opt-ins or forms, enabling your potential customers to have an opportunity to stay engaged with you and hopefully become buyers one day. So, simply conduct tests to ensure that these forms are working.

The Third C: Converting leads into customers: As mentioned, your website is your digital storefront – allowing you to convert leads to sales and generate business. It allows you to really showcase your products and services, make offers, and sell! It should include enough information and make it as easy as possible for the visitor to buy from you.

How to make sure you’re converting:

There are two primary ways for visitors to convert into buyers. One of the ways is through an opt-in or subscription form. The other way is through sales conversions, or the number of people who purchase your products or services. The only way to know you’re converting is to set up an analytics tool to track it.

Google Analytics is a great tool to measure various elements of your website. From tracking demographics to visitor counts, this analytics platform is perfect for small business owners.

And those are the 3 Cs to test your website effectiveness! Hopefully I’ve provided some valuable tips as to how you can get your website to do what it needs to do for you – SELL.

Need more help? Check out my 1:1, group and self-study offerings: https://christinagiordano.com/offerings/