I’m all about messaging. It’s my primary focus in the marketing arena and one that I’m absolutely obsessed with talking about, no pun intended. As a result, I talk a lot about providing value, which usually comes in the form of free content, in an effort to build trust with your market.

Here’s the thing though – relationships take trust and trust takes time build. Because of this, it can get overwhelming to think of new and fresh “value” to provide to your audience every week. Marketing is a long game, and success rarely happens overnight. I know from my own personal experience that brainstorming topic ideas for daily and weekly content can be a struggle. 

But then I remembered… I am the content. I am the value. I am the message.

You Are the Content

Your content isn’t something that is “out there” that needs to be found. It’s not in the feeds you scroll, the books you read, the case studies you pull. It’s not outside of you. It’s within you. It’s from the heart. 

Now, this may seem contradictory to all of the latest and greatest marketing rules that are out there. You are told time and time again to “niche down” and “provide value through content” and “share how-to articles.” All of this has a place in the marketing world, but there is no standard protocol to marketing.

Here’s one rule I want you to remember about marketing: There are no rules. Marketing is ever-changing, ever-evolving. There isn’t a single “right way” to bring people and profits into your business. When you approach marketing from the standpoint of service, you get to approach your messaging from the standpoint of service, too. 

So, instead of constantly asking yourself, “what should I talk about today?” Ask yourself this: “What can I share today that will inspire/light up/motivate another?” 

Maybe it’s a story, maybe it’s a quote (of your own!), maybe it’s a series of questions or prompts, maybe it’s some entertainment, or maybe it’s a freebie. Whatever it is, it comes from within you. But most importantly, notice the wording difference from what you should do to what you can do. 

The point is this: You are the content. The value is you – your stories, your perspective, your experiences, your own transformation, your own light that will light up another.

Subscribe to the CGC newsletter for weekly content and journal prompts to get you closer to your dream business and life: https://christinagiordano.com/join/

If you’re an entrepreneur, you most likely know what a unique selling proposition is. I’ve personally written about it several times, here and here, to name a few. But I doubt you’ve considered your story being part of it.

The Unique Selling Proposition

The USP, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, is: “The factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better than that of the competition.” As an entrepreneur, I’m sure there are several factors about your business that make it different from another. But one sure-fire way to be different without any competition? Sharing your story – and not just your bio. I mean, the things that happened that got you to where you are today.  

If you’re in business to help someone get from one place to another, then I’ve got news for you: You’ve got to put a lot more into that business than a fancy website and a pretty brand board. 

What I’m talking about is the stuff that can only come from within you. It’s what inspired you to do what you do. It’s what got you here today. It’s what makes you relatable and memorable.

Think about the entrepreneurs you follow. I’m guessing you know the ins and outs of what they’ve struggled with. I can repeat stories of tragedy and triumph from Gabby Bernstein, Marie Forleo, Oprah, Brene Brown and dozens of others.

My Story as My USP

In the past few days over social media, I’ve been promoting my free “reconnection protocol” guide that helps people realign with themselves so that they can get clarity, direction and guidance from within their own energy. While talking about this, I realized, (and vocalized) that I don’t talk about all the times that I am out of alignment.  

And I even said out loud, “I’m not sure why I don’t, because it doesn’t say anything about me other than the fact that I’m human.”

But it’s the truth. I don’t admit to feeling defeated, overwhelmed, and stuck here and there. I don’t admit to the comparisonitis or the imposter syndrome or the debilitating perfectionistic tendencies I’ve adapted over my life. If you want to know the full story, click here. (I only recently published this page, as it is now. I had updated it a few months back, but believe it or not, I was still playing it safe. So, I’m sharing it now – raw and true.)

We Connect Through Stories

I know deep down (and from my work as a marketing consultant for over the past 12 years!) that this is how we connect. We hear it all the time too: “People buy from people.” “Facts tell, stories sell.” This shouldn’t be news to us. 

And yet, we avoid it for good reason. It’s scary! It’s not easy sharing your truth. But I can tell you from personal experience: it’s also incredibly freeing. 

Ask yourself: What will it take for you to share your truth? What does your story reveal about your purpose? How can sharing it heal, transform and benefit others?

The journey that I’ve created through my e-learning programs helps entrepreneurs do just that, and it all starts with a free guide to help you learn how to reconnect to yourself, intuitively and frequently. Check out the journey here.

Today I’m going to talk about the most fundamental (and most fun) part of growing a business. It’s absolutely essential to your role as a business owner. What makes it so much fun is that it doesn’t even feel like you’re consciously growing your business. When done correctly, it doesn’t feel like you’re applying tactical strategies or analyzing consumer data or creating a unique selling proposition. It truly feels as though you are just being yourself, and putting yourself out there with nothing but authenticity, creativity and positivity. 

Like, Know & Trust

What I’m referring to is the “like, know & trust” factor. Meaning, you create a relationship with your ideal customer that allows them to like you, know you and trust you. And when they are able to do that, then they engage with you, and then they buy from you, and then they refer you. And all of a sudden you have this wonderful and established relationship with your audience that you’ve built simply by being yourself and having the faith and courage to create it. 

And that’s the thing about marketing. It doesn’t need to feel like marketing. Building this like, know and trust factor is marketing. It’s literally the definition of marketing. And I’m personally not a fan about the term marketing because it feels so data-driven and tactical, but it doesn’t have to be. You just have to be conscious of what you do, who you’re serving, and the solution you’re providing to a very specific problem. 

So how do you create this? Let’s go through each factor and talk about some ways that you can build this. 

Definition of “Like, Know & Trust” Framework

1. Like: When we come across as likeable, what does that look like and feel like? Now, I’m not talking about being a people pleaser and being inauthentic. That’s not what this is. What I’m talking about is the ability for us to be seen in our best light, and to show up in our most authentic way that is also relatable. It’s about showing our true personality and feelings and even being vulnerable. It’s about being kind and thoughtful. It’s about sharing ourselves with the world in a way that sparks likeability with the people that matter to us. 
2. Know: When we want people to know us, we want them to be able to see something that reminds them of us and instantly think of us. It means that they have the ability to feel as though they are friends with us. We want our audience to feel like they know us. When you know someone, what does that look like and feel like? It might feel like you’re comfortable with them. It might feel like you understand them and that you sympathize or empathize with them. And that’s what we’re doing here. So think about the ways that you can allow your audience to know who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in, what you value, and how you show up. Let them get comfortable with you and understand you so that they can feel like they know you.
3. Trust: When we want to be seen as trustworthy, what do we do? Well for starters, we keep our word. We hold ourselves accountable. We show up when we say we’re going to show up. We walk the talk. We demonstrate consistency. We integrate customer service and the customer experience into everything we do. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. But above all, we are seen as people who are dependable, reliable and safe. So think about the ways that you can build a trust factor with your audience. And of course remember that relationships are built on trust and trust takes time to build. This is a process and a journey, like anything in life, and you need to respect and value that. 

So what are some ways that we can build like, know and trust? I’m going to identify six ways right now.

6 Ways to Build this Framework

1. Be consistent. Show up as frequently as you decided that you will. Don’t disappear for months at a time. Keep yourself accountable with regular check-ins, calendar reminders, and whatever else you need to stay on top of it. If your business is your calling, you’re going to show up. In fact, you need to show up. 
2. Be of service. You naturally promote yourself when you think about being of service first and foremost. Why? Because when you’re clearly communicating your solution to a problem, your audience will gravitate towards it. When you talk about your offerings, ensure that the messaging conveys service above all else.
3. Be responsive and engaging. When you show up consistently, make sure you are also showing up to engage with those who are engaging with you. Respond to all messages, comments, and inquiries. Follow up when necessary. Directly communicate with those who are communicating with you and do so in a way that shows you care.
4. Be an expert contributor. I’ve talked about this before, that we want to show up as contributors, not gurus, especially since there are many people out there with various opinions in your industry. This is about demonstrating your expertise as a contributor. Prove your authority through your unique messaging and approach and method. 
5. Be generous with your messaging. When you put out content, freebies, resources and other materials of value that show your authority and knowledge, you are being generous and providing value right off the bat. The more value you provide, the more lives you touch, the more your soul calling comes to life. When you put value out there, focus on sharing the what and the why. Your paid products and services are the how. 
6. Be yourself. This is a big one and also one that many of us tend to forget. Just be you, at your best, doing what you’re meant to do. Demonstrate your passion. Get personal. Show that you care so deeply about what you can offer people, and in return, you’ll prove that you are the one to someone who needs you. 

At the end of the day, marketing is all about building this like, know and trust factor with your ideal customers. So, when you think about marketing, think about it this way and perhaps it will feel less intimidating and also make you feel more inspired to put yourself out there in a meaningful and purposeful way.

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

Today I’m going to talk about how to grow your email list quickly and easily. These tactics are especially effective in today’s world of social distancing. 

It’s important that you have a few things in place before you start growing your email list. 

First, you have to have your email provider all set up! Obviously, you can’t build a list if you don’t have a list set up. Sure, you can keep a written list of email addresses you collect, but how is that going to save you time down the line. Have your email provider (like MailChimp or Active Campaign or Constant Contact) automated so that you can instantly capture names and email addresses. Then, you’ll want to create an automated email that gets sent out to those new subscribers. This means that once someone gets added to your list, either manually by you or through subscribing on your site, they immediately get a welcome message.

Second, you have to have a few freebie offerings in mind. This goes back to the opt-ins I was talking about in a previous session/live. The offer you provide can be a free PDF, an introductory call, a brief trial of your service, an audio lesson, a guided meditation, an educational webinar, or perhaps a video tutorial. 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.

Third and lastly, you have to be ready to show up in how you use email marketing AND understand that it’s purely a business tactic. This means that your vibe needs to be where you want it when you’re sending your emails. Believe it or not, readers can tell when your content is just ho-hum instead of exciting and inspired. This also means that you can’t take email marketing personally. People will unsubscribe from you, and when you’re just starting out with a small list, it can upset you to see someone leave your list. But don’t sweat it! Unsubscribes actually help you weed out the ideal customers from the ones who aren’t. Unsubscribes save you energy, get rid of dead weight, save you money, and generally improve the quality of your list. So with that, here are 3 ways you can grow your email list. Keep in mind, there are tons of ways you can build your list. These are just 3 of them for you to consider today, as they’re particularly useful in today’s post-COVID-19 world. 

Number #1: Consider social networking. The new way of networking is social these days. So, how can you optimize direct messages (or DMs) to grow your list? I’ll give you an example of how this works. Say you post an infographic about 3 struggles that your ideal customer experiences as it relates to your industry. And you just happen to have some resources to help them within your freebie. You can tell your followers to comment with what they struggle with and then you can slide into their DM asking if you can send over your free resource that should help them!

Number #2: This next tip is a really fun one particularly for newbie entrepreneurs. Join a few Facebook groups or other social groups where your ideal customer is hanging out. Spend a little time in each group providing value and answering questions. Once you offer value, you’ll start to identify people who could utilize your freebie. Ask them if you could DM them or provide the link (if it’s allowed in that group) in the comments so they can sign up to receive it.

Number #3: Leverage SEO. Use a service like Google Ads to research relevant and high-quality keywords within their Google Keyword Planner. This service is free, and you only need to sign up for Google Ads. You won’t be paying for anything though. Start churning out some keyword-rich content so that you can be placed higher in search engine results, and so that more online visitors can find you. Your content should also link back to your freebie so that you can actively build your list through optimized content. 

There you go! 3 things to consider before you grow your email list, and once you do, 3 ways to do it today. 

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

No matter the industry you are in, marketing your business correctly is crucial to not only increasing sales but also connecting with the right audience. Finding your target market can improve your long-term growth, as you build up a loyal customer base that will buy from you again and again. And no one knows how to garner an enviable cult following quite like the beauty industry.

Racking in just under $90 billion in the United States in 2018, the cosmetics industry has become a major player in the economy and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. So how can the average marketer gain some of the passionate followers and organic press the beauty industry seems to be overloaded with? It turns out, there are a variety of strategic moves that the top companies have made to better market themselves to consumers. And they can be applied to a variety of industries.

From taking advantage of user content to embracing imperfections, below are marketing tips from the beauty industry that have led to major recognition and sales courtesy of FragranceX. Check it out below and let us know what you’ve been able to implement into your business!

Please include attribution to https://www.fragrancex.com with this graphic.

How will your business thrive over the next decade? What marketing initiatives do you want to try? What do you want to achieve and learn? How do you want to evolve and grow? 

Now is the time to set your business up to really experience the success you have been working for. This means: getting clear about how you will position your offerings, thinking about your monthly content and email marketing initiatives, and putting relevant dates, deadlines, and tasks into your calendars. 

Here are a few key phrases to keep in mind as you review 2019 and prepare your marketing for 2020. 

The more lives you touch, the more money you make.

Your business success is directly related to the value you provide to your audience. What are the ways in which you can offer more “give” than “get” opportunities for your target market this year? How can you be of service? 

Start before you feel ready.

You may have new programs, journeys, or offerings that you’re trying to “perfect” before you launch them to your audience. But, don’t delay! What you have right now is enough to get going. Start gathering some testers that can help you tie up loose ends, generate case studies and testimonials, and recommend you to others. 

The key to success is consistency.

How would you behave if you were the best in the world at what you do? Now is the time to consider the good habits you want to integrate into your life and the not-so-good ones that you want to leave behind. Like it or not, being consistent is essential to creating any significant change in your life. 

Make 2020 the year of you. 

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

Here we’re going to talk about a timeless marketing tactic that can really change how you convert leads to sales. It’s called the Call to Action, or CTA.

The Marketing Tool You Need

Every piece of marketing that you put out there needs to have at least one CTA. Most of us make the mistake of assuming that our customers know what we want them to do next. We forget to put a call to action in every piece of marketing that we create. (I’ve been guilt of this many, many times!)

Including a CTA is referred to as direct action marketing. You want your prospective customers to see your message and take direct action, which usually results in clicking on a link, joining the conversation, or contacting you, in response to your marketing message. 

Here are some sample CTAs:

• Click to read more
• Reply to this email
• Leave a comment
• Click here
• Buy now
• Register now
• Order now

These are the kind of action steps that we want people to take. If your goal is to make sales, you must tell your prospects exactly what to do to take action.

However, don’t jam up the marketing message with a bunch of CTAs. You only need one! The general rule of thumb is to have one clear call to action per marketing piece. For example, one flyer should have one call to action. One email should have one call to action. Keep each marketing piece focused and streamlined in order for people to know exactly what to do and take the desired action. 

So, let’s make sure you’re using clear CTAs with this CTA self-check exercise. 

Step 1: Review all of your marketing materials, from your website to your blog to your email marketing to your social media. Does every piece of marketing out there have one clear, direct CTA? 

Step 2: If not, make a plan to update each marketing piece. Moving forward, make sure you always include one CTA for all marketing and promotional pieces you create. 

Step 3: When reviewing any marketing or sales material moving forward, ask yourself, “Is is it crystal clear that there is one action someone should take?” If not, rework that marketing piece so that there is one clear CTA.

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