UNDERSTANDING INSTAGRAM INSIGHTS

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UNDERSTANDING INSTAGRAM INSIGHTS

There are differing opinions on whether or not to switch your Instagram from a personal account to a business account. I will give you one reason that switching to a business account can help you. That reason is Instagram Insights. Instagram provides business accounts with the analytics that will show you the data you need to in order to understand what is working and what isn’t. Understanding Instagram insights can improve your business.

There are several third-party apps that offer analytics, but these often misalign with Instagram’s data. The most accurate source is the app itself. Using the data Instagram Insights provides is the most accurate overview of your account’s performance. There is a lot of data available, but the three important categories to pay attention to are: Content, Activity, and Audience.

CONTENT

The content section lets you view all your content. It gives you the ability to see how many times each post was viewed. You can compare different posts to see which content does better than others. This is a great resource to show you when followers prefer a selfie as opposed to a picture of your lunch.

Take the time to create a strategy for your feed. Figure out what your audience responds to best and use more of that in your content.

ACTIVITY

This feature is a great resource that helps you see when our audience is active. It gives you weekly audience interaction. It shows you specific days that your audience is the most active. This information lets you know when your audience is likely to be on the app and therefore which times you should post your important information.

AUDIENCE

It is crucial to know who your audience is in order to really connect with them. Often we think the goal is to sell them on our product or service, but the truth is that our main goal should build to build the “know, like and trust” factor. Once you have created a connection, the business will happen organically. The audience section of insights lets you see where your followers are located. It also lets you see your followers’ age ranges and gender. One of my favorite features in the Audience Insights is how it breaks down by day and hour when your audience is the most active. This is a great tool to help you know when to post to get optimal engagement.

INDIVIDUAL POST INSIGHTS

You can also get detailed analytics on each individual post. This category shows you likes, comments, when your post was sent to someone or posted in a story, and whether it was saved.

DISCOVERY SECTION

The discovery section lets you know how many accounts your post reached. It gives you a percentage of the amounts that it reached that were not following you. It also lets you know how many impressions it received from the hashtags, home, profile, and other.

Make sure you are checking your insights on a regular basis. You have the ability to see what images, content, and hashtags are working for you. This is a great tool to see what is and isn’t working. When you learn what is working do more of that to connect with your followers.

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FINDING IDEAL CLIENTS

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FINDING IDEAL CLIENTS

Businesses begin with a great idea or an innovative product. Although we believe in our service and/or products, the key to success is determined by effective marketing. In order to create a strong marketing strategy, you must know exactly who you are marketing to. You have to learn and understand the importance of finding ideal clients.

When choosing your target audience, the smaller your market the more success you will find. It seems counterintuitive, but it is true. If you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one. There are so many services and products in the world. People are bombarded with choices. When presented with too many options, people get stuck. They don’t know what to pick, so they pick nothing. I call this paralysis by analysis.

By narrowing your audience and appealing to a niche, you become a SOMETHING or SOMEONE that people want to choose. You are different from all the others. You are the expert.

As you narrow your target audience, remember that your service and/or product won’t appeal to everyone. Don’t let this stop you. You don’t want to appeal to everyone. You want to find people who have specific interests or unique needs.

It’s a fallacy to think that by doing this, you’ll stunt your growth and have only a small number of clients—that there aren’t that many people interested in what you are offering. Remember that the power of your service or product is not in the quantity, but in the quality and the value or experience, you offer.

When customers experience your service or product, their experience will be unique and different. You will then start to create a sense of community with your customers. They will spread the word to others with similar interests. This kind of business can’t be found in a big company. It’s something only individuals can provide. It is the kind of experience so many are seeking today.

When you are trying to identify your ideal client, look for someone who not only wants your product or service but someone who values its worth and is willing to invest.

As you work towards understanding and identifying your ideal client I want you to think of the 3 Ps:

PLACES

Where is your target client hanging out? Where do they spend their time? Do they spend their time at the dance studio or are they at the gym? Are they a part of Facebook groups or book clubs? Are they volunteering at their kid’s school or traveling to a third world country? By understanding where they go and the things they do, you will begin to better understand your clients.

PEOPLE

Who are your clients spending time with? Who are their influencers and friends? What podcasts do they listen to? Whose blogs do they read? Do they follow fashion bloggers or fitness accounts? Learning who they surround themselves with will give you an insight into their wants and needs.

PRODUCTS

What kinds of products and services do they buy? Are they into makeup or workout clothes? Do they drive a minivan or a BMW? Are they purchasing camera gear or software programs? The more you know about your ideal client the more value you will be able to offer.

In order to understand who your ideal client is, you have learned all there is to know about them. Try creating an ideal client avatar. This made up avatar will represent your ideal client. Give your avatar a name, hair and eye color and age. Do they go to school? What car do they drive? Where do they eat? Where do they shop? You need to know anything and everything about them.

After you have created your avatar, everything you do and say within your business relates to or benefits them. Your social media posts, the events you attend, the promotions you offer are all intended to benefit or help your avatar. The more you understand about who you are marketing to, the more successful you will be when it comes to selling and promoting your offerings. Once you know who you are marketing to, you will understand the process of finding your ideal client.

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10 INSTAGRAM STORY FEATURES TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS

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10 INSTAGRAM STORY FEATURES
TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS

Instagram stories are a great way to connect with your audience. This 24-hour video clip is a great way to show your followers the behind the scenes of your not-so-curated life. Whether you’re trying to grow your engagement or brand awareness, Instagram had features to help you. Your ultimate goal with social media is to connect and engage with your audience and stories is a great way to do that. Here are 10 Instagram story features to help your business and improve your engagement.

LOCATION STICKERS

In order to get more views and engagement on your stories, tag locations using location stickers. Similar to location tags for posts, when you tag a location on stories, your story will appear in public story feeds for that location. So someone searching for that location will see your story.

Location stickers are an awesome tool when running an event. If you’re hosting an event at specific location, try and tag that location ahead of time to let your followers know where you will be. Remember to always keep your tagged locations relevant to your content. Don’t post a picture in San Francisco and use a New York City location sticker.

If you own a brick and mortar, be sure and register your business on Facebook to ensure others can tag your location on their posts and in their stories.

MENTION STICKERS

When you are inspired by or collaborating with other brands, it’s important to give them a shout out. You can do this by using the mention sticker. Not only will it notify them, but it gives them the ability to repost in their own stories. This is a great way to build a community and also show support. Utilizing this tool will create a network of people that will help promote each other.

HASHTAG STICKERS

Hashtag stickers are utilized the same way as location stickers. When people click on the hashtag—whether it is in a story or on a post—it will take them to the public page. Your story will appear on the public page and get more exposure.

GIF STICKERS

Try using GIF stickers to make your stories more visually appealing. Using the right GIF will grab your audience’s attention and encourage them to engage. There is a GIF for almost everything! Type a word in the GIF search bar and scroll through all your options. Using GIFs is a fun way to add some personality to your posts and set you apart from others.

POLL STICKERS

Poll stickers are some of the best tools you can use in your business. These stickers are a great way to do market research. Ask your audience their opinions and thoughts. The poll sticker and the emoji slider are great tools to determine what your audience likes and dislikes. Your audience is likely to respond to this sticker because they only have two options. It’s as easy as tapping their choice.

You are then able to view the results. You can use that feedback as an opportunity to engage with your audience and gather valuable information. Using poll stickers is a great way to improve your marketing strategy.

QUESTION STICKERS

Question stickers are another great tool you can use in market research. You can use the question sticker to ask your followers what they want to see from you. You can use this tool to ask for help, which is a great way to start conversations with your audience. People love to feel important and needed and this tool is ideal for building relationships with your followers.

There are so many different ways that you can use question stickers in your stories. If you are doing an Instagram Live Q&A, ask your audience what they want to know. If you create free resources or guides, ask them what they want to see.

QUIZ STICKER

The quiz sticker is a fun way to get engagement and interaction with your audience. The sticker gives your audience multiple choices. This is a great way to do market research or connecting with your followers by asking entertaining questions. You can create your own or use the available options.

CHAT STICKERS

If you want to improve engagement and start a conversation try using the chat sticker. This is a great way to do a private group chat with up to 31 of your followers. You get to determine who joins the chat and can engage your community of followers.

DONATION STICKERS

This is a fairly new sticker to Instagram, but it allows you to donate to a registered non-profit. Register your non-profit through your non-profit business page on Facebook .

PRODUCT STICKERS

If you sell products, this tool is a must. You are able to use the shopping stickers on your products. The sticker will link it to your shop to purchase. The shops need to be set up through Facebook or another Instagram-approved integration. The great thing about this feature is you don’t have to have 10,000 followers to use the tool.

Instagram stories have so many great features to help you leverage your marketing. Use some of these features to connect with your audience. Take full advantage of these 10 Instagram story features to help your business grow.

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HOW TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY

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HOW TO MARKET
YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT
SPENDING MONEY

Often as an entrepreneur and a new business owner you may begin with a small budget. Perhaps your amazing idea takes a lot more time and money than you first realized. Investing in your business is one of the best things you can do. If you are willing to invest your time, you can learn how to market your business without spending money.

Money can help your business grow faster. You can reach a larger audience quicker by spending money on ads, promotions, and marketing. However, there is no better way to grow your audience organically than putting yourself out there when building your brand. Learning to be intentional with your time and targeting your ideal clients is something you can do for free. Try to be original and different to set yourself apart from your competition.

GIVEAWAY

The more you give the more you receive. Make it part of your practice (even when you start to make money) to give, give, and give some more. This strategy is one I have used for years and have seen a huge return. Clients/customers love getting things for free. Offer your clients something free on a regular basis. This can be a service or a free downloadable. You want your ideal clients to keep checking in. You goal is to become memorable. They might not use your service/product today but when they are ready, you want them to think of you.

Think of creative things you can give your audience. A downloadable printable, e-book, free guide, or course. No matter what you give, make sure it is valuable; this will help you build trust.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media can be a great way to communicate with your audience and build a strong brand. It can take a lot of time to manage the various platforms and our efforts to expand our reach are getting more challenging. But it’s free! It doesn’t cost to post and even if your reach isn’t what you want it to be, clients still love interacting with businesses this way.

There are so many social media platforms available. Choose 1-2 platforms that your ideal client uses and consistently show up. When you feel like you have a handle on those, add more platforms to your workflow. It is a numbers game—the more you post, the more likely your audience will see you.

Engage with your audience and start building relationships. Your audience will grow organically and relationships will develop. If you are investing time and don’t see a lot of growth, reevaluate and try a different platform. Social media can be a full-time job so make sure you create time boundaries to ensure you are working on other parts of your business as well. As your business starts to grow, consider outsourcing some of your social media.

BLOG

Starting a blog costs very little upfront and it is one of the best tools you can use for marketing. Creating a blog is a great way to position yourself as an expert, but also serve your clients with useful information. Providing useful information helps strengthen your brand. Your blog has potential for growth and opportunity. It can help create a community for your business.

Your blog can become a hub that your audience will visit and revisit to learn, get inspired, and connect. Your blog is managed by you and you have complete control over that space. When you are consistent about producing valuable content, it can be one of your most valuable marketing tools.

PINTEREST

Pinterest is not only a place to get great ideas, but it is an awesome marketing tool. Next to Google, Pinterest is one of the best visual search engines available. Sharing your work through pins is a great way of marketing.

People use the search bar to find anything and everything. If they find what they are looking for they re-pin it to their own boards, which in turn gives you more exposure. When people discover one of your pins and click on it, it redirects them to your website to find more information.

Remember that Pinterest is a visual platform so use beautiful and appealing imagery and graphics to attract people. Be strategic with your keywords and participate in group boards. Consider using the TailwindApp to improve your reach and gain exposure.

NEWSLETTER LIST

If you don’t have an email or newsletter list, start one today! Email marketing is a great way to stay connected with people. With the ever-changing algorithms of social media, email has become a more reliable method of connecting with your audience.

Once you have started your newsletter list, be consistent and leverage that resource. You don’t have to send out an email just when you are trying to sell something. Use it to build a relationships and then when the time comes to sell, your audience will be more likely to purchase or invest.

Your newsletter doesn’t have to be long or complicated. Your goal is to create value while building trust. You can also send out your recent blog post, An inspiration quote or a life or business hack. Understand your audience and keep them in mind when you create your newsletters. Remember these people gave you their email. They want to hear from you!

VOLUNTEER

Seek opportunities to volunteer. Get involved in your community and serve with other like-minded individuals. Serving and helping non-profits or other organizations is great way to create relationships within your area. Look for organizations that are in sync with your values. Try to find causes that you are passionate about as to keep you motivated. When you make service and volunteering a part of your brand you will see the benefits.

FB GROUPS

Participate in Facebook Groups where your ideal clients reside. Be active by posting, commenting, and engaging with others. This is a great way to help others and also to talk about what you do. Make sure you are genuine and authentic and don’t come off pushy or salesy. Read the rules of the group before joining to ensure you know and abide by them.

NETWORKING EVENT

Become active in networking groups and events in your area. Some have annual fees to join, but several have no or little cost to participate. Go into networking with the mindset of helping others and building relationships. If you attend networking events with the purpose of finding clients, you may find yourself feeling disappointed. Set goals for yourself to build relationships and help others and referrals and business will surely follow.

CREATE TUTORIALS

A great way to market your brand is by creating tutorials. Teaching others tips, tricks, and secrets is an excellent way to serve your audience and help you get exposure. After creating tutorials, use appropriate keywords in your description. Think of tutorials that your ideal client may search for. Teaching and educating your ideal clients is a very effective way of marketing while building the “know, like, and trust factor.”

VIDEO

Video is proving to be one of the best ways to market your brand today. If you are a business that is putting off video because you hate yourself on video, you will want to work through that. Consumers are drawn to video and implementing it into your marketing cost very little.

COLLABORATE

Build relationships with others in your industry. Take the time to create relationships and support one another. Working on your business doesn’t always mean you have to be sitting behind your computer. Make it a priority to build and nurture relationships. Put others before yourself and always ask how you can help others first. Look for opportunities to collaborate by cross promoting and supporting one another. If you can find the right group of people you will find you have created a sales team for one another.

Despite what you might think, marketing your business doesn’t mean spending a ton of money. If you are willing to put in the time and energy into developing relationships in different channels, your business and brand will grow organically. If you are committed, you can learn how to market your business without spending money.

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TOP 10 BOOKS FOR FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

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TOP 10 BOOKS FOR
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

I once read an article that claimed some of the most successful people read one non-fiction book a month. I wanted success, so I determined to do the same thing. Learning the importance of personal development at a young age and has made me always love a good self-help book. I’m not exactly a voracious reader, but I have made it a goal of mine to read or listen to one book a month. Below are my top 10 books for female entrepreneurs from my 2019 book list.

Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist and Brene Brown

This was an easy read with quite a few takeaways. I love it when the book is read by the author and Shauna Niequist did an incredible job. This book invites you to take a look at your life and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and instead be present. She reminds you to embrace and appreciate the chaos and the day to day life.

Making a Difference by Steve Gilliland

Steve Gilliland offers some great advice on unlocking your potential and making an impact. The book is filled with inspirational stories and thought-provoking ideas. One of my favorite topics he touches on is failure. One quote in particular (though I can’t remember word for word) says, “If we don’t fail at least times a week in our business, we are not trying hard enough.” This was such a great read and gave me lots of ideas to implement in business and life.

29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Chang Your Life by Cami Walker

This book was life-changing for me. The message was so powerful and impacted me in a big way. At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by an intensified struggle with multiple sclerosis that left her debilitated and depressed. Then she received an uncommon “prescription” from South African healer Mbali Creazzo: Give away 29 gifts in 29 days. After the 29 gifts and days, she had a physical, mental and emotional transformation. It is a beautiful message about the power of serving.

Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson

This book was an excellent read for marketing. It gives detailed information about narrowing your niche and how to become an expert in your field. There are a ton of inspirational stories and marketing ideas. Brunson gives great insights on how to create movements and help you position yourself in your industry. This book is a must for anyone with a business.

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life by Hal Elrod

I have always been a morning person, but Elrod teaches you how to implement different habits into your routine to help you transform not only your day but your life. He gives tips on how to wake up each day with energy, motivation, and focus. By creating new habits, he promises to take your life to the next level. If you are not a morning person, this will inspire to become one!

Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy

There is an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re done with the worst thing you’ll have to do all day. This was a quick read, but a good one. It teaches you to stop procrastinating and get the important things done first. This is a practice I have been doing for some time, but it validates the importance of planning and executing. If you struggle with procrastination, this book is a must.

How to Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This was a re-listen for me. The first time I read it; this time I listened. I wasn’t crazy about the narrator, but the content is fantastic. This book should be mandatory for everyone. Carnegie discusses in detail how to get others to like you. He teaches solid communication skills that are essential in becoming successful in your relationships. He also teaches how to win people to your way of thinking and avoiding resentment.

The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins

Another quick but great read. The 5-second rule teaches you to just do it. It discusses the science of our habits and also tells stories and facts from some very successful people. Robbins introduces the “push movement,” which basically encourages you not to wait, but just do. The tools can help with confidence, procrastination, and anxiety.

You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

I loved this book! I finished it with the motivation to do big things and make money doing it. It discusses money mindset and how our thoughts of money hold us back. She touches on using your own personal strengths to grow rich. She tells a riveting story of her transformation that motivates and inspires. I highly recommend this book for entrepreneurs who don’t have the confidence to charge what they are worth.

The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

This is a great reminder of the concept of “work smarter, not harder.” This book gives tips and practices from people who have doubled their income, overcome adversity, and started over. Ferriss gives great ideas on how to automate and cut your workload. This book helps you rethink and reevaluate your systems. It is very thought-provoking and makes you ask yourself how you could work less.

One of the great things about reading several books is it helps you form your own philosophies for success. I recommend these top 10 books for female entrepreneurs to help you grow. You are able to learn from those who are ahead of you and progress in ways you didn’t realize were possible. And because I’m already making a reading list for 2020, I’d love to hear from you—what were some of the books you read this year that inspired you as an entrepreneur?

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THE ART OF IN-PERSON NETWORKING

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The Art of
In-Person Networking

Networking comes naturally to me. I love people and my inquisitive nature is a catalyst for creating lasting relationships. I was in shock when my extroverted persona felt like a fish out of water when I recently started attending networking events in an effort to build my business. The good news is I showed up, the bad news—I was completely unprepared. I didn’t yet understand the true art of in-person networking.

I went to my first few networking events with one purpose: to find clients. Spoiler alert: it was a misguided intention. After attending several events, I questioned their effectiveness. But I was determined to keep attending. Somewhere along the line, I started forming unexpected friendships with like-minded entrepreneurs. We had so much in common and I felt a connection to them. My mindset shifted. Now I no longer just cared about getting business; my focus changed to connecting with and helping others.

I soon began learning the foundation of our success in business and life centers around relationships. When we create and strengthen relationships with genuine and authentic intent, success will follow. Realizing this completely shifted my mindset. I focus on getting to know others. Intently listening to what they say and look for opportunities to serve them, not caring if they became my clients. I forged authentic relationships and my business began to grow organically.

I am constantly reminding myself of the power of personal connection and that human interaction accelerates relationship building. You can learn more about a person in 10 minutes than you can in months online. You have the ability to not only hear words but to see and feel emotion. Because we have the ability to only show what we want online, sometimes relationships there can be filtered and misguiding. But in person you are more likely to see vulnerability; that is when the real connection begins.

Our ultimate goal is to become memorable. When you build relationships, people know who you are and what you do. They might not have a referral that day, that week, or that month, but eventually, they will, and that is why it is important to continue to authentically nurture your relationships and become unforgettable.

I have grown so much in business and in my personal life through networking. Inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment is constantly present. I have made new relationships that I otherwise would have missed. I have learned the power and art of in-person networking.

KEYWORDS FOR SEO

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UNDERSTANDING KEYWORDS
FOR SEO

Have you ever Googled your business? If you come up on the first page, you should be doing the happy dance. If not, it’s time to get to work. Ranking on the first page of Google takes effort, but using the right keywords can help you get there. When you take the time to research, select, and implement the best keywords for SEO, it boosts your visibility and helps your business grow. When you start understanding keywords for SEO you will see the results.

KEYWORDS

Keywords are topics or ideas that give an overview of your content. When it comes to SEO, keywords or key phrases are what searchers use when they are looking for more information for a specific topic.

When you market your business online, you want to make sure your content is beneficial and intentional to your ideal client. Doing this will attract your ideal client and increase the possibility of converting them to customers.

One of the first steps in your SEO strategy should be to research and create a list of keywords that would attract your ideal clients. Putting in the effort up front will minimize your work and lay the foundation for all other SEO efforts. With this being said, make sure your keywords are highly effective and relevant.

LONG-TAIL KEYWORDS

Long-tail keyword refers a combination of multiple & specific words relevant to a topic. It is best to optimize your pages and posts with a long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords have lower search volumes, but attract more relevant traffic. Long-tail keywords are less competitive but can be geared towards your specific niche.

For example:

Realtor

Residential Realtor

Houston Residential Realtor

Houston Designer and Residential Realtor

The more specific your keywords are, the less competitive they become. If someone searches “realtor,” you will be competing with billions of other results. Using highly specific, long-tail keywords gives you a better chance of being noticed by the very people looking for you.

IMPORTANCE OF KEYWORDS

Without keywords, your content will be extremely difficult to find through a search engine. 95% of U.S. internet users use search engines every single month. Without keywords, you are limiting your exposure. If you’re going to take the time to blog, do your due diligence and make sure to maximize your efforts.

WEBSITE KEYWORDS

Keywords are not just reserved for your blog; your website should utilize keywords as well. Your keywords should be related to your businesses and the services you offer. Describe your work, the products you sell, the benefits you offer, etc. If you were looking for your specific service, what would you keywords would you search? Use those keywords throughout the pages of your website. Don’t spam your site with keywords; use them organically.

PICKING THE RIGHT KEYWORDS

First, create a way to organize your keywords. This can be an Excel file, Word doc, etc. With any marketing strategy you want to think like your ideal client. Although we know our businesses so intimately, try to think about what your ideal client wants. Just because you know the answers and information in your field, don’t assume your ideal client does too. Remember to include adjectives or different variations with your keywords.

If you are having trouble coming up with keywords use the Google search bar or Pinterest. Type in a keyword and the search bar will autofill with commonly searched keywords and/or phrases. There are several other resources for keywords available.

SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Break it down and work on it a task at a time. Learning how keywords work is the first step to improving your rank. Traffic generation takes time and can be a process. When you gain an understanding of keywords for SEO, you can utilize different sorts of traffic options and will start to see results.

HOW TO SAY NO TO CLIENTS AND SET BOUNDARIES IN YOUR BUSINESS

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SETTING BOUNDARIES IN YOUR BUSINESS

If you have clients who text you at 10 pm or continually show up late (or not at all), then it’s time to establish some boundaries in your business. Being an entrepreneur has is benefits, but often times it’s hard to separate our personal and work lives. Work hours trickle into the night as we check one last email or send one more text. Clients may have unrealistic expectations. As an entrepreneur you have to learn how to say no to clients and learn the importance of setting boundaries in your business.

Sometimes it is necessary to put in long hours and be understanding of others’ circumstances, but it is also necessary to create a work-life balance. Setting boundaries for yourself and others will help you avoid burnout. Boundaries help you to serve your clients to the best of your abilities while also avoiding resentment.

Often we don’t realize the need for a boundary until our time, talent, or generosity has been violated. Learning to set boundaries promotes self-responsibility, empowerment, and closer relationships with your clients. Before you set boundaries, you need to be clear with yourself about what they are. Here are few suggestions to get your started.

Establish “Office” Hours

Regardless of whether you work in an office space or on your couch, set designated work hours. It is your responsibility to educate your clients before you begin working with them. Be very clear as to when you work and what they can expect.

Depending on the service you are providing, set later hours a couple days a week to accommodate different time zones or clients with conflicting schedules.

Schedule Email Times

Responding to a client email after office hours sends mixed messages. and can cause your clients to believe they are able to make and receive requests whenever they want. If you are putting in extra time in the evenings or on the weekends, consider saving your email as a draft or scheduling it to go out during your set work hours.

Set Email/Correspondence Expectations

Sometimes you have the ability to respond to your clients within an hour and other times it might take 24-48 hours. Clearly define what your response time will be from the beginning so they will know what to expect. Let your clients know how long it typically takes you to respond and that you will do so within your business hours.

You should also clarify the best form of communication, whether that is text, email, or phone. With the many platforms and modes of communication available, you want to streamline your communication to one place to avoid confusion.

Client Results

Clients typically hire us because they have a problem. We work with them to provide a solution and create amazing results together. However, if your client doesn’t uphold her end of the agreement/contract, the results may be less than satisfactory. Impress upon your clients their responsibility in the process—whether that means showing up on time to get the full experience, doing homework, following through, or simply being present. In order to do your job, they have to do theirs. Set clear boundaries with your clients so they understand their responsibility in receiving the sought-after results.

Client Expectations

Be very clear about what your client will be getting when they work with you. A client requesting additional work can turn into regular requests that go beyond your original contract or ag

IGTV FOR BEGINNERS

If you are not using video in your business it’s time to start. Instagram launched IGTV this past year and it could be just what you need to attract your ideal clients. The Instagram community recently hit one billion users. IGTV is accessible on Instagram, but it also its own app. This is a great addition to your social media networking. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry! I have created an IGTV-for-beginners guide.

If you are checking your Insights on Instagram you may notice that more people are watching video than looking at your posts. In addition to your stories, IGTV is a great way to extend your reach and connect with your audience. It also helps you go beyond your Instagram reach, because although IGTV is incorporated into Instagram, it is hosted on a separate platform.

The Details

Videos on IGTV need to be vertical, which can translate to a little bit more work if you choose to repurpose videos to and from YouTube. IGTV is also a stand-alone app. However, a majority of users just access it through the Instagram App.

Videos that you post to your Instagram feed or Story can be either vertical or horizontal in orientation. However, IGTV videos have an aspect ratio of 9:16 and are meant to be watched vertically. Instagram Stories can be up to 15 seconds and videos posted to your feed can be up to 1 minute. With IGTV you can upload videos up to 10 minutes, although some large accounts and verified accounts can upload videos up to 60 minutes in length.

Getting Started

Download the IGTV App from the App store. Click on the wheel in the upper right-hand corner and create your own channel. Instagram will automatically pull your information from your Instagram profile.

Upload Videos

You can post from the IGTV App or to your Instagram. To add a video click on the + icon found in the upper right-hand corner to post from there. Select a video that is longer than 15 seconds and then click next. The video must to be ready to post because you cannot edit after you have uploaded it. You will then have the option to add a cover image if you choose. The cover image should be 420 x 654 pixel resolution or a 1:155 ratio. After it is uploaded, fill in the title and description sections. Be sure to use keywords and a call to action in the description section. This can be a link to your website, a newsletter sign-up, or a freebie download. You will have the option to post a preview on your Instagram feed. If you select this option, be sure to click on the “edit profile cover” to view how your profile cover will look on your feed. You also have the option here to post on your Facebook Page.

Content

Be original and creative in your content. Create something of value for your followers. Be real and authentic and try to show your true self. This is where you will really connect with your audience. Although you have up to 10 minutes, keep in mind that a majority of viewers lose their attention after about 2 minutes. With that being said, you may choose to lead with your call to action before starting in on your topic.

Call to Action

One of the great features about IGTV is you can place a link in the description and your viewers can click on that link and be redirected. This is a similar feature to the swipe up and you don’t have to be verified or have a verified account.

You always want to include a call to action. This can be a link to your website, newsletter signup, your store, a freebie, schedule a call, etc. Direct your followers to the next step.

There you have it! This IGTV for beginner’s guide will get you started. Happy posting!

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HOW TO GET YOUR CONTENT SEEN

One of the best ways to get your business noticed is through content marketing. Your goal is to get noticed by your potential client and generate leads. Did you know that 1.79 billion people shopped online last year? The majority of people looking for services or products begin their search online. Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to direct these searches toward you and your business. That is why it is important to learn how to get your content seen.

Content creation can take a lot of effort and time. I often hear small business owners complain about the time it takes and so, in turn, have “given up” on their efforts. Like anything in our business, it’s not about the time, but more so about the priority, we give things. Online marketing is quickly becoming the trend and in order to achieve the success you desire, content creation needs to become a priority.

Once you commit to content marketing, you’ll want to maximize your efforts. Don’t just write a blog post, share it, and then move on. In order to justify the time you spent creating, you must extend your reach. Your goal is to understand how to get your content seen and there is a better system that will help you produce results.

Create value with your content

Take the time to really know your audience. Who are they? What are their needs? What are their struggles? Create content ideas that will serve them and help them achieve success. Determine where they are in their business and help them develop. Do your market research. Reach out to your ideal clients and inquire about what they need help with right now. You want to become the expert and the way to do that is by helping your clients achieve their desired results. Remember, you might be a chapter ahead of your ideal clients, so try to put yourself in their shoes.

Share, share, share

Get the most out of your created content. There are a plethora of social media platforms—use them all. As long as your content is relevant, keep sharing it over and over. Make a list of all the social media platforms your ideal clients use and repost on all of those sites. You can pull little snippets or quotes to create graphics or smaller posts on different platforms to maximize the reach.

Link older content in your new content

A great SEO tip is to link your older relevant content to your new posts. When you are writing the new content, look for keywords or phrases that relate to some of your past content. This will boost your SEO and also help position you as an expert in several different areas.

Most of us experience overwhelm. It’s a part of life. We have a million things to do and not enough time to do them. We wear several different hats and often have unrealistic expectations of ourselves in each of our many roles. We try to do everything for everyone. The thought that there is too much to do and not enough time is a thought that most often leads us to overwhelm. In order to progress we need to learn how to deal with overwhelm.

We believe that all the things we have on our to-do list lead us to overwhelm, which can cause or contribute to our anxiety. However, that is not true. It’s not the external things that cause us to have those feelings, it’s our thoughts. When our thoughts make us feel inadequate, whether that pertains to time or capability, our brains start to feel anxiety. Anxiety is excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry. When we are in that mindset we do not think clearly; therefore, we lose focus and can’t get things done.

We can learn to have better control over the overwhelm. That’s not to say you will never get overwhelmed again but learning to manage it will be so beneficial. There are tools that you can use that can help you overcome excessive overwhelm.

IDENTIFY THE THOUGHT. The first things you need to do is figure out what your thought is that is causing overwhelm. Is it time? Do you have the thought “I don’t have enough time”? Having this thought can cause anxiety and the result is we shut down, which adds to overwhelm. When you feel overwhelm try to recognize your thoughts as to why.

REPLACE THE THOUGHT. Find a new thought to replace your negative thought. This thought has to believable. If you try to have the thought “I have plenty of time” but you don’t believe it then nothing will change. You could try the thought “I always get my work done” or “I will get it done when I get it done”. Try out different thoughts until you find one that works for you.

MAKE A PLAN. Don’t get stuck in overwhelm. We want to avoid inaction at all cost. When nothing gets done, anxiety and overwhelm only increase. Plan how you are going to get your tasks completed. Break it down into small tasks or increments of time. Creating a plan gives you direction and focus and takes you one step closer to achievement.

EXECUTE. Follow through with the plan. Do what you said you were going to do. We build confidence as we learn to trust ourselves that we will do what we say we are going to do. As we complete tasks and finish things, we will notice that overwhelm begins to subside.

We have a lot of things we need to do, letting ourselves feel overwhelmed is not one of them. As you continually learn to work on your thoughts, you will find that you will experience less and less overwhelming. You will take control and learn how to deal with overwhelm.

Update or amp up old content

Take some time to go over analytics to see which of your content performed the best. Which topics did your audience find most valuable? Search the content for a topic or section you could elaborate on and dive deeper on. This supports your expertise and educates your audience on a topic they may find interesting to learn about. This will expand your reach and hopefully bring new visitors to your site.

Create new resources from old content

Figure out which of your blog posts performed well. Turn that content into a guide, checklist, or cheat sheet. Create a video and post it on IGTV, FB, or YouTube. Sharing different content on different channels is a great way to reach new audiences and expand your brand.

Featuring your work

Reach out to others in your industry to collaborate. Offer to be a guest blogger. You can place your work in front of new audiences. Occasionally, publishers will want your fresh content to show up on their blog first, but after time you can post that same content on your own site. Other times they won’t care.

There are plenty of ways to extend your content. Don’t feel like everyone is seeing your content over and over. Once you learn how to get your content seen, you will see an increase in traffic to your site and exposure to your brand. Your time is valuable. Make sure it counts!

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AUDIENCE

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FREE DOWNLOAD HOW TO PLAN CONTENT GUIDE

brittni schroeder

BLOG

HOW TO GET YOUR CONTENT SEEN

Create value with your content

Share, share, share

Link older content in your new content

Update or amp up old content

Create new resources from old content

Featuring your work

10 INSTAGRAM STORY FEATURES
TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS

HOW TO MARKET
YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT
SPENDING MONEY

TOP 10 BOOKS FOR
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

The Art of
In-Person Networking

UNDERSTANDING KEYWORDS
FOR SEO

FREE DOWNLOAD
HOW TO PLAN CONTENT GUIDE