How to Find Your Niche in Business

How do you actually say Niche?!

It’s the great debate online, but one thing that isn’t debatable is the NEED for it.

Every single day your ideal audience is bombarded with messages that might sound similar to yours, so how do you stand out?

How do you build something that is worth the time and energy of your ideal customer?

It’s all in your niche boo.

Now, I know I know you’ve tried. 

Maybe you even feel solid in your niche now, but still find yourself not clearly communicating your expertise with your audience.

That’s because there’s probably still more work that needs to be done.

So, let’s strip it back and talk about niching down.

Importance of Niching Down

It’s very important that at the beginning of your business you are known for something. And that something can’t be a million things, no matter how easy it might be to think you can create a business that helps people:

• Discover their purpose

• Save their marriage

• Homeschool their kids

• AND start their online business

When you try to be known for too much, especially in the beginning, you will lose your audience and potential customers.

The best thing you can do out of the gate is to focus on one key niche and problem you solve in order to build expertise and momentum online.

As your brand grows and more importantly your awareness, THEN you can begin to introduce more elements and therefore expand your niche.

Be known for something - especially in the beginning, building a business (expert)

Why is this important?

Niching down is not just the what, it is also the who. And in order to create magnetic messaging online and pull in the right people to your brand you need to specifically create content for them and their problem.

Niching down requires you to get specific on the problem you are solving for a specific person. 

DETERMINING A DEMAND FOR YOUR NICHE

It’s crucial that what you want to offer your ideal client not only solves a problem but is in demand.

This is why I love a competitive market.

People shy away from creating something because it’s been done before or there are so many people who offer products and services in a specific market and I say GO FOR IT!

So what does a competitive market tell us? It tells us there is a demand. It also tells us a lot about what is being offered and how we can fill the hole.

It’s not about a small, barely touched market, you’ll actually make more with a big market. The key to niching down is getting specific.

SPECIFIC NOT SMALL.

For instance, Branding is a big market there are a lot of people - it’s competitive. The hole that I discovered early on was that people didn’t feel confident in sharing their personal life through their brand, people we’re struggling to connect with their audience and that people wanted to build a personal brand.

So I found a very specific niche inside of branding that is related to storytelling and personal branding.

SOLVING A PROBLEM WITH YOUR NICHE

The most important thing you need in order to create a profitable niche is a problem. If your product or service doesn’t solve a problem there will be little demand...see how everything is connected?

Think about the problem that you're solving first. And then think about how you're going to solve that problem - that’s your framework, product and/or service.

This is why looking at the demand and possible competition is so helpful, you can literally see what people are saying their problem is.

Then you can explore how that problem is being addressed. Do you offer a different take? Is there a gap that you’re seeing in the market that you could fill?

Identifying this allows you to stand out. It’s like this weird reverse engineering process.
Look for the demand.
Look at the competition in your specific market.
See where the holes are.
Fill the holes.
Market to the specific person!

4 QUESTIONS TO ASK TO IDENTIFY YOUR NICHE

Before we get into the questions I want to take a second to talk about qualifications.

Hear me when I tell you that it’s not about your “qualifications” it’s about your experience. Yes, of course, your experience could be your degree or certifications, but it doesn’t have to be and for many of you it won’t. 

If you think you have to have a specific degree or certification to start a business, you’re holding yourself back. Start with the experience you have now and expand on that as your business grows.

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS

1. Create a Master List
The goal of the master list is to find your ballpark - think of the overarching market for your niche. List out all of your skills, certificates, degrees, work experience and even what people ask you for advice on. You’re essentially listing out anything you could provide or teach others.

After you’ve created your master list, look for “like” areas of interest. For instance, when I made my list early on I saw a lot of topics around communication so I decided to explore that further.

2. Create a Content Topic List
The goal of this content list is to begin to brainstorm the different topics you could share through your brand. Content is so important as an online entrepreneur and showing up, consistently talking about your specific niche is hard if you don’t have a lot of information in your brain.

Ask yourself, “If I had a Youtube channel what would I make videos about?”
Or
“If I have a blog, what would I write blog posts about?”

After you’ve created your content topic list you can look once again for “like” areas of interest. Compare this list to your first list of skills to see where the crossover is.

3. Determine The Demand.
Once you’ve narrowed down a couple of possibilities for your niche it’s time to ask and look for the demand.

I always suggest asking friends and family who might fall into the category of needing this service to rate the demand, but there are also tons of tools online to help you determine what people are seeking support on.

You can use tools like YouTube, Pinterest and Google to see what people are searching for. You can use these platforms to search for your central theme that you’ve determined and see what specifically people are searching for.

For instance, let’s say you want to go into marketing and on YouTube, you see a lot of videos on Instagram marketing, that might be something to explore.

The key is to look for video views that will tell you what content people are consuming. For Google, you can use a tool called Keywords Everywhere to see search volume.

Another thing that you can do after narrowing down the demand is to look at your competitors and see what they charge for their services. This will also give you an idea of the demand based on price. 

4. What is the Problem and Who is it For?
Let’s pretend that you’re wanting to be an Instagram Strategist - great! Now we need to determine who you’re solving the problem for so we can further identify the pain and problem they are experiencing.

As an Instagram Strategist, you could consider if your services are for a brick and mortar?

Is it for an online coach or consultant? Is it for small businesses? Is it for a solopreneur? Is it for someone with a personal brand? Is it someone with a company brand?Is it for a service or product?

These are just some of the things to really start thinking about. 

PAIN
Let’s be real for a second...people pay for pain, or specifically to eliminate pain.

As humans, we can easily tell you what we want to eliminate or experience less of over what we want more of. This pain point or problem is the deciding factor for your specific niche.

After you’ve determined your overall market, found a demand for a specific sector of that, identified where you can fill the gap and then narrowed it down further to a person/persons and a problem solved...you’ve got it boo!

There has to be a problem that you solve - if there's not a problem, it's going to be really, really hard to market. Having a business that you are passionate about is important, but if that passion doesn't solve a problem, you will have a very hard time marketing and therefore making money.

So start with the master list, writing out things you love and work your way down!

CONCLUSION

Remember the three things you want to identify are...

What problem do you solve?
Whose specifically do you solve that problem for?
How do you solve that problem?

P.S. Aside from the video below, I’ve got another video and blog on Discovering Your Niche here.

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

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MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

How to Build an Email List

How to Build an Email List

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

What if I told you that you could spend $1 and make $38...what would be your reaction?

Yeah me too! Well, the good news is that specific number is on average what email marketing generates. Yes, for every $1 spent you have the potential to make $38 in return. That’s a 3,800% ROI.

I don’t know about you, but sign me up.

Email marketing has been a love of mine for years now, ever since I realized that in order to make money in my business I needed people to sell too.

And, while I love showing up on social media to build trust and community there has always been something about relying on an outside platform that makes me nervous.

We’ve all had the days where Facebook or Instagram isn’t working, imagine if your entire business relied on your audience on social media...no thank you.

Over the years, I’ve used a very simple strategy to grow my online community via my email list using a lead magnet and email funnel.

Today, I’m breaking it down for you step by step and addressing some of the top mistakes I see entrepreneurs making when they are trying to grow their profitable list.

As always, if you prefer to watch or listen just scroll down to access the video recording.

WHY EMAIL MARKETING IS IMPORTANT

When we’re asking for someone to follow us on social media we’re not asking a lot. 

Think about the number of people you currently follow, do you really have a deep interest in each and every one of them? Probably not.

That’s because it’s super easy to just hit the follow or like button.

However, email marketing requires a small level of commitment. In order to be added to someone’s list, you’ve got to provide your email address.

Well, that my friends is basically gold. You’re asking someone to trust you enough to send them periodic emails. Ultimately, this low-level commitment is the first step in becoming a paying client.

Your new subscriber is saying, “Yes, this is valuable to me. I'd love to learn more from you!” or something similar to that.

Email marketing is not only an amazing way to build an online community but to also pull in targeted leads to your paying offers.

6 MUST-HAVES TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST

#1 FREE GIFT OR LEAD MAGNET

While you might be thinking a general newsletter will bring in the most people because it’s broad, that’s the opposite of what we want our email list to be. Remember, the idea is that these new community members, over time, will invest in your product or service. Because of this, we want to bring in the right people.

Offering a free gift not only gives your audience some incentive to provide their email address but allows you to market and draw in the right people for your offers.

Create a lead magnet that is easy to consume, but of high value and is very specific to eliminating a struggle or addressing a need of your target market.

#2 OPT-IN OR LANDING PAGE

You might notice a theme in this post about being specific, but there is no more important time than a landing page to be as specific as possible. You want this page, the page that is collecting their email address and name, to tell them exactly what they will get when opting in.

I always encourage my clients to pretend like they are selling their free gifts. What would you need to say in order for someone to buy it?

Keep your landing page simple and to the point. Remember, the main goal for this page is to convert them into a new subscriber.

**On average you want a 30% or higher conversion for a cold audience (think Facebook or Pinterest ads, someone who doesn’t know you or your brand yet) and 50% or higher for a warm audience (someone who is already familiar with you and your brand).

#3 THANK YOU PAGE

After someone opts into your free gift, we want to use this opportunity wisely. You’ve got their attention, what are you going to do with it?

I’ll tell you what! You want to use this opportunity to share the next steps, grow other marketing channels or sell something as an upsell. All of these strategies work; it just depends on your end goal.

If you’re just starting out I suggest sharing something like this, 

“Thank you for subscribing. Your free gift is on it’s way to your inbox. While you wait, be sure to connect with me on Instagram where I’m sharing daily inspiration and tips for building you…”

#4 WELCOME EMAIL (DELIVER THE LEAD MAGNET)

This initial email should be simple. The main goal here is to deliver the lead magnet and welcome your new subscriber into your community. Remember, they just want the free gift right now so give the people what they want.

Here’s an example of a welcome email I send for my free Personal Brand Roadmap.

Hey there, {{ subscriber.first_name }}!

Michelle Knight of Brandmerry popping into your inbox to deliver your free "Personal Brand Roadmap!"

I'm so excited to get this piece of content in your hands so you can start building a better brand.

Click the link below to confirm your subscription and download your roadmap!

BUTTON: Download Your Roadmap

You're going to love it.

Chat really soon!

Michelle Knight (MK)
Founder and Creator of You! Branded

#5 WELCOME SEQUENCE

Your welcome sequence is an opportunity to build trust with your community from the start. It’s your chance to make them feel safe, important and well, welcome. Not to mention you have a chance to introduce yourself and your expertise early on.

So often entrepreneurs wait to build a funnel because they don’t have a course or passive offer to sell, but I encourage every single entrepreneur to have a welcome sequence that shares their story and sets up their brand in order to later sell to their prospective clients.

After all, the idea is that these people don’t know you so why not use this opportunity to build trust!

#6 TRAFFIC

We’ll talk a bit more about promotion later on, but one of the most important aspects of list building is actually talking about your free gift regularly. 

Taking tiny steps to share the landing page link in your bio on Instagram, on your Facebook page and adding a pop up or announcement bar on your website can help you passively promote your free gift.

3 MISTAKES YOU’RE PROBABLY MAKING TRYING TO BUILD YOUR EMAIL LIST

MISTAKE #1: NOT ATTRACTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE

The biggest mistake I see is that people don’t create a free gift or lead magnet to pull in the right people. They spend time and energy building an email list and then launch something and no one buys. 

The disconnect is that while they are building their list they are more focused on the numbers as opposed to the type of person who is joining. 

I would rather you have 100 targeted leads on your email list than 5,000 random people.

Understanding who your audience is and what they need most from you at this moment is key to attracting the right people.

So first you need to identify who that target client is, if you don’t know this yet then you’ll want to check out my program You! Branded and join the waitlist.


MISTAKE #2: NO CLEAR BENEFIT FOR YOUR AUDIENCE

I want you to think of your free gift as something you are selling. Think of an email address equivalent to $1,000. Would you just add a title and a box to buy and expect people to do so?

Probably not.

If someone doesn’t know what your gift will provide them then they will piece out and move on to the next distracting thing on the internet. The stronger the benefit to your audience and the more specific language the better.

On your landing page and in your marketing share at least three points on how your gift will support them. 

I do this with my landing pages and pretty much every single ask I’m making to my audience, including my weekly live stream called Mondays With Michelle.

Here’s an example of how I promoted a recent live stream about this topic.

Example:

• The mistakes you’re making when trying to grow your online following and ultimately an email list of prospective buyers
  

• What is needed to effortlessly create a lead magnet to grow your community (most people miss at least one step)!
  

• The #1 thing you absolutely don’t want to skip when building your email list IF you plan to sell later (which I’m guessing you do).
  

I can’t expect you to stop what you’re doing and just watch, I’ve gotta tell you WHY you should watch. 

You need to do the same with your lead magnet.


MISTAKE #3: NOT ACTIVELY PROMOTING

There are so many ways to promote your freebie, but you have to do it. 

I can’t tell you how many times I have someone come to me and say, “Michelle, I don’t think my lead magnet works. I need a new one.”

So, I ask, “Well how many people have landed on the landing page? How many have opted in?”

It’s usually an answer like 10-50.

I’m sorry, but that is not enough. If not enough people are landing on your landing page it’s most likely that you aren’t sharing it enough or your messaging and marketing are off.

You have to actively be promoting your new gift in the world. I strongly suggest sharing it actively at least 2-3 times a week.

Inside my program Roadmap to Freedom, I talk about passive vs. active promotion.

Passive promotion as I mentioned above, is something you can set up once and forget about it. That looks like, a pop up on your website, a banner image on your Facebook or your link in your Instagram bio.

Active promotion is where you are actively sharing your lead magnet.

Some ways to both passively and actively promote your free gift are:

• Through strong SEO on your website to an opt-in

• Pinterest traffic to your blog with opt-in forms

• Facebook or Pinterest ads

• Posting on IG at least twice a week: IG Stories, IGTV, IG Live, Feed

• Posting on FB at least twice a week: Live video, Feed, FB Groups, Stories

• Youtube video with a call to action

• Podcast guest or on your own

DON’T MISS THIS STEP WHEN BUILDING YOUR EMAIL LIST

This could possibly be the most important thing you read today about lead generation.

Your lead magnet should tie to your offer. 

If you want a list that buys from you, then you need to reverse engineer. This is why in both of my programs You! Branded and Roadmap to Freedom, we focus on mapping out the offer first, or at the very least your framework.

When you start with your offer in mind, then you can identify what someone would need from you to take action on your offer OR what they need now to determine if your offer is right for them.

Remember we want to build a community of potential clients, so by reverse engineering, you’re taking the very first step in bringing in targeted leads.

Know where your subscriber is going before you start bringing them in.


CONCLUSION

Email list building is necessary when building any type of business, but especially an online brand. 

However, some of the fundamental pieces of a brand are necessary to make it a success. That’s why inside my program You! Branded, I walk you through the key pieces like understanding your target market, crafting messages that focus on the benefit and designing your offer.

If you’re struggling to understand your brand, then I encourage you to check out You! Branded and everything we’ve included to support you in your journey to building an online community of true fans and a stand out brand.

Learn more at youbrandedcourse.com

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

---

- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

---

MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

How to Pivot Your Business Without Losing Momentum

How to Pivot Your Business
Without Losing Momentum

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

If you prefer to watch a video version of this post, which is highly recommended, you can do so below.

Last week on the blog, I did a special post on Branding and Messaging Your Business During a Crisis, you can check it out here.

And so many community members asked about a very specific part of that post and video, which was all about pivoting your business.

It makes so much sense that this would be a concern right now as we navigate this Global Pandemic (also known as Coronavirus). It’s got so many businesses thinking, “How do we make money during this time?”

But, to be honest, this isn’t something we should just be prepared for as it applies to a pandemic like this, many business owners might need to pivot their offer, messaging or business due to life changes.

Maybe you’re wondering…
...if now is the right time to sell anything.
...how you should be supporting people.
...what to offer since what you typically do is not possible.
...if your offers or services need to change.
...what you should be charging.

And, that’s probably just the tip of the iceberg with questions running through your head.

I highly suggest writing these prompts and questions down to dive into on your own. Carve out 15 minutes a day to answering these questions to gain clarity on your next steps. 

PHASE ONE: DETERMINE WHAT STAGE YOU ARE IN

The first step is to figure out what stage you are in because every single business is going to be at a different stage, which is going to mean that your pivot is going to look different. 

Nobody's pivot is going to look the same.

Because of this, it can be really easy to get overwhelmed when pivoting because we’ll see other business owners doing something in our niche or similar and we think to ourselves, “I should be doing that! Or should I be doing something different?”

But, we don’t know their story - we might think we know where they are at in their business, but the reality is we probably have no clue.

It’s times like these we need to go inward, worry about our own business, our own progress and our own current stage.

STAGE ONE: YOUR BUSINESS HAS TAKEN A MAJOR HIT

If you’re in this stage, you’re most likely struggling a lot. If you’re a photographer during this particular season of the Coronavirus you’ve had to cancel a lot of your business.

A sign that you are in this stage could be that you’ve taken a major hit financially.

POSSIBILITIES: You can drive more online traffic. You’re going to want to put more time and energy into building an online presence and offering incentives. While you might not be able to physically do your job if you’re a photographer, you could offer gift certificates or coupons if they book now. Think of restaurants around the holidays when they sell a $50 gift card and give you $15 to use on your next visit - same principle.

You might also consider offering something new, I’ve got questions below to support you.

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STAGE TWO: YOUR BUSINESS IS CLOSED

If you’re in this stage, you might have a physical business that is now closed, so your options are to close or move online.

POSSIBILITIES: Move your business online so you can continue to sell. Think about what technology systems you need and how to manage the ins and outs. Every business needs an online presence and you have a chance to build that now. Think of ways to sell gift cards even if it’s not physical products right now. Incorporate incentives as I mentioned above. 

Also, this is a great time to build brand awareness and educate your audience on your product so they can purchase at a later date. Use different tools and resources to drive traffic to your new site like Search Engine Optimization and Pinterest.

This might also be a good time to consider a new offer, I’ve got questions below to support you.

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STAGE THREE: YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN FORCED TO SHIFT

This stage could look like a lot of different things. Maybe you’ve experienced a hit, but you have money in savings so you don’t have to actively sell right now. It might also mean that what you sell doesn’t feel good and you want to make some adjustments to your offer or how you message it.

The majority of online businesses typically find themselves in this stage.

POSSIBILITIES: If you’re in this stage it’s about heightening your brand awareness. If what you sell or offer is still valid it’s less about what you offer and how you’re offering it. A big shift during this stage might be a pivot or adjustment in your messaging, along with adjusting the price of your offer.

During this brand awareness phase, it’s also important to explore other avenues. For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a drop in people spending their money on marketing. That means ad costs have gone down drastically, so if it’s available to you investing in this aspect now can really pay off in the long run.

SPEAKING OF LONG RUN

When pivoting, or navigating a time of great change, it’s so important to focus on the long game. I hate to be the one to say, but even if you're not making money right now, which is scary, you can set yourself up for massive growth later on.

How can you set yourself up so that you can sell later in the year or next year really, really strong? 

Those are the things that we need to consider because that is the reality. So how do we do that? Let's talk about some questions that I want you to think about around pivoting your offer. 

PHASE TWO: PIVOTING YOUR OFFER OR SERVICE

Let's say that you have an existing offer that's not working, or you have an existing offer that you want to modify. Here are some questions to consider.

What does your audience need right now?

I’m a big fan of market research because I know it changes the game of how we show up, run our businesses and ultimately make sales. If you show up and you ask your audience in this time where they're needing support, they will most likely tell you.

If you don't have an audience already look at other people's threads in your industry, look at what people are Googling, or look and see what people are asking in Facebook groups or threads.

What are people needing right now? 

Let me make this clear, I do not mean everyone. I specifically mean what does your target market need and what would support them in this season of life?

How can you show up and give that to them in a way that is an extension of your brand? 

Is this something existing? Or do you need to create something new? 

For many of you, you are going to have to create something new. You've probably had ideas for things that you can launch or build in the background, but maybe life was too busy so I'm going to challenge you to look back at those ideas that have maybe been sitting on the back burner, on a post-it note on your desk, and start to think, “Is that something that I could create now?”

FEELING STUCK? A NOTE ABOUT BRAND CONTAINERS

Brand Containers are a concept that I teach to all of my clients on the idea that what you sell cannot be your business and brand. If it is you are probably running into a problem right now. 

It’s not about having 75 different offers, it’s about having a brand and having variety, allowing for more flexibility, creation and community building.

When you create a business around a single offer and then want to pivot, it will feel like starting over, but when you create a brand first and foremost it’s much easier.

Imagine 5-7 brand containers of things you love talking about. For my business branding, business coaching and marketing are definitely the main ones, but I also love to talk about travel and could offer a blog or course on how to travel full time.

If you’re interested in learning more about Brand Containers and my branding process, check out youbrandedcourse.com.

The key here is you want to first look for a pivot that is of value to your audience and already connected to your brand as a whole, your Brand Containers can help with this. 

When it comes to pivoting the hardest thing you can do is burn it all down in the hopes to build something new. I encourage you to look more for opportunities or gaps in which you can make small adjustments.

Ask yourself: How can I show up, that's going to be a value to my audience and is already connected to my brand as a whole?

Then it will feel more of like a shift or extension than it does a complete starting over from scratch. 

Pricing Your Offer

If you don’t feel like you need to create something new, just adjust something existing, it’s time to think about how to shift it.

Is there a new pricing structure? 
How can you modify an existing offer to launch something smaller?
Can you take a bigger program or something that you've created and sell it separately as a lower-priced offer? 
How can you repurpose some of the things that you've talked about in the past? 

Think of how you can get creative with what you have. For instance, if you’re a photographer and can’t photograph clients, you don’t necessarily have to declare you’re no longer a photographer. You might be able to adjust your offer to something along the lines of selling a style guide on how to prepare for brand photoshoots or teaching other photographers how to edit their pics.

TO RECAP

What does your audience need?
What can you support them with?
Is there something that you can create that as an extension of your existing brand, think about your brand containers, rather than starting completely over? 
And if you have an existing offer that works, how can you modify it or change the pricing structure? 

PHASE THREE: AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

Phase three is what every single business should still remain focused on during a pivot or crisis. 

The brands and businesses that continue to persevere are the ones that continue to show up, build trust and community. These are the businesses that will experience sales later.  

Pivoting isn’t just about the offer it’s also in your messaging and how you show up.

How can you build brand awareness?
How can you create educational components for your audience?
What does this look like for you? 

Get ready for the questions because here they come. Some things to consider are:

Does your content need to shift during this transition? 
How is your overall brand messaging, is it in alignment with your new direction
Do you need to adjust the platform you are showing up on and reaching your target audience? Do you have SEO on your website? Are you using Pinterest to drive traffic? 
Can you start reaching your new target market with advertisements? 
Do you have a sales funnel set up for onboarding new community members and leading them to a sale on evergreen?

When you’re pivoting it can be really easy to not show up, to not build an audience because you feel like you don’t have it all figured out. Take some time to get clear on your pivot offer and audience and keep showing up. 

People are waiting for your message, even when you’re “figuring it out” keep showing up and building trust.

MISSION-DRIVEN BUSINESS GOALS

When you’re going through a pivot or transition it might feel like you need to create something RIGHT NOW. You might think, “I’m just going to put this out there!”

I'm going to encourage you to slow down just a minute to ask yourself this overarching brand question…

“What’s the purpose behind your business? Why are you doing this in the first place?”

Because the reality is if you run your business just for money, you will run into problems. It has to be more fulfilling. What do you do, when in one season of life you don’t have the money coming in? What continues to drive you?

Questions to consider.

What is your purpose behind your business? 
What is your mission? 
How can you create content and offers and all those things that are in alignment with that? 

And if you don't know this, it’s time to dive deep into your brand.

CONCLUSION + PLANNING

MAKING PLANS

With the info that you have collected from above, I want you to start mapping out and planning your next steps.

I know in times of uncertainty and change, there is power in knowing what direction you're going.

Think of where you are headed, there’s that purpose, mission and long-term thinking again, so you can start taking small steps every single day. Start mapping out what that looks like, but be open to adjusting.

Think about…
How does your content look with these new plans?
What offers are you going to put out there? 
What do you need to create?
How can you start rolling out these changes?

Having a plan is really powerful, even if it needs to change and adjust at least you know which direction you’re headed.

If after you dive into these questions you still feel lost and a little overwhelmed. I always encourage people to get a step-by-step plan. My course You! Branded gives you the pieces to finalize your purpose, mission and so much more to build a strong brand and business upon.

You can learn more about You! Branded and the work we do around niching down, ideal client, messaging, offers and emotional branding at youbrandedcourse.com

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

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START HERE ↠

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MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

How to Message Your Brand in a Time of Crisis

How to Message Your Brand in a Time of Crisis

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

If you prefer to watch a video version of this post, which is highly recommended, you can do so below.

As I write this blog we are in the middle of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic in the States.

It’s a difficult time for many small businesses and online entrepreneurs as their business has been impacted. But, more than anything so many owners are feeling lost.

What do we do in a time of crisis?
How do we respond?
How should we show up for our online communities?

Whether you’re reading this blog because you’re asking the same questions right now, or you’re circling back to learn how to be prepared for a potential future crisis, I hope this blog will offer you advice on selling, messaging and branding your business during a time of crisis.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

I’m an online branding consultant and marketing strategist helping online female entrepreneurs grow their business online. I’ve been running my business for four years, and before that, I spent years in Public Relations and Communications.

I spent time working in crisis communication for nonprofits and took the training in school. Today, I’m pulling that all together to support you in moving forward with your mission and message.

Handling a Crisis as a Personal Brand or Small Business

There is a lot we can learn from large corporations when it comes to crisis communication. Typically large companies and firms have a complete crisis communication plan, so if something happens the company as a whole is prepared and on the same page.

One of the best takeaways from a PR approach is to be active, rather than simply reactive.

When the recent Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic hit a lot of brands started to panic. Understandably so, there really isn’t a rule book for this. But, we can learn three important elements from a crisis communication plan and apply to our small business and personal brand.

#1 BE HUMAN

If you follow me on social media or have read any of my blogs you know that what I teach around branding is centered on human marketing - that should always be the top of your mind. 

But, in a crisis it’s very important. Tapping into the fact that our audiences are REAL people, we need to be compassionate and we need to be empathetic. 

We need to let people know that we are here to support them. During the Coronavirus, you probably got a surge of emails, from companies and brands.

As soon as this thing happened everyone went into addressing the issue, and that’s a good thing (more on that later), but what so many of those emails were lacking was compassion.

Many of the emails I received felt so dry and as if they had been copied and pasted from a template - it felt like everybody was sending the exact same email. 

This is an amazing example of incorporating more story, compassion and empathy to differentiate yourself from others talking about the same thing. 

The more you focus on what your audience needs to hear today, the more thankful they will be of your outreach.

I recommend adding more story connecting on a human level and focus on giving, giving, and giving some more. Find a way to say I’m here for you and I understand what you’re going through.

#2 TAKE ACTION - DON’T WAIT

When you're in a crisis, you have to take action. The worst thing that you can do is sit back and do nothing. If you’re being handed bad press, the last thing you want to do is say nothing. If it’s a situation like the Coronavirus it’s important to take action and pivot.

During a time of crisis, it’s important to modify your messaging, make small adjustments to your offers (if needed). 

Sitting back and waiting for things to be “normal” will not help you advance your business. You will grow more from gracefully handling a crisis than you will from sitting back and doing nothing.

#3 DON’T IGNORE IT

Along with taking action, it’s also important to not ignore it in your messaging. Ignoring a situation can make your brand irrelevant in a time when your audience needs you to show up. 

Don't pretend like it's not happening. It doesn't mean that every single post needs to be about the crisis, but let people know that you understand what’s happening and address the situation.

In times of crisis, it’s the brands that step up, are of service and show up for their communities that make the lasting impact.

How You Need to Show Up During a Crisis: Branding + Messaging

During a crisis, it’s important to focus on the big picture of your brand.

You might not have the best sales at this time, especially if what you’re experiencing is worldwide, but that doesn’t mean it’s over.

Remember, your brand is not the single product or service you offer - it’s the overall experience, mission and values.

During a crisis, it’s important to gain clarity on these pieces so you can continue to move forward.

How can you use this time to grow your audience, build brand awareness and be of service?

Is there a new way that you can show up for your audience and deliver content? During the Coronavirus and quarantine, more and more people were online.

During this particular time creating a podcast, writing blogs or activating Facebook ads are a great way to reach your audience and build brand awareness.

Even if that doesn’t directly relate to sales now it will in the future.

When it comes to a crisis, like the current Coronavirus, it’s so important to serve your audience with your messaging.

Think of different gifts and resources you can provide your audience that again build trust, build community, but also offer support.

People will remember how your brand responded during a crisis - make sure it’s authentic and of service.

YOUR CONTENT

When it comes to the content you create during a crisis it’s important to show up. As we’ve already covered, you’ve got to remember your audience is human.

How can you create content that connects deeply with your audience?
How can you create content that brightens their mood?
How can you create content that tells the story of your brand?

Now more than ever these pieces are so important.

BE OF SERVICE

Your main goal during a crisis, like Coronavirus, should be of service.

If you show up and you are of service to your audience and to people who have no idea who the hell you are, then you will see it will pay off in the long run.

It’s just another reminder that you want your brand and business to be in for the long game.

One of the lessons I shared in my video below, as it relates to the Coronavirus was the idea that there is still time.

It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel during a crisis, but in the current pandemic, it’s important to remember that we still have 75% of the year left.

And most businesses make the majority of their revenue in Q3 and Q4 typically. There is still so much you can do to hit your goals.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Being of service doesn’t mean giving everything away for free or heavily discounting your services. You’re still running a business. There is a way to be of service and give to your community while still making money.

STEP UP

I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions…

How can you step up and serve your ideal client? 
What is the mission behind your business? 
What is the impact that you want to make with your brand? 
How can you do that now when people are looking for that support more than ever?

Remember that being of service proves in the long run, that the sales will come. 

#1 CRISIS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY TO AVOID

In my opinion, during a time of crisis fear-based marketing is a no-no. 

We know statistically people respond to pain over pleasure when it comes to your messaging. That’s because it’s much easier to say, “I want to avoid x, y and z,” then it is to say, “I want that!”

But, in a time of crisis, some people can go a little too far in addressing the pain. A general rule of thumb is that if you are exploiting a situation or the fears that people are experiencing, it’s not a great branding move.

Remember branding is the long game. It might seem like a great marketing move right now, but in the long run, the chances of it paying off are slim.

In times like this, it’s important to focus on the joy, pleasure, desire and how you’re helping people grow overall.

We’ve talked a lot about showing up for your audience, but when it comes to messaging your business and focusing on the benefit, remember you’re stepping into your role as a leader.

During a crisis is an amazing time for leaders to rise up.

If you don't do anything, you won't rise up.
f you're not showing up, you won't rise up.
If you're trying to go viral or pick up on people's fears or insecurities, you won't rise up.

CONCLUSION

Remember, the top tips for your brand during a time of crisis are:

Increase your brand exposure: Create content, tell stories and show up. If business is slow during a time of crisis, use that time to introduce yourself to others.

Build a warm audience: Along with building brand awareness you can also use a time of crisis to build trust with your audience and move them off of social media into an email list. This growth will support you during the long game.

Be human. Above everything else remember that your audience is human. They deserve and need compassion and empathy, especially if what you’re experiencing is collective. If the crisis is internal to your business, it’s just as important to show up as human and take responsibility.

Get creative and create new solutions. A crisis might require you to pivot your messaging or your offers. Take the challenge and make the change. In times of crisis, great leaders are born.

Be of service. Show up for your audience and give back. Remember, that giving will come back to benefit your business in the long run.

I hope these tips were helpful for you today.

If you’re interested in learning more about building your brand and strong message online, be sure to check out my signature course You! Branded.

Learn more at youbrandedcourse.com

---

- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

---

- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

---

MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

Work From Home With Kids

Work From Home With Kids

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

**Author's note: I wrote this blog post home alone with a four-year-old. I moved my laptop once to the other room, took my headphones out three times and took a break twice to answer questions. Sure, it isn’t ideal, but it is possible.

I've spent the last four years building my online business with a baby right next to me. 

That’s right when the world is getting thrust into working from home, doing it with our kids and possibly homeschooling to top it all off, this has been my life for the past four years.

So let me tell you, the questions started pouring in...
...how do I structure my day?
...how do I keep the kids entertained and busy so I can work?
...how do I balance it all without losing my mind?

Let’s all take a collective deep breath really quickly.

**Pauses so you actually breathe**

Ok.

Now, I might not have all the answers for this unprecedented time, but I have some tricks up my sleeves that have served my family over the past four years and we’re getting into all of this inside this blog.

If you find this blog useful, there is also a video presentation which you can find below. Please share this blog out with your friends and family to support them during this time.

Before we dive into it all, I promise it’s coming, let me just remind you that no one is expecting you to have this all figured out on day one. How could you?

You’re learning a new way of working, parenting and moving through your day to day. Give yourself some grace as you navigate and I promise the journey will be much more enjoyable.

ROUTINES WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

I understand that your normal routine is completely flipped on its head and that is a lot to handle, however, this allows you to create a new one #silverlining.

One of the areas I highly suggest adjusting your routine is in the morning.

When you’re working from home it’s all on you boo and so you need to be super grounded and prepared as you take on the day. Skipping this time in the morning (which is now much more flexible if you were previously commuting) can lead to short fuses, anger and feeling all over the place throughout the day.

This might mean taking an extra hour in the morning or just 20 minutes to connect, but some of my favorite tips for this time are:

• Get dressed. Seriously, I know it sounds so stupid, but the days when I’m in sweats I’m way less productive. Just put on the pants with a button and a shirt and get this party started.

• Move your body. Sure, you’re used to sitting at a desk all day, but that isn’t going to work at home with kids. Get your energy going in the morning by working out or taking a walk, you’re going to need it.

• Get grounded. Whether you meditate or not is not important, although I’m a big advocate for 10 minutes of mindful thinking and deep breathing every morning, I just want you to chill. Take some time in the morning to feel connected to your body, your mind and mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead.
  

You might be thinking, “Hello! Michelle, I told you I’m doing this with kids?”

Oh, I know and that’s the joy. From an early age, I was including Cal in all my activities in the morning. To this day, we still workout, meditate and journal together. Include your kids in the activity to teach them an important life lesson along the way and to get a little space.

If your kids have never done this, be a little flexible. They might not do the full workout but might jump in and out to join you. If you have Bluetooth headphones try those while meditating and if you’re journaling you can give them crayons and paper to draw a picture.

As with everything presented to us during this time, it’s an opportunity to slow down from our normal rushed routine.

YOUR SCHEDULE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

Let’s just address the elephant in the room...you’re not going to work uninterrupted for 8 hours, so you’ve got to adjust, but you do need a schedule.

The biggest tip I can give you when it comes to creating a new schedule at home is to pay attention to your kids' rhythms, I promise they have them!

Paying attention to these rhythms, you might not be as familiar with, will show you little pockets and opportunities for extended work periods.

If your kid takes naps throughout the day then utilize those times to dive into your work, eliminate distractions and hustle your way through nap time.

If your kid has certain times of the day when they play well by themselves or get pulled into a project, then plan to get work done during that time. Cal does well in the morning, so after my morning routine, I would dive right into working until about snack/ lunchtime.

PLAN YOUR DAY IN ADVANCE

If you have older kids I suggest having them create their schedule the night before. Take some time together to plan out what the next day might look like.

Do you have meetings? If so, when are they?
Do you have a deadline that needs to be met?
Is there a project your kid is working on with school?

Then fill in the rest. Give your kids the responsibility to map out their day, this will make them freaking excited, and then hold them to it the next day. Use tools like timers to keep track of everyone’s schedule.

You need to do the same. Identify your big priorities for the day, now is not the time to try and do everything on your list. If you go into your day with 3 main priorities and put your focus around that it will make it much easier to feel accomplished than if you’re not clear on the main goals.

Do this every single day, yes every single day! I like to use a free tool like Trello to organize my day to day activities and if you’re working with a team tools like Slack and Zoom are very helpful for team communication (seriously, can we stop emailing each other) and team meetings.

SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS - WORK FROM HOME TRICK

I’ve read a lot of information online about working from home over the past four years and I swear no one is talking about this.

Either they know and they don’t want to spill the beans or it’s truly something not enough people are utilizing, but THIS right here is what saved me so many times.

If you have a meeting, a big project or an upcoming deadline set your kids up for success during those times.

I know you’re nervous about being interrupted, we all are, but your kids don’t know you have a meeting or even what that means if this is all new to them, so we’ve got to show some grace to both sides.

One way to combat the need for silence and focus it so set your kids up with a project and resources so they don’t need you unless there is an emergency.

So what does this look like?

“Setting Them Up” can be:

• Creating an activity bin that you pull out during meetings or times where focus is needed is exciting for kids and gives them a “this is a special toy” feeling.

• Moving your office outside. Sometimes I would take my calls outside where Cal could run around, play with the dog and explore. He was often entertained for quite some time because it was a new setting for him and I never complained about the fresh air.

• Give them a project. Depending on the age of your kids you’ll have to use your imagination, but some of my favorites were creating a tent and turning on a movie, building something, doing a puzzle, an activity book or reading.

• If all else fails it’s cartoon time! Look if you have a meeting you have a meeting. I’m in no way advocating for your kiddo to be on their tablet or in front of the tv all day, but once and a while momma...GIVE. YOURSELF. A. BREAK! Some of our favorites were Word Party and Beat Bugs on Netflix and the PBS Kids app.
  

In addition to the projects I highly recommend getting some snacks ready.

We try to have a bin in the fridge with cut-up fruit and other snacks so Cal can grab them without having to ask me. Of course, this only works for older kids, but if you’ve got kids under three you can have those snacks at your desk ready to go when they are hungry.

When you can combine a little preparedness with these activities you’ll handle your day so much better. There is a big difference in knowing you have a meeting at 2 pm, so you eat lunch by 1 pm and have the kids ready to go by 1:45 pm so you can get to your meeting VS. realizing at 1:50 you’ve got a meeting in 10 minutes.

Just sayin'.

TAG TEAM WITH YOUR PARTNER

If you have a partner at home it’s time to work as a team, seriously there is no reason to do this alone. Whether your partner is also working from home or gets home at the end of the day there is an opportunity to tag team this whole thing.

And, when this whole Coronavirus thing brings us back to some normalcy you can also lean on support from your community - think neighbors, best friends or hiring support.

I asked my husband Ben what he would recommend from this period when he was working retail and I was working from home with Cal building my business. He said the biggest thing he remembered was asking for chunks of time.

So let’s break down two scenarios.

IF BOTH PARENTS ARE WORKING FROM HOME
If you’re both working from home then together plan your schedule for the day. If someone has meetings all day virtually or projects to complete the other parent is on deck. Then you're able to flip the role when needed. 

IF ONE PARENT IS HOME ALL DAY
This one is much closer to my heart because this was our life for three years. At the beginning of the week, I would do my best to let Ben know when I’d need “uninterrupted time” for calls, writing or recording. But sometimes you just can’t prepare. Don’t be afraid to send that loving, yet kind of urgent text to your partner saying, “I need two hours tonight before dinner, you’re on call!”

BE FLEXIBLE

The rules no longer apply!

You’re not chained to a desk from 8 - 5 every day with the weekends as the only time to chill, and that’s the beauty of it all.

If you need to rearrange your schedule to work on a Saturday rather than a Tuesday then go for it, I promise your co-workers are doing it as well.

If you find an opportunity to wake up in the morning before the kids do or your partner leaves then explore taking this time to get some work done during this season.

It’s hard when your kids run the show, but I promise you can work in harmony with a little grace and planning (my favorite combo always).

FINAL THOUGHTS

My top tips for you are to...

• Take time in the morning to ground yourself, get dressed and move your body.

• Change your environment frequently throughout the day.

• Take time the night before to plan your schedule and activities for the day ahead.

• Set your kids up. You’ll save yourself time in the long run if you take 10 minutes to prep (just trust me on this one)!

• BABIES: Wear your baby in a baby carrier throughout the day. They love it and it’s super easy to work when you have both of your hands free.

• TODDLERS: Activities. Activities. Activities, oh and snacks!

• TEENAGERS AND OLDER: Now’s a great time to set some boundaries. It’s a life lesson we all need at a young age so don’t be afraid to sit them done and have them plan their schedule and openly communicate with them when you need uninterrupted time.
  

If you suddenly find yourself trying to play full-time employee, parent and teacher I’d love to pass along a bit of advice I received early on. Allow your kids to have experiences. Honestly, this kind of learning can teach them so much more than spending a day in school.

Encourage them to build something, play outside and garden, put on a play, etc… Sometimes the alternative learning opportunities can have the biggest impact.

I hope this post was helpful for you during this season of life. Please share it out on social media to support other parents going through the same thing.

If you want to follow along with daily tips and inspiration be sure to connect with me on Instagram @michelleknightco.

P.S. If you want to learn more about me and my online business Brandmerry.com, I’ve got some great resources for you below.

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

---

- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

---

MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.