How to Write a Marketing Plan in 7 Steps (For solopreneurs and entrepreneurs with small teams)

When I started my business four years ago I went in search of a marketing plan. Everything I found online said I needed a Marketing Plan, and I totally agreed.

I have a background in Communications and Public Relations so I understood marketing, but marketing for online businesses was not something we covered in great depth.

The internet was a big disappointment. Everything I found was so complex and targeted more towards big corporate businesses, rather than my one-woman show.

Of course, there were elements that were valid, but so much was unnecessary. I wasn’t about to create a million-page report, I didn’t have a marketing team and I didn’t have a large marketing budget to start with.

Instead, I crafted a report that worked for me. Now four years into running my online business and teaching female entrepreneurs how to brand and market themselves online, I’m excited to share the exact 7-Part Marketing Plan Template with you today.

The Marketing Plan Process

The purpose of this plan is to give you the outline to plan out your own marketing objectives, as well as the steps (aka missing pieces) so many entrepreneurs don’t spend enough time on.

This entire process can be done for your brand, which is where I recommend starting and can then be repeated for smaller launches. Think book, program and course launches.

Let’s start with looking at the big picture and how the marketing plan fits in.

WHERE YOUR MARKETING PLAN FITS IN YOUR BUSINESS

It’s important to understand where your marketing plan fits inside your business. Many people get the different levels confused. For instance, so many people think their content strategy and content creation is what their marketing plan is about, when in fact content is a result of a marketing plan.

Let’s take a closer look.

Level 1: Business Goals
At this level, you’re mapping out your financial goals and big vision dreams for your business. This is where getting clear on your revenue-goal is so important.

Level 2: Brand Foundations
This is the foundation of your brand and what I teach inside of You! Branded. Your brand foundations include understanding your niche, unique selling proposition, ideal customer, brand messaging and your offer. 

Everything you create in your business will come from this, including your marketing strategy. You can learn more about branding in my free masterclass, The Build a Better Brand Method. Sign up here to watch.

Level 3: Marketing Plan
Your marketing plan comes next, ONLY when you have a clear understanding of your brand can you effectively create a marketing plan, you’ll see why in a minute.

The purpose of the marketing plan is to attract your ideal customer and keep them engaged. You’re leading them from cold prospect to hot prospect, from knowing nothing of your brand to becoming a client.

Level 4: Content Strategy
Once you have your marketing plan mapped out, you can begin to create your content strategy and content calendar. So many entrepreneurs skip the marketing plan part and jump straight here - this is a mistake.

Now, that we’re clear on where the marketing plan fits in, let’s dive into the 7 steps of a marketing plan template and how to write your marketing plan for your online business.

7-Step Marketing Plan Template

STEP 1: BUSINESS GOAL
You’re going to pull your revenue goal from your Business Goals. It’s important that we remember what we’re working towards with our marketing and with this number front and center it will help you map out how you’ll get there.

Another area to identify is your marketing budget for the year. I recommend a minimum of 5% as a marketing budget based on your cash coming in. For instance, if you make $1,000 one week in your business you want to set aside $50 into your marketing budget.

REVENUE GOAL x .05 = MARKETING BUDGET

Understanding this, in the beginning, will also give you a general idea of what you’ll be able to invest throughout the year.

ACTION STEP: Write down your revenue goal for the year and figure out your potential marketing budget.


STEP 2: YOUR TARGET BUYER (IDEAL CUSTOMER)
This section comes from your Brand Foundations, something I teach in-depth inside of You! Branded.

However, it’s important to condense your information from your branding work into your marketing plan. Everything you create will stem from the information you’ve collected about your Target Buyer.

Some questions to identify within your marketing plan are:

• Who do you want to attract to your brand? What are their defining characteristics?

• What do they struggle with at this time (pain)?

• What do they desire (pleasure)?

• How do you support them in getting from pain to pleasure?

ACTION STEP: Answer those questions above.


STEP 3: LEAD GENERATION
The goal with lead generation is to collect your potential buyer’s attention and add them to your inner circle or community. This is where you’re taking a prospect from cold to warm and going a step further than just a simple follow on social media.

You want to create something that you give as a gift to your target buyer that solves a problem for them. The trick is it is FREE. The goal here is to give them an incentive to provide their email address.

They receive a free gift and you get another touchpoint with your target buyer. It’s important to note that email marketing is essential for online businesses. It’s not enough, or even a good strategy to rely on social media.

The goal is to create a lead magnet/freebie that is irresistible to your ideal customer. Pull from the information you organized in Step Two. So many people think marketing is just social media, but the goal with marketing is sales. Sales come from community, which comes from your marketing efforts.

ACTION STEP: Decide on the lead magnet you’ll offer your target buyer. This is also a good time to decide on your email platform if you haven’t created one already. I suggest Convertkit, it’s what I use in my business, you can try it for *free here.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one platform, Kajabi is a great option for online entrepreneurs who want their website, lead pages, email marketing, courses and more in one spot. You can try a free 14-day *Kajabi trial here.


STEP 4: MARKETING OBJECTIVES + KPI’S (Key Performance Indicator)
It’s important to note that Step 4 and Step 5 can be interchanged based on your preference. I prefer to have my objectives and KPI’s clear BEFORE I jump into my strategy. For instance, if I decide I’m going to focus mostly on website traffic and have clear objectives in place, then that will affect my strategy moving forward.

Some areas to consider setting clear goals and KPI’s are:

• Social Media Engagement

• List Size

• Website Metrics

• Conversion Rates

• SEO Performance

• Social Media Followers

• Video Views

These are just a couple of ideas to get you started, but you want to think of the different ways in which you can attract your ideal customer and set goals for yourself moving forward.

A Note on Brand Awareness: Many old-school marketers will teach you to run ads or plan your marketing with the main objective to increase brand awareness. This is one of the ways so many entrepreneurs waste money. When you’re focused on marketing and growing your online community, your brand awareness will grow as a result of this.

When determining your objectives make sure they are specific and measurable, otherwise, you’ll have a hard time determining if your efforts are working.

Example: Let’s say your Q3 goal is to build your email list to 1,000 subscribers.
You have 500, so that means you need to add an additional 500 subscribers over the next 3 months. So you can set a specific goal of 166 people a month or even 42 new subscribers a week. 

If you’re just starting out, I like to start with 100. Doesn’t that feel good? And if you have a bit of a following, you can start with an increase of 25% and adjust as you gain more data.

ACTION STEP: Create a spreadsheet or document that outlines your goals for the next year, and break down into quarterly segments.


STEP 5: HOW TO ATTRACT YOUR TARGET BUYER
This is the meat, what so many entrepreneurs jump too and you’re finally there...congratulations. At this stage, we want to determine where, when and how you’ll show up.

At this stage you want to identify the following:

• Platforms: What platforms will you be showing up on?

• Delivery: How will you deliver the content? Think video, written, audio, imagery…

• Volume: When and how often will you create content?

• Paid: Will you invest in paid advertising?

From this information, you can map out your daily, weekly and monthly activities (this is where your content strategy will start to take shape).

ACTION STEP: Answer the questions above.

**This is where everyone stops with their marketing if they’ve even made it this far. Don’t make that mistake. Keep going!


STEP 6: NURTURING
This step is so important. You’ve got a growing list and a community, how will you show up and serve them. 

Remember so much of what you’ve done has taken your targeted buyer from cold (not knowing your brand) to warm (super interested and on your email list). During this process you will have made sales, it’s only natural, but you have a large part of your audience who needs more value and trust before making a decision.

This is where nurturing comes in.

How will you continue to show up for your audience - this is where I believe social media comes into play. What I create on social media is not for cold prospects it’s for my warm audience. It’s where I share more stories and behind the scenes of my life.

So my strategy looks something like this...
Cold Audience: Blogging, SEO (Google), Pinterest, Advertisement 
Warm Audience: Instagram and Facebook, Weekly Lives and Email Newsletters

Many of your activities will cross over, for instance, I will attract new people through social media and I can email my blog to my warm audience to build trust.

ACTION STEP: Identify how you will show up for your existing community.


STEP 7: CLIENT RETENTION AND CUSTOMER LIFE VALUE
Part of your marketing strategy should be your existing clients. So many entrepreneurs are focused on making the quick sale and are missing out on true fans of their brand who are willing to invest in more services.

If you don’t take time to care for your customers they won’t want to stick around.

And, if you don’t have a next step for them THEN they will be your biggest referees! 

ACTION STEP: Think of how you will serve your customers at the highest level. What will your outreach look like? How will you continue the relationship and conversation? What can you create to support them at the next level?

CONCLUSION
It’s important to remember that your strategy consists of 3 phases: Brand Awareness, Marketing and Clients.

When you have a clear marketing strategy in place it’s easier to attract the right people! Keep in mind client acquisition shouldn’t rely on one single marketing strategy. Once you’ve started to map out your plan, it’s important to understand how your strategy and tactics fit in the mix.

Marketing strategy is my bread and butter and what we cover in-depth inside my membership Brandmerry Academy. Learn more and sign up for the waitlist at brandmerry.com/academy.

P.S. Don’t forget that the first stage is your brand! I’ve got a free brand guide available at brandmerry.com/roadmap.

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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

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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.

3 Mindset Shifts for Entrepreneurs

3 Mindset Shifts for Entrepreneurs

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

I’ve been an online entrepreneur for over four years and my biggest challenge has not been the strategies, marketing or selling, but letting go of old beliefs.

That first year of business was hard because at the end of the day it was all up to me. There was no team to turn too and decisions were made by yours truly.

This is the case for so many solopreneurs and entrepreneurs running a small team. You’re it boo and your mindset and beliefs will make or break your business.

Now, I’m not a mindset mentor, but I have done my own in-depth work and worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years who carry three core beliefs that are keeping them stuck.

Today, on the blog I want to share those 3 beliefs and mindset shifts to make if you’re experiencing the same thing as a new entrepreneur.

If you prefer to watch the live video recording, you can scroll down and do that now!

Ok, let’s get into it.

BELIEF #1
“Everyone is already doing it and the market is saturated!”

This could be a belief you hold on to if you're constantly questioning why...

...Why would anyone listen to me?
...So and so has 10k followers and I have no one!
...I’m not an expert like Suzie!

But the reality is the digital learning industry is projected to be $325 Billion in 2025 and my guess is that’s even higher now with everything happening in the world.

THERE IS PLENTY OF SPACE FOR YOU!

By holding back on your voice, expertise and gifts...you’re doing your ideal community (and future community) a disservice.

That’s why running a business has to be about more than you!

If you’re experiencing this belief and it’s keeping you stuck we need to make the focus more mission-driven.

SHIFTING THIS BELIEF

Your business and brand needs to be mission-driven. 

I spent years working in the nonprofit sector and understand the power of having a clear mission statement. Without a mission, a nonprofit won’t be approved by the government and will struggle to receive funding.

We need to treat your businesses the same way, but many entrepreneurs instead start with themselves and their goals.

If you don’t identify your mission, in the beginning, you’ll always be trapped in comparisonitis and feel as if there is no space for you inside your industry.

When you take the time to choose your mission, then you’ll also know WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, who you’re showing up for and how your business will impact others.

ACTION STEP: What is the mission of your business?

BELIEF #2
SOS - Shiny Object Syndrome and An Inability To Focus

So many people are jumping around and doing things that aren’t contributing to your growth as an entrepreneur.

Maybe you see someone doing it and think if it worked for them, then it will work for me, I should do that now.

Maybe you’re playing small and trying to learn all the things. You’re focused on Instagram and a new Youtube video comes out with a new strategy, even though you haven’t implemented the last one, and you spend your time consuming.

Maybe you are working on so many things at once that there’s no clear growth overall because you’re only able to dedicate 10% to each thing, rather than a full 100%.

So what should you be focused on in your business?

This is the 5-Part Roadmap for a Thriving Online Business that I teach inside my program Roadmap to Freedom.

1. Brand Foundation

2. Build Community

3. Market Your Mission and Message

4. Sell With Confidence

5. Scale Your Systems

It has to happen in THIS order! What it looks like inside each phase will be different for each of you, but the roadmap is the same.

When you follow this structure and build one on top of the other your focus will be streamlined and running a business will be effective and results-driven.

If you want to learn more about Roadmap to Freedom you can learn more here.

BELIEF #3
I don’t have enough time

The reality is we all have the same hours in a day.

What’s really happening is that you lack clarity on what’s most important to move your business forward.

Now you know and it’s about making your business a top priority, and shifting this limiting belief.

The process of looking at time differently can only be done by you. No strategy or planner can help if you don’t understand how to believe in and manage your time.

To support you in making time work for you, I’m sharing my top 4 tips below.

4 TIPS TO BETTER MANAGE YOUR TIME IN BUSINESS

TIP 1: DO A TIME AUDIT

You have to know where your time is going in order to make changes, but the majority of people have no idea where they are spending their time most. For the next 72 hours conduct a simple time audit of everything. Write down everything you do and how much time you spend on it.

This includes social media! When you identify where your time is going, you can then limit the areas where you’re not contributing to your overall growth (I’m looking at you Facebook!)

Take back the power and spend your time where it’s most valuable.

TIP 2: COMMIT TO YOUR BUSINESS...FULLY

If you’ve found in the past that you just don’t have time to build your business, then it’s time to reevaluate your priorities. Where does your business fall on the priority list and are you making time for it?

I suggest new business owners dedicate 3 hours a week to their business to start.
Is this three hours on an early Sunday morning?
Is this staying in on a Friday night to build your dreams?
Is this waking up one-hour earlier three days a week?

Make the decision and take action.

If you need a little priority pep talk watch this video.

TIP 3: CATCH YOURSELF WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING, “I DON’T HAVE TIME!”

I use to say this all the time. In fact, I said it so often that I actually believed it and guess what, I constantly ran out of time.

Switching your mindset is about you, we’ve already covered it, so it’s up to you to catch yourself.

The first step is always awareness, which you have now. So the next step is to switch your belief around time whenever you talk negatively about it.

The tiny switch I made that made the biggest difference was no longer saying, “I don’t have the time” and instead saying, “I’m choosing not to spend my time on that.”

It’s all about priorities, decide on yours!

TIP 4: PRIORITIZE TASKS INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR TIME

You now know the top 5 areas of focus for your business and you can make those a priority for yourself moving forward.

Each project you’re working on can be broken into smaller tactics and should be! If you’re not already working on Asana or Trello, or some task management system now is the time to start. It’s the easiest way to break down all of your projects into smaller tasks.

These smaller tasks will help with your overall productivity.

I love talking about Time Management in case you couldn’t tell and released an entire podcast episode on my Time Management Hacks over on The Beautiful Climb podcast, check it out here.

CONCLUSION

Running a business requires you to be at the top of your game and that means your mindset needs to be a top priority.

If you read this post and discovered you’re carrying some of these beliefs then start here. Start with these three and keep digging.

And as always get the support you deserve. Having someone who has done what you’re setting out to do and can offer insight, coaching, strategies and support will make your journey a little easier (hell a lot easier). 

If you’re interested in this level of support, then check out Roadmap to Freedom at brandmerry.com/freedom.

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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.

7 Steps to Repurpose Your Weekly Content and Work Less

If you’d like to watch the full video, you can do that here.

When I started my business I had no other choice but to be efficient with my time.

I started my business while working at a 9 to 5, raising a new baby (my first by the way), commuting, taking care of my home and launching this business.

Despite having no idea what I was doing, which definitely took time, I also had a bunch of other things to do.

No team.
Just me.
Content to create.

That’s when I fell in love with repurposing and over the past 4 years, I’ve freaking mastered it!

Today, I’m excited to share with you what repurposing looks like in my 6-figure business and how you can apply a similar workflow to your own business.

Why Should Online Entrepreneurs Repurpose Their Content

As an online entrepreneur, you should be focused on 4 tasks daily.

1. Growing your email list

2. Nurturing your email list

3. Making a sale

4. Serving your existing clients and customers

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the majority of your time goes to creating some form of content. What if you could streamline your entire content creation process with the art of repurposing and save yourself so much time every single week?

Are you intrigued yet?

Let’s pretend you spend…
1 hour writing an email every week
30 minutes to write a single social media post with photo
1 hour to write a blog post
30 minutes to record a Facebook live or record a video

This means you’re spending 3 hours minimum, for many of you this might be a hell of a lot more, to create 4 pieces of content for the week.

If this is your current strategy, spending a few hours every day writing content then you need repurposing more than you know.

The idea of repurposing is that you create one core piece of content and then break it down into multiple pieces to support the larger piece, show up and spread your message.

This means the time you’re spending to create a piece of content isn’t in vain...that one hour you spend to write a blog becomes 7 days’ worth of content or possibly more.

Repurposing provides you with 3 incredible benefits:

1. Saves you time every single week and day

2. Extends the life of your content. I don’t know about you, but if I’m spending an hour writing a piece of content I want to make sure it lasts more and an hour on social media.

3. Reaches your audience. Remember the rule of 7 in marketing? Well, your audience is most likely NOT seeing your single piece of content, so why not create a few more pieces to make sure they actually see your hard work in action.
   
   

There are so many different ways to repurpose your content, but today I want to share with you the exact method we use inside of my business and give you a simple workflow to set yourself up for success.

I’ve got some bonus videos below if you prefer to watch.

The Repurpose Strategy of a Multi 6-Figure Entrepreneur

I’ve always been a fan of repurposing content because, in the beginning, I didn’t really have a choice. I was working a 9 to 5, building my business and had a newborn baby strapped to my back, on my hip, on my boob...you get the picture.

I needed a way to maximize my time and my content in order to grow my business from the ground up.

In the beginning, I started simple. I would write a blog and send it to my list and then I’d share it on social media, but I was still writing more emails every week and scheduling social media felt exhausting.

If we’re being honest social media hasn’t always been my favorite way to attract new leads, I much prefer SEO, Pinterest and video for that and teach this inside of my membership Brandmerry Academy.

But, year after year I would fine-tune my process. I’d remove things that weren’t yielding results and I’d amplify the stuff that was.

In 2020, I was determined to create a workflow that would once again allow me to show up live for my audience, post on IGTV, show up on social media, improve my SEO and attract quality leads through Pinterest.

It’s been 4+ months of this strategy and I’m SO IN LOVE. 

Seriously, content is so flipping easy now, and I know that at the bare minimum I’m showing up and delivering quality content for my audience every single week.

Want a look inside of my workflow?

Here is my 2020 Content Workflow featuring my dear friend repurposing.

Step 1: Determine a topic for my weekly show Mondays With Michelle

Step 2: Email my community on Monday about my live stream topic and how to watch

Step 3: Write my script for the live video

Step 4: Share the live video on social media (Facebook and Instagram)

Step 5: Deliver the live video

**This all usually happens on Monday, the topics are outlined about 3 months in advance**

Step 6: Take the script or transcript (either works depending on your preference) and format it for a blog, this includes SEO research.

Step 7: Turn the video content into a blog (hint: this blog started the exact same way)

Step 8: Pull quotes and information from the script to create graphics (typically 2-3)

Step 9: Schedule the graphics for Facebook and Instagram

Step 10: Publish the blog post and share on Pinterest

Step 11: Turn the video (sometimes broken down into multiple pieces) into a video for IGTV

Step 12: Share on IGTV

Repeat every freaking week!

It looks a little something like this.

This might look like a lot, but the majority of these steps are just formatting and scheduling, which I now have a freaking amazing team to support me, but I did it myself for years.

The idea here is that I really only need to show up once to create the content, which I do on live video, and I’m set for the entire week!

7 Steps to Repurpose Your Blog, Video and Social Media Content

I don’t want you to mimic my workflow unless it works for you and the vision of your brand, but I do want to give you 7 steps to follow to create your own workflow. Follow these steps and you’ll find content creation becomes a freaking breeze.

I teach this entire strategy, plus how to utilize advanced marketing platforms inside my program Brandmerry Academy.

Step 1: DETERMINE YOUR PLATFORMS
You can’t design this unless you know exactly where you want to be showing up. As you saw from my example above I’m showing up on:

• Facebook and Instagram Live

• Facebook and Instagram Stories

• Facebook and Instagram Feed

• IGTV

• My blog

• Pinterest

• and Email

You can expand on this or shorten it down even further depending on your needs.

Step 2: DECIDE ON YOUR LONG-FORM CONTENT
Here is where so many entrepreneurs get it wrong! You want to make your life easier and start with the longest piece of content first. That will most likely be your blog or a video.

I highly recommend you have a blog for your website in order to improve your SEO and to give you the tools to grow on Pinterest, my favorite platform to be on (seriously, we’ve got 1 million viewers on there are you one of them?)

Once you’ve decided on your long-form content you can map out your 30-day calendar for that piece. Inside, the Academy we focus on 90 days, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Step 3: DESIGN YOUR WORKFLOW
For this step, I suggest using Trello or Asana. I use Asana to easily assign deadlines and tasks to my team and I like it because we can see where each other is in the process.

Set up a sample card in Asana with your workflow. List out every step and use this as a template moving forward. You can just duplicate the task every week for new content.

Remember, the goal here is to list out where you’ll be posting the content and every task you have. See my sample below.

**The first 3 steps only need to be done once!

Step 4: MAP OUT AT LEAST 30 DAYS OF CONTENT
For my business, this is my weekly video on Monday. I have a spreadsheet inside of Google Sheets that list out my schedule and topic for each episode.

This allows me to see the big picture of my content and I can start brainstorming my ideas far in advance.

**You’ll repeat this step every 30 days

Step 5: CREATE YOUR LONG-FORM PIECE OF CONTENT
Either sit down and write your blog post, record your video or record your podcast. Get this final piece 100% complete before moving on, it’s going to save you a lot of time. Remember, everything in your workflow stems from this single piece of content.

Step 6: BREAK DOWN YOUR CONTENT
Here’s the fun part. 

Now go through your long-form content and pull out the pieces you need. Create your graphics (use a template in Canva to make this easy), write your emails, draft your social media posts, etc.

If you’re repurposing a video, I love VEED.io.

Whatever you need to write, do that now! You basically want to have everything ready to post without actually posting it.

Step 7: SCHEDULE IT
You know I love a good scheduling tool. If you’re repurposing and not taking the time to schedule it what are you even doing? It takes like 30 minutes once everything is ready to go and will save you hours in the long run!

Use a tool like Later to schedule your Instagram and Facebook posts.
Use Tailwind to schedule your Pinterest images.
You can even schedule your blog post in your web provider.
Upload your IGTV and save it as a draft (watch the video below for my secret on this).
Schedule your email for delivery.
Schedule your podcasts in LIbsyn.
Schedule your videos for Youtube.

EVERYTHING can be scheduled in advance, and if you take this chunk of time at the beginning of the week or even month to do it, you’ll find you’ve got more time every single week.

CONCLUSION

If you implement even just 3 of these steps you’re going to start to streamline your content which will save you so much time.

I can’t stress that enough. Remember you started this business to live a life of freedom and make an impact, you can’t do that if you’re spending hours every single day creating content.

Marketing is necessary to grow your business, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I believe in a simplified and minimalist approach to marketing that works to consistently grow your brand and business. Learn more at BrandmerryAcademy.com

P.S. Planning and creating your content doesn't have to be a constant struggle. There is a better way to research, plan, and create your content as an entrepreneur and it's all inside the Content Planning Blueprint!

The Content Planning Blueprint is perfect for online business owners who know the power of content creation but are tired of spending all of their time coming up with ideas, organizing their content, and wondering what will attract their dream clients.

In just a few hours, you'll have 90 days of content planned, a repeatable workflow to save you hours on creating and distributing your content every week, and content topics that will keep performing for your brand for years to come! Get your blueprint now >>

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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.

Home Office Essentials to Keep You in a Great Headspace

Home Office Essentials to Keep You in a Great Headspace

October 18, 2018

I’m a big fan of batch scheduling and with that love comes my desire to basically schedule ALL my coaching calls on the same day. Since the beginning of my business, I’ve been coaching on Wednesday and Friday, which allows me to spend the rest of my time in my creative headspace (this is how I always come up with great content) and spending time with my family.

As my business has grown and I’ve taken on more clients, it’s REALLY important (stressing the really here) that I surrounded myself with things that keep me grounded.

Whether you are a service based entrepreneur or anyone that deals with a customer or client, it’s important to protect your energy. We give so much to our community and clients, that if we don’t have things in place to re-align ourselves, we take the risk of feeling depleted.

These tips and resources are easy additions to your home office and will make a big difference in your day to day when implemented.

Disclaimer: Some of this stuff is on the woo-woo side ;) what can I say I love it. Keep an open mind and take what you need from this blog post and leave the rest behind. Oh and some of the links are affiliates, if you buy it I might get a few bucks.

TOP HOME OFFICE ESSENTIALS

1. Diffuser and Oils:

I’m a big fan of essential oils when it comes to my family and nothing makes me feel more aligned than a nice lavender or sandalwood scent.

I have diffusers throughout my entire house, but love to use my office diffuser for long work days. The one I currently have is from DoTerra, but another favorite of mine is from Amazon.

2. Palo Santo (or Sage):

The benefits of Palo Santo are amazing, but for our office decor purposes I love Palo Santo to clear the energy. Nothing is more important before and after a call with my clients than to clear my own energy and the energy of the office. This allows me to head into my calls without carrying over something from a previous client.

3. Candle:

I’m a sucker for a good candle, can anyone say Pumpkin Spice?! Right now, that is my candle of choice, but honestly, any candle will do. I love lighting my candle to set the tone for the day. I love having the visual of a candle because it gives me a calm feeling, which is important for busy work days. Candles are supportive of a meditative state, decreasing stress and increasing self-awareness.

4. Crystals:

Yes, I’m a big fan of crystals, and although I’m not an expert there are three crystals I love to include on my desk during long work days. These crystals are easily accessible so you should have no trouble finding them locally or online.

A tip for choosing crystals is to position yourself in front of your options and pay attention to which one is pulling you in.

Bonus tip, because why the heck not, it’s important to cleanse/clean your crystals when you buy them; you can do this by smudging sage, putting them under a full moon or bathing them in a salt bath.

My favorite office crystals are:

• Rose Quartz: This stone is great for self-love, removing anger and tension. It also opens your Heart Chakra making you more open to compassion.

• Amethyst: Not only is amethyst one of my favorite stones to look at, it supports you in tapping into your intuition and brings tranquility and peace into your space. It’s great for opening your Crown Chakra.

• Clear Quartz: When you think of a crystal this is probably the one that comes to mind. These basic white stones come in all shapes and sizes (I even carry one in the diaper bag). Quartz is great for removing negative feelings and welcoming in positive energy.

I also wear Citrine on a regular basis to protect my Solar Plexus which is connected to achieving goals, self-confidence and more importantly, for me anyway, to release my inner perfectionist.

5. Light:

I mean I feel like this is a no-brainer, but in no way do I want my office to resemble that of a cubicle. I welcome light into my space by facing my desk towards a big window and if working into the night I have a desk lamp for extra lighting. Natural light is your best friend here, so if you have the ability to face a window not only will your photos look better, but a better moot to boot.

6. Hydration:

Dehydration is no joke as an entrepreneur. It can lead to fogginess, decreased concentration, depressed mood and fatigue; none of which you want when working all day, especially with clients. One of the top tips I have for every entrepreneur is to drink more water, it’s so easy to forget but can make all the difference in feeling energized to take on all your projects. I’m a big fan of an old-fashioned mason jar, which is totally on brand by the way!

It’s really about creating the space around you that not only inspires you to show up and do your best work, but keeps you a positive headspace so you can show up as your best self and impact more lives.

Let me know in the comments your favorite tip above and if you have some essentials you love - I’m always looking to enhance my space.

I’m constantly sharing behind the scenes of my life and business over on IG Stories (my favorite place to hang out) are we connected on Instagram?

Head over to Instagram.com/brandmerrycoaching to follow me and DM your questions and favorite tips from this post. I personally respond to every single one!

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Four Tips to Improve Productivity While Working From Home

Four Tips to Improve Productivity While Working From Home

October 11, 2018

When I was getting ready for my first week as a “full-time entrepreneur” I was freaking out! I turned to the power of the internet and reached out to other entrepreneurs asking, “What tips do you have for working from home?”

The response was overwhelming, ideas flooded in ranging from; don’t make a plan just go with it to only work 3 hours a day for better efficiency. However, there was a slight problem with these suggestions - no one who commented was a mother!

Now, whether you’re a mompreneur or not this post will still be super valuable to you, but it’s an important part of my productivity journey because I had no other option that to make it work. Over the past two years, I’ve freaking mastered productively working from home, even when some of the biggest distractions were injecting themselves into my day (thinking baby peeing on you during a live stream, mid-day screams and 💩)!

If you struggle with getting sht done while working from home, you’ve come to the right place. I’m sharing four of my top tips for Improving Your Productivity While Working From Home.

**Please note some of the links are affiliate links. I only recommend products I absolutely love, but I might receive a small commission from your engagement.

1. PLAN THE NIGHT BEFORE.

I can’t stress enough how important planning is for productivity - I mean thing about it when you fly by the seat of your pants you’re constantly bouncing from one thing to another. Did someone say squirrel?!

One of the best strategies I’ve used for productivity over the past 6 months has been to carve out 15 minutes to map out and structure my tasks for the following day.

The night before I hop into my Weekly Schedule on *Trello and sit with my schedule for the next day. Based on family plans and weather (I’m a big advocate for Zoo days) I’ll move things around on my board. I also like to rank my tasks in order of importance and put a time limit on some of them (i.e. things like writing this blog post).

This allows me to have a full picture of the next 24 hours before I even go to sleep, reducing the overwhelm, allowing me to feel on top of my sh*t and to get more things checked off.

Want to try Trello for your business? Grab a free account here: https://trello.com/michelleknight6/recommend

2. Set a timer

When I was a kid my mom used to set a timer in the morning, you know one of those old-school white timers for your counter? Every morning she’d set the timer and when that timer went off we knew it was time to leave for school. Ok, total disclaimer I was still late like 99% of the time, but just think how late I would’ve been if I didn’t have that timer.

This is such a great trick for increasing productivity in your business as well. When it’s time to dive into the black hole that is social media, set a timer for 15 or 30 minutes and when that timer goes off - GET OUT OF THERE!

I love to use the timer method in my business for:

• Social media engagement
• Writing my emails
• Writing my blog posts
• Answering emails
• Tech (SO important to set a timer with this one)

Think of the areas of your business that are major time sucks and set that timer!

3. Batch Scheduling

One of the hardest things to do when working from home is to jump from one project to another. My greatest strategy since day one has been batch scheduling. Rather than spreading out your writing over the course of 5 days, how would it feel to be in your creative zone for a longer chunk of time, rather than having to start over?

When I try to write a single email a day, over the course of a week, it takes me 2x longer for each than if I were to sit down for three hours and write all my emails and social posts. Batch scheduling will save your bootay if you are an online entrepreneur who has to write ANYTHING (so basically everyone)!

Get in the habit of scheduling your batch writing at least once a week, maybe twice, in the beginning, to start finding a rhythm and routine. Before you know it you’ll be writing 10-minute emails and blog post with ease.

4. USE YOUR TIME WISELY

Efficiency is all about looking for all the areas in which you can use up space. When my son was teething and needed to go on daily walks, I would bring my cell phone with me and create talk-to-text documents for my emails. If I didn’t have the time in the day to sit down, you better believe I was using this time to my advantage.

When I use to drive to and from my 9 to 5, I would listen to podcasts which inspired the crap out of me and would record small ideas and notes in my phone, so I didn’t forget a single idea.

Look for every single opportunity you have to tap into your creative space. We all have the same hours in a day, it’s about HOW we use those hours that makes the biggest difference.

How are you currently using your time? Where are your biggest time sucks?

Some people call me the Get Sh*t Done Queen (ok, not a lot of people, but you get the idea) - I’m really great at streamlining and being the most effective with my time.

It’s because in the beginning of my business I had to be! I built this business from zero to multiple 6-figures in two years while working a 9 to 5 in the beginning and raising a baby. Productivity is my jam and that’s why it is one of the main pillars of my signature group program Roadmap to Freedom.

The doors are opening for Roadmap to Freedom for the third time this November!

If you are a new or aspiring female entrepreneur who is ready to launch an online business that allows her to make money on her own terms then this program is for YOU! When you join the waitlist before October 19 you’ll get first dibs on all the amazing bonuses + save some serious cash when you sign up during pre-enrollment.

Learn more and join the waitlist at brandmerry.com/freedom.

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