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3 Simple Steps to Choose Your Brand Colors

Choosing your personal brand colors can be the biggest headache of your life, trust me I know! I spent months, and this is not an exaggeration, trying to decide on my brand colors. Turns out I was doing it wrong, now I teach female entrepreneurs how to choose brand colors.

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3 Simple Steps to Choose Your Brand Colors

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

Choosing your personal brand colors can be the biggest headache of your life, trust me I know! I spent months, and this is not an exaggeration, trying to decide on my brand colors. Turns out I was doing it wrong, now I teach female entrepreneurs how…

Choosing your personal brand colors can be the biggest headache of your life, trust me I know! 

I spent months, and this is not an exaggeration, trying to decide on my brand colors. Turns out I was doing it wrong, by looking at others in my industry first and not following this simple 3-step process I quickly found myself with a brand that didn’t light me up.

Why Branding Colors Are Important

The power of the aesthetics of your brand are based on first impressions. As an online entrepreneur, you’re most likely using social media to build your community, spread brand awareness and make sales.

Well, in case you haven’t noticed, the social media space is crowded and first impressions matter. This is where the aesthetics of your brand come into play and color is front and center.

If you want to stand out on social media, rather than blend in, it’s important to understand how to choose your brand colors and the psychology behind color as it relates to your audience.

1. Brand Color Tip #1: Look at Your Daily Inspiration

The idea of personal branding is that you are the center of your brand and use your own personality traits, authentic voice and stories to create a brand that resonates with your ideal audience. If you don’t already know my stance on personal branding, be sure to check out this article here.

So with that in mind, why don’t we start with the things you already love?

When starting to create the aesthetics of your brand it can be really easy to get lost in what other people are doing, other professionals and other brands. The result is a loss of personal brand identity and blending in with others in your industry.

Rather than first looking outside yourself for inspiration, I recommend taking a look at two areas in your life: your closet and your home.

We buy things that inspire us and often that is associated with the psychology of color (more on that later), so why not use this personal color inspiration as a tool to choose your branding colors?

Start by looking at your closet and making a list of the top five colors you see most prominent.

Then repeat the process, by walking around your home.

Do you see an overlap in the specific colors, tone of color or color palette you tend to gravitate towards? This is where you should start when thinking of your branding colors.

2. Brand Color Tip #2: Identify Your Brand Emotions (Emotional Branding)

Just like with all things branding, after you’ve connected with the purpose and story behind your brand (aka you), it’s time to think of your audience.

We never want to create a brand that only takes our taste or style into consideration and we never want to create a brand solely for others that doesn’t connect deeply to ourselves.

So, after you’ve identified the colors you enjoy most, it’s important to think of how you want your audience to feel.

This is referred to as Emotional Branding and is something I teach my clients in my signature programs. You can learn more about Emotional Branding and the process here.

When thinking of your brand colors, you need to know your ideal client very well, the reason for this is if you don’t understand their pain and pleasure points you won’t be able to use the power of psychology to choose your colors.

For instance, if I know my ideal client is feeling overwhelmed, is highly-stressed and struggles with time management, I won’t choose a color that tends to elicit a feeling of anger.

On the flip side, if I know my client is driving to feel pleasure in her home and her health and loves the eco-lifestyle, then I would choose a color like green, which gives a feeling or serenity and organic.

In order to choose the right colors based on psychology, you need to know your audience and use that information to decide how you want your audience to feel when coming in contact with your brand.

So, before moving on to step three, it’s important to identify 5-7 brand emotions to relay to your audience.

If you need support with understanding market research and why it’s important, be sure to catch my Free masterclass on The Build a Better Brand Method. Sign up here.


3. Brand Color Tips #3: Choosing Your Brand Colors Based on Psychology

Ok, no the REALLY fun part and the part I seriously geek out on. This is why emotional branding is so important, because everything that relates to the aesthetics of your brand: colors, fonts, logo design, website layout, brand photos, etc… can be built on the fundamentals of psychology. 

To overview here are the basic emotions associated with each of the main colors:

RED: Dynamic, powerful, love, strength, passion, excitement, anger

ORANGE: Energy, vibrant, fun, playful, friendly, warm, inviting

YELLOW: Bright, happy, cheerful, positive, spontaneous, warm

PINK: Pretty, feminine, soft, playful, sweet, sincerity, gentle, romance

GREEN: Fresh, balance, earthy, calming, envy, organic, healing, wealth

BLUE: Masculine, dependable, corporate, tranquil, calming, peaceful

PURPLE: Creativity, authority, sophisticated, abundance, spiritual, vibrant

GRAY: Calming, sleek, natural, modern, conservative, neutral

BLACK: Power, elegance, formal, bold, classic, dramatic, expensive, fear, boldness

I’ve even created a fun image you can Pin or save for future reference (see below).

PIN THIS

Color Psychology Brandmerry.png


I recommend choosing three brand colors as your main colors and explore complimentary colors to play around with on social media.

Conclusion

Choosing your brand colors can be simple when you follow this 3-step process. 

If you go into choosing your brand colors blindly you’ll feel overwhelmed and waste a lot of time trying to decide what “looks good” rather than choosing colors that will make a bigger impact.

It’s a very similar process to choosing your fonts for your brand.

At the core of branding, you must remember it’s really not about the aesthetics or look of your brand. 

Seth Godin defines branding as, “...the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

And of course choosing your brand colors plays a role in that, but it isn’t the only piece.

If you’re ready to create a strong foundation for your business and create a brand that truly stands out on social media and builds a community of true fans, then be sure to watch my free training on The Build a Better Brand Method. I’m sharing my 3-step method to create an authentic and revenue-generating brand. Sign up here.

Tell me in the comments, what is your favorite tip from above?

Branding and Business Coach | Michelle Knight of Brandmerry
 

P.S. Are we connected on Instagram? No? Well lady what’s happening here we’ve got to fix that. Come hang out with me on my favorite social media platform. Follow for inspiration and send me a DM to know we’re connected.


- 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 -


Michelle Knight, Branding and Business Coach

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.

Read More
Visibility, Branding brandmerry Visibility, Branding brandmerry

How To Find Your Personal Brand

So you want to create a personal brand? A brand that shares your life experiences, stories and authentically represents your style? Maybe you’re a coach, mentor, educator or course creator and need support in identifying your personal brand so you can create a revenue-generating business! Well, you’re in the right spot.

 
 

So you want to create a personal brand, but you’re constantly asking yourself, “What is my personal brand?” and “Where do I start?”

A brand that shares your life experiences, stories and authentically represents your style? 

Maybe you’re a coach, mentor, educator or course creator and need support in defining your personal brand so you can create a revenue-generating business!

What is a Personal Brand?

Your personal brand is how you promote yourself. It’s made up of your experiences, stories, skills, and personality.

Building your personal brand is important online, because whether you like it or not your personal brand is being written for you. The way social media works today is if you’re not in the driver's seat controlling your brand, you risk the wrong message getting out.

If you have a business, then personal branding allows you to create a deeper connection with your audience that builds trust and goes deeper than just the product or service you provide. 

So how do you find your personal brand?

I’ve got 4 simple steps and important questions to ask yourself in the process.

1. Create a Personal Brand Identity Starting With You

If you want to create a personal brand identity it’s time to get, well, personal. The idea of a personal brand is that you and your story will be at the center of your brand.

So, before we get into strategy, ideal client work or messaging (which we will cover by the way) we need to take a look at your own authenticity and personality.

What makes who you are? This includes the way you speak and write, the things you like to surround yourself with, what you value most and yes your favorite color. All of this is going to play a big role in building your personal brand.

When you can begin the process by looking inward rather than outward, you’ll better understand how to present yourself in the online space and that is SO important.

With how fast social media is changing and how many entrepreneurs are in your niche, it’s so important that your brand, the core of your business, is not only defined but is also different.

Now, before you freak out and say to me, “But, Michelle I’m not different, nothing exciting happened to me!”

I’d say, “Give me 60 minutes…” just kidding, but seriously, it often takes me just one coaching session to pull out the parts of you that are authentic, different and will set you apart from others in your industry.

And where I start with all of my clients is their story. Every single person has a story and that right there is what’s going to set you apart and build trust with your audience.

You can learn more about Brand Story in this post and take my Brand Story Quiz here.

Questions to Consider:

  • What are those quirky personality traits that you possess, that your friends and family are always complimenting you on?

  • If you could choose 3 key characteristics you’re most proud of what would they be?

  • What’s the mission/ purpose of your life and business?

2. Identify Your Personal Brand Audience and Future Clients

Alright, now that we’ve identified, or started to identify the core of your brand, there’s another crucial part.

I think we can agree that communication is a two-way street and that’s exactly what you’re setting out to do online when posting on social media, creating your website and writing emails. You can create that stuff all dang day, but if no one is receiving your message it kind of means nothing.

This is why identifying your audience is so important and should be done at the beginning of your business.

Identifying your audience consists of three parts:

  1. Daydreaming about who you want to work with

  2. Justifying your “dreams” with market research

  3. Creating a client profile

The key step here, and what so many entrepreneurs skip, is the element of Market Research. Please promise me right now that you won’t skip this step.

Using free tools on social media, via Google, Facebook Groups and personal conversations you can begin to identify the key components of your audience and use that in your branding and marketing down the line.

Questions to Consider:

  • What is your audience’s main pain or struggle in their current situation?

  • What do they strive for or desire to experience in their life?

  • What’s standing in their way? (Hint: They won’t know this, that’s your job, but by asking the right questions you’ll be able to identify this).

3. Map Out Your Brand Offer and Framework

Let’s get one thing clear...I DO NOT MEAN YOUR PRODUCT. 

So many people think that their product is part of their brand, but it’s not that’s all your business boo and without a brand, well you won’t have a successful business.

If you start with your product or service you’re going to miss the mark. You’ll have the logistics in place, but no clear pathway or transformation that you’re providing your client.

It’s important, during the branding process to take time to clearly state the transformation you provide and the overall framework for your product and services.

And, no, I don’t care if you sell soap or an online course, what are you providing your client beyond the individual product.

A Question to Consider:

  • What is the transformation you will provide your client?


4. Create an Emotional Brand Experience for Your Audience

Want to stand out online? 

Do you want your brand to do more than just get some followers and look pretty?

Then, you need emotional branding my friend. Emotional Branding is my specialty and something you don’t often find online but can be the difference between a brand that makes money and one that doesn’t.

The idea of Emotional Branding is that your audience will feel a deeper connection to your brand, above someone else's and therefore know, like and trust you...which as you guessed it, leads to business.

If you want to learn more about Emotional Branding specifically, you can check out this post.

Before you decide on your fonts, finalize your colors, create a logo or get your brand photos taken you want to identify the emotional core of your brand.

From here choose the aesthetics of your brand will be a breeze.

Questions to Consider:

  • What is the emotional connection your audience is searching for?

  • How do you want your audience to feel when they come in contact with your brand?

Conclusion

No matter what you sell, it’s important to focus on building your personal brand. However, so many entrepreneurs struggle with this concept and therefore create a brand and visual  representation that does nothing more than “look good!”

However, I want so much more for you and understand the amazing transformation that happens when you create an authentic online brand.

I watched my brand new business go from zero clients and a tiny community to multiple 6-figures cash in three years by focusing on my brand first and foremost, followed by my obsession and love for marketing my message.

Tell me in the comments, what is your favorite tip from above?

Branding and Business Coach | Michelle Knight of Brandmerry
 

P.S. Ready to harness the power of your story and authentic voice, so you can share it with the world. Listen to the Authentic Brand Builders Podcast.


- 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 -


Michelle Knight, Branding and Business Coach

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.

Read More

3 Tips to Repurpose Content

Ever wonder how so many people can take a single piece of content and spread it around like hot cakes? It’s all about repurposing and understanding the art of repurposing. Ultimately, you want a way to quickly repurpose your content so you can reach more people on more platforms, without sacrificing the quality of your content. In this blog you’ll learn my exact process I use in my business to repurpose one single video + my top tips to extend the life of your content through the art of repurposing.

 
 
Ever wonder how so many people can take a single piece of content and spread it around like hot cakes? It’s all about repurposing and understanding the art of repurposing. Ultimately, you want a way to quickly repurpose your content so you can reach…
 

PREFER TO WATCH, INSTEAD OF READ? I’VE GOT YOU BOO.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!


Ever wonder how so many people can take a single piece of content and spread it around like hot cakes?

It’s all about repurposing and understanding the art of repurposing. 

Ultimately, you want a way to quickly repurpose your content so you can reach more people on more platforms, without sacrificing the quality of your content. 

In this blog you’ll learn my exact process I use in my business to repurpose one single video + my top tips to extend the life of your content through the art of repurposing. 

I get the pain of creating a piece of content and then watching it wilt away online. I mean you go through a lot of trouble to decide on a topic, write the post, pick a picture and more just to what, have it disappear in less than 24 hours?

Sure, if you’re using an evergreen platform like your blog, Pinterest or Youtube then great, that content lives there and is searchable, BUT how can use that content to increase the odds that more people will actually consume it?

That’s where repurposing comes in.

Before I dive into my three tips, I want to let you know that in the video below I’m sharing the same three tips + my exact 9-step process for repurposing a single video and how it allows me to show up 7 times on social media.

You can skip straight to the video below to hear all the goodies or keep reading!


Tip #1: Repurpose your long form post

What I mean by this is that it's easier to take a video, blog or email and break that up into various social media posts than it is say an Instagram post. So you always want to create your primary piece of content first. 

For instance, I’m wanting to grow my Youtube channel so I create a piece of content native to that channel. I’m taking into consideration what works best on that platform.

Let’s say you write an email to your list every single Tuesday. You could take that email and turn it into a blog on Thursday and share that blog post on Facebook and Instagram on Thursday as well in order to drive more traffic. You could then take the same email and create a social media post on Sunday.

Let’s say right now, you’re just focused on social media, well you could take a Facebook post and two days later take the same exact post and share it on Instagram. Then two days later take the same concept of that content and create an Instagram story. So you’re taking a single social media post and showing up three different ways. 

Tip #2: Get over your fear of bugging people

Seriously, it’s not going to happen. We’re always so worried about sharing our content more than once; that we’re going to annoy someone if they see our content on multiple platforms or twice in one week. But the reality of someone seeing it the first time is already super slim. 

You’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t repurpose your content. It’s taken you time and energy to create that peace don’t you want to extend the life of your content?

Tip #3 Think of the long-term brand strategy

Thinking long term isn’t about creating content for this week alone, it’s about thinking of the next 30 days, six months or even a year from now. Start paying attention to what’s doing really well. If you have a social media post that gets great engagement, you can copy that same copy and switch out the photo to share it 30 days later.

If something is really in alignment for you, on brand, part of your brand containers, why not keep that content alive for longer and allow new people to discover some of your core content.

Another example is if you write a blog. I see this too often in the online space where someone writes a blog post and just waits for people to find it. This strategy is not working. If you’re writing a blog post, put that post out into the world. Take that same post and email your list, share it on social media, create a pin image and share on Pinterest.

And don’t stop there - take it even further. Use a tool like Smarterqueue to recycle your content. This means you can take that blog post and add them to Smarterqueue and set a schedule to post a blog every Thursday. Smarterqueue will cycle through your blogs, posting a different one every Thursday. That means a post you share this week could be shared three or six months from now, just increasing the views of your content.

Let’s do one more, shall we? If you have a podcast, which I hope you are emailing your list and posting on social media when that podcast goes live, but then what? Why not do a monthly roundup of episodes in case someone missed them. You could even do the Smarterqueue strategy here as well!

Like, I said I absolutely love repurposing because it has saved my business time and time again. If you’re a busy mom like me, working a 9 to 5 or just have a jam-packed schedule and TRYING to build your brand you want to embrace this practice. 

Don’t forget to watch the video below where I’m sharing the exact steps I follow to repurpose a single video on Youtube, Facebook, Facebook Group, Instagram, Insta Stories, IGTV, Pinterest and my website.

Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!

Branding and Business Coach | Michelle Knight of Brandmerry
 

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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How to Choose the Right Social Media Channels

Choosing the right social media platforms for your business can be overwhelming. Understanding where you should be dedicating your time and energy online to attract the RIGHT people is definitely something that so many entrepreneurs struggle with. Should you be on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube…? There are so many possibilities. I’ve worked with my clients to find the right platforms for them so they love showing up on social media and today I’m sharing that process with you.

 

How to Choose the Right Social Media Channels

August 23, 2019

Choosing the right social media platforms for your business can be overwhelming. Understanding where you should be dedicating your time and energy online to attract the RIGHT people is definitely something that so many entrepreneurs struggle with. S…

PREFER TO WATCH, INSTEAD OF READ? I’VE GOT YOU BOO.
SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH A QUICK VIDEO!


Choosing the right social media platforms for your business can be overwhelming.

Understanding where you should be dedicating your time and energy online to attract the RIGHT people is definitely something that so many entrepreneurs struggle with. 

Should you be on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube…? 

There are so many possibilities. I’ve worked with my clients to find the right platforms for them so they love showing up on social media and today I’m sharing that process with you.

The reality is you can’t be everywhere, especially in the beginning and trying to post mediocre content, on a bunch of different platforms is not helping you build a following or community. In fact, I recommend 1-2 platforms in the beginning and the questions I’m sharing are going to help you decide just what those platforms are for you! 

1. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY?

You've got to like where you are showing up. If you don’t like social media, now is not the time to tell me you don't like social media (I see you), you've got to choose at least three to start so go for it. Where do you like to spend your time on social media that would feel like the next step?

While we are here on this question, start thinking of how you like to show up. Do you enjoy video, audio, posting, photos (editing and curated), photos more natural, writing, etc.

2. WHERE IS YOUR AUDIENCE HANGING OUT ONLINE?

Ok now we need to figure out where your audience is. If you're showing up somewhere and your audience isn't there then you aren't going to have a great conversion rate. So we have to make sure to put you where your audience is going to see your content.

 If you've done Market Research great you should know this, if you haven't then now is the time to find out. Simply asking your community, ideal clients, existing clients or paying attention can all point you in the right direction.

3.  HOW WILL YOU SHOW UP?

How do you like to deliver content? Is it video, writing posts, blogging, live/ pre recorded, photos? This matters when choosing your platform. 

Let’s talk about what this means. Say you realize you like live video then Facebook and Instagram could be your jam. If you like writing long form content, then focusing on blogging and Pinterest would be a win. Prefer to pre-record video, then let’s think Youtube. Love the idea of recording audio, hello, let's start a podcast. You get it?!

4.  HOW OFTEN WILL YOU SHOW UP?

Listen we’ve all got different schedules and availability. 

Do I recommend you show up multiple times a week, absolutely. 

Is this realistic for everyone? No. 

Does it make you a bad business owner if you don’t? Absolutely not. 

What matters is consistency. 

So if you know you don’t want to show up more than once a week, then Instagram and Twitter probably aren’t the right move.. If you’re not a fan of picking photos as your main form, don’t choose Instagram. If you’re all about writing a post a week and optimizing the crap out of it, then let’s focus on blogging.

I want your content to do its job and consistency is part of that equation.

5. FOCUS ON SEARCH ENGINE TOOLS. 

I mentioned in the beginning to choose 1-2 platforms; one of those platforms should be focused on search engine. These are platforms like Google (Blog), Pinterest and Youtube. What happens with these platforms is that you’re attracting targeted leads, they are specifically searching for your specialty and you’ll set yourself up long term by choosing one of these platforms in the beginning and focusing on building it.

I recommend choosing one social media platform, like Facebook, and one search engine platform, like Google/Blog and using them multiple ways.

For instance, you could take a single piece of content written on your blog and send an email to your list, then post about the blog on Facebook. 

By focusing on two main platforms you’re going to see better results and not waste time. The reality is if you’re trying to be everywhere you’re going to feel stretched too thin - and that’s when we stop being consistent. 

Start with one to two and then add another one after you get a rhythm. The goal here is to snowball your platforms, until you’re on more than one and feeling dang good about it.

Want more insider tips on how to show up on social media and glimpse into repurposing? Watch the full video below.

Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!

Branding and Business Coach | Michelle Knight of Brandmerry

P.S. I’ve got a free masterclass where I’m sharing The Build a Better Brand Method. You’ll learn how to create a brand that stand out on social media, results in high-value content for your audience and builds a community that scales you to a revenue-generating brand. Sign up at brandmerry.com/brandmasterclass.


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5 Ways to Organically Grow Your Email List

You absolutely need an email list if you are an online business owner, marketer and/or course creator. However, the question always comes up on HOW to actually grow your email list. Sure, you can invest in paid advertisement strategies, but if you don’t have the funds coming in or are just starting out, or like me, and love the combination of both paid and free - then organic is your answer. Learn my top 5 favorite strategies to grow your list for free.

 
Click here to subscribe
 
 

5 Ways to Organically Grow Your Email List

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

 
You absolutely need an email list if you are an online business owner, marketer and/or course creator. However, the question always comes up on HOW to actually grow your email list. Sure, you can invest in paid advertisement strategies, but if you d…
 

PREFER TO WATCH, INSTEAD OF READ? I’VE GOT YOU BOO.
SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH A QUICK VIDEO!


You absolutely need an email list if you are an online business owner, marketer and/or course creator. 

However, the question always comes up on HOW to actually grow your email list. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, be sure to check out this blog post where I talk more about the list building process.

Let’s break down our options for list building.

Option #1 - Paid traffic. This looks like paid Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, LinkedIn and Instagram ads. You can also through in Google Advertising if you’re feeling ambitious.

Option #2 - Purely Organic. Relying on social media (primarily) to drive free traffic to your email list.

Option #3 - A combination of both!

Personally, I love using paid ads to grow my list, but not all the time. In fact, 6 months out of the year I turn off my ads and test organic (free) strategies. Organic list building STILL WORKS and if you’re just starting out it might be your only option.

I’m sharing 5 of my favorite ways to organically grow your list (+ 2 additional tips in the video below). Skip straight to the video to watch all seven right now!

1. USING INSTAGRAM STORIES TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST

500 million people a day are hanging out on IG Stories. I get it if you don’t love Instagram, I also have a love/hate relationship with the platform, but you can’t deny that it is an effective marketing tool for almost every single audience. The key is finding the right way to use Instagram and for me it’s all about Stories.

Make sure your consistently showing up for your community and work your freebie promotion into your content at least 2-3 times a week. I create specific images in Canva that I can post or sometimes I’ll make a video talking about the free give. To expand your reach outside of your existing community be sure to use hashtags and tagging specific locations. This allows your content to be seen by people not in your network.

P.S. Don’t allow the lack of the swipe up feature to keep you stuck. I don’t have the swipe up feature and my promotion still works like a charm. Just be super clear that you want them to grab their freebie with the link in your bio. 

2. USING YOUR WEBSITE TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST

Using your website and more specifically a pop up on your website is an amazing strategy. As your social media game expands and you harness resources like SEO and Pinterest you’re going to notice your traffic is increasing - the last thing you want to do is lose those possible leads. A pop is an immediate way to give a free gift to your community and in return get their name and email address to add to your list.

You can play with both a pop up that triggers when someone lands on your website (blog) or an exit-intent pop up which will trigger as they are about to leave. See which performs best for your audience and watch the subscribers come in.

3. CONTENT UPGRADES AND SEO TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST

Yes, I know we just chatted about websites, but we’re not done yet. I’m a big fan of using SEO, we started using it in the beginning of my business and as a result Google is our number one traffic provider to my website today. You’ll want to embrace blogging for this one and really focus on titles that are specific to your audience and what they are searching for. This will help drive more traffic to your website organically.

Then obviously, you followed step 2 above and have a pop up, but now we can increase your conversions with content upgrades. Content upgrades can be existing free offers or specific “next steps” you make for that blog post. I like to share my content upgrades as a banner, footer or even within the blog itself..

Example: If I’m writing a blog post on The Three Fundamentals of Creating a Strong Brand, within the blog I might have a call to action for them to watch my free masterclass where I’m sharing three must-know branding secrets.

4. USING GUEST FEATURES TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST

Getting featured on someone else’s platform is one of the coolest things you can do for your business because ultimately you’re increasing brand awareness. Let’s say I’m going on my friend Suzy’s podcast, well Suzy’s audience already trusts her and they will trust me by default. 

Now how do you use it to grow your email list? Always have a link to your freebie ready to rock and roll. Often times they will ask you what you want to promote and rather than promote a paid service, to people who kind of know you, I suggest offering your freebie. The goal is to build a relationship with them and your email list is a great place to do just that.

5. COLLABORATIONS TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST

In the beginning, I did this all the time and it worked like a charm. You can either choose to be part of someone else’s collaboration or get a group of friends together to start your own. These can look like Summits, Interview Series, Bundled Giveaways, etc…

What happens with collaborations is that everyone participating shares the opportunity with their community, so it expands your reach a lot quicker than just relying on social media. You can either share all email addresses as a group, or have each member give a freebie that requires an opt in and it works the same way!

Ready for 2 more tips? I’m sharing the bonus tips in the video below. Just skip to minute 8:10 in the video!

Don’t forget to sign up for my branding masterclass where I’m sharing The Build a Better Brand Method. Get signed up at brandmerry.com/brandmasterclass.

Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!

Branding and Business Coach | Michelle Knight of Brandmerry
 

P.S. Are we connected on Instagram? No? Well lady what’s happening here we’ve got to fix that. Come hang out with me on my favorite social media platform. Follow for inspiration and send me a DM to know we’re connected.


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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.

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