4 Reasons You’re Not Consistent With Your Content Creation (and Online Marketing)

Yes, we’re talking about consistency again this week!

For four years I’ve surveyed my audience and do you know what the number one struggle is?

Actually showing up.
Not just once.
Not twice.
But, consistently.

But, dang it’s hard.

The reality is creating content can actually be overwhelming. Most people go through the typical cycle of, “Oh, I've got a great idea! Wait is this actually valuable? How do I know if this is valuable? Maybe I should think of another topic!"

And even when we start to figure it out, we find ourselves repeating the cycle month after month.

This is why it’s important to pinpoint and correct why we’re not consistent in the first place, so today’s post is going to share 4 of the most common reasons you might be lacking consistency in your business.

1. LACK OF COMMITMENT TO YOUR BUSINESS

Ok, I’m bringing this up with so much grace and love because I want you to know that you’re not the only one who is sitting in this in-between, but we've talked about this lack of commitment a lot with time management conversations.

For example, I always say that one of the reasons time management is a big struggle, especially when growing your business, is because your business isn’t taking top priority in your schedule.

I know it can be easy to see entrepreneurs who are “making it” and think, “Wow, they're so lucky.” But the truth is that the people who have done this and are doing it successfully have done it with intention. This success didn’t happen by accident.

This intention comes from making a commitment and in this case a commitment to your business.

Have you made this commitment? Here are three questions to help you determine if you’re downplaying your business, even if subconsciously.

QUESTION #1
Have you told anybody about your business?
Really consider if you’ve told the people that you love most about your business and if you’ve had conversations with them about what you imagine your business can be.

QUESTION #2
How do you refer to your business?
It’s time to really think about how you refer to and think about your business, yes this includes calling it a side hustle. For me, the term side hustle carried a heavyweight and made me think of my business as something less important, which absolutely wasn’t true.
This way of thinking subconsciously made my business less important and not a time priority. So when I had time, I’d work on my business as opposed to making the time to work on my business.

Really consider the way you view and openly talk about your business. Are you talking about it as a fun side project, or is this a goal that you're working towards? How bad do you want it?

Entrepreneurship requires work, yes, but most importantly it requires a commitment. One thing to consider is having a specific time on your calendar for your business, especially as it relates to content creation.

If you do not have designated time on your calendar we're running into a problem, because that means that your business is not a priority. We use our calendars to prioritize the things that we have to do all the time, think the dentist, meetings at work, soccer practice for the kids.

The beautiful part of this is there isn’t a right or wrong way or number of hours you need to work on your business, it always comes down to your goals, timeline and availability. So your scheduled time might only be two hours a week or five, but having the time carved out is part of this commitment.

#2 A LACK OF SYSTEMS = A LACK OF CONSISTENCY

One of my favorite quotes from James Clear in his book Atomic Habits is, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

I love it so much we talked about it last week, but I truly don’t think there is a more important conversation to have in regards to consistency than your systems.

If you’re already pressed for time, and only have so many hours to come up with content, ideas, and so much time to write our content and then so much time to get it out there, we have to get our systems in place. 

These systems in your business look like clear and defined workflows, thorough weekly checklists and frameworks for getting your content written and out for distribution.

One of my favorite parts of my business is taking one piece of content and repurposing the crap out of it, seriously I wrote an entire blog post on my process. The art of repurposing not only allows you to spend less time creating content, it allows you to create a weekly workflow that can be repeated week after week.

This repetition takes the guesswork out of marketing your business and gives you more time and energy on fine-tuning and improving your craft.

Every week I take one video, the one you can watch below, and I turn it into a blog post (yes, this one), 3 social media posts, an email and multiple videos for Instagram. And every single week this workflow is repeated.

This type of system and there are many to choose from, allow you to rinse and repeat, minimize the time and energy you’re spending and maximize output.

Inside The Consistency Guide, I share an 8-part framework for showing up more consistently in your business. One of these pieces is centered around your workflow. I walk you through my process of determining your core content and repurpose schedule, then you get a behind the scenes look into my business and my workflow so you can implement it in your business with ease.

Content might be Queen, but if your content isn't consistent it won't do you much good. The Consistency Guide teaches you how to release beliefs holding you back and put systems in place that allow you to succeed in business week after week after week.

Get the consistency guide now

#3 STOP TRYING TO BE ON ALL THE PLATFORMS

One of the most popular reasons for not showing up consistently in business is that you’re trying to be too much, create too much and show up too much! 

“What?! Michelle you teach marketing and you’re telling me I’m doing too much?”

YES! As with all things we need to be strategic and I’d rather you show up fully on a few platforms then stretch yourself thin with mediocre content on a bunch.

The truth is when we start our businesses, and even in that first year, shoot, even in your fourth year, it can be really easy to look and see where everybody's showing up and think to yourself, “Well, I should be there too. I definitely need to be there. Um, I'm not on Pinterest, I need to be on Pinterest. I'm not on Instagram, I need to be on Instagram. I need to be doing a weekly live stream as Michelle does.” Sound familiar?

We feel we have to do #allthethings because we’re comparing our Chapter 1 to someone’s Chapter 10. Look, I was not doing all of this four years ago, I focused on the areas that felt most comfortable and where I could show up fully and then I continued to grow from there.

In my business, it looked like Facebook Groups and my Facebook Page first, then I added Instagram, then I got serious about Blogging and Pinterest, adding podcasting, weekly live streams, etc... came next.

No one is expecting you to do it ALL right from the start, that’s just crazy!

If you’re trying to do all of the things, all of the time, and find yourself consistent for a week, and then nothing on again for two weeks and then off again because you’re stretching yourself too thin, you’re not going to be able to give your full focus and energy to the areas you absolutely need to see growth, think high-value content.

I recommend two to three platforms most when you’re first starting out and when choosing these platforms you need to consider what is required from that platform.

For instance, if you don’t have a lot of time then you might not want to focus on Instagram or Facebook to grow your community which requires daily posting. Using your blog and Pinterest might be a better option for you and better use of your time in the beginning. Then as you understand and implement repurposing you can take that blog and expand it on social media.

So that's why it's really, really important to create a strategy that works for you. This is why I love authentic marketing and what it’s truly all about. It's about really looking at your life, your schedule, your audience, where you want to show up, how much time you have and create a workflow and a content creation plan to match that.

So much of this comes from your system and workflow. I’ve mastered this with my Repurposing Plan and I’m giving you my strategies to build your own system that you can rinse and repeat inside the Consistency Guide.

#4 YOUR PURPOSE ISN’T DEFINED

Now, I don't mean your life purpose, although that could easily fit into your business if you know that go for it, but if when you hear the word purpose and instantly start to feel overwhelmed it’s not necessary.

What, I want to encourage you to think about is the purpose behind your business and how it’s deeper than your why.

Let me explain. When I started my business I remember my first coach asked me my “why”. I listed out a ton of reasons like being home with my son, bringing my husband home from his job, traveling more, paying off debt, shopping at Whole Foods.

It felt great! But then business got tough and I found myself no longer motivated by these very surface-level reasons for running my business. So I took the time to think about the true purpose behind my business, my mission, which is so much more than me and even my family.

It can’t be because of money.
It can’t be because of fame.

You can achieve those things working a 9 to 5, it has to be bigger, it has to focus on impact.

There will be months when you don't make as much as the month before, and you might have social media posts that do really, really well and then social media posts that don't.

You might have launches that do really, really well and then have launches that don't.

And when you're focused on the money, or the fame, or the, you know, influence or publicity, or whatever you want to call it likes followers, then you're going to struggle because you're going to question if you should be doing this! 

When you think about your audience and impact, the reason you’re showing up you’ll keep going, you’ll keep creating and you’ll continue to be consistent.

If you haven’t already ask yourself, 
What is the mission behind our business?
What is the purpose of you showing up every single day, even when no one is there?

Having this information at your fingertips, being deeply rooted in your purpose, allows you to pull yourself back up. As an entrepreneur, no one is going to do that for you!

Inside The Consistency Guide, there is an entire section on defining your purpose. I ask the questions needed to determine your purpose and feel deeply rooted and connected to it.

I've used my Consistency Framework to create consistent high-performing content for four years.

This has included weekly emails, weekly blog posts, at least two videos a month (now it's weekly), multiple social media posts on both Facebook and Instagram and so much more.

I've generated half a million dollars in cash from showing up consistently in my business, delivering what my audience wants and sharing my expertise in a way that is authentic to me.

This isn't another plug n play template, this is going to set the foundation you need so you STICK WITH IT.

Because plug n play is just a band aid, it doesn't solve the problem.

Get the consistency guide for $60 off!

The goal here is to make deep changes in your business both with your systems and mindset (because we both know it's needed).

My clients have used my Consistency Framework to break free from their blocks and get results.

...Romy has created weekly live streams, blogs and emails (all from one piece of content) to generate $3k - $5k cash months.

...Ariel shows up for her audience every week, posting multiple times on Facebook to create a 6-figure photography business.

...Kinsey has grown a following on Instagram by releasing weekly podcasts, posting consistently on IG to successfully launch her first group program and 1:1 coaching.

I know you can follow this simple framework and do the same.

I typically sell this guide for $97, but I wanted to give my readers the opportunity to get all the goodness of the guide for less. You can grab the consistency guide by clicking right here for just $37!

CONCLUSION

Remember consistently showing up in your business is essential. You want to find a pattern and routine that works for you, but also be aware of areas, four specifically, where you might be blocking your own success.

So much of what we do as a business owner is equal parts strategy and mindset. Find the area where you’re lacking and focus on building it up so you can start showing up!

If you want to grab The Consistency Guide you can learn more about my 8-part Consistency Framework, you can do so by clicking here!

P.S. If you made it this far my guess is you’re ready to create consistent content and a sustainable business. So much of this starts with your marketing workflow which I’m giving you inside my free Repurposing Guide. You can download it here.

WATCH THE TIPS AND MORE FROM THIS POSTBELOW.

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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.

3 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website

3 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

So you have a website, but little to no traffic. The struggle is real, and something so many entrepreneurs, including myself have experienced.

It took me monthly to build my website and an additional year before I realized that my website meant nothing if I wasn’t getting people to actually view it. Now, just a few years later, I’m getting thousands of organic website visitors every month using the strategies I’m sharing today.

So if you have a website, one you probably spent a lot of time and maybe even money on, and no one seems to see it, today’s blog on 3 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website is for you.

WHY YOU NEED A WEBSITE

There are a lot of online educators and course creators saying that you don’t need a website and I disagree. If you’re running an online business you NEED a website, for one main reason...people are searching for your services online and if you don’t have a website, well they won’t find you.

In addition to showing up in search results, websites serve as a valuable resource for your business.

CENTRAL LOCATION: People want to find what they need and having a central location with the information for your business and services is a great way to do that. Someone doesn’t want to search through your Instagram profile or your Facebook page to learn more about you, they want a one-stop-shop, this is where your website comes into play.

FIND WHAT THEY WANT RIGHT NOW: In addition to having your information in one central location, people also want what they want right away. So if someone is looking for a particular service or resource you want to give it to them, that’s where your website and a collection of resources come in.

A PLACE TO REFER PEOPLE: I don’t know about you, but I love having a place to send people that I know is going to support them at the highest level. This is my website. My website is a resource for anyone interested in learning more about my brand, business and services. Having the information available and in one space makes it easier for me in growing my business.

METHOD #1

HOW TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE FOR FREE

One of the most effective and simple ways to drive traffic to your website for free is by using our friend Google.

Think about it, when you have a question or a problem you turn to Google. So every single day your ideal customer is doing the same, looking for your product or service and a solution to their problem that you solve.

If you’re not taking the time to set up Site-Wide SEO (not specifically talking about blogs here) you’re missing out on free traffic.

Today, we’re getting hundreds of organic traffic from Google thanks to landing on page one for multiple keywords.

The best part about Site-Wide SEO is it’s something you can set up for your business on the backend, or hire someone to do it for you, and you don’t need to touch it every single week like you do content.

Today, I blog every week which helps rank for multiple keywords, but in the beginning, I only had optimized my main page SEO and still landed on page one.

If you want to learn more about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) check out this blog.

METHOD #2

MY FAVORITE WAY TO DRIVE CONSISTENT TRAFFIC TO MY WEBSITE

I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it. If you’re not already aware of how Pinterest can improve your online marketing, you’re in for a treat!

Pinterest is how I’m consistently driving traffic to the content on my website. 

While the main purpose of my Site-Wide SEO was to rank my home page for specific keywords my audience is searching for, think Personal Branding Consultant, Branding Coach, etc...I’m using Pinterest to drive traffic to my blog.

Pinterest, like Google, is a search engine, so while many people think Pinterest is a social media platform like Facebook and Instagram they are wrong. Pinterest was designed to get people off the platform, not to stick around and socialize.

Because of this, it’s great for every online business, as it’s experienced experimental growth over the past few years.

The key to Pinterest is content, which I create in the form of my blog posts. Every blog post gets pushed out to Pinterest and using our Pinterest Strategy from inside Brandmerry Academy (http://brandmerryacademy.com) we’re consistently driving traffic to my website (even blogs from 2017 still get consistent traffic today).

So you can see why Pinterest is such a valuable tool in driving traffic to your website and the best part, it’s free (although there is an option to promote pins on Pinterest as well).

**Did I mention Pinterest also helps you rank on Google? Well, it does! When Google sees that you’re getting traffic to your content they love it and it tells them it’s valuable so they’re more likely to move it up.

METHOD #3

HOW TO DRIVE TARGETED TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE

You’ve probably already guessed I’m going to talk about blogging, but we’re going to get a little bit more specific here. It’s not enough to just blog random topics and to just post content without doing a little research.

In fact, taking just a few minutes to map out your blog content ahead of time and think strategically about what content you want your ideal customer to have their hands on will help with website traffic drastically.

So Method #3 is Do The Research. One of the best ways to improve traffic to your website is to create quality content your audience is searching for. This is why I love Ubersuggest and use it in my own business.

Ubersuggest allows you to do thorough keyword research, as well as see what people in your industry are creating content around.

Taking this time before you start writing your content will help. I suggest mapping out 90-days worth of blog topics with keyword research and repeat every 90 days.

SEO, Pinterest and blogging doesn’t have to be overwhelming, we show you how to do it step-by-step inside Brandmerry Academy.

CONCLUSION

Driving traffic to your website should be a top priority. Let’s face it relying on social media to build your business is inconsistent and unreliable, but optimizing your website and using tools like Pinterest can not only bring in the consistent traffic, but also save you time as well.

Inside Brandmerry Academy, we teach marketing strategies that don’t rely on social media. It gives you VIP access to monthly marketing courses on Email Marketing, SEO, Pinterest, Blogging, Video, Podcasting and more.

Learn more about Brandmerry Academy at brandmerryacademy.com.

P.S. I’ve got some other cool blogs and videos for you, that I’m linking below. I mean you’re already here you might as well keep reading.

HOW TO BUILD AN EMAIL LIST

3 MARKETING MISTAKES TO AVOID AS AN ONLINE ENTREPRENEUR

WATCH THE TIPS AND MORE 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.

Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Social Media to Build Your Email List

Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Social Media to Build Your Email List

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

The goal of marketing your business should be to build your email list/ inner circle.

There I said it. Why is this your main goal? Because when you have a community you have people to sell too - Community = Profits.

Yet, so many entrepreneurs don’t put enough attention to doing this daily. The reason for this is because of social media. Social media is an amazing business strategy, but in terms of marketing your business, it’s not the best strategy.

If you’re relying on social media to build your email list and make sales for your business and are feeling overwhelmed and inconsistent you’re not alone, but there is another way.

Here are three reasons we shouldn’t rely on social media to build our business and what to do instead.

#1 SOCIAL MEDIA IS MEANT TO BE SOCIAL

The reason the purpose of social media is important is that it was designed to be social. The purpose of these platforms is to keep people on them and engaged for long periods of time, so they’re not ideal for sending people to your website or landing page for your free gift.

While platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn make it easier than Instagram to post external links, the platforms have released statements saying that they favor content that keeps users on the platform.

So while social media might be a great way to engage with your audience on social, it won’t give you the same conversions as other strategies when it comes to building your email list.

#2 YOU DON’T OWN SOCIAL MEDIA

You know this right? Well, if you don’t realize that building your following and community on social media is risky let’s remember the times when Instagram and Facebook went down.

There have been many times in my business when I wanted to go live on Facebook and I couldn’t. Or Instagram was down for everyone making it impossible to post.

Now, while this might be an inconvenience for me it doesn’t really matter because I lead my social media followers to my email list.

Imagine if the only place you can contact your community is social media and this happens during a launch or promotion? Not good! 

And, while you don’t own your email platform either, you can download the name and email address for subscribers making it easy to move somewhere else.

#3 SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT A SEARCH ENGINE

There’s a reason platforms like Google, Pinterest and Youtube work so well at attracting new subscribers and eyes on your brand; they are searchable.

What do I mean? We’ll if you type something into these platforms, often a question, you’ll get resources and solutions to your problem; social media was not designed in the same way.

Sure, you have hashtags and a search feature, but they aren’t optimized for search results and you’re not always getting the most accurate or prominent at the top.

If you’re running a business one of your daily goals should be to attract new people to your brand and business and that isn’t efficiently done if you’re relying on social media.

SO, WHERE DOES SOCIAL MEDIA FIT IN

Let’s talk about the 3 Tiers of Marketing - Know, Like and Trust.

Tier 1: Is the Brand Awareness stage, this is where people get to know you.

Often, this is done by creating content that you put out into the world and using tools like Pinterest, Google or Youtube so people can actually discover your content.

Tier 2: This is the Attraction stage and where you lead your new fans to your email list. You’re attracting them with a lead magnet or free gift in exchange for their email results.

Tier 3: This is where you focus on building trust with your new community members. This is where social media plays a vital role. You want to use social media to nurture your audience, educate them and share more behind the brand and your story. This is when social media makes the most sense.

However, as we’ve mentioned so many people are relying on social media at Tier 1 and are missing out on consistent leads and sales.

CONCLUSION

Social media is great, it’s one of my favorite ways to show up for my audience, but if you’re relying on social media to attract new subscribers and grow your list of potential leads it’s going to be a slow climb.

Using resources like Google, Pinterest, Youtube and more can not only speed up the process but optimize your time and energy in a much better way.

Check out this recent post I did on driving traffic to your website for some additional ideas.

P.S. The foundation of a great marketing strategy is your brand. I made you a free Brand Roadmap that you can download here. The Roadmap will give you the 5-Step Roadmap to build a better brand + 3 mistakes you might be making now!

WATCH THE TIPS AND MORE 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 -

---

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 Ways to Improve Your Email Funnel (when growing your email list)

3 Ways to Improve Your Email Funnel (when growing your email list)

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

You know you need an email list when running an online business, but what about the funnel? An email funnel gives you a chance to onboard each new subscriber the same. 

Today, I’m sharing 3 ways to improve your email funnel. 

Your email funnel is important and although we typically think of the funnel as a way to sell a course or small-priced offer, it can also be used to get your ideal customer on the phone with you or signed up for your high-level offer.

There are a lot of possibilities with your email funnel, but a few things to keep in mind.
Your funnel should introduce you, the brand, your mission and position you as the expert that can solve their problem.

You can do this in a variety of ways by sharing stories, referencing past blogs or videos, offering inspiration or tips inside the emails and of course making an offer (aka a solution to their problem).

Let’s start at the beginning before we dive into the tips.

WHAT ARE EMAIL FUNNELS?

An email funnel is a staple in marketing your business. When you offer a lead magnet/freebie/free offer, the email funnel is what happens after their email is added to your system (automatically with Convertkit and other platforms).

The email funnel is a predesigned series of emails that takes your new subscriber from not knowing anything about you to ready to invest.

If we think of social media as the handshake, then the email funnel is the happy hour!

It’s where you, the marketer, introduce yourself, tell stories, build trust, position yourself as the expert and offer your product as a solution to your ideal customer’s problem. 

After the funnel ends (typically over the course of a week or two, although 6-month funnels are NOT unheard of) your subscriber goes into your newsletter list and receives real-time emails from you weekly.

HOW TO CREATE AN EMAIL FUNNEL

Before we can dive into the email funnel, we have to talk about what happens BEFORE someone even gets into the funnel.

In order to grow your email list, you want to have:

1. Free gift or Lead Magnet: an incentive for them to give you their email

2. Email Provider + Landing Page: we use *Convertkit in my business, but *Flodesk is another great option

3. Landing Page or Opt-In Page: where they learn more about the free gift and provide their email and name

4. Thank You Page: where they will land after adding their information to your opt-in

5. Welcome Email: this is where you’ll send the free gift or lead magnet

Email Funnel Starts!

This photo gives you a visual of the email automation process.

Ok, on to the tips!

IMPROVE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING FUNNEL

TIP 1: LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS
So many entrepreneurs begin by focusing on their subscriber count. While that's a great marker for your growth it’s not the only one and sometimes it can give you a false view as to how your lead magnet is funnel working.

Entrepreneurs, myself included, have a tendency to see a low subscriber number from a lead magnet and think, “Well I guess it’s not working!”

Then we scrap it and create something new and 9 times out of 10 it’s not the lead magnet it’s the marketing.

So how do we determine where the holes are and what we need to fix? So glad you asked!

Additional analytics to look at:

• Landing page views

• Landing page conversion (number of views/ divided by opt-ins)

• Open rates of emails in the funnel

• Click-through rates in emails with a CTA (call to action)

Once you have these numbers you can make decisions for improving your funnel.

For instance, this is a screenshot of my lead magnet that is to a cold audience.

This is pretty dang good for a cold audience, considering the industry average is 30%, but let’s say that I had a large number of people visiting the landing page (7,620) and my opt-in number was much lower (currently 4,918) that would make my conversion % lower and tell me that people are interested, but my page is losing them.

I could improve the landing page.

Let’s flip it. Say the page isn’t getting much traffic at all, that would tell me I need to improve my marketing because it’s not getting people interested enough to visit the landing page.

Once they’re in the funnel, looking at the open rate can tell us how our “Subject Line” is performing.

See how having this information can help you optimize your lead magnet and funnel without throwing it all out the window. 

Only paying attention to the number of subscribers is a small game and with marketing, we have to play bigger.

TIP 2: ADD STORY TO YOUR EMAILS
I’m the brand story queen in case you’re new here, in which case WELCOME!

I’ve built my entire business on the power of story and incorporating it into everything I do. The reason for this is that your content is 22x more likely to be remembered if you use story.

Storytelling is also how we build trust with our audience. Because storytelling is vulnerable and often brings up an emotional connection, it allows us to pull our audience in and relate to them and their journey.

Adding storytelling to your email funnel is the step so many entrepreneurs miss...don’t do it!

If you remember from the beginning, your funnel should introduce you, your brand and mission. This is a great time to share stories and paint a picture for your audience.

If your funnel sounds like everyone else and doesn’t focus on the connection people aren’t going to want to buy from you. Remember, they don’t know you! Your lead magnet is meant to attract new people to your brand so you’ve got to take some time to connect.

People buy based on trust and GREAT marketing is always built on storytelling and human connection.

Use your funnel to build trust. 

TIP #3: STOP ATTRACTING THE WRONG PEOPLE TO YOUR EMAIL LIST
So many entrepreneurs are feeling stuck in their funnels which are falling flat because the people in the funnel aren’t right for the message.

I want you to remember that great marketing should attract and repel, that’s why your lead magnet needs to be super-specific for your business and your ideal customer.

Your lead magnet is not for everyone.
Your funnel and messaging and stories aren’t for everyone.
And your offer isn’t for everyone.

If it is you’re going to run into problems if you haven’t already, the key to successful marketing is being specific.

I’ll use my free guide as an example. I created a free Brand Roadmap, which you can snag right here. 

For this guide, I wanted a very specific person to opt-in. I didn’t just want someone who was looking for a quick logo or their colors or a company brand guide. I wanted someone interested in building a personal brand.

So I created a Personal Brand Roadmap and inside the funnel, I’m sharing my top tips for building a personal brand online in order to create a revenue-generating business.

If I made a general brand guide or just shared logo tips, I might attract corporations or people looking for just design.

You have to be specific and you have to create for your ideal customer.

So get specific with who you want to attract to your brand and business, it’s step 2 in my Personal Brand Roadmap and essential in building a profitable business.

CONCLUSION

Building an email automation funnel can be so much fun when you look at it as a way to introduce yourself to each and every new member to your community.

And with these three steps, you’re going to get started with the very best foundation.

Again, you want to start with a solid brand and choose an email provider. You can download my FREE Personal Brand Guide here and look into *Convertkit (the platform we use) here. Note: I’m an affiliate because I love it!

P.S. I’ve got some other cool blogs and videos for you, that I’m linking below. I mean you’re already here you might as well keep reading.

THE THREE KEY PIECES FOR A HIGH-CONVERTING SALES FUNNEL

HOW TO BUILD AN EMAIL LIST

THE TRUTH ABOUT GROWING YOUR EMAIL LIST (GETTING SUBSCRIBERS THROUGH YOUR FREEBIE)

WATCH THE TIPS AND MORE 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 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

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.