Brandmerry Blog Archives
Not sure what to post on social media? 5 tools to help!
Does coming up with content for social media seem overwhelming? Maybe you feel like you get a good start at the beginning of the month, only to fall off the wagon come the 15th. There are five tools I use every single day in my business to make sure I constantly have a stream of high-quality content ideas. No matter what your industry there tools will work for you.
Not sure what to post on social media? 5 tools to help!
September 5, 2019
PREFER TO WATCH, INSTEAD OF READ? I’VE GOT YOU BOO.
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Does coming up with content for social media seem overwhelming?
Maybe you feel like you get a good start at the beginning of the month, only to fall off the wagon come the 15th.
There are five tools I use every single day in my business to make sure I constantly have a stream of high-quality content ideas. No matter what your industry there tools will work for you.
Running out of ideas won’t be a problem after this post #youcanthankmelater.
The reason these tools work so well, whether you have an audience or not, is because they are based off of what people are searching for online! Seriously, even if you don’t have an audience you can get started right now creating content to build your online community and expand brand awareness.
As always, if you want to watch the video or see some examples of how I use these tools you can watch the full video below.
1. Answerthepublic.com
Using this free tool you can type in a topic, let’s say you type in photography and it will share with you what people are literally Googling. This is so powerful because it gives you hard data as to what people are searching for online + allows you to further explore that topic via Google.
You can find specific questions people are Googling (i.e. your ideal client), the category they fall under (ex: Why, What, Where, How…). From there you can explore what others are sharing around that topic and fill the gap with your own content and start to brainstorm specific topic ideas that answer those burning questions!
Answerthepublic.com is a free tool.
2. Keywords Everywhere
This is a Google Chrome extension and something I use every single week for my blog and youtube content. The reality is, it’s important that the content you are creating is actually being searched for online and this tool not only can give you great topic ideas, but also tell you if what you’re thinking of creating content around is actually being searched for.
Once you have the extension downloaded you can simply type anything into Google. From there you can see how many people are searching for this keyword every month, the top posts and on the bottom right of your screen you can see “like” content or similar content that people are also looking for.
This tool in and of itself can give you tons of content ideas as they pertain to your specific niche.
Keywords Everywhere is a free tool.
3. Simple Internet Search
This option can be one of the most effective ways to come up with content ideas and it involves stalking...ok, not real stalking, but you are going to browse the internet for ideas.
You can use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube to browse the comment section to see what people are asking. For instance, let’s say I know a bunch of my target audience are in a specific Facebook group, you can go into that group and use the search bar to find questions and posts about your specific topic.
I use to do this every single week when I was starting my business. I would simply search “branding” and see what questions people were asking about this specific niche.
Another hack I love is finding influencers who are in the same niche as you. Take a look at their videos and content and see what people are asking in the comments section.
Seriously, there is an influencer I follow who asks her community about once a month what topics they want her to cover on her podcast - this is a top rated podcast so she had a lot of fans. These fans are also my target audience, so I find that post and catalogue the questions people are asking as it applies to my niche and create content around that.
All I have to do is go look through that post and bam I know what people want.
4. Start Sharing Your Story
I couldn’t do an entire piece of content and not talk about sharing your story.
If you’re ever at a loss for what to create it’s important to know that sometimes just sharing your own story can not only be a valuable piece of content, but also can get great engagement.
I’ve found time and time again that when I share a piece of content that is centered around sharing a relatable story with my audience, then I see the most engagement of all my posts.
When doing this, it's important to be super strategic and make sure the story you are sharing is relatable to your audience. If your audience can’t relate to it, they won’t be as inclined to engage. A couple questions I recommend asking before posting a story are:
☑️ Will they find value in it?
☑️ How does it support them on their journey?
☑️ Does it build trust?
Be sure to watch my video on Brand Story if you want more tips on sharing your story online.
5. Ask Your Community
Everything I’ve shared up until this point can be done without a community, but I wanted to include this at the end because I know so many of you already have a community started.
Even if that community is only 10 people who follow your brand that is enough to ask and start serving them at the highest level. Seriously, some of my most popular content has come from my audience and it can be super simple to get ideas.
I suggest using tools like polls in Facebook groups or on Instagram Stories, asking open-ended questions on social media or having my community complete a short questionnaire (again with open-ended questions).
Every 90 days in my business, I survey my audience to ask them what kind of content they need to reach their desires to make sure I always have a bank of content ideas.
I’m telling you we make this so much harder than it needs to be. Of course, there will be times where you know exactly what to share and times when you feel a little fuzzy, but now you have 5 tools you can use to quickly get out of that content rut.
Content is such a core part of the branding process, it’s ultimately how you create a thriving community that leads to a revenue-generating business. In my new masterclass I’m sharing The Build a Better Brand Method, where you’ll learn my 3-part branding process to stand out on social media, create high-value content and build a community that leads to a revenue-generating business.
Watch the class 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!
P.S Don’t forget to join me for my free masterclass at brandmerry.com/brandmasterclass
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.
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!
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 >>
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
PREFER TO WATCH, INSTEAD OF READ? I’VE GOT YOU BOO.
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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!
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.
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.
5 Ways to Organically Grow Your Email List
BY MICHELLE KNIGHT
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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!
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.
How to Create a Stand Out Brand on Social Media (what you need)
Creating content can be a lot of work, so it’s important that the brand content you are creating not only gets seen but also gets engagement. If you’re ready to start standing out on social media so you can attract a consistent list of paying clients, then today’s blog is for you!
How to Create a Stand Out Brand on Social Media (what you need)
August 7, 2019
PREFER TO WATCH, INSTEAD OF READ? I’VE GOT YOU BOO.
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If you've ever wondered how to stand out on social media I've got you covered lady.
I know you want to create a brand that grabs the attention of your audience.
I know you want to create a brand that attracts the right people.
I know you want to create a brand that gets actual engagement.
That’s why in today’s blog I’m sharing what you need to have in place in order to stand out to the right people online. Because, the reality is if you aren’t visible how do you ever expect people to be able to discover you online?
And furthermore if you’re just in it for the likes (more on this in a minute) the odds of you actually attracting paying clients is going to be super slim.
I’ve got 4 tips for your today, but if you want to get 2 more be sure to watch the video below (or if you’re like me and prefer to watch instead of read then scroll down now)!
1. GET OVER YOUR DESIRE TO GO VIRAL
Standing out on social media isn't about just getting likes, it's about quality engagement and sales. You're in the market to build a business, am I right? Then you better focus on the people who are going to buy from you. Drop your desire to achieve vanity metrics and watch how social media becomes more enjoyable!
2. IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO (I.E. YOUR IDEAL CLIENT)
Your clarity on who your content is for needs to be clear to you in order to be clear to them. If you're trying to appeal to everyone it's hurting your chances of standing out online and therefore attracting your tribe. Get super specific on who you want to attract so you can create content they want to consume.
3. IDENTIFY YOUR BRAND CONTAINERS
Brand Containers are a staple in my coaching and branding strategy. They essentially are 5-7 topics you can talk about in rotation. They touch on different elements of your business, things you enjoy sharing, as well as your values. Using the Brand Containers method allows you to create content your audience is more likely to engage with. What are those 5-7 topics you can talk about in rotation?
If you want more training on Brand Containers you can grab my free guide here: brandmerry.com/contentcalendar
4. WHAT’S YOUR IDEAL CLIENT’S JOURNEY?
Knowing your ideal client’s journey and where you fit in is crucial. You are meant to be the guide for your audience if you ever want them to pay you. At the end of the day, no matter what you sell, you are providing a transformation and the way that you're going to stand out to your audience and become someone that they want to check in on and make sure they don't miss a single thing is by positioning yourself as their guide.
After you've identified your ideal client and you've picked out five to seven brand containers that you can use to rotate content on social media then I want you to get really clear on what stage of the journey your ideal client is in.
Look, we're all working with different people at different stages of their life but one of the things that's really going to allow you to stand out to your audience is positioning yourself as the guide for the specific season that they are currently going through.
I'll give you an example; when I started my business I wanted to work with aspiring female entrepreneurs, more specifically I wanted to work with entrepreneurs who wanted to leave their 9-5. I had just left my 9-5 so I was at a really important part of their own journey where I could talk about building my business while working a 9-5, finally saying goodbye to my 9-5 and the transition into full-time entrepreneur. The more specific you can be on where you fit in to your ideal clients journey the better your engagement will be overall.
I’m sharing Tip #5 and Tip #6 in the video below. Just skip to minute 4:00 in the video below!
Don’t forget to get your hands on my Content Calendar and free training on Brand Containers at brandmerry.com/contentcalendar
Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!
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.