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71: The secret to marketing success online · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 71, and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about the secret to successful marketing.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your business's growth.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what I'm going to talk about in today's episode.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what is really interesting about this subject is that for many entrepreneurs, when they think about marketing or start talking about marketing, it comes from a place of them wanting to promote their offers and their services to as many people as possible in order to get those sales.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: But marketing, really successful marketing, goes way beyond just selling your products and services.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because when we're using different things to attract and convert, often what we're doing actually is using tactics.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are marketing your digital course, for example, and you are running a webinar and you are attracting your ideal student by them coming to the webinar, you are essentially using a tactic in order to promote your stuff, in order to get them into your world where you can then give them that value that hopefully then will lead to a conversion.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: So a webinar is a tactic, and that's what a lot of course creators use in order to bring new customers on board.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: But what I want to talk about is the real fundamentals so that even before you go and put a webinar out there and start promoting your webinar or your challenge or you run a video series, whatever it is, whatever tactic it is that you're going to use to promote your digital products, I want to just talk about the foundations because it doesn't matter what tactic you can will use in your marketing.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't got these foundations in place, then you're highly likely to find it very challenging.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I just want to talk about what these are, how to lay those foundations so that you can actually achieve what you want to achieve in the best way possible.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: So effective marketing can be simplified and broken down into four key pillars, and these four pillars are what represents your brand.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Now you cannot market something effectively if you do not understand what your brand is.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an entrepreneur or a solo business owner, you might be sitting there thinking, well, it's only me and my business, I'm not a brand.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm too small, I'm not, I can't compete with the likes of McDonald's or Next or Nike or any of those.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not a brand.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And this is where we need to reframe our thoughts because if you have a business and you provide a service or you make an offer to a customer, then they're buying into the experience that you're delivering.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And you are a brand.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: It might be the fact that it's a personal brand which you're building up online, but essentially you're cultivating a brand because a brand is experience, it's the experience that your customers are gonna have when they come into contact with you.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And as entrepreneurs and business owners, we need to be in control of what that experience looks like because ultimately that's going to determine whether or not your customers are going to come back time after time, and so we need to really understand what that experience looks like, how we're showing up, how we want to be perceived, and how we want to deliver our services to our customers because at the end of the day, it does come down to that experience, it's your reputation, and that's what your brand is.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I know it can be confusing about the whole thing with brand and branding, but the best way to look at this is in a way of your brand is your experience that you're delivering to your customers, your branding is your identity, it's how you're coming across, it's the look, the feel, the style of your business.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, both are equally important because your branding is what's going to identify you, it's going to be what sets you apart, and it's going to help differentiate you in your space.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: So we need to put some attention to the brand inside, but equally, when you're marketing, you are marketing your brand.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it doesn't matter what stage of your business you're at, you have to approach your marketing with that mindset.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's the brand that your customers are buying into that's important because it's your reputation that you're putting out there that your customers are going to be experiencing.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about the foundational pieces that need to be in place in order to create a solid brand.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: So you've got the why, the what, the who, and the how.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: They are the four pillars, and each pillar is instrumental in making up the foundations of a successful brand.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot create something where you haven't got each of these pillars nailed, it would just be impossible.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, first and foremost, you have to start with the why, you have to understand what the purpose is behind what you're doing and what your values are because these are crucial for building a strong foundation.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Simon Sineg, a renowned speaker and author, he says people don't buy what you do, but they buy why you do it.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: So by clearly defining your brand's purpose, you can connect to your audience, your customers on a deeper level, and this is going to help foster loyalty and it's going to be what sets you apart.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: So think about what drives you and your business and what you feel passionate about, and then you can take that and you can translate it into a compelling story, and that story is what you can then use in your brand in order to connect with your audience because this is the thing, right?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: People are nosy, we want to know what sits behind the curtain.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: We don't just want to see glossy images, an amazing lifestyle, and all of that, we want to see the things that are going on at the bottom level, we want to see what drives the people that we're working with, and so by creating a compelling brand story, you can weave this into your marketing, and that's going to help strengthen your marketing activities because you're going to bring something on a deeper level that's going to connect with your audience, so that's really important.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: So the first pillar is understand your why, and this is something that gets underestimated, but honestly, it is so incredibly powerful.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Think about the people that you follow in your space.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know their story?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Have they shared that with you?
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because I guarantee that anyone that's had any level of true success will be sharing their backstory, they'll be telling you the struggles that they've gone through and the breakthroughs that they've had and everything in between.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: So look at the people around you and see how they're approaching it, and then take that on board because your why is fundamental in building those foundations.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the what.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the what of your brand is essentially defining what it is you do, what products you offer, and what services you provide to your clients.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: And you need to be really clear and concise on this.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Your target audience needs to understand the specific problem that you solve through the things that you offer.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as entrepreneurs and business owners, we are in the business of solving problems.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: So, what problems are you solving?
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: How are you making your audience life easier?
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: What does that look like for them?
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now you need to consider the features and attributes of your products as well, and you need to understand why your product or offer is different.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: So you need to get really clear on that unique selling proposition, the USP.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: What sets you apart from your competitors?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we all have competitors, don't we?
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: But are they delivering online courses?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Are they delivering memberships?
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Are they delivering group programs?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Are they bringing people together?
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: Do they have a community?
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Or are they just providing a service?
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: So really dig into that and have a look at your competitors and try and identify how you stand out and why you are different.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Because again, you can weave this into your marketing.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: This will become part of your messaging that will be used to attract your idle audience.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: By clearly communicating this, what you offer, you will attract the right customers who will align with your brand's vision and your offerings.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: So it will make your marketing activities so much easier.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the third pillar is the who.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this is again really important because you need to know what niche you're in and who you want to be attracting.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: We do not want to work with just anyone.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: You should not want to work with just anyone.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot solve everybody's problems.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: The amount of times, honestly, the amount of times somebody's come to me and said anybody can buy my products or anybody can buy my services, and it's just simply not true.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: If you market to everybody, you're going to dilute what it is you have to offer, and your message will not make it through because it's not specific enough.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be specific.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: So when we're talking about the who, we have to get specific.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Who is your perfect person?
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: Why are they your perfect person?
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: What attributes, characteristics do they have that makes them perfect for you?
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: So this is where you need to really spend some time and identify your target audience, understand their demographics, understand their behaviors, and then when it comes to your messaging, you can tailor it so that you can create a memorable brand experience.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: When we create messaging around any of our offers, we want to make it feel as though the person receiving that message, we want to make them feel like we're talking directly to them.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: We want them to literally be sitting in their seats, nodding their head because we've got it.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: We have identified their problem, we've identified where they are on their journey because we're meeting them where they're at, and we're going to take them along on our journey to get them to a place of solution.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now you can only do that if you really understand who your perfect person is and what their challenges are.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: So we have to get really clear and succinct in understanding them.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: Successful brands often focus their efforts on getting really specific with their customers, allowing them to create valuable connections and building ongoing and long-lasting relationships.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: So you need to research what your audience wants, what their needs are, what their pain points are, and then align your brand messaging accordingly to that.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Your brand, the brand that you're creating, should resonate with your audience, and you need to make them feel like they're being understood.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: I think when we can achieve that, we've got them, they will come on our journey and they will buy into what it is we have to say and what we have to offer, and that is going to build that no like and trust.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: And we know in business that is crucial to attracting our customers.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are selling an online course and you're looking to achieve more sales online, then understand exactly who your ideal student is.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Get really clear as to what they're looking for.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: Now, your students are not going to be buying an online course.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: They're looking for a solution.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: So when you are talking about things that you've created, you don't want to go down the rabbit hole of talking about the mechanism by which you're delivering your solution.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: So your online course, your group program, your membership, that's a mechanism, it's a way of delivering the solution you're providing.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: What you want to be talking about, what you want to make really clear is the framework, the journey, because that is the thing that's going to bring them on board, and that is a mistake that a lot of course creators and membership creators are making.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: They're talking about the mechanism, the vehicle, instead of talking about the thing that actually makes a difference to their students, and that's the teaching, it's the framework, it's the journey.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: When you're creating something, a digital offer, there's a bridge there because you've got the starting point where your students are experiencing a problem, they've got a challenge, a pain point, and then whatever it is you're offering is going to provide a solution.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, your framework, the thing that you're delivering is the bridge because that's the thing that's going to get them over to that solution, and so in your marketing, you don't really want to be putting the emphasis on the fact that you've created an online course.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: What you want to be talking about is the framework and the fact that you have got this process that's going to move them forward, and this process is unique because it's based off your experience of achieving solutions yourself.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: So when it comes to your messaging and your marketing, you need to be really clear as to exactly who it is you're speaking to, where they're at in their journey, the thing that you're offering, so the what and how you can get them to that place of solution.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: The more you can get clear on that, the more successful you'll be when it comes to your marketing.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the fourth and the final pillar is the how.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this pillar involves developing strategies and tactics that's going to bring your brand to life.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: This is where you're going to get involved in using marketing initiatives because every touch point of your brand should embody and reinforce your brand's identity.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: And the key to success here is consistency, it is paramount.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be consistent every time, so you need to start establishing your visual elements.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: So these are things like your colours and your logo and the fonts that you use, all of which is ultimately going to convey your brand's personality and values as well.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: You're also going to be looking at how you're talking.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: So your tone of voice is really important because this is what's going to align with your target audience.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you're not sure on how you need to talk, then you need to do some research and go and check out the type of language that your ideal audience are using.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Your tone of voice is the way you speak in your messaging.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: If you are speaking to an industry that is very tech-led, then your tone of voice is going to be different to say being in a space where you're working with female entrepreneurs.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's probably going to be a lot less techy, it's going to be more conversational, there's maybe maybe a little bit more humor involved.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: So the way we speak is how we're going to engage our audience.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: So we really need to look at that and nail that down as well.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: By developing a cohesive and well-executed brand experience, it's going to help build trust, it's going to help build credibility, and also you'll build that loyalty with your customers as well, because they will have a really good experience with working with you, and that's really what we want.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: We want to be attracting our customers back time and time again.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are planning on launching something else in the future, then you want to be able to at least bring those customers back that have experienced something that you've done previously.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Often, if we give them a good service, they're the ones that are easier to sell to because they know exactly what they're going to get.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that makes a huge difference.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: It can be quite challenging to sell to a cold lead because you have to build that no like and trust, and that takes time.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas if you've already got a customer that's bought from you previously, then it should be a far easier sale if you have that brand experience in place because you've already built that no like and trust.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: So there you have it.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: The why, the what, the who, and the how.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, by understanding your brand's purpose, defining what it is you're offering to your audience, identifying your target audience, and then putting everything out there in a cohesive and consistent way, you are going to build a really powerful and compelling brand online.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: And when you have that nailed, it will make your marketing so much easier.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you do then decide to host a webinar or run a challenge or deliver a video series, you are delivering a really great experience because you've got those foundational pieces in place.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's really important to remember a strong brand goes way, way, way beyond just a logo or a catchy tagline.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, the amount of conversations I've had with clients where we've been talking about their brand and what what it is that they're creating for the business, and they've just come around to me and said, But I just want a logo.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: No, you don't just want a logo.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: Your logo is an identity stamp that is recognizable, but it isn't your brand, it isn't your experience that you're delivering, it's a symbol.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's really important to just understand that because if you can get your head around that, it will make everything else so much easier.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Your brand is what is going to make that deeper connection with your audience.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: So we need to be approaching this with the mindset of this is our business, this is the thing we're creating, we are creating an experience and we want to be remembered, and that experience is going to outweigh any kind of logo because it's how you're going to make your audience feel once they've worked with you.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: So if you deliver an offer, you're delivering a course, a membership, a group program, any of those online offers, and you're creating a really strong, compelling experience, then that is going to go far.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: And what you may find is that you will equally bring people on board to become an affiliate as well.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: So that is another thing to consider.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: The better we deliver what it is we have to deliver, the more likely people are going to equally want to become a part of it as well.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: And ultimately, that is what's going to set you apart.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: There are so many people out there delivering webinars, delivering challenges, all of that good stuff, which is important.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: Those tactics will help you to attract and convert customers.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: But the thing that's really going to set you apart is how you're making that audience feel, and that can only come from your brand and having everything nailed down.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you found this episode of value.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, please feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about how you can work with me, then why not visit my website www.pink-lemondigital.com.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday, so why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time!