Episode #14 Autumn Pimms Cup [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar addict and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator. With a love of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer a product while doing it all ethically and organically. And giving that bro marketer advice the booth. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode 14 of the marketing & cocktails podcast. And we have another cocktail hour guys. So today's episode, I have done a spin on the traditional parents cup. We are a segway digging into what is really fall for most of the country, but as 2020 has already set the pace to be a truly odd year in Georgia. [00:01:00] It's just starting to get just a wee bit cold. And when I say cold, I mean, we finally got the low 50's at night. For like a week or two. So, but anyhow, I decided that I wanted to do a fall version of a traditional Pimms cup. So for people who are not aware of Pimm's, Pimm's is a gin-based liqour that was originally created to be a digestive, like basically to help with your digestion. This was back in the 1800s. So. I also figured out that the liqueur is named, was it the name of it is Pimm's, but it's Pimms number one, because the original creator of Pimms used to serve in a small tanker known as a number one cup. And so that's how it got the name Pimm's cup. And the liqueur is, labeled Pimm's number one. [00:02:00] So. At one of my favorite, local restaurants here in Atlanta. Well, it's outside of Atlanta in Decatur. It's called, No. 246. They had this, Oh my gosh. Amazing. autumn take on a Pimm's cup. And that was the first time I ever had it. And I was like, this is so good. Eventually I have to make my own version. So I wanted it to be simple and I didn't want it to be like really, really complicated or take a lot of, different bakers and look cores and bitters and all that jazz. because sometimes you just want like an easy to make comforting type recipe. So Pimm's cup is normally made with a combination, of lemon juice, ginger ale, and then some people even add in like cucumber and mint, like really refreshing AHS, usually served during the summer. And as a fun [00:03:00] fact, it's the favorite cooler at Wilmington. So. I tried it originally, how it was meant to be served. And I did it with lemonade and some ginger real, and it's really nice, super simple, really refreshing, easy cocktail. But I, my brain started turning and I said, how can I take an out and twist on this? So one of my favorite drinks. Especially during the fall is Apple cider. I love, love, love Apple cider. I have made my own at home. I, if I'm on a run, I'll stop at Starbucks and get the, they don't call it Apple cider. What is it called? It's like steamed Apple juice with their cinnamon Dolce syrup in it and a little whipped cream. Oh, so, so, so, so good. So I said, how can I combine these two? So I came up with my autumn [00:04:00] Tim's club. So what it consists of is, okay, I use an unfiltered Apple juice. I went to my local grocery store here, which is Kroger and they had their own brand and it's a honey crisp Apple. I could not find any Apple cider. I guess everyone has the same idea that I had. And. All the Apple cider was gone. So this is the closest, you can also use, just a pure Apple juice. You want to get that? Just like. Clean flavor of it. So it consists of Apple juice, pamphlet core. Then I add a orange core and you can literally find any orange, little core that's in your local liquor store. there's a few brands that go by like P street. You can do a contrary. All I found a French orange little core. And it was really, really good. So that's what I used. And then I decided, okay, [00:05:00] like I said, one of my favorite drinks is the one that Starbucks and they use a cinnamon, Dolce syrup. I found a, homemade version of that and I've made it before and it's good. But I said, how can I elevate this? What makes me think of fall? And I was like, Ooh, warm spices. Okay. So how can we get those warm spices in a drink? And then I thought, Oh, my other favorite thing, chai tea, and the spicier the better. So I made a chai spiced, simple syrup, and that includes. I did have bound sugar, have white sugar, nutmeg, all spice, cinnamon steaks, ginger peppercorn, Carmen, and, and guys. Oh, it's so good. So spicy with the sweetness. It's it's perfect. So. What you do is you can just literally mix it yeah. In a shaker, or you can build it in a tall glass with ice. So [00:06:00] you're going to do ice. You're going to add four to five ounces of the Apple juice, an ounce and a half of the pencil core. A half an ounce to an ounce of the orange, the core, depending on how much, orange flavor you like orange and Apple pear really well. So that's why, I added that. and then a apps and a half of the chai, simple syrup. You can also sub in a cinnamon, simple syrup as well. If you just don't want to go, through. Through the painstaking, think of making your own simple syrup or you can't find the ingredients for, a cinnamon, simple syrup can be easily found in most stores. if you go by the coffee section and just like buy one of the, a simple syrups that they include there, and then you just shade, or if you're mixing and tall glass, take a tall spoon and swirl guys. Really easy, really refreshing. I also added did a different version and I added about a half an ounce to an ounce of bourbon. And that was really good as well. [00:07:00] Now what really took it over the top is I said, let's make this and hot toddy version. So I warmed up. the Apple juice, you can steam it on the stove, however you prefer. And then you're going to build everything in it. So you're going to steam the Apple juice. adding the orange lip core out in the chest space and adding the pencil core. And that is really tasty. And if you're not, if you try a Pimm's and you're not a big fan, you can literally make this a hot toddy version, take out the pencil core and then just do the Apple juice, the orange, the court that the simple syrup and bourbon or a whiskey or a rum and guys. Oh, so good. So comforting just feels like home in a cup. So I hope you enjoy this. guys, we are on the cups of Thanksgiving. this would be a really great, drink to serve if you're having some adults there. and [00:08:00] if not, then just take, A nice evening and make the high tidy version and curl up on the sofa with a good book. a furry friend, even the human variety, they work too. Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us as she's got vision on all platforms until the next time y'all were wishing you much success. And remember, there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #13 - Essentials to a Solid Marketing Foundation [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts, Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar addict and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator. With a love of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear, our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer a product while doing it all ethically and organically. And giving that bro marketer advice the booth. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode 13 of the marketing and cocktails podcast. Today's podcast is all about the essential keys to a solid marketing foundation. A solid foundation is essential to the growth of your business. So today we've decided to give you a few tips and tricks to just strengthen the foundation of your business. So if marketing has been on your to-do list for awhile, take a listen. Vanessa: So we're back with some [00:01:00] marketing foundation chit chat about all the things. That you kind of need to have to have an awesome, solid foundation for your business and all the things that you really need to be reassessing and fine tuning as you go. So the cool part about creating a business is that it is always going to keep evolving. You're always going to have to be making sure that you were kind of coming in and looking at everything and how it's working, where it's not working and adjusting it just because you have. Something today, whether it's a product or a service that isn't selling doesn't mean that you're not on the right track or you're not on the right vein. It just means that maybe it's not reaching enough people or maybe your messaging is a little off, or maybe the people that you thought would vibe with it. Aren't actually the right people. And some other group is going to vibe with it instead. So we're going to kind of cover some of the essential marketing foundations and then talk a little bit about, even how to like, look at fine tuning some of those pieces as you go as well. So [00:02:00] one of the big things you've probably already heard about, and you're going to keep hearing about if you're in the online business space is a sales funnel. that's something that. There's some people out there that they say, you, you know, you have a bajillion funnels and you do this really, all you need is one, one way to get people in and to get people converting from somebody that's just viewing you on the outside to actually signing up for your email list to actually purchasing your product. However, that is what ever that is. Whether it's a product you're selling our service, you're selling. So a funnel is basically just. A flow of how you attract a lead, turn them into a prospect and finally turn them into a customer. So it's basically a process of gaining awareness, enticing those people to sign up for your list and then nurturing the relationship so that those people will become lifelong customers. And the reason why we use a funnel is that it starts [00:03:00] out, as a way, just to demonstrate the fact that you have to put yourself out there. And that you have to get people aware of your brand. think of like the shoes that you buy, the brand, you chose, you chose it because you became aware of the brand and then you became aware of the product and the features and how it could benefit you. You knew what your needs were and you made that final purchase because it checked all those boxes on your list. So a funnel is basically going to help people do the exact same thing with whatever that you're selling. It's kind of a, a flow of a way to get leads in, get the leads, learning about you. Seeing him as the expert, seeing him as somebody with the right solutions to help them solve their problems. And eventually they're going to basically buy your product because they see that you are able to help them in solving this specific problem. Terrica: Yeah. I always look at funnels as just the direct implementation of a [00:04:00] customer journey. So if you look at super simply, I want someone to walk into, I'm going to say, even if you don't have a real store, is it if you have a brick and mortar, but we're going to have like give a digital store or a digital storefront. I want people walking in. I want them to feel this way. As soon as they come in, they're like excited. You know, the lighting's amazing, the music, the ambiance something catches their eye, whatever. Then I want them to direct to like this product I have, maybe it's the clothes. And then they pick up the clothes and then they're like, Oh, this is amazing. And then you like brought that up. But then while there, you know, Picking up a little clothes that intrigued them, the sales person comes along and says, Oh, Hey, you liked this sweater. Gorgeous. Did you see the pair of pants that are looking at amazing with it? You know? And then now you have digitally, you have an upsale, but in a regular store, you would have a sales person telling you, you know, something else that [00:05:00] will boost up what you've already chosen or what you already purchased because you came in there with this need. And so now. Hopefully along the way, by the time someone gets to the register and they walk out, they have this full, complete outfit, even though they came in thinking that all I needed was a sweater. And then now they feel amazing. And they're like, everybody used to go to said store because they help you get the complete op outfit. You just don't need this sweater. They don't tackle one thing. They tackle everything. And now I feel amazing about myself. I have like all these options mean you can do this with a service or product. To me, that's how my brain sees funnels because funnels can get really complicated and convoluted and all of that jazz. And my brain is like simple, simple, simple, simple, simple. How can I make what I want people to feel? And then put it into a way that is application. And then on the tail end, we both get what we need. Vanessa: Exactly. And we [00:06:00] can't stress enough that what you're doing in your marketing, what you're doing with, you know, running a promotion, running a launch, creating a product, creating a service. It doesn't have to be complicated. It can be really, really simple. And actually when things are simple, they're more effective. because they they're eight people are able to just glom on. They're not, they're going to be less overwhelmed because there's not a ton of things going on. they're going to be able to kind of hop into something and be really clear, really fast on what it is you do and how you can help them. And the simpler things are. The better it is for you now over time. What started out as one, one simple thing , you might, eventually expand some way of like maybe getting awareness or expand the process a little bit. That's okay. Because it's not going to, over-complicate what you're doing. It's just going to like accent what you're doing. It's like throwing a scarf on top of an already awesome outfit. What we need to get you to in your marketing is having that already awesome [00:07:00] outfit, which is like the core of your business. So to go with a sales funnel, you definitely need an email so that you can do email marketing. And this is something that you're not going to run out of your Google inbox. Please do not do that. So you're going to need an email list service kind of like ConvertKit, which is what we use or like Flodesk. Oh, it's basically a service that allows you to collect people's email addresses when they sign up for an opt-in. And it allows you to email them on mass, something like your ordinary email service provider. Like your Gmail is only designed to send emails to a few people at a time when you need to email hundreds of people at a time, you need to use a special service so that your emails actually get priority. And they're not treated like spam. Terrica: Yes. Yes, guys. I've, I've been behind the scenes at a business who ran like this, like no joke. Everything was in Gmail. We used to send, or [00:08:00] I used to send emails to 200, plus people blind, copied as groups. The issue, then what you get is the deliverability there's people who are like, I never got your email and never showed up. Then what you get is from Google is. Oh, sent at this point, essentially 600 emails in a day, and then they penalize you and you can't send anymore. Yeah. And then you wait too, like you're out of Google jail, email jail, and it's like, you're free to go. Don't do it again. Watch out. And then what we go do we do it again. And this is revolving cycle. When you have an email service. There's no limit. I mean, you can email 10,000 people at a time and they take a while you won't get it done instantly, it may take an hour. It may take, you know, whatever the service is, maybe 30 minutes and maybe it's dripped [00:09:00] out for a couple of hours because it's such a massive amount of emails, but you don't get penalized about that. So please guys, don't conduct your email marketing from Gmail and groups. Lesson learned. Vanessa: Yeah, the other great part about using a service like convert kit is that you get data built in. So if you think about your, your Gmail inbox, you have no idea. If your email say, if it was delivered, if it was opened, but an email marketing provider will allow you to see things like your email open rate. Or the email link click-through rates, how many people are hitting the unsubscribe button, how many people are actually going through and opening your content and clicking through to what you want them to do with that, with including a call to action in your email, that data's really helpful because that helps you to see if your marketing message nailed it or failed it. Terrica: Yes. Vanessa: And when you know that if an email message, you know, knocked it out of the ballpark, or if it fell flat on its head, [00:10:00] then you that's, that's an indication. So if an email doesn't do well, it forms kind of below average for you or below industry average, that is a really big sign that you need to go back and fix your messaging Terrica: for sure. Vanessa: And if you're wondering, okay, well, what's an industry average for me. There's a ton of information on the internet about industry averages. but like a good rule of thumb is an average email open rate sits between like 20 and 30%. That's pretty average. If you're sitting in the 20 to 30% realm, you're kind of. I kind of want to say underperforming of it because you obviously want those open rates to be higher than average, because average is that spectrum from like no opens all the way to a bajillion opens and you're falling somewhere in the middle. There's always an opportunity to kind of improve them a little bit more. Hope that makes sense? So you really need to know, pay attention. How your open rates are doing how the click-through rates are [00:11:00] doing, how many people are actually getting delivered your email and interacting with it. That'll tell you where you need to refine that message. If you need to improve it, how it needs to be improved, and if you're going well, I don't even get people opening the emails. How do I know that? My message fall flat? People not opening your emails is often a symptom of the subject line not being enticing enough. So it's not going to it not appealing to me, not appealing to me in the moment. Maybe it was gimmicky and it wound up in the promotions tab of all the Gmail users, or maybe it was really gimmicky and really hacky. And it wound up in the spam folder Terrica: Or you have some tech issues on the backend and it has nothing. I'm not saying nothing, but the majority of it may not even be. a messaging issue. It could be that you, depending on your email provider, that you didn't confirm, your web address, that you didn't confirm your, the email that is coming from that maybe you switched the [00:12:00] email that is coming from, because let's say a lot of business owners operate like this. Vanessa, I have this, I have this in my businesses that you are G suite and. because with, G suite and using, the mail function, which is based in Gmail, you can have alias. So you may have info@yourbusiness.com or whatever, and then hello, and your name and support act. And if you switch these emails every time that you send it, or you don't pay attention the next day, put you in the spam folder, if you. Any date, your emails with images, those don't process. Well, that goes into the spam folder then as necessary the subject line, depending on the words that you use, Google, like picks those. And it's like, Oh, that looks like spam,  type of , wording immediately put into the spam. And then sometimes they even go through the trash and you don't even see them, like at all, they don't even pop up. So tracking [00:13:00] your data and your email provider is vital because your open rate may be because of people not connecting with your content or what you're writing, but then it also could be that you aren't setting your emails up properly. And then there's something on the back end that they need to, to fix, because the reason why your open rates are. Minimal or dismal or non-existent because nobody ever sees it. They never get anywhere. They never even land anywhere close. They just fall off into the black void of the internet. , Vanessa: totally. so with those. Kind of email deliverability issues that people have. There's three little steps that you could do to actually make sure that your emails have a chance of getting through to people. One of the steps would be to authenticate your domain. It's done through, your email service provider. What it does is it helps to make sure that [00:14:00] your emails are secure, that there'll be able to be delivered and that you as a sender, have a good reputation. Having a good reputation, not only matters from impersonal personal relationships, it's matters 10 times more in online business and the reputation that you have on your email list on the way you show up on Facebook, on Instagram, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, on any of these platforms really, really matters. So if you get caught in a trap of doing something that those providers view as being negative to your reputation, you'll get penalized for it. And you'll wind up in places like Facebook, jail, or Instagram jail, or, and here's these other cute little jails that aren't actually real places, but that caused you harm as an online business owner. The other thing about authenticating your domain is that it helps email services and spam blockers know that your content, the content you're emailing people about is legit. So make sure that you're, you're going through those help docs in whatever service you're [00:15:00] using and making sure that you're taking those steps. You're taking that time. First thing you should be doing. Is authenticating your domain. Okay. The second step you need to do is verify that your email lists permissions are in compliance with the anti-spam laws worldwide, especially where you live or especially where your business has founded, but definitely make sure that it's compliant worldwide, especially if you are targeting a worldwide audience and that you're, doing that again, to protect your sender reputation. This is going to keep coming up again and again, If you can already guess, depending on your service provider and what that looks like will different. So again, go through the help docs. see what's going on. I know for float desk, which is one that's really common right now, cause it sends really pretty emails. Is that the way they verify list permissions is that when you manually upload a new subscriber list of flow desk, you need to actually send them. Your opt-in records too. They're like they have a special [00:16:00] email address to that so that they can go through your Optane records and go through your list and verify that all of the people on your email list actually have given you permission to email them. It seems like a lot of work, but they're willing to help with that, which is awesome. you can download those option records from a previous email provider or paste the records into some templates. You can go through their help docs. It'll it'll walk you through that. The third step you need to do is actually warm up your sending of your emails. And this is again, requires a little bit of patience. So anytime you're using a new email marketing service, you need to warm up your sender reputation. So you can maintain what's called healthy deliverability and avoid the spam folder. So that's why it's funny. We see, we see this happening in groups all the time. People are like, I just started using this new email service today and I noticed that my opt-in rates are lower. Well, a, you changed email service providers. So [00:17:00] you are starting at scratch at zero for your sender reputation. And anytime you switch an email provider this'll happen. So this makes it to where you need to warm up resending every single time. What happens is you have to start by sending smaller volumes of emails and gradually increasing the number of recipients. So say you have, maybe your list is only 5,000 people. You have to start with a volume of say 2,500 subscribers in the first week that you send out emails. Okay. That'll be the first way of, and then you can increase your sending volume every five to seven days on average. And you're going to also want to make sure that you're ELA emailing your most engaged subscribers first to make sure that they're opening your emails and that winds up training the email software and it trains through deliverability. And it makes sure that you have a good sender reputation. So anytime that your emails are getting opened, that's an indicator that you have a good sender [00:18:00] reputation. Anytime that somebody is clicking on a link within your email again, that says, Hey, I've got a good sender reputation. So that's why you want to email your most engaged subscribers first, because those are the people that are typically going to open your email. They're going to read it. They're going to click on it. They might even luckily hit, replied back and have a conversation with you in some way. If you start by say emailing your least engaged subscribers first, it's going to take you a very long time to warm up your sender reputation. If it ever gets warmed up at all, it's also why it's a really good idea to always be nurturing and getting people on your email list to engage with you because it increases your sender reputation and it increases the chance that you'll actually wind up in the primary tab instead of in the promotions tab or worse, the spam folder. And along the way, you need to also remember to remove bounces and unsubscribes. before you upload a new list to, a new email service provider and make sure that any service provider you are [00:19:00] using removes bounces and removes unsubscribes so that you have, the ability to maintain a healthy deliverability and a positive sender reputation. If you don't do that, that'll also negatively impact you as well. Terrica: Emails can be alot, but when you set them up for success at the beginning, then, it makes it, you know, like going down the road just a lot easier rather than you trying to hack it along the way and just like full out going, like when you send all these emails. Oh, wait, they're not working back up. Okay. What did I do wrong? Okay. You fix that. Okay. Dive in it again, rather than take it really slow. Make sure you go through everything that you need to at the beginning. it's the equivalent of, most of us don't do that, but you just went and bought something for Ikea, like read the directions, even if they're really difficult. Cause I hate Ikea directions, but if. You don't then you will end up, I guys, if you could, you know, see like thing [00:20:00] I have put books, you know, bookshelves together actually have one in my office right now that you realize that when you get to the end, that the little polished end is on the wrong side, but you've already screwed it all in together. And nobody's taking the whole thing apart to do it again. So you just have to look at it and then it looks really bad and it bothers you for a really long time. Business can be like that. Okay. Like business can be like that. There is no instruction manual to business, but if you start out with intention and a plan and a strategy, then you don't have to worry about sprinting the whole way, just to get it done, to then realize that you've messed up. And flipped your proverbial shelves, the wrong way. And now you have to like take everything down to put it back the way that it should be. So those are a few keys of the central marketing foundation. just [00:21:00] as a recap, we started off speaking about sales funnel and. This is isn't something that needs to be really complicated. I know that sales funnels can get there, but at your core, you just need to have a simple sales funnel and ability to attract a lead, turn them into a prospect and finally into a customer. So basically your customer journey, laid out completely. Now, there are times. And actually there aren't counts are always going to be times in your business where you're going to have to be consistently assessing testing and revamping your messaging, your offers, your positioning, your sales funnel, and even the content that you put out so. That's one thing that we want to just get across, is that really what the real real core of essential marketing foundations is the ability to always be in test [00:22:00] mode. Nothing is ever. Signed sealed and delivered and you just kind of plug and chug and you never have to change it. Business is always evolving. Society evolves, the economy evolves and we have to evolve with it. So having your backend together, your foundations together, having everything solid and encourages a better viewpoint for you to make the necessary changes and it not feel overwhelming and it not feeling like you have to just like tear down the whole house and build again. No, the foundation is tight. We may need to, you know, spruce up the walls, maybe putting in some new windows, but at the core, the foundation is tight. So that's what we want to express to you all. That is our mantra that we repeat not only in our business, but to our customers as well. And clients is that you have to get your [00:23:00] foundation and your backend tight doing that. Allows for everything else to not be seamless because business isn't just seamless, but it allows it to be simple and intentional. And intentional action is key. So we hope that you guys enjoyed this episode. if you have any questions,send us a DM on Instagram, at she's got vision, send us an email at hello at she's got vision.com and we hope that you tune into our next episode. Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us as she's got vision on all platforms until the next time y'all were wishing you much success. And remember, there's always time for cocktails.

Episode # 12 – All About Pinterest [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts, Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator and  lover of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversation and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer or product while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode 12 of the marketing and cocktails podcast. Today's podcast is all about Pinterest. We are going to talk about the full gambit on Pinterest today from why you should be on Pinterest. If you're not already to Pinterest ads, Pinterest strategy, how I got started on Pinterest and how I started with five monthly viewers and so much more. So if you're ready to dive in. Take a listen. All right, guys. All about Pinterest and where. I wouldn't say where it should be your next step. If it's not already in your repertoire right now, Vanessa: Most people's audiences are on Pinterest. Take, for example, we've had, we've had one client say that their, their audience can't be on Pinterest. I love when people assume, never assume, never assume it makes you donkey. So this, this [00:02:00] person, they target other people who are in the wedding industry and the travel industry kind of as a whole. So they're targeting travel agents and they're targeting wedding planners and event planners and people who want to get into the wedding space. And they think that their audience isn't active on Pinterest when the opposite is actually true travel agents. I've picked up on Pinterest really, really, well over the last couple of years, especially. They've kind of gotten a little bit more online savvy. They're popping online more. They're starting to blog more share social media content about, you know, fun vacations photos there people have submitted. it's actually really crazy to see how many travel agents have globbed onto it and hopped on Pinterest and are actually driving traffic for their local business or their online travel agency. Through Pinterest. It is a long game, but they've invested in it for the long game. And in telling these clients, this they're there, they were kind of like a little bit skeptical, but over time, they're starting [00:03:00] to see that that's kind of the way to move. but at the same as the wedding industry, like it's not just brides on there. It's people who are within the wedding industry as a whole people who are thinking about getting in, like maybe. It's the, it's the mom who  uses Pinterest to plan her kids, parties now. But when she sends those kids to school, she's like, you know, I have the, all the skills that I've developed. I'm say help, mom. I don't want to do whatever. You know, my degree has given me, I don't want to go down that career path again. I want to do something that I actually enjoy. I really enjoy this thing. I like weddings. Maybe I want to get into the wedding industry this way. And then they become somebody who pops in and is a potential lead. Who then becomes a customer like you're playing the long game with people's psychology on Pinterest, but it's so cool to watch it evolve. Terrica:  I mean, and if you do, if you are not a B to C and more of a B2B, then all of the vendors who were heavy in the wedding industry are on Pinterest. So that's even a better way to connect and find people because if [00:04:00] you are a wedding planner, let's say for instance, You need to have that go-to resource for your clients. So that may be okay. Well, I need to have like this amazing stationer. I always go to a calligrapher or someone who does this style or this person who can give me this kind of decor or an amazing florist or a photographer Vanessa:  all those little bits and pieces and there's a break people. Terrica: Yeah. But those people are heavy on Pinterest and they're heavy on Pinterest because I like to think everybody says that Instagram is like the original visual platform, but to me, Pinterest is all day. Like as soon as you click on it and you search. And if it has this easily, serves as this double duty, that is a search engine plus a social platform. But as soon as you search, what do you get guys? A [00:05:00] ton of photos. So how can this not be the ultimate visual platform? And if you work in an industry where people. Pick you and choose you initially, because they say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all know that visual, you know, aesthetically, that's what intrigues us. Everybody says that you eat with your eyes before your mouth. So if it looks unappetizing, you'll never pick up the spoon or the fork and be like, Oh, this is tasty. And I'm like, it's disgusting. Why does it look like that? I don't even want to touch it. If it looks bad, it must be bad. So if, all of these people are on Pinterest  you're going to showcase  the ultimate, visual representation of your work so that when people do it and then people will follow you. And then the traffic trickles down that way as well, like on both sides of the coin. Vanessa: Yeah. You get the people that are your customers, so the B2C aspect of it, and then you get the people that are. You're partners in helping to build up and get those customers, those BB people. And that's really cool, like, [00:06:00] especially within the wedding industry, as a whole, like, I had a different client a few years ago and she was, a wedding planner and she did a lot of, she did like printables for weddings, but for people who wanted to DIY. And it was really cool because she had gotten herself organically and managing her own Pinterest to a certain point, and needed help, like taking it over the top and kind of growing her numbers. And w I took her from, a few hundred thousand kind of views and impressions, a month, all the way up to like over 3 million by the time. Terrica: Wow. Vanessa: I stopped working with her, which is really crazy. I'm really cool. But the one thing that I made sure we kept in mind was that. For her specific audience, we always kept in mind that planning on Pinterest starts early. And the way that that happens, if you need like a little visual is taking somebody from inspiration to the shopping cart. So it's, it's the customer journey. It's no different on Pinterest than it is anywhere else. [00:07:00] Like your basic marketing foundation. But what that really looks like is people. Start thinking about, Oh, I have this event or have this party or have this thing that I need to accomplish. So they start thinking about it. They start looking for inspiration and it might not even be. Anything that they are like landing on right now, because I think about you, like, if I have something, like if I want to decorate my house for Christmas and I want it to look a certain way, or I want it to look a little different this year, I don't have a set idea of what I want it to look like, but I look for inspiration first. So you collect a bunch of ideas, you save a bunch of ideas to Pinterest. You kind of start curating them into little boards or sub boards, to kind of really feel out what you want, your party or your event to look like. Then you start getting a little bit more specific on your searches. And then you're like, Oh, I've, I'm super inspired about this one thing. Or this one style, this one design, like maybe you decide on a style or a color or a theme or something. He started making little incremental decisions and you start your painting starts getting more and [00:08:00] more and more specific. And then the final end, you know exactly what you're looking for. And the ultimate trifecta would be finding exactly what you're envisioning. Which if it's close, doesn't always happen. but then you make a purchase of something and if it's a wedding you're going through inspiration and narrowing down your choices. And maybe that looks like I need to find a local photographer, or I need to find a, if I'm having like a nationally kind of destination wedding and I'm going to a different state or a different area of my country, I need to find somebody in that area that can provide whatever service so that I don't have to like. Pay the cost of having somebody fly from where I live to this new place. so no matter whether you're serving B to B or B to C, that journey is going to look the same. and the people you connect with and the way you network and, and kind of get in touch with people might look a little bit different than it does on other platforms. But you're always going to be thinking about planning earlier than you think you would need to start planning. There are people out there who aren't even [00:09:00] engaged yet. They're already planning their weddings. There's people out there who are, you know, thinking about having a baby, but not going to do it for the next like five years, no matter what angle you're kind of coming at, people are starting to plan early. And even earlier than sometimes they're willing to admit that they're planning for, Like, you're always, people are always kind of tapping in and curating things from different angles and are different topics, which is really, really cool. So if you can have your content geared towards really planning and planning early, you're going to win the long game a little bit faster because Pinterest is a long game. It's a marathon. It's not a sprint. You're going to need to approach it and tackle it the way you would tackle a marathon. So you want to set a personal pace. You want to set a pace that, you know, you can keep up with as things get busier, as you take on more clients as you, you know, sell more products and your attention gets divided because life throws some hurdle at you basically like approach Pinterest as if [00:10:00] it's this race where the train is always changing, where it's always evolving, where you're always. Prepared and knowing in the back of your mind that what I'm doing today might not look the exact same tomorrow, but I'm in this for the long game. I'm going to approach it with good high quality visual content. I'm going to put content that lives on my website. Hello, your blog, real blog feed. and that will be able to allow you to still do those foundational things, creating the high quality content, targeting it towards your audience. And then only pivoting little things that are going to change. Cause really Pinterest hasn't changed that much since it was first out in beta format, it's had a few aesthetic changes, but the foundation of how it operates has been the same, it's just little things that have changed. Like some features, some tracking features, Even some of the ways the algorithm pulls out certain things. So there's really no hacking it. If you're always thinking about it in terms of this long game potential, because the foundational [00:11:00] way that the platform operates is the same. Terrica:  I will speak for, the person that I was before I even, hopped on Pinterest and started to get the traffic that I did. And. I was able to generate the clarity and eventually subsequently the tracking and the clicks and everything. And everybody wants later, by delving into, the Pinterest for business course that Vanessa created prior to us working with. So guys, I will not take credit. Of that genius. That is not from me. but I have taken use of it fully. a lot of people from your, the angle that you just presented, which is that Pinterest is a long game and that you should start planning early for a lot of business owners. And I was even say for myself as a designer, and at that point I was think. Well, not exclusively doing brand design. No, I was still doing stationery too. [00:12:00] Right. So there was a piece of me that was able to tap into a little bit of those. That planning period you were talking about. Cause I'm targeting certain individuals with certain events in their lives and subsequent stationery that they will purchase, and get designed to, accompany that. But if you feel like you're in a niche or an industry where you can't foresee where the next event will be right. So if let's say for example, you're in retail, you can foresee black Fridays in November. Christmas is coming around. the holidays make such an impact in those fields, but if you're. Let's say, I don't know, trying to give context. I don't even want to say accountant because of taxes , and that's huge for most people, but if you are in a business skill, per se and [00:13:00] you offer some type of consistent offer marketing, maybe you do social media management. Maybe you do something that people need all of the time than, how do you plan for events? Because yes, we know that ideally business owners will plan for certain, additions. they will plan, they started maybe they got to a certain point, Oh man, I need to do, like beef up my branding and I need to like really tackle it into the brand strategy. And subsequently I need to do a refresh on my whole brand identity. So I want to like plan to pay for that. When I feel like I'm ready or, you know what my web design, my website needs like a total facelift. It doesn't even work for me anymore consistent, but then when people get into other industries, They feel like their customers can't see that. And then it makes it equally as hard to get on, or at least to apply a similar strategy [00:14:00] on Pinterest, because then they're like, well, where do I fit in? Like, what am I paying? What am I planning for? I, you know what I want to give up before I start? Cause that's just too confusing. Let me just create the content on Facebook and Instagram, which is consistently me talking about this thing I do. Supportive material. whatever is new in the industry, but you know what? Pinterest doesn't work for me. Cause like people, people don't read over there, they only want to look at stuff and my business isn't visual. Vanessa: Oh, I love those people because get this. Okay. So I've had a bajillion blogs over the years. I love experimentation and seeing what I'm interested in and what I'm interested in is about 10,000 things. but one of. The blogs has kind of evolved into where we are today. It was a different brand many years ago. but it basically started because I had an assignment in school that challenged us to build a website and to build a blog, which was a new thing, which makes me feel [00:15:00] really old saying that. But it was a new, a new technology we had to learn to use. keep in mind this wasn't that long ago, guys. Realistically, like this is come a long way in a really short period. 2014 digital technology was still new in university. Weird. Anyway. so we had to, we had to create this blog. We have to create this website and I like. You know, using things many, many different ways to save time. And I was working a corporate job at the time, plus going to school full-time. So I didn't have a lot of extra time to really blog and I wound up creating a blog that was all about marketing topics. And so I was like, okay, so what's the fastest way I can create content. I'm going to repurpose all of my school assignments for the last three years and make them into blog posts and make them, you know, put them in the right format and make them readable and not too crazy and too, too verbose , as it turns out it was very verbose and the only people that picked it up where academics, but the crazy part is of these [00:16:00] stupid wordy, big word, like university level blog posts was that they. They got traffic. I got traffic back to my website, like gangbusters. And it was from other people who were interested in the same topics and like big words, apparently because the comments were from other professors worldwide or from students worldwide or, and they appreciated the fact that I broke down these concepts. The crazy part was that I.have always had Pinterest as the number one driver of traffic to any of the blogs I've created even on really well, but a lot of people view wise boring. What I like to be excited about marketing topics or business topics, or like any of those like dry things. Yeah. Aren't visual really. they, I got all my traffic pretty much from Pinterest and a little bit from Facebook, a little bit from Instagram, but back then, I wasn't heavy on those platforms. I had gone all in on contrast because I was, I've been on Pinterest since it was in beta. [00:17:00] so that is to say, you can have a really steady flow of organic traffic. I didn't run ads. I didn't do any of that, from Pinterest to your blog and, and to get customers out of it. And so this is kind of how the evolution happened. So I had created this stupid school assignment blog. It picked up a lot of traffic from Pinterest. I wound up getting contracts, to do work for people in my local area based on like what they saw on my blog, which was kind of like my portfolio at the time. And that gave me a second stream of income that I reinvested back into my business while I worked the corporate job and finished my degree. Over time. My brand evolved, my focus evolved what I was interested in, evolved. The whole industry evolved. the economy hit, hit the tank a couple of times. I fear. So I had to find a way to make it all work and to make it still work. And no matter what topic I picked up on within this like business sphere of what angle I kind of went for and who I was [00:18:00] targeting. Pinterest is stayed my number one traffic driver and the really cool part is that yeah, there's, you know, it's, it's a little bit harder to get picked up and it's a little bit harder to go viral. Off of some of these, what most people would say are like boring topics that are, you know, more reading friendly than visual friendly, but it'll still help you get traffic. you're not going to go as big or as, as you know, crazy big and as much traffic as you as like a fashion person would, or a wedding person would, or if you're in any of those key industries, DIY bloggers. You've got a really good chance of blowing up around, you know, whatever that passion point is for you. but we still get a really steady stream of traffic straight from Pinterest, without ads. So we don't have to pay for that. And the amount of time that we actually spend on Pinterest pulling kind of those blog posts over and painting them and repeating them in and doing all those fun things is really minimal in the grand scheme of things. I actually spend less time creating content. [00:19:00] That goes on Pinterest than I do creating content that goes on Facebook or Instagram Terrica:  so we're going to switch this, method of this podcast guys. Cause most of the time you just hear both of us, but I just feel like I want to pick Vanessa brain cause, it's a massive one guys. so  when you started. With the blog that you had to do as a university assignment. And then eventually it transitioned into kind of, to be honest, what is now She's Got Vision, but it started there. What was your mentality or your strategy? Because. Like you said, you, as you were testing and tweaking and you're in Pinterest and beta, so it's not like you already knew like, well you do this and Pinterest, and then you get this. You're like, no, I'm figuring it out along the way. But eventually when you got to the point where you felt like you at least had a little grasp on Pinterest and its capabilities and how traffic flows in and out, because like you were referencing earlier, [00:20:00] You plan for certain events. Now you're talking about something, like you said, that it's really not visual. It's kind of dry. Nobody, like you said, nobody wants to talk about marketing. Nobody want to tell us about business. You start throwing in some data and some numbers and concepts and people's eyes glaze over and they're like, I'm out. I'm out. It's been real guys. I appreciate it. You tell me, I need to know this, but it's like watching paint dry and I'm good. how do you then work to strategize and plan the content that you create and also how it shows up on Pinterest? Because, and guys, I'm not like any kind of Pinterest aficinado  or anything like that gain some success has been great, but I started to learn how I cultivate. My boards and the kind of overarching, themes that they should have and trying to figure out, Oh, my audience like this, though, I will create more like this. And then I create ones. I think they [00:21:00] are like, and again, no traffic. And I'm like, I'm not doing that again, but in a topic. And I say this because. I'm a designer so I can put my work out there. So it's visual and it makes more sense. I can do things like type biography and color theory and pick it up inspiration and people are like, yes, yes, yes. But how do you do that when it's marketing and it's just a whole bunch of blog topics? Vanessa: Well, that's okay. So this is the fun part. My approach. I think I was still like, pretty much anything marketing or business strategy related. And especially since I've seen so many different changes and evolutions over the last 20 years that I've been working in business is I approach it from a perspective that's a little bit unique because to me it's one gigantic experiment. It's this never ending. Big experiment. And if you broke it down yet, it's probably a bunch of small ones, you know, little breaks and cause we do get moments of consistency and we do get moments of stability on any platform, [00:22:00] but something's always going to change because everything is always changing and it's just adopting that mindset that, you know, it changes. Okay. It's it's great. And yes, it might, if you're. Really leaning into hacks is definitely going to screw you up. But if you're not leading to hacks and you're going for the foundational things of why something works. You're going to have no problems. You're not going to hit any bumps in the road. So along all the little ways when people were complaining about my impressions dropped, or my saves dropped, or my traffic dropped mine, stayed the same and grew, or, you know, there's a little fluctuation, but a little fluctuation on any online platform is a hundred percent normal. But the one thing that I've always paid attention to is how are people interacting and reacting to what I'm doing and is what I'm doing actually going to get me somewhere. So we all come from a place of, like, I think these are the search terms that people are looking for, because those are the search terms that I would use to look for [00:23:00] something. If I was looking for this, but you're not your customer, I'm not my customer. I'm definitely not my ideal customer. I don't, I don't think anybody could really learn from me if they know the exact same thing that I know today. So it's going to be somebody that's, you know, different than me, a little less experienced, that sort of thing. So what terms are those people actually using? And that's where most people, like, I don't know, panic run the other direction, but like I'm over this. Okay. So this is where the internet is. Your friend and research is your definite friend research is my BFF. No offense to my husband or to any of my friends, but research is my non-human friend. because you need to be able to go out and start thinking more like your potential customer. And if you don't know who that person is, this is going to be a gigantic experiment. Where are you going to be? Like, I think these are the words that are working, that the people are using because when I type them into Google, Similar stuff pops up. So you start [00:24:00] with one set of words, you throw them into the key places. Like you throw them into your, description of your pain. You put them on the page and you put them in the, the actual, like SEO, keyword tags. You put them into your blog posts and you hope that this is going to help you kind of drive traffic and you pay attention and you watch. So basically you find those first best keywords. That's your testing phase. You watch it, that's your assessing phase, seeing how it dies. And then once you have looked at it for three months to a year, anywhere over there. And I say a year, which sounds crazy to a lot of people, but over the course of a year, so many things can happen. and a key example of this is some of those first blog posts that I published back in 2014 are still driving traffic to our website today. So those it's funny because I can pay attention to those. There's a couple of really specific blog posts that have taken off, but they only peak at [00:25:00] certain times a year. And those times are typically kind of when people are like having those reassessment midlife crisis moments where they're like, ah, I don't know. I need to figure out what, what my, you know, results would be. I need to figure out this one thing and then they'll, you know, do the search. So those searches peak, but they peak four times. Over the course of a year, which is consistent with quarters just different days. So you want to be paying attention over a short span, but because Pinterest is long game, you want to be paying attention over the course of a year. And to do that, you can use some really simple, free tools. I'm all about free tools where we can get them. Google analytics installed on your website. Hm, at least have it, populating the data, even if you have no clue how to read it, just get it populated in the data. Because what starts to happen is once you have Google analytics installed, Pinterest will communicate with Google on your blog and it'll send data and Google be able to say, and at least pull a report for somebody when you're ready to understand it. Or you have somebody else [00:26:00] on your team who can understand it. And it'll show you the breakdown of how many people came to your website. Because of Pinterest or because of Facebook or Instagram or your thing being on somebody else's website. so that's one really good free tool that you can pay attention to the tools within Pinterest. Business profile where it gives you some metrics that's really key to be paying attention to as well. If you use a paid tool like tailwind, that'll spit out a different set of reports, with a little bit different data on how you, any of the pins that you paid through tailwind are actually performing. later does the same thing. Any of the pins you pin through later, they'll be able to populate a report on the performance of those pins as well. so any of these tracking tools are really, really important to pay attention to because they can spit out. Fund reports that will let you know, Hey, like this month, I don't know. Somebody searched for 25 potato recipes on my, on my website. And it blew up because I don't know we're heading into fall and [00:27:00] people are really into potatoes. by other times of year, maybe it was a lemonade recipe that took off for me. It was a cocktail recipe that took off for me. It was that really cool birthday cake you did for your kid's fifth birthday, pay attention to those things, because those are. We're going to pop up again and again, if people found value from that blog post enough to actually go back to Pinterest and save the pin again, right. If people are not finding value or they're not vibing, or they're not getting immediately, what they thought they would get from your pain. People aren't going to save it and they're not going to on your website very long. So you can have a high bounce rate or when people actually leave your website after they've visited from somewhere like stressed. So pay attention to those numbers as well, because that'll start giving you little clues and all these little clues, they fill them as like little breadcrumbs on this cute little adventure we're on. And you want to be picking up those breadcrumbs. All the time, even if you're not quite certain on what to do with them, but if you [00:28:00] watch them long enough, you'll start seeing patterns in the data. And once you start seeing the patterns, you can see them. So sorry, but they're really helpful. Terrica: So what if someone's listening and thinking? Okay. Pinterest sounds. Good, I guess. it seems like there is a lot of opportunity for traffic and it's something that I should do in my business. Just like I should blog or I should create some video content, you know, something to add to my never ending to-do list. but then like I know, and you've reiterated, Pinterest is a long game. So how does someone integrate that in to their strategy when they're like, I need some quick wins along the way, like Pinterest can bolster up my long turn game, but you know, to be honest, I need a cash injection and maybe I can't afford Facebook ads. do I go and try to. Take a shot at Pinterest ads [00:29:00] because maybe no, maybe I think that nobody's really over there as much as people are on Facebook, but at the same time you haven't been on Pinterest, then there's no substance to the ads that you're running. and then you have all the other do paid traffic options or organic traffic options. Cause everybody's saying, just invest yourself. Into Tik TOK or Instagram or whatever the new thing is because people will pick you quick. You put up a post today, it could go viral in three hours and you could be booked out. That doesn't really happen guys, but I mean to some people, but it's probably seven people in there. There's always a percent of most people. Vanessa: The average, Joe. Hi, we're talking to you. I like to keep it. We like to keep it real over here. We talk to average people because average people are fine. that's a great question. So Pinterest is really good. It is really good for the long game. It's beneficial. If you're playing the long game. [00:30:00] When you are needing a cash injection or something like that, you're not going to get super quick money from Pinterest. I'm going to put that out there, even if you have an e-commerce shop. So I've worked with a lot of e-commerce people on Pinterest and we didn't get tons of quick instant cash. a, they had problems with their marketing message. They had problems with their product. They didn't really know their audience. There was other things that. Made it really hard for them to get quick money, but it also started to encourage people to really focus on, being able to grow those foundational elements with Pinterest from the free side, as much as possible. And then when you're ready, you can tap into the paid side, because we all need to keep the cost of everything low. We're all strapped for time. We all need an easy way to do this. But it paint a picture of how I've approached using Pinterest for myself, for clients. And it it's a system that works. but it is designed for the long game because I want to make [00:31:00] a good long-term impression. I want to be able to keep my audience comfortable, instead of like tapping them out stupid, super quickly with really cheesy bro market crap. So what I noticed and what I they've paid attention with on Pinterest is really great for lead generation. It's really great for sales of physical products. If you're in an industry that you are able to trend quickly. So if you're in fashion or if you're in, you know, the DIY space, or if you're in a wedding space or those things, you can get, sales pretty quickly, but you still have to be able to stand out. You still have to have your SEO game on point. You still have to have your marketing message on point. There's still foundational things that you need to do. So I can't stress enough. And why I come back to this kind of foundational piece is because if you don't have that in order, if your house isn't in order, then it's not going to, it's not going to go up. so if you are on Pinterest and you're going to pay and you're going to pay for every single phase of your sales funnel, if you don't have a sales funnel, [00:32:00] yet you need one. And you don't need to be bagillion of them. You just need one really good quality funnel that can help bring people in to whatever business that you have. So to walk you through how this would work. So if you are in an online business, you should be creating content and it should live on your website. I did that 10,000 times. So that's going to live on your blog. And you're going to be wanting to create content consistently and saving it to your blog. It can be written, it can be video, it can be photos, it can be beautiful illustrated graphics, but you're going to want to create content that lives in that blog roll. And here's why, because you can actually set it up, within that you start with one Pinterest pin. So you. Create your awesome blog piece. So in my case, I write, I create a written blog post. I have my cute pin image in there that is signed to grab my audience's attention and stand out and just be unique on Pinterest. I have [00:33:00] a call to action to get them to sign up for email lists. Or if, if when in that blog, it makes more sense. They're going to actually sign up and the call to action is gonna be around yeah. Product and to purchase it. And then. I have it set up where, when I save and publish that blog, post, that pain image automatically pins over to Pinterest to a specific board. So it's one step I put all my time into creating a really good jam packed kick ass blog post, and it pins to Pinterest for me. So then I can keep going with my Merry day. I don't have to fiddle around with other tools or other things. I get that over to Pinterest immediately, which also wins favor with the pinch dog rhythm because Pinterest likes fresh content. And if you're creating content consistently, you're then pinning to content pinning your content to Pinterest consistently as well, which is awesome because in one step [00:34:00] it's one and done. from there, you're going to want to be able to make sure that whatever that call to action was whatever way you have people to get people onto say your email list, that you've got a sequence set up on your email list. That sequence is going to do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. So again, you sit down and you create this awesome. Email sequence doesn't have to be a time of emails. It just has to be able to take people from point a point B, whatever that is for your business, whatever that is your customer's journey. And between going from point a to point B, you're going to have some good quality. Maybe educational content, maybe it's entertainment content, a way to get people to really get to know you and know like, and trust you. You would take them on this little journey and you're going to basically date them and develop this sort of relationship with them. And they do that a few times and then you're gonna pitch them a product. that's relevant to how they started that journey. So for us we'll I use this for a really good like tactical example. [00:35:00] our most popular freebie opt-in is a Pinterest audit checklist. Okay. So from there people go in and they go through an email sequence, all about Pinterest, Pinterest tips and topics, things that can help them use that audit checklist and make a difference and actually get something transformational out of the experience. After they kind of get that whole transformational journey done, then we present them with the opportunity to buy the pinning for business courses is just the next logical step. So you do your audit, you see where you're at, then you actually need to learn and go away and make these changes that you can use Pinterest more effectively for your business. So from there they decide to purchase. So even though I'm pinning. The blog post that has a call to action to the Pinterest audit checklist on Pinterest. And that's where I'm focusing most of my energy with the Pinterest content. I'm still able to get a sale out of it in the long run. So with that, I guess, [00:36:00] realistically speaking, I can see other people pop into that same format and. Without having a product like, so I was like, you know what? I hear you all that sounds really good. I can kind of keep these people and nurture them, you know, on and off the platform. I don't have a product. Like I don't, I don't sell anything. I mean, I sell my services, but Adam, so that you can do this. I think for services though, this is where it's really cool. It doesn't matter what you're selling. I don't care if it's a product service and imaginary friends emotional support Canadian. Whatever you're selling, you can do the exact same thing. That foundation is pretty darn similar. you have to have a way to create content, to be able to show the world that you are an expert in your zone of genius. And if you're not feeling like an expert, that's okay. We all have those moments. Just know that whatever topic is picked, that you're most passionate about and that you're willing to keep learning about and that you're willing to help others through [00:37:00] that is a topic that. Fits in your zone of genius. And that is an amazing thing, own it. Okay. Moving on. so no matter what topic you're on or what you're providing or what way you're providing things to people, you can build it out in a flow like this. It's called a sales funnel, produce quality content that lets people know that you're an expert and that actually moves the needle for them in some way, the amount of content on our website. That actually helps people do something from a to Z. I was literally the whole alphabet on there. You can go through a whole bunch of different topics and actually move the needle in a bunch of different ways. All through our free content, all that free content has some sort of a call to action, whether it's to a service or whether it's to get on my email list or whether it's to buy a product. There's always a way of having a call to action. That's reflective of what you're doing in business today, and you can update it. That's the joy of it. So if [00:38:00] today you're selling services and then you come to the point where you're like, man, my services are so booked out, but I want to create a product. I want to create an ebook. Now you can rotate the call to action out. You can either keep it as services or if it's relevant to the blog post and where people are at, you can swap it over and have the call to action. Be to buy your ebook, to go through on their own. Terrica: I mean, this is the same advice. I, I gave a friend recently who's in the real estate industry. And if you know anything about the real estate industry is really difficult to promote yourself. And certain digital arenas. There are a ton of

Episode #11 Minisode - Top 4 Launch Mistakes + Tips [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrick astrologer, that's me a brand designer and sugar addict and Vanessa shepherd launch strategies and kind of to create her with the love of all things Disney each week. You're here, our behind the scenes conversation and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer or product while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the boot. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode 11 of the marketing in cocktails podcast. Today is a mini episode and another solo episode for Vanessa where she will cover the top four mistakes that we see often when people are launching their product or their offer, while also giving some actionable tips to elevate your next launch. So without further adieu, Vanessa take it away. Vanessa: let's dive in to some tips for making your next launch rack. [00:01:00] So the top four mistakes we see people make with their launches are failing to plan their launch, neglecting to do a pre-launch phase, cramming too much into their launch phase and skipping over a post launch breakdown. Failing to plan. Your launch can lead to a whole host of issues from emails, not delivering properly tech going haywire and your audience not being primed to convert. If you have an audience at all before you launch and neglecting to do a pre-launch phase means that you're leaving money on the table. Think about how annoying it is when someone pops in your inbox with like, Hey, buy my stuff. And you've never heard of the product before. Heck, you don't even remember if you've heard of this person before. That's what it's like when you don't prime your audience to buy in the pre-launch phase. You want your audience to see you as an authority in your zone of genius, become educated about your product and have them vibing with the pain points so that they see that your product will solve their specific problem. That way, when you [00:02:00] head into your launch phase, your audience is already excited and prime to buy. You just need to open the door and let them in. I'm cramming too much into your launch phase causes a lot of confusion. If you're doing a webinar stick to a webinar, don't add in a challenge or an email mini course or a live video series or a whole house of brand new lead magnets. You want to keep your launch activities focused on the main way that you want to convert people so that you can keep your audience really honed in on what you're saying and offering to them. If you have too much going on, people will get easily distracted and overwhelmed and they won't show up anywhere, which is a surefire way to lead to the really bad, poor performing launch. You want to avoid that as much as humanly possible and then skipping over a post-launch breakdown means that you miss learning from the launch that you just did. And see in that launch, you collected buckets of data and every launch has [00:03:00] buckets of data from the way people interact with your brand, the things they said, the data from Google analytics, your Facebook pixel, and your Pinterest tag, all of those little data points. Really come together to give you buckets of data and failing to stop and examine all that data and compare it to pass lunches or just your everyday normal performance means that you have no way to really learn from what went right. And what went wrong. And if you're not learning from your launches, then you're destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Uh, no, nobody wants that. So if you plan out your simple launch, Break all the tasks down into a project management timeline with goals, attract, inspire, and convert your audience, and then stopped to examine how that launch performed. You're setting yourself up for growth and profits and in the end, that's what everybody wants. Terrica: Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show [00:04:00] notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us at she's got vision on all platforms until the next time y'all were wishing you much success. And remember, there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #010 International Gin & Tonic Day [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts, Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator and  lover of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversation and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer or product while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to a special episode of the marketing and cocktails podcast, because we are celebrating international gin and tonic day. So I am going to bring two recipes to you all today, which are a spin on the traditional gin and tonic, which is just a combination of ice, gin, tonic water and lime. So super simple drink. [00:01:00] these are some twist that I found that I have really, I really enjoy lately. So I'm sharing them with you. So the first it's going to be, be a take on the gin, Ricky, which is really, really similar to the gin and tonic. It's just a combination of Jan Aline and club soda. So. I stumbled upon this recipe a while ago, and I've kind of been making it a little bit nonstop even as we transition seasons because guys I'm in Georgia and the season just don't really change that heavily. We are in and the myths of what they call false fall. So it is a whopping I think today, 75 degrees. So. This take on the gin. Ricky is going to include a frozen linemate concentrate. [00:02:00] The ones that you get in your normal grocery store that come in a little, the little tin, I think that's what they're called, like little, tin. They almost remind me of the same container that you get, canned biscuits in, but you all know what I'm talking about. So. It is that your gen of choice. And the last couple of times I've been using the London dry gin and that works really nicely. And then this recipe calls for clips soda. Now I normally don't have club soda on hand, but recently my husband has really been into seltzer waters, which they're all pretty similar tonic water, adds in the. Quinine or Quinine guys don't. Get me started on pronunciations, but that has that addition and title water. then you have clubs, soda, and seltzer water, and they're all different versions of carbonated water with their own additions. So [00:03:00] I feel like they're pretty interchangeable. So I have you sell salt water. I've used plain seltzer water. Or, we have gotten a little fancy and we have had a cucumber melon, seltzer water, or lemon line, seltzer water. All of them are really great additions. so this one just includes one and a half ounces of gin. Two tablespoons of the frozen Limeade and then four ounces of club, soda, or seltzer water, or even tonic water. whatever you decide to use, you are just going to combine the gin and the frozen line made in a, the recipe. Cause it put it in the shaker. I'm going to be honest guys. I was a little bit lazy and I didn't even want to do that. So I had to do two tablespoons of lie made into, a tall glass. Then I. added in ice. And then I added in my Jane stirred that together and then just poured the seltzer [00:04:00] right on top and start that one more time. And it turned out really delicious and refreshing. But if you want to go. just by the book you're going to combine the gin in the frozen lemonade is shaker. We're going to shake that up, pour it over ice and a tall glass. And then top with, again, like I said, soda club, soda, tonic, water, or seltzer water. And then if you want to be really fancy garnish with a little twist of line. so that is the first recipe. And then the second one is I've had gin and tonics. And they were okay, but I felt like I wanted just the little different flavor profile, but similar. So what I decided to do is add in grapefruit juice. So the normal kind of ratio for gin and tonics, depending on your level, level of preference, if you really, really love [00:05:00] alcohol and you wanted a little on the heavy side, That send me some days, or if you want to go a little bit lighter, you can just do one Oh one. well, one Oh one is probably going to give you right in the middle of road, or you could do one to three. So one part Jan to three parts tonic. or some people do a two to four guys. You just have to kind of play around with it and see which measurement kind of gives you the preface that you like, the palatable kind of tastes that you can kind of handle and the alcohol level that you, so what I did was added, I did about a week, one to one ratio of everything. So one part grapefruit juice to one part, gin. Okay. And then we tried a grapefruit mango seltzer water, and that one was really tasty. And I did that on top and then just, added, I just use actually a low ball glass cause that's, what I just kind of grabbed. So I put ice in that, out at the grill fruit, the [00:06:00] gin, and then a seltzer water. Gave it a little quick stir and guys again, a really easy refreshing take on a normal gin and tonic. So. I want you to try these guys, celebrate today as international diatonic day. if you do try these recipes, please let me know, and I will have the recipe below for everyone to try. So again, guys, thanks for coming and joining me today on today's episode. And I was really glad to share. Two favorite two of my favorite, gin recipes. Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us. Yeah, she's got vision on all platforms until next time. Y'all we're wishing you much success. I remember [00:07:00] there's always time for cocktails.

#009 Cocktail Hour - Sangria [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa shepherd and launch strategist and content creator. With the love of all things business each week, you're here, our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. Today's episode. It's another one of our monthly cocktail episodes. This is where we just. Are able to showcase another side of us and really show you the cocktails that we love and their, Fixture in our lives. So this cocktail. Came to me by way of a local restaurant here in Atlanta. There, unfortunately just closed. [00:01:00] Well, not just closed, but it closing. This past December of 2019, and it was called legal seafoods and it was located downtown right off lucky street. And we went there for one father's day because my dad was an avid fishermen and he loved his seafood. And I was like, this is a perfect place to go. As soon as we got there, I'm always looking at the cocktail list, I know most people immediately go for the food and I'm a foodie, but I love to see the cocktails that each restaurant or bar comes up with because there are some. Beautiful and crazy inventions and twists on classics. So I had never really had sangria before then, but I saw the description and it looked interesting. So I was like, you know what, let me just get one of those house ingredients and see what this is all about. Guys. It was amazing. So, so, so good. It was the perfect balance of sweet with a little bit of tart. And then [00:02:00] there's this underlying taste of almost carbonation, but not quite like a full on soda. So while my palette was completely teased and so happy my mind was whirling. Like what's in this, Because there's no detailed description. minus like our house. I think they described it as maybe their house, summer sangria. Some people, we'll have some summer sangria. Some people do a white sangria or red sangria. I believe maybe it was, A red and a white sangria. Those were the options. And I got the red. So after. our visit was done. As soon as I got home, I started scouring the web and Googling like  crazy, trying to find. A recipe basis. Cause I'm like, I know that if I enjoy this sangria, as much as I did, then someone else has been illegal seafood and has enjoyed it as well. And. The one in Atlanta, wasn't their only [00:03:00] location. So I just made a general assumption that maybe they serve this as all of their restaurants. So finally, after. What felt like hours of scouring? I found a recipe and it looked pretty legit based on what I remember tasting. So I said, you know what? I'm just gonna buy all these  components and we're just going to try it at home. And while I love cocktails, guys, my husband is the resident mixologist. So I said, Hey. Whatever you think we should get. If we can't find this, can we sub it with this? So we were just in liquor store is trying to make it work. So we came home and that was our first batch and we tasted it. We were like, This is it maybe with little tweaks, but this is, this is really it. So. It just felt so good. and then the next time we made it, we made it for friends. Cause we are always entertaining and [00:04:00] our friends know if they come over our house, they're gonna eat good and they're going to drink. Good. And people raved and love the sangria. So along the way we've made our own little personal tweaks. to the recipe and I will insert recommendations as well so that you can put your own spin on it too. But the basis of this is just so perfect. it is an amazing summer drink. just kind of relaxing outside, but it can definitely be a fall drink as well. Just look at how you decide to make some additional, changes to it. So we end up. taking this recipe and making enormous batches of it. And it was a signature cocktail at our wedding. And I'm telling you guys, it made quite the impact. Not only with taste. But impact people had an amazing time because of the sangria. So, that just giving you a little bit of backstory. So I'm gonna go ahead and just hop into some of the components of the sangria. [00:05:00] So your basis is going to be, a dryier red wine, like a Shiraz or something similar. I have done a red wine blend before. . So see what your local. Liquor store grocery store has to offer your favorite one Mart, whatever. Maybe you already have a personal favor. Doesn't have to be anything expensive. Guys do not spend a ton of money on the basis cause you're going to be adding so much other. Spirits to this that there's just no reason to go spend 40,  $50 on a bottle of wine. So. again, at the basis, it's going to be this bottle of red wine, then you're gonna add. In the original recommendation was a  Bacardi Limon, but what you can do is you can do any citrus space rum. So we're talking about Bacardi or Cruzan or any of those brands that do a lot of the amazing, infusions and flavors. So you can go for lemon or a [00:06:00] lime or something. Along those, flavor profiles, then you're going to add. In. A raspberry vodka and a strawberry vodka. Again, we have played around a bit with. Our choices of this vodka, but along that berry family, it's gonna be amazing. So any kind of combination of those two, you're going to add those then the original recipe calls for a peach Brandy or liqueur. So we just go, in our local liquor store, they always have a peach liqueur called Peachstreet. And so we'll grab a bottle of that and then add that in. You're going to also add in a sour mix now. This recipe is going to include a homemade sour mix. Don't be intimidated. Guys is super simple. It's just water, sugar and citrus. So you're going to do equal parts [00:07:00] of sugar and water. So just basically almost like a simple syrup, then you're going to boil cool that, and then add in some freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice. And then now you have an easy homemade sour mix. So outside of the sangria recipe, it's amazing to add to your margaritas. Or any other places you need a sour mix so much better than a bottle version that you get from the store. So after that, you're also going to add in. Two cups of Sprite. We've done Sierra mist . Anything that's along that similar flavor profile and then the last option  calls for Cointreau, which is an orange base liqueur so. an easy alternative. It's just a bottle of triple sec. And that's the addition that we have made as it's a lot cheaper than a bottle of Cointreau that is the basis of this sangria. You literally just add it [00:08:00] all into a big pitcher. you can double, triple, quadruple it. We made enough for a hundred people. Two times over. So believe me, the recipe is easily expandable. then you're gonna take. Some lemons, limes, oranges, slice those up, throw those into your pitcher to help just infuse that citrus flavor. You can add in some other fruit, if you would like especially if you're going into the fall, maybe adding in some apples or cherries or things of that nature. So guys that is the basis of my sangria recipe. I would love if you would try it out. If you do, and you make a batch, please take a photo. Post it on social media tag us at she's got vision on all platforms and let me know what you think. So until next time guys, remember there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #008 It’s Not About You It’s About the Customer [00:00:00] Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts, Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator with a love of all things Disney. Each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversation and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer or product while doing it all ethically and organically. And giving that bro marketer advice, the boot. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode eight of the podcast. And today we're tackling a really important topic, which is customers, and that it's not all about you. And it is about the customer. The customers are at the heart of your business. So if you want our advice on how you craft offers and keep the customer at the forefront of your mind, even though they're not always right, stay tuned to this episode. In business, it is not all about what you want, [00:01:00] but you need to create your offers and your items that you sell or services that you provide with your customer in mind. So, while I don't love the ideal customer avatar, there does need to be, I'm going to, I'm going to keep saying this guys, whatever, here we go. Terrica: You do need to have an end goal for your customer, whoever that customer is, having some specificity on that customer will allow you to craft offers and, products that fit the needs of that client. But along the way, one thing that I focus on a lot is the customer journey. When people work with me or purchase something from me, I want that process to be seamless. I want it to be easy. I don't want them to feel that they have to click on that about 10 gazillion links [00:02:00] or get inudated with like popup ads all the time. Cause that'll make people run like so fast. I want the people during the process to feel like, Oh my gosh, this was so easy to buy her product. I love it. I love the support that I got. I love the process of it all. So having that in mind, when you're crafting these things is like paramount. I know that we create businesses based off of what we're good at or what we want to put into the universe, but it's not all about you. It's not, it's not, it's not. And if you focus on yourself, Then even if you do make money, cause I'm pretty sure there's people out there there's always an exception to a rule. You will get to a point where you plateau, you will get to a point where you can't go any further or you will get to a point where people really start to see you for you are not saying that's a bad thing, but in business it could be on the end that. [00:03:00] Someone says, Oh, I mean, their products are nice, but the customer service socks, or they don't care about me. And I sent an email, never, no one never answers. Like, do they not value my money? Do they not value my time. Well, if they don't value me, then I'm going to go to their competitor. maybe across the physical street or across the proverbial virtual street and I'm going to purchase from them because they obviously don't value me. Vanessa: That happens so often in business. And there's even like a whole, whole segment of industry research around being able to craft those awesome customer experiences. Like, I don't know what it was maybe four or five years ago. Now I went to an entire conference that was just around customer experience, customer journey and customer service. And we spent 48 hours talking. Nothing else. And let me tell you the ideas that were coming in were wicked. And I went, you know, went back to my corporate job cause I was one of two people that got sent or no, there's three of us on that [00:04:00] trip. But two people from the area I worked in and we went back and I was like, let's implement, you know, some of what we learned, not all the things, cause not all of them made sense, but, and the other person was like, No, we're good. It was a fine conference. It was got me in the office. I was like, Whoa, we can be doing so many. I think better if we actually were approaching the way we do business with that end customer in mind, even, even though like at the time, our end customer was just people in a different department. I said, if we think about those people as our customers a little bit more than our coworkers, then we can actually come out with. A process and assistance and collaboration that works and, and strengthens that relationship instead of us always butting heads with them or them always butting heads with us. And I actually got to spearhead that whole, kind of like kickoff of the project to be able to frame out what [00:05:00] would work and what didn't work. And we had so many different conversations about it that it actually reformulated the entire way our department was structured and the way we brought people in. And that shift allowed there to be a lot less contention between what our department did and what the other department date. And now the collaboration is even stronger than where it was when I, when I worked there a few years ago Terrica: And see, I love that. If you all don't know, then people are my jam, but then we get into customer experience. And it's really, my jam is it's combining my love for people and my love for making people happy and satisfying a need. But that's here nor there, regardless of that, what I really love about that is it shows you that it doesn't always have to be a. Business to customer type relationship, relationship for you to really have that, that end goal in mind [00:06:00] that it can be, I think, at the baser level it's relationship building. Cause that's what it is. And even super, super foundational book below that, to me, it's. Having that empathy in mind and putting yourselves in the shoes of your customer on a consistent basis. It's not only a one time deal. Guys. You don't start your business or, or craft an offer or craft a product and say, Oh, this is going to be an, you know, the customer journey of the customer is gonna start here, here, and I'll walk into our store. They will be greeted. Then they will be able to browse for X amount. And then they get here and they buy, they sell, we follow up and it's done. That's great that you have that laid out and you should have it, However, this is an ongoing process. Your customers will change as your offer shape as your product changes as the market changes because the world is always changing and being in tune with your customer being open, [00:07:00] being receptive, the feedback and not immediately taking it as a hit to you. I know guys. to quote Erkyah Badu, I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my shit. I am. So when you tell me you don't like it? Yes. There's initial like pierced to the heart, like, Oh, I spent so much time and it's amazing, but I have to step outside of myself and then see, okay. What was it about it that you did not like, how can I make it better? And that openness to changing and crafting and pivoting yourself in a way that really serves those people will have you with, you know, what we call super fans. I mean, look at Apple guys, and I'm an Apple super fan. I, you know, iphones, they annoy me and they're like sometimes glitchy, but I keep buying one. I will keep buying one and I will buy another Macbook. And, and right now I'm sitting on my [00:08:00] desk. I have a Macbook an iphone and a iPad. Air pods, Apple pencil. It's a bad, however, I am so going to cause cause when I go into an Apple store, I'm immediately greeted. I mean the atmosphere's is light and it's bright and you see all these new tech goodies that just get you like the little kid, that little gift that goes the little girl that gets skipped so excited. Like I just want to go play with them. I want to touch it. And even though people tell me the price point is like, Oh, ma'am,you like that that's $1,400. I'm like, shit. But then I'm like, Oh, it's Apple. I'll buy it. I don't know what I gotta do to pay for it, but I'm gonna buy it. You want people to have that feeling and that experience when they engage with you and your business. Vanessa: Absolutely. Like, there's so many different reasons. Like if you, if I actually think about all the different reasons that I've [00:09:00] boycotted a brand or that I've like gone in and gone out of my way to drive clear across the city to shop at a store when I probably could have found something similar, you know, probably in my neck of the woods. I don't know there stores I don't shop at here because the services sucks. And there's stories that I'll go out of my way to shop at because services is awesome. but it's about that experience from the way it looks the way it feels all the way down to how your people interact with, with the customer when you're in the store, all of that matters and listening. Oh my gosh. So if you ha, if you do, if you're doing everything right, if you're checking all the boxes all the way down, but you're not actually listening to the customer in the end, The again, you're going to get, like I said, I'm just going to go somewhere else because people want to feel like you're actually hearing what they have to say. and internalizing it and, and making what you do even better. It's a kind of a continual, its a continual cycle that is never going to end for as long as you're in business Terrica:  And that is so [00:10:00] true. we've seen it. So many times I've seen it in, in really small businesses where, where people give a service and people at their core, they love it. They're like we really don't want to go anywhere else. We want to stay here. We want to continue learning from you, buying from you. But your customer service has to be better. Like, I want to feel like I'm heard, do you hear me? And then the owner, someone says like, yeah, I hear you. But in their head, they've immediately turned off already because they want it done their way. And then I look at apps and I've worked in those businesses and I'm like, Hey, I need you to listen. Because if you don't, you're gonna stop right here. You won't get any further than where you are right now, because no matter how amazing it is, people don't feel valued. And if people don't feel valued, they leave. and I can't [00:11:00] quote verbatim. So guys, this is going to be like, you know, just a roundabout synopsis, but Maya Angelou has a quote that says. People will forget what you have said to them, what you have done to them, but they will never forget the way that you make them feel. Yeah. So people may not even remember. I don't even remember why I was angry with you, but whatever you, you said something and it hurt me to my core and I'm not forgetting that. Okay. I mean, you can't, but I've seen businesses where. When they are open and receptive to feedback, even when they make mistakes, their customers are like, you know what? I'll still shop with. You I'll wait for you to get your shit together because at the end of it, you care about me. You're trying to serve me in the best capacity that you can understand you're going through growing pains. We all do, but they will work with you. They will be. [00:12:00] Lenient to everything. And people will take a lot more than you think when they know that at your core you are doing it for them. It's a reciprocate reciprocate. That's not a word reciprocal. There you go. It's one of those words, guys, I'm counting issues sometimes was, but anyway, it's almost at the point of symbiotic relationship. We're not fungi, but you know how it goes is that. I give something, you get something because we do that. We just stay like in line together. Like we're locked. I'm not going anywhere. You understand me? I understand you. We have this. It's like, you know, the best friend relationship that you have for, you know, like 25 years, Vanessa: And if you get somebody in that kind of a relationship. Guess what? They're going to bring 20 of their friends. Terrica: Yes. Yes. Vanessa: And that's most people go, okay, that's great. If I had this like one on one relationship, but what's, where's the benefit to that word of mouth marketing, somebody going out and telling somebody else, a friend or [00:13:00] coworker, the guy at the supermarket, you have no idea how many people you'll wind up telling something about if it's awesome. Terrica: Like I do it all the time. Yeah. So do I like over stupid things? Like the stupidest things you don't even think you'd ever talk about? I carry a colored handbag pretty much like all the months of the year, except in the middle of winter, because I need to have a big purse and maybe for Slack, besides the point everywhere I go, somebody comments on my handbags and we wind up talking. About these stupid, colorful handbags, which is not a conversation that I ever thought I'd have with anybody outside my friend circle, but then the ones I bought and pretty much the only ones I buy are the ones where I have good customer experiences in the store. So if I have those good experiences, I'm going to share that with somebody else. Vanessa: I'm also going to tell them, Hey, here's a fun tip. You can get a sale on that. Cause that's how I roll. And that person is then going to go and check it out and probably buy something. Terrica:  Yeah. I mean, I tell people all the time, word of mouth, word [00:14:00] of mouth marketing is not dead. It is thriving. It is, it is as its peak, actually more so than ever, because we can talk to people so much easier than we ever have. Can send a text and in like two seconds until someone you can blast it on Facebook, on Twitter and it can go viral and everybody knows. but I'm the same way. Guys, if you haven't seen, I have. Teal turquoise ish hair. I get stopped on a daily basis that people are, I like your hair color, who did it? Where'd you get it? And now we'll have a 10 minute conversation with somebody.  Well, I didn't go to anybody. I did it myself. I had these blinders, don't do this, use this. I love this product that works amazing, whatever, whatever, to a point where I have friends of friends that have messaged me and say, Hey. I really love your hair or your hair is thriving, or I have colored hair and it's not working. What do you use? You're going to look a little similar to mine and I'm thinking like, I'm not a stylist. Vanessa:  [00:15:00] I'm not even a beauty blogger. You're like, I don't create content on this stuff. I might, I have the odd picture of my hair, but that's about as far as it goes. Terrica: Right, but I have, done my own, I guess this point market research, I've tried so many products that have failed because guys, if you're on YouTube, that's what most of these beauty bloggers start is. Like, let me tell you all the things that didn't work. Hmm. And then this one thing that does work and then people are like, I used to have those things that you used to work for me. So you're saying this is amazing. I'm going to go buy it. What? You don't even know this person and they're marketing your stuff because they tried all the competitors. They didn't work, but you know what your stuff works and then they will tell you, because we love these now the unboxing videos, . As a designer guys print is my jam. So I see some good packaging and I'm like, Ooh, I get so excited. And you want to tell people. You want to tell somebody guys? [00:16:00] I like, all I did was order the scarf, but it came in as a really funky, unique packaging. And I love it. I think I'm going to keep the packaging. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I don't want to throw it away. I'll go back to them. I don't throw away like Apple boxes its bad cause they just feel so nice. Like that soft matte finish. And I just keep it. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but it just feels good. Like such a waste collection of Apple boxes in my basement. I see what investing most people say, your online business, you do not need to invest. And printed materials or things like that. But in this day of digital and getting things so quickly, people value things. I kind of, I laugh now where we're laughing is be dealt with this is that I feel like I've turned into my grandmother. My, I don't know if your grandmother is my grandmother used to keep bags like in her closet. [00:17:00] Plastic bags, paper bags and everything. And I would say, Nana, why are you doing? She's like, it's a good bag. You never know when you may need this. And I'm like Vanessa: reusable bags. Well, flexible bins. Like there's no categories of technology around bags that she didn't know what's going to happen  and I'm doing the exact same thing. And I'm not yet 40, like this. I know my grandma pretty much raised me. I know there's a few things you're going to pick up, but I'm like, I learned a lot about product packaging before I ever knew anything about actual marketing. And now it's all like coming back to you and it's like, aha moment. That's awesome. Terrica: My grandmother was really instrumental in raising me too. So I guess I'm like you, osmosis as it kind of suck it to us and it activated when I'm in my mid thirties, these guys, I guess we get to our mid thirties to forties and it activates, and now we become our grandmothers. Vanessa: I've been doing this stuff since like I left home at 17. I can't even [00:18:00] say it's a mid-forty thing. Like if there's, if there's good packaging experience darn to it and I'm going to save it. If it's a mediocre package, I'm not going to save it. I get a cordial stationary. Cause that's how I roll. I save every one of those boxes as long as it's pretty and fits my color palette. Terrica: Yep. So at the core guys, this just shows you that investing in your customer experience is vital to the success of your business, to the longevity of your business too. Marketing your business. This is a marketing Avenue that you don't have to pay extra for it. You're not throwing in extra money on ads or, putting an ad in like we're talking about digital or print ads or advertising some other type of way. You literally invest yourself in your customers and then they in turn will invest in you and they will get other people to invest in you. And it is a domino effect. [00:19:00] And when it is done well, it looks beautiful and it is profitable. And. If you have not dived into your customer experience lately, I charge you all with taking a deeper look into your business, how you can serve your customers better. and listen. So if you haven't connected with your customers wherever you communicate with your customers, best if that's an email, Instagram, Pinterest, even if tech talk is your thing, all those places have room for comments and DMs. Ask for feedback. Say guys, what can I do to serve you better? What do you want to see? creating content with feedback is like so key. I see so many YouTubers doing that. They asked for it and they actually create the content that people ask for and people continue to follow them. Cause they're like I could ask a question and answer and you create content and it's amazing. Vanessa: That's how half have our blog press came to me. I start asking people. So I [00:20:00] spent, what was it, 2018 traveling across the U S teaching people about social media marketing and along the way, I'm like, what else, what else do you want to know about. What else? What more do you want to know about? And I kept losing, I had a whole journal and I put out blog posts on the regular answering those questions. And those are some of like the heaviest traffic blog posts on our, on our website. So you guys, it works and it takes no money, takes time a little bit of time, but that time comes back two fold. So again, like you go out, you ask the questions, you, listen, you take in that feedback. It's probably. The most powerful strategy you can do in marketing and growing your business is just to listen and turn it around and put out an awesome customer experience strategy. where again, you're doing more listening and implementing and fixing and changing and growing. But you, you take the time, you listen, you find out what people want to know about. You create content around that. You take that content, you translate it and you build a digital [00:21:00] product around it, or two or three or four. And it becomes this like little ecosystem and it doesn't cause you to hurt your brain and people love you for it. And you build super fans in the long run, which is the ultimate, absolute, ultimate place we all want to be. Terrica: Exactly. And I will. End on this note, if you're listening to this and maybe you're new in business, or maybe you've pivoted recently, and you feel like getting feedback is tough. Cause I've been there. I've asked, put it out to the universe and I got crickets there. It's still a wealth of information online. One tip that I got and I always do this husband laughs at me, anytime I purchased something, it can be so simple. I could be trying a new restaurant. Right. I dive into reviews cause I want to, I want to like read what people will have to say. Go look online. Amazon is an amazing [00:22:00] place and search for either books or products that are in the same niche as yours and see what people were saying about them. See what people are loving, see what people are hating, and then take that. As research note, some of those commonalities you find, and then merge that with what you want your customers to experience at the beginning, you should have an idea about when people interact with your business, how should they feel at the beginning and the middle at the end. So merge that with what you're finding and then craft an offer that. That serves where people are lacking in other things, and then adding your personality into it and your own personal spin with your knowledge. And you will create your own unique experience at that end. And hopefully you will start to really build some of those raving fans and eventually super fans. Thanks for listening. Y'all you can [00:23:00] find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us at she's got vision on all platforms until next time y'all we're wishing you much success. and remember there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #007 Repurposing Your Content to Create Digital Products [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd  launch strategist and content creator. With the love of all things Disney each week, you'll hear, our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode seven of the marketing and cocktails podcast. Today's episode is all about repurposing your content to create digital products, which is super important as we embark on the holiday season. And many of us are prepping for launches first and foremost, black Friday, which is right around the corner. So hopefully today's episode gives you some ideas on products to [00:01:00] create. If you don't have one already lined up. And help make your upcoming launch. If you do decide to launch just a little bit easy because in this day and age, We all deserve just a little bit of easy so let's jump right in So let's start about using what you have to create digital products. Vanessa: So we can't stress this enough. Absolutely. Can't stress this enough. If you create content on a regular basis, you literally have. A treasure chest that you can pull from any time to whip out a brand new product. And I know that sounds crazy to a lot of people cause like, I don't understand how that, how that works. I'm creating one thing, I'm putting it up in one spot. How is that supposed to lead me to create a whole bunch of other stuff really easily? Well, let's walk through a few examples. Shall we? the best one that I, that comes to mind that has the most flexibility. Is blog posts.  if you blog, [00:02:00] even once , a week, once a month, by the time you do it for, I don't know, a couple months to a year, two years, however long, depending on how often you're creating stuff, you can actually take those blog posts, find common topics or common threads, and reassemble them in different ways. So you can use say a blog post on a specific topic. I don't know. Maybe you're. Blogging all on a set of recipes and you can, you can actually take all those blog posts and all the recipes and assemble them into a recipe book. And you can have that as a digital product, as an ebook, when you're ready, when you have like a huge audience and you want to go, into like the offline realm, you can also assemble it into a physical product. There's so many different ways that you can repurpose. Your blog posts and reassemble that content into creating digital products. We took all of the blog posts that had ever done on the topic of Pinterest and I assembled them into a course, and that was the first ever Pinterest course that I created [00:03:00] Pinning for Business. You can also take them and make them into, to digital downloads. You can take how to blog posts and turn them into worksheets. Like there's so much potential. And that's why I keep stressing that if you create content, you have so much potential to pull out other types of content without having to really reinvent the wheel and waste a ton of time in the process Terrica:  I'll come at it from a different angle. Cause I don't blog a lot. but as a designer and anyone else who is in more of a one-on-one creative field, so photographers or designers, or even web designers, many of us have. Either done something for a client  it was a rejected concept. Nobody decided to use it. Maybe you decided to design something for yourself and then you don't quite love it, but you started, but you never quite [00:04:00] finished or that's just sitting on your hard drive. I have a whole folder of half done projects  I would take some of my all rejected concepts, spruce them up a bit and. if I wanted to, depending on where your audience is, you could use Canva or InDesign or make them an editable PDF. And then now you have a template that you can like pop up in your shop and sell, and it hasn't really cost you any time because you always had it there. So now you're just sprucing up it and making it like cohesive and come together. Also, if you have a process that you do for your business, that for some people they think yeah. That nobody will ever know, but I'll use an example. A lot of creatives used Dubsado. People are always looking or ways to effectively use that CRM. Even better than what they have. And if they're in the same niche as you, or the same industry that really [00:05:00] could use it, you can easily turn that into a quick little ebook or a little mini course so that someone can use those and they can immediately see the results in their business. Vanessa: Absolutely. Like even. You know, you're talking about those digital service providers like photographers. I know so many photographers who like go out and they have edits and they saved the way they edit certain things. That's like instant presets, bundle them together, sell them individually. You could pop up. A set of presets. You could even go through like the process that you do to onboard people, on onboard clients or to get people thinking about their brand or what they want out of a photo session, turn that into a worksheet or turn all your expertise and your brain into a tip sheet, even on how to get ready to do a session or how to, plan for one, you know, in the months before you're ready to do. And there's so many ways. To use all this information that you have at your fingertips. And there's so many [00:06:00] things that I think people don't, they don't realize what they have until they start going through it. Heck I don't realize what I have until I start going through like Google type folders and they have that in there. I wrote that for fun one time or, Oh yeah. I started creating that and I didn't finish it. Go through what you have, think about it and kind of sit down and come at it from a different angle of not, maybe not like how can I use this or what was the original intention, but. What else can I use this for? How else could this be beneficial? Just because one person rejected your design or one person rejected, you know, a certain concept doesn't mean that somebody else out there isn't going to love it and fall in love with it instead. Terrica: Exactly. And another way, even though we're talking about creating digital products for sell, you can easily use a blog post that you wrote, or maybe you even wrote an Instagram caption and you got really good engagement and you're like, Oh, people need more information about that. Or they're really in tune with that. You could use that to create a lead [00:07:00] magnet. So even though you're not making initial money off of it, you literally put that out to the universe. It's for free people get immediate access to it and they can learn some from whatever you're offering, but then you, as the creator can see, use it as a test. Do people really want more information about this? Is this really effective? How can I change it? How can I make it better? And it's like immediate, Vanessa: it's, it's putting it out there and testing your audience. I know exactly where you're coming from. It's all good. Lead magnets are an excellent way to test the waters. And if you're out there, especially if you're somebody who's creating awesome Instagram, captions, and. You're like, man, people love what I'm putting out on Instagram, but they're not, they're not loving so much on my website. Paul, you can pull things, the pull those like little nuggets from there and infuse them into your website. You're probably infusing more personality into Instagram than you are into some of your website copy. So you can [00:08:00] take that into consideration too, and even use what you have to, to fix up what you already are putting out in the universe to make it even better. Terrica: Right. And when crafting. An idea, some of the things I know you're talking about going through a lot of your old folders and what do I have, but the easiest access that we have to information is our brains. And there's so much stuff that's really simple that we would never think that people want it. I was on Facebook recently in a group and, someone posted and they thought it was just like, Really funny, but at the same time enlightening that their mom who's older.  came to them and was like, look, I was on YouTube and I saw this video and it was  10 things you need to have in your home. And she's like, Oh, okay. That's really interesting mom.  Well, what where they? And she's like, Oh wait, let me go back. And she came back with a notepad [00:09:00] and she wrote down in that YouTube video, the 10 things that you should have in your home. And none of these things were rocket science or anything. It's like. You should always have a duvet and you should always have a really large area rug or a runner for your dining room table. It was really simple things, but she said, what was enlightening for her mom is even though these were simple things, she said it helped. Kind of corral her mom's thoughts. And when she was deciding to spruce up her home, rather than thinking about all the things she could buy, now, she had a list of 10 things that she's like, Oh, I don't need a new cupboard, but I do need new knobs on my cupboard. So I'm going to go buy new knobs on my cupboard and it helped. Corral her spending so that she wasn't like spending all the money, but there wasn't that extra anxiety over, what should I spend? It was [00:10:00] like, no, I know exactly what I need to buy. I know exactly what I need now. I'm going to , just take this list and compare it with what I have in my house now and my style and sales. And now you have a whole plan on what to purchase next and I'm pretty sure we all have information in our brain. as simple as the 10 things you need to have in your home, maybe it's the, the five things that grew your design business, or you are in finance and the mistakes that you see, business owners making that they could change to save my thing on taxes and to boost up profitability. It's so many things you can just take that. Throw into a little mini ebook or something and put it out to the universe. Won't even take you that much time. you can find a template. Well, if design, it's not your thing. And you just add in your brand colors, your logo put your information and it's done. [00:11:00] Vanessa: Absolutely.  even that example you gained from the video, that person say they didn't actually sell products. That they're just like a blogger who just loves talking about home renos, home, design, whatever. even as, you know, a mommy blogger would just put together lists like that, cause it makes her life easier and, and put it out into the world, hoping that it's going to make somebody else's life easier. Cause that's typically where we start, but the place that we come from when we start creating content and putting things out there. So where my brain goes is I can take that same list. You said you can use it as a lead magnet. That's one option. The next option to step it up, you can actually turn it around and create it into a resource guide and become an affiliate for, I don't know, somewhere, like, I don't know. I don't know, maybe Wayfair or some sort of like home furnishing store or I don't know the container store. There's so many different options and. For the list of things you would have, like, so the debate, maybe it was a mixer or whatever. Those 10 things were having affiliate link for every single product. Now, not only are you providing a way to be helpful to [00:12:00] somebody, you repurpose the same content. Now we're at three times and you've monetized it by being able to make a little bit of money. If somebody actually goes through, read your thing is like, Oh my gosh, it's super helpful. I needed to pay. There's a link. I'm gonna go buy me today. And they all in the same day, week, month, year, whatever. but you've taken that content. You've created two digital products out of it and you might've gone into it thinking I'm just, I'm just putting it out there to be helpful that people, and you can be helpful to people in so many different ways, utilizing the same thing in slightly different ways. And it's not, I just want to say this, like it's not cutting corners. because every time you're using it in, in a new way, you're adding a layer of that to it. Terrica: And that adding affiliate links, we know so many people, who have either built complete businesses off being affiliates or a good portion of their business income. Is, [00:13:00] being an affiliate for the preferred products that they use and why some people look at it. Okay. So you're making money off of selling other people's things. I like to use a real world example and how many of us are walking resource libraries for our family and friends, every time that they need something they call and I get it all the time. Hey Terrica, you're good at that. so I need a good resource for these shoes. Where should I buy them? Or. Oh, you use tech a lot. What do you use for this? Where do you go? Or who do you trust? Because then it takes the time out. People. Time is such a commodity and people don't want to have to research. They don't want to have to vet. They don't want to have to read through reviews. They want you, someone they trust to tell them that, Hey, this is a good product because you've used it or it's a good course, or it's a good item, whatever it is. And they'll respect you for [00:14:00] that. They're like, whoo, you saved me so much time. I seen your stuff. It looks amazing. You use it, it done and you educated and save somebody time. And then most of them would affiliates. You probably saved them some money too. So it's a win, win situation for everybody. Vanessa: Absolutely. Like I'm the same way. So I'm the go to person in my family. If people want to shop and save money at the same time. So I get calls from my sister all the time. Okay. I need to buy a new sweater, pair of boots or whatever, whatever the heck it is. She's calling me. Who's got a sale this week. Cause I need something new. I'm like, you can sign up for all the emails you get inundated with all that information. Just like, why would I do that? I have you. You're my older sister. That's what you're here for. And I've done. I've turned around and used that concept. Just the, what you're talking about and, use it in business, use it at my personal blog. And it's kind of funny when. You don't really think about it. and so you actually go back and look like every time when I go back and again, I kind of look at what my income was over the last year. Where did it come [00:15:00] from? Like last year I had a steady stream of affiliate sales from creative market. And I was like, I had no idea that the content I put out two years ago all about the stuff I was using on creative market was still bringing in affiliate sales. And stocking up my credits on, on creative market. And I hadn't actually paid out of pocket for any new design stuff it about two years. Terrica: See, that's awesome. So, right, right there, it shows you that creating a new digital product, doesn't have to be this whole exhaustive product, a process that you can use things you have. You can use the information that's already in your brain. You can even use. The resources that you use on a normal basis to make income as well. So with black Friday looming around, right, right around the corner and everyone hurrying to put something [00:16:00] to sell this will cut your time in half to find something to offer to your audience by using what you have already. Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us. Yeah, she's got vision on all platforms until next time. Y'all we're wishing you much success. I remember there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #006 Leverage Your Business and increase Profits by Creating Products [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd and launch strategist and content creator. With the love of all things Disney each week, you'll hear, our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode six of the marketing and cocktails podcast. Today's episode is all about taking your business to the next level by creating products. This is going to be a solo episode for Vanessa. I will be back on the podcast next week, But today you'll get an insight into the genius marketing brain of Vanessa's so without further ado here's today's episode Vanessa: all right. Let's talk about leveraging your business and increasing profits by creating products. [00:01:00] We're all faced the same 24 hours in a given day, but how you use those hours is what differentiates a successful business from a floundering business. If you're filling your available hours with coaching clients or working one on one. With clients or even subcontracting to somebody else and still aren't bringing in the money you'd like to bring in. And then maybe it's time to try something new. Having multiple streams of income can help to grow your business, expand your reach, and increase your profits all in that same 24 hour time period. So let's look at a couple of examples of other streams of income that can help your business and your income explode over time. So the first one we're going to talk about is product creation. I absolutely love creating products. It's one of those things that I get excited about when most people dread it, it's kind of fine, but no matter what type of product you create, whether it's a webinar or an ebook, a downloadable [00:02:00] packet, online classes, you know, an actual physical published book, printed materials that you're mailing out to people. No matter what type of product that is once the work is done, you can actually sit back and sell those products for years to come. Sure. With some things like courses and dental, little packets and things, depending on what your material is on, you might need to update them, repackage them, make sure they're, you know, still up to sniff and still valuable with what's going on in the world, around you. But the bulk of the work gets done right up front. And of course there's work involved in promoting those products, but many entrepreneurs and business owners find that the marketing work is easier than the actual product creation. So products are priced lower than, say a one on one coaching service or one on one, , service that you're gonna offer to your clients. So your products are still offering to help those people that aren't quite ready for that larger investment. The lower price point also helps to expand your reach to your target audience because you're offering more options [00:03:00] for people you're being able to hit them no matter where they're ready to make an investment, the chances are pretty high that you'll attract people with products first. And then they'll kind of travel through your sales funnel and hopefully purchase say private coaching or one on one services where they're convinced that you can help them. You may also want to consider hiring a customer service agent who can handle all of your product inquiries and problems with some training, your customer service agent can handle all those inquiries without bothering you. And that allows you to have more time for work with your clients. You can also consider your product library as separate gear in your business. One that works in the background where you focus on working with clients and providing that value and building those one on one relationships. So the next thing we're gonna talk about is group coaching, creating group coaching classes still involves you being personally involved, more so than producing a physical product. So it's a lot more of a time investment, [00:04:00] but the great thing about it is that you're still able to reach more people at one time. Then you would, if you were kept working one on one with clients, So you can consider this type of product, a step up from an ebook or a signature course, because you were involved in leading the group. They're getting that one on one time with you. it's just more of a one to many kind of time with you, but they still get to interact with you. They still get to hear from you. They still get that feedback, that you would give them in a one on one environment. But you're actually able to help more people at once. And the cool thing is that those other people are often able to help each other too. So there's multiple win-win situations going on. You can use the time that you spend, to showcase your expertise by personalizing your advice for every person, by being able to facilitate dynamic conversations. Like there's so many ways to use your skills, to be able to help people, one group setting, think of it like how a teacher helps in a classroom. They're able to help, you know, 20, [00:05:00] 30 students at a time. And those students actually learn from it other as well, and get more value out of that experience as long as everybody's, you know, involved in and actually involved in the conversation and making the conversation better. And even in a group coaching situation, your group members should feel that they're getting the advice they need. Not simply one size, all one size fits all advice. if you're not able to be able to tailor advice specifically to people on the spot, then group coaching may not be a good fit for you. So just keep that in mind, if it's something that you're considering adding to your product lineup. And the dynamic group often dictates the conversation, but you should still plan kind of like a course outline of what specific topics you cover in each session. The beauty of group coaching is you can take notes on what works, what doesn't work, so you can fine tune your next session and you can keep learning and building. And the more you do them, the better they'll get over time. And even if you continue group coaching on the same topic, [00:06:00] it'll always be different based on the people in the group. That's the really cool thing about having a class based situation is that it can be totally, yeah. Different depending on who speaks up, who joins who's in the group, what experience they bring. It can be really fun to take one topic and see how many different ways it can go over many classrooms I've taught on. The topic of Kendra, is there talking to the Facebook ads or just creating content and depending on which people are in the room, those conversations can go a thousand different ways. So it's really, really cool to see what I'm bringing to the table, the same kind of skills. they grow a bit over time too, but it's basically the same topic, the same kind of skillset. And then you add other people to that. You kind of plugged them in there and the conversations get really, really cool. So as you can see, adding products or a group coaching package to your business offering allows you to help more people while also earning more profits. But simply creating a product doesn't mean that it will sell. You need [00:07:00] to have a large sequence in place so that you're ready to promote your product. Even before it's completed, you're going to have a live launch sequence. You can have an evergreen launch sequence. You can have something that, is only turned on when you're on vacation. There's so many yeah. Options to be able to launch this product to your audience, that it gives you a bunch of different options that you can use to plug into your strategy, depending on where you're going. So this is something that interests you, this something you want to do, but you're like, Oh, I don't want to go it alone. Join our membership group. Launching made simple what we'll be discussing all things, launching, marketing, your products and services and how to fine tune your marketing for increased profits. I'm all about fine tuning things and testing and making them better and actually making sure that you're having. Your launches in business run in a way that's profitable and that works for you and your unique needs and your audience's needs. So we're giving our students lots of action steps that they can put to use right away with feedback to help keep it improving their [00:08:00] offers, funnels, and launches. Visit she's that vision.com to join. Terrica: Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us. Yeah, she's got vision on all platforms until next time. Y'all we're wishing you much success. I remember there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #005 - 5 Tips to Conquer Your Fear of Selling Show Description This episode is all about actionable tips to help conquer your fear of selling and transform it into a routine part of your business that feels good. Show Notes [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd a launch strategist and content creator. With the love of all things Disney each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode three of the marketing and cocktails podcast. Today, we're going to give you some practical tips and tricks on overcoming your fear of selling. I know that this is a really weighty topic for many business owners as we try to find that comfortable balance of selling, but doing so in a way that feels good and true to us so let's dive right into this episode Vanessa: Alrighty today, we're talking about ways you can overcome your fear of [00:01:00] selling. If you have a business, your goal is probably pretty likely to make money. I know most people say, but the only way to make money is to sell something. Either products or services. So what really happens if you're really like definitely afraid of selling, you're probably going to not make as much money and you're going to become managing  a hobby instead of running a business. But if you're ready to ramp up your income, then you need to overcome your fear of selling. So we're going to go over some tips for being able to reframe your selling mindset and overcome your fear of selling to the people who are going to absolutely love what you have to offer. Once they get to know you. So the first tip we're going to run with is don't think of it as selling, think of it as having conversations. So if you're worried about being perceived as someone who's pushy, hard selling, you know, the used car salesman that everybody hates, then you can start off by simply having a conversation and getting to know the other person. [00:02:00] You're not gonna be able to convince everybody to buy the first time you meet them, just like in real life, you know, become friends immediately. As you're going to be able to ask them questions about their business, maybe about their personal life, whatever it is that's going to help you really understand them in a better way. By asking those questions, you'd be able to qualify them as potential prospect or somebody who is not a good fit for you. And then you can follow up with them at a future time. And what we're talking about, having conversations, it's not something that. It's just one method. So there's so many different ways to communicate with people that you can find what works best for you. So some people might like to go and. Have conversations in DMS on Instagram or Facebook. Other people are email people. Some people are face to face people. I think people love taking phone calls. it's a matter of finding what method is that you're most comfortable with and that you're just like [00:03:00] feeling that this is a way that you can actually have a conversation and get people to know you a little bit better. Terrica: so I'm gonna ask this question, cause I know you have a good answer. And it's one thing that I, struggle with a little bit when I first started is having the conversations for some people. once they, like you said, they kind of, you know, get into it, find a commonality and just kinda like talk to someone like they would in person. But then there's a lot of people who say, Well, I don't have anybody to talk to. I don't, I don't have an audience,  where do I find the people?, Do i have to basically enact the digital version of cold calling , do I just go into somebody's DMS and be like, Hey, how you doing? my name's Terrica, nice to meet you. does that work? Is that sleazy? Vanessa: With that high pitchy voice to dude that's awesome. Please don't do that. Yeah. Calling cold [00:04:00] calling drives me a little bit. Nuts. It does work for some things. It works for some industries. If you're a salesperson, you will spend half your life, cold calling people, but. The people who wind up,  the MLM, people that hop into your DMS, they find you on Facebook and they're just there to try and sell you. Those are not people who are open to having conversations. And those are people that almost everybody hates so much so that they get mad from Facebook. So if. And everybody has had this problem. Everybody will have this problem. And it depends on how big your network is or how small it is or what your, I don't know how comfortable you are with going out and talking to people. You can find somebody to talk to. Just about anywhere and everywhere and yeah, it's going to be hard and it's going to be awful and it's going to feel gnarly. And there's something in your brain. That's going to tell you that I have nobody to talk to you like ever. Cause I never leave my house and I walk around my bathroom and nobody wants to talk to somebody who's walking around their house in their pajamas all day, but you have to get [00:05:00] out of your head. So think about how many Facebook groups are you in. Or how many people do you know in your family, your circle of friends, your alumni from school, there's so many different ways to tackle it. That if you really start to think about it, you can probably find at least one person to talk to. Even if it's just a friend to be like, okay, I have this thing. I'm trying to find people that I can. I talked to you about this thing. Do you know of anybody? That type of conversation helps too. That's the type of conversation that salespeople have to have all the time. I know when I was in sales and I thankfully did not have to cold call that many people, because there was always somebody that I could talk to who could refer me to somebody else. And it started with, just talking to people that came into the store that would actually reach out because they found our information through awesome marketing materials. But those times when it was kind of dead and dry and I had to start finding people and pulling them out of the woodwork to talk to you, then I would go [00:06:00] back to the people who I had either already talked to or people I like, sort of knew I'd strike up conversations with them, even if it was just like a, Hey, hi, how you doing kind of angle to get in, to be able to talk to people. So even though things feel hard, conversations are hard. I dunno, especially on a Monday, like there are times where it's going to feel like awful, but know that that's completely, honestly normal and everybody has that thought that I have nobody to talk to. But yet when you really start to think about it and journal it out, write it down, make a list of all the different people that you could talk to. Even if you think that those people. Would have nothing to do with what you're offering. I've made a list of people and been like, these are the people I know the chances of them actually buying what I'm selling are pretty much slim to none, but nine times out of 10, when I talked to those people, those people know other people that I can talk to. Terrica: That's true. a super [00:07:00] easy way that I've done this and. Ironically, I did this when we were in a creation phase. one of our upcoming offers is while I be classified as an introvert and just say this guy's not all introverts are antisocial just means that you don't get your kind of fuel from people. You get your fuel from yourself. So, I said, you know what, I'm just gonna write a Facebook post on my personal one. I'm just going to put it out there. I'm going to let people then come to me. Cause I know that at this point, I don't really remember. I think I have maybe 500 to 800. Yeah. Facebook friends. I'm like, somebody is going to see this post. Somebody will like it. Somebody will comment. And because they comment and it'll show up in like their feed and then somebody else will see it. And I don't really have to do any of the hard work. Minus respond to the people who already felt some visceral reaction and say, [00:08:00] Ooh, yes, I have that problem. Or, Oh, I have a solution for you. And then I'm like, Now I can just use, like Vanessa said my own community online without having to pick up the phone and talk to anybody, or I don't even have to reach out to somebody and send them like a text message. I just put a post and said, Hey guys, this is what I'm doing. do you think it's a good idea? what could make this better? and you have an easily warm audience. These are people where you are used to talking to, like you said, you went to school with them, you know, them through something and then. Sometimes I always like at the end to put like a little simple, just piggybacking off of what you said call to action. Hey, if you know somebody else tag them, let people work for you. Vanessa: And that's like the power of people, the power of networking, even if you're not like, quote unquote networking, we're going out to mixers or whatever. It's a matter of just letting people, putting it, putting your offer out there or putting what you're do out there or who you serve, or some little snippet of. What you're doing. [00:09:00] It's amazing that just putting it out there, how other people that are like, Oh, I might not need that, but I know a guy right. Might do that. Or who might need that, or I don't need that now, but I'm gonna save that info and then we'll come back to it later. Exactly. There's so much, so much power and conversations. It's awesome. Okay. So the next thing we were going to cover is why you should offer your help instead of just hard selling people. Hey, hard selling. Can you sell? So think about what is the end result, right? Every product or service, every product or service out there solves one problem or a problem or two problems, but it should solve at least one. And if it doesn't, you have a problem with your product service. So approach each potential lead with the idea of helping them solve a problem instead of selling them on your product. Helping has a more positive connotation than selling days. And that kind of frame of thought makes it easier for you to [00:10:00] start qualifying conversations when all the qualifying conversation is, is just something that can help you assess whether or not the person that you're actually talking to could be a good fit for you, or maybe they could be a good connector for you. Terrica: So the connector is that person that's going to be able to connect you to other people who are. A good qualifying fee for whatever it is you're selling. Yeah. That's, I'm an approach. I've all I'm gonna say. I've always taken because after my first was like my second yeah. Job, but I was working at six flags and my boss just put me right on the front line and I was Terrica. There you go. Get people to come to our booth and buy these customize t-shirts and bags. I'm like, Well, don't how to get these people over here. I don't even want to talk to these people. I want to go in the back in the hide. but one thing that I quickly learned and I reframed was at my core. I always loved to help people. Usually when I talk to people, I'm always Oh, you need help with that. Sure. I was, I was that kid. I [00:11:00] was a teacher's pet. I'm going to run and help everybody. So I realized that it the same way if I reframed it and figured out. What their issue was or what they were having a problem with or what could I solve then that problem solver in me immediately activated I connected with people a lot easier. It felt more comfortable for me. And then on the other end, people. Felt that authenticity. Cause I'll say this don't fake help people if it's not in you and you are a hard seller, then go at it like that. Cause people will at least respect you for coming to them directly and a direct approach then that kind of, twofold approach where you, you put that facade up, you act one way when you really try to do another, and then people feel so slighted and just taken advantage of at the end of the day. But what I've always done. And as I. Worked through many other jobs. [00:12:00] After that, I went through the perspective of helping, because that made me connect with people easier. They connected with me and they're like, you're working for me.  I'm with that, let me help you. Let me buy a couple extra shoes. You're  so helpful.  you know, that's a good deal. You got me a good deal. I was only gonna buy  this one pair of pumps, but you know what? I could use that pair of flats in those boots over there. Let me do that. I mean, Oh, one time I had a customer come. Yeah. I mean, they were just going to buy a few things. They left spending a thousand dollars, when I worked in banana Republic, but it was because they were like, you're just so helpful. You helped me pick out things. You gave me the best deals. You didn't sell me on it. You told me what the flaws of it were, you know, plus the pros and I made an informed decision, so sure. Sign me up, take my money. Vanessa: I think how many supervisors hate when you point out the flaws of a product or service and that's so crucial, I'm the same way. So I'm also, I help her or as people in my family call me grandma's pet. Cause I help so much. [00:13:00] Grandma grandma's pet. Well, I grew up with my grandparents and I was a lot of the time with around cousins. And that was just, that was our family dynamic. It was fine. so yeah, grandma's pet morph needed. Teacher's pet, which morphed into, you know, somebodies pet out there. It's kind of a, I don't know. My family's weird. It's fun, but helping, helping isn't a bad thing. So it's all the helpers out there. Other people will make you feel bad for being a helper. Don't feel bad about being a helper. That's who you are naturally embrace it. but I had the same thing, like working in retail sales  bigger kind of sales environments. I was always the person who would help people figure out what they came into the store for first and then connect them with what they wanted. And nine times out of 10, they bought something else. Or if they didn't buy something else on the spot, those, those buggers came back and they brought like 10 of their friends and they would only deal with me. I had people. Oh, my gosh. It's so fine. So I had people when I worked in, in, at Skechers, they would come in. And they only wanted to deal with me [00:14:00] after one good experience. They were like, no, we don't want to deal with anybody else. I had to have my butt hauled out from like deep backstock. Cause I was assistant manager. I wasn't just like a sales person then. And my job that day was to like help unload this gigantic shipmate. So I was covered in all the cardboard dust and the dot that like the gnarly dust that comes with a deep stockroom. I like, what do you mean I need to be out on the floor. This is, this is not what I'm dressed for today. Like, this is not cool, but the people didn't care that I looked kinda gnarly. They were like, Oh, sorry, we pulled you away from something, but we really need your help. And I helped them and they were awesome. They went away a couple months later they came back and they kept buying shoes. Yeah. It was amazing. I was like, how many pairs of shoes do you need? I like shoes too, but holy man, what are y'all fitting at? Army is awesome, but that's the power of. Helping people connect to them with the right product, how they tell him about the pros and cons about everything on the floor. I actually took those experiences with that one kind of family. I would trained my staff on how to do the exact same. [00:15:00] There was one person. She took it to heart cause she was also kind of like a natural helper, a little bit integrated as well. And she became our top performing salesperson. And then I had her work with other new people. I'm like kept the cycle kind of continuing for as long as I was in the store. It was really cool to see the power of just being able to help somebody instead of sitting there hard, selling them on every feature and benefit of the actual product. Terrica: Well, at that point , in my last position, I have people who are willing to leave where I was because. I said that I was leaving. They're like, well, I guess it's time to go. And I'm like, you didn't come from me. They were like, yeah, I didn't. But I stayed because of you. Vanessa: Oh, that's powerful. Terrica:  but at the one thing I always like to connect and, this'll be my mantra is that at the  core of helping you connect with the individual for who they are, there's no fluff for everything. It's a genuine connection. I see [00:16:00] you have a need, I have a solution. This is where it is. And in that is that little bit of empathy.  I see you having a problem. Let me give you a helping hand. I'm now in business that helping hand comes with. A price tag, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing because at that point, people are still grateful for a solution to the problem that may be having. they're having issues with that. They're willing to compensate you. Like, Hey, all my guys, you helped me so much. I'm more than willing to pay your price. that's not a big deal. You don't have to be, It doesn't have to be an issue. That was an issue for me for a while is that I will help people. And then at the end I'm like, and, and, and it costs 200 bucks. Can you pay that? Please? I'll send you an invoice and I felt so bad cause I wanted to do it for free, but free. Doesn't keep a roof over your head free. Doesn't fill your stomach and free. Won't keep electricity on. So at the end of that, you still have to get paid [00:17:00] and you're worth getting paid. You're always worth getting paid. Yes. But that goes, all of that kind of goes into this thing of people are like, Holy crap. I need to have conversations and you need to help people. And that sounds like really, really, really big. So it's like a big meaty thing. It does sound that way, but the best advice we can give you is to start small. So you're not going to try and conquer all of these things or, you know, Selling or launching something huge in a single day, you're going to start small. You're going to talk about your business. Maybe it's a family and friends or people, you know, that might fit your audience or who might just be like a good connector person. Vanessa: You can also spread  your reach and your local community is by networking in person or, whether that's at a business event or just the people you meet. It's amazing how many conversations you can strike up in a grocery store. Just put that out there or hair salon, like in the line at the checkout [00:18:00] and. Terrica: You bond over  people magazine cover, and then that sprouts into a whole nother conversation. And the end of the day, they're like, it's so nice to meet you. You're like you too. And then your head you're like, I don't know that person. How did we end up? Vanessa: I've had my husband say this same thing. How do you know that lady? I don't. And he's like, I you're fooled me. I would've thought you guys were friends or something. You get to know people really quickly just by, just by talking to people. And if you think about it, that way you can network online, you can, use social media or groups or whatever. It's whatever you're going to be able to do to just connect with one person. Pick 1% a day, 1%, every few days, whatever frequency you're going to be comfortable with. Start small and take it one step at a time. And they basically just rinse and repeat like all of those steps until you have this well oiled networking machine that is able to produce leads or [00:19:00] connections, that'll help you take the business. You have stay and grow over the longterm. And that's another thing I kind of wanna emphasize. You want to make sure that you're doing this in a way that's, ethical. I'm not sleazy. I'm not gross because if you, if you do it the other way, you know, the gnarly way that makes me feel gross and cringy on the inside sales men, way. Those guys, the sleazy guys, the bro marketers, they're out there for quick sales and a quick buck, make a million today and just take their business. Start another one tomorrow. The rest of us who want to do things the right way who want to grow something that has a future in it, has legs and provides for our family or provides for the next generations, whatever your dream is. Those being able to build a business that fulfills that longterm dream takes doing things the right way, doing things ethically, treating people like people, being respectful, being, kind, being. Just helpful at the base root of it, because if you're not, then your business isn't [00:20:00] going to last very long. Terrica: That's, that's so true. and I always look at the people who are willing or I'm going to say willing at that point, their focus is to make the quick buck, like, how am I going to make my next, dollar that in that transaction of. So speech and communication, everything, because it's a transactional internet. Every conversation is a transaction, but in, during that process, I almost feel like they failed to see the individual there. That person doesn't have. a face, really that person doesn't have any feelings. They're just an end to me means to an end. There we go other way around. but that's what that is. And that's why when you come out of the situations you feel as on the consumer and you feel so icky and you're either like, Oh, that was. Like the most [00:21:00] revolting process or you feel like, Oh man, I feel like I was stripped of everything because they don't see you anymore. You are just a body and I always push, you never want to have that in business. You won't have a sustainable business like that. Nobody wants to feel like, Oh, all I am is a dollar to you. That's like in a comparison, I went to a small college rather than a big college. Cause I said, I don't want to just be a number. I want you to see my face. I want you to know who Tara is and I want to matter. And I want to be able to go to somebody and be able to speak. And you'll like, Oh, Hey Tara, how you doing? You got an issue rather than, Oh, Hey, your number zero zero zero one five two. How are you today? Having been somebody who has gone to a small college and a big university, I can testify that. Yes, the small ones you get, they get to know you a little better though. Pro-tip, it's really hard to skip class at a small institution. [00:22:00] They know you and they'll be like, and then have you ever had parents or other people come. Well, what happened is something happened with your family? Didn't want to come to class. I was just tired that day, but I can't tell you that crap, that doesn't work. but definitely start small. I. Fell into the trap of, of selling and it feeling really overwhelming. So I did absolutely nothing for a while. I just put my website up and I just hoped by some divine intervention that people would just come my way. that didn't work people. Sorry, I didn't go viral. He has a dream like reality. It's a movie, it's a good movie, but it's just a movie. Right. And so. I love this approach because in going through these, these tips that we're giving you to, overcome [00:23:00] your fear of selling, you also find ones that just feel really good to you. And any, I'm not gonna say any action in business, cause there's some ones that just don't feel good. Pay taxes. Don't feel good. Doing finances don't feel good. That tedious admin stuff for a lot of people don't feel good. I get that. But something as vital to your business is selling, you should find some Avenue that a part of it feels good so that you can do it over and over and over again, because you're going to have to, yeah, it brings us through a really good point. Vanessa: To, to find the way that feels good, but to find that thing that feels good to find just what feels natural to you too, you're going to need to focus on your goals. Like, why are you in business? Why did you create these products and services? Why, why do you want to help those people? What, whoever your people are to solve, whatever problem that your product and service. Solves. And what's your timeframe for meeting those goals? Like you need to [00:24:00] know kind of what all of those things are so that you can go, okay. So I need to sell this thing. I want to do it by X date. I want to do this many sales, even mapping out something as simple as that. That's setting a goal basically, and giving yourself this like reasonable deadline, and that's going to help you be motivated to sell instead of, I don't feel like it today. So I'm going to binge watch Netflix shows and pop some popcorn and then just curl up my blanket and hope that tomorrow is a better day when really. Every single day that you take one small action and you only have to break it down and do one thing a day. Talk to 1% day, take one step every single day. So that you're working towards that deadline. You're working towards those goals. Be able to fulfill them. If you have a supportive spouse, talk to them. If you have a business partner, talk to them. If you have somebody who's just helping to keep you accountable, who's [00:25:00] just a really good friend and a really good support. Talk to that person. Share your goals with them. Share your deadlines, share why, what makes you motivated? Speak it out loud, right at your journal. Whatever's going to help you to stay focused on why the heck are you doing this in the first place? because when other people wind up asking you about, well, how's it going? what progress have you made? Are you making progress? How's it feeling you're like, who have you talked to today? All those lines. I know sometimes they feel like a hassle. You're like, Oh, I didn't talk to anybody today. I feel really guilty. Don't it's okay. Just know that you need to take one step today, but being asked about your progress, that helps you. That helps keep you motivated, even if you don't realize it because there's somebody else out there who's in your corner, who can actually like, they want to see you succeed as much as you want to see you succeed. If that makes sense. Yeah, exactly. And setting those goals and even getting to the point. Terrica: Like you said that you want to [00:26:00] sell, maybe you're per out there. And it's the service of one-on-one service book, X amount of clients, this month. Cause then it'll help me meet my revenue goal. I want to sell X number of products cause that will help. Then you can take that plan of action and then Institute ways. To sell the, helping meet that goal, but then you can do them in ways that maybe don't take as much effort. Maybe you take the time to go line, and then you say that life, and then you break it up into pieces where there's part of it, where you address questions that are, issues for your potential client. And then you schedule those to go onto your Instagram or you put them on IGTV and you push people to that. Did you have to get on a call and talk to him? No, but you had to do the work on the back end to still push your message out there. So that's still a form of having a conversation and you still have a form of, selling, you have a call to [00:27:00] action at the end of that, and then people can still drive, but you still, so in the midst of it have to do something because doing nothing, it's no results. I'm a Testament of that. lack of planning gets, you no, results. Sometimes you can, pull some shit together, we've all done it. I pull a paper together and like two hours and sometimes, it flies. Sometimes it flies, sometimes it doesn't. But when you get into. Presenting offer or selling. You don't want to rush those things. You don't want to just pull it out of your butt and be like, Hey, I have this thing now. I do agree that sometimes done is better than perfect. You don't have to agonize over it, but you need to have a plan in, in motion , to get this traffic that you want to have these conversations you want to, as a good transition to the next step to get people excited about what you have to offer. Vanessa: Yeah. And if you [00:28:00] are one of those last minute people it's okay. We've all been there. We've been last minute people to mandatory, especially with school projects. I don't know. Anyway. but if you're always a last minute person and you're never planning. You're not building a longterm business. You're not thinking about how to set up that foundation. And we're going to keep coming back to that week after week, we're going to come back to building this foundation. So if you're, if you're really not excited about your products and services, a you're, you're walking down the wrong path, man. if you can't be excited about the products and services or the people you're serving, then you may be picked the wrong offer, the wrong product, the wrong service, the wrong people. You need to be able to cut through all of the crap and all of the hardship and all the overwhelm and the gnarly newness that comes with building your own business. You need to be able to be excited about your products and services. You need to be able to be excited about even some of your audience and some of the people you're serving [00:29:00] granted, you're not going to be excited about all of them. They're going to be hiccups. They're going to be things that's fine. That's human nature to have that thing. But at the core of it, if you can't be excited about your products and services, And you're not proud of what you're offering. You're doomed to failure. Terrica: Oh, I mean, for sure. and I'm gonna continue to use real world examples, but how many times have you walked into the store? And there's a sales person that come in and they're like, hi, welcome to store X. How are you doing today? Just look around, tell us what you like. Maybe we'll help you. Maybe we won't. Vanessa: I'm a robot man. Terrica: Oh, you don't want to be here. you don't seem interested in a product if I ask you questions, you don't have any answers. Right. I'm going to leave. I'm good. I'm going to go across the street to the store that comes in and says, Hey, how are you today? What are you looking for? Oh, okay. They seem a little more upbeat. Oh, I'm looking for, you know, A new computer come this away. Let's show you all [00:30:00] these things. Oh my gosh. Have you seen our new model? It's amazing that vibrancy right there. I'm like, Ooh, I'm a little into why they are. They like super excited about this product because they be commissioned or they're super excited. Cause it's amazing. I don't know, but I'll listen to you and they will tell you. One way or the other I've actually had salespeople. Vanessa: It'd be like, yeah, I'm just here to pay for my school. Tuition. The product is great. I use it. I actually, I get it. I got a discount on it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna use it. But I'm really excited about commissioning and hooking up with the product. I've had people tell me, it's hilarious. They're blatantly honest. And I thought it was hilarious because in my, yeah, I never would have done that, but I've also had the other people, when you walk into, I don't know, Some store and they're like, Oh my gosh, I love this thing over here. What do you need to do with this product? Oh, that was, it's not for you, but I love that one, but if I was you and I only need to use it for it. Yeah. I use this other one over here. Those people you can call are excited about what they're [00:31:00] doing and what they're selling. Yeah. And you just, you, when there's an excitement behind it, either you put all your blood, sweat, and tears to creating it, and you just are excited about the solution that it provides for people. I'm excited for the value, excited that you're finally finished, that is out in the world. Take that. That energy and put it into your delivery. When you have conversations, when you write your emails, when you get on live, because people feed off of that energy, they're like, Oh my God, they're excited. They're pumped back. This has to be good. Like at least if nothing else, I gotta go read the sales page because they're coming with this crazy energy. Like every time I see them talking, they're so excited about it. Because they realized the value. at that point I've had people talk to me. Oh my God, this is the best one. I'm like, sure. It is. It is no. Let me tell you why. It's amazing. All right, go ahead, Nikki. Going [00:32:00] after awhile, it does sound kind of good. Okay. Keep going. Ooh. Can I test that even though you were like, I'd rather be anywhere else, like driving with dumpster fire instead of being here buying missing, but by the end of it, you're like, I'm so stoked for whatever it is. I just bought it. Yeah, exactly. And even if I don't buy it, I show appreciation to the person like, Hey, I chose it this time. Maybe it really wasn't in my budget. Like I really even can't make it work, but man, do I appreciate the energy you brought the information you brought. The even answers to some of my problems or my questions that you had Oh my gosh. Even if I don't buy now coming back again, it goes back to that story that you get people to do good experience. They're bringing like 10 people, like I didn't buy today, but y'all, she's amazing when she's on the floor so much energy. She's so helpful. You [00:33:00] gotta go. Like you just, even if you buy one thing, come on and go with me because unfortunately in. Business right now, whether it's brick and mortar or online finding that really just good overall experience. It's hard to find it's not as common as it should be. And so when you give that just amazing energy and that solution, like people remembering you, it sticks in the brain. And even if they don't buy right now, they'll come again. Terrica: Next time. Maybe they really can't afford it, but they're like, I'm saving her, come back again and see what she's offering. Like maybe in like a couple months, that's when I have a little bit more, available. Vanessa: And we see that happen all the time in the online space, offline space. you'd be really surprised how many people are just like I, so vibe with your energy that I saved, like I, I worked an extra [00:34:00] job. I did this thing and I saved up and I'm here because I'm excited that you're excited. Terrica: Yeah. And that's so amazing. That's so validating when someone comes to you and says that they were willing to go those routes, positive routes, like guys, don't go get a new credit card. max it out. Put yourself in crazy debt, but people are willing to make, you know, do sacrifices or work more or take time, whatever, because they feel like your service or what you have to offer is so valuable that they're willing to do that. That's validating, it's humbling. It's like, Oh gosh, this is why I do this. Vanessa: Yeah. And if, and if you're somebody who's feeling like, Oh my gosh, I could never get to that point. You'll get to that point. You absolutely will. Because , when you're proud of what you're offering, it's so much easier to get into selling mode. it's so much easier to have conversations with people. And all it takes is like doing your market research, understanding your audience's pain points, being able to relate to people on a human level, don't be a robot I'm creating that product or service is going to alleviate [00:35:00] those pain points, just making whatever it is you're offering the absolute best. It can be don't over promise and under deliver under promise and over deliver every single time you're going to blow people's minds every single time. And your excitement will become contagious. Among your followers, your fans, and even people you don't know because those followers and fans are going to go tell 10 of their friends and they're going to come back your direction. And it, it all comes back in, in a big, huge circle, which is pretty awesome. Kind of as a bonus tip, ask for testimonials from happy clients or people who just told you how much they loved your thing. whatever it is you're selling, whether there's a product that they love, do your website, that darn social media posts, those are all testimonials, save them. if you do nothing else at them, you should be using them in your marketing. And we will get into that more later. But if you do nothing else with them, read them when you have a moment of doubt. Let those happy testimonials lift you up because [00:36:00] reading the success stories and the kind words will do wonders for if you're having a moment of doubt, if you're not feeling as confident as you were, a couple of months ago. So those things help more than you realize, just like pick you up and to both your business and to helping your marketing. Terrica: Oh, yeah. I have a whole  note section with good things that people say Vanessa: I've saved every like little letter or no or whatever for my whole career, which is a long time. It's been crazy. And also remember to be yourself, just be yourself. When you're promoting your business offerings, don't try to copy your competition. Please. Don't become a carbon copy of somebody else online. That's that's, that's weird. That's  getting into robot territory, don't do that. Don't try to emulate your favorite mentor guru for a marketer. Next door don't do that either. Nobody likes that. They also hate it and most people will come after you legally, not a good thing to do. You. At your [00:37:00] core are unique. Your people will be attracted to you because you're unique. I have people who come to me just because I like bright colors. I have a love of travel, a love of Disney. I have a weird quirky personality, and because I am the ultimate marketing or that people have met and people come to me because that's me and they're okay with it. Even if I have my moment of doubt and I'm not good with it on some days. Because I'm unique. And because Terrica is unique in her own way, people come to her because she's got teal hair. And because she's helped filler

Episode #004 - Cocktail Hour! - Fruit/Rum Punch Show Description This episode is our monthly cocktail episode! Tune in as Terrica shares a favorite fruit punch recipe that you can turn up a notch with some rum, beach ready anybody? Show Notes [00:00:00] Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrica Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa Shepherd and launch strategist and content creator. With the love of all things business each week, you're here, our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Terrica: Hey, everybody. Welcome to a cocktail episode, which is my favorite episodes. I love giving you marketing and business advice cocktails have, have my heart, so we're not going to make this long. but I am going to just dive right in. So this cocktail episode, the basis is going to be this fruit punch that I kind of created on accident a bit. I'm [00:01:00] not sure where all of you all reside or what restaurants look like in your area, but I am born and raised and still live in Atlanta. Well, now the Metro Atlanta area and here a lot of the local wing places, and even some of the Jamaican restaurants always have the combination of punches. So in the local, and when I say wing, I mean like chicken wing places. So the local chicken wing places, they have these almost fountain type. Drinks. I, don't not quite sure what they're called. They're in the same container that you have, like the really big frozen daiquiris dispense out of. And they have different flavors like peach and lemonade and fruit punch. And. They even combine them, . So my kind of go to is like a little bit of peach juice and a little bit eliminate and it's like, perfect. It's like sweet. And then you get the salty wings and it's, Oh, it's the best. So recently my husband and I had a [00:02:00] hankering for some wings. So I went to our local wing place, but unfortunately they don't have the juice thing anymore. since COVID, they've gotten rid of it. So I really wanted it. Like a good fruit punch. I haven't purchased one in the store that I really love. But as I said before, I like locally, they have some of the Jamaican restaurants. They make their own fruit punches and Oh gosh, they're so good. And again, if I couldnt' the recipe for it, so. I at first, I was like, Oh, don't worry about it. I came home, we ate the wings, I just had some water. And I was like, I really want a fruit punch and I'm going to figure this out. So I did a little bit of research. So I combined a little bit of what I know from my palette. Some YouTube videos, Google searching and just what was available in my local store. So this is my [00:03:00] base for my fruit punch. And, you will have, there will be a link in the show notes to a blog post, and then I'll have the whole recipe written out, now with this fruit punch, you can add your spirit of choice. I have a love of all things, rum and subsequently Tiki drinks and anything that has rum in it I have tried, I've lost count the amount of rums that I tried. And when I went on my honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, I was in heaven with the open bar and all of those rums. if you're, uh, had ever been to the Dominican Republic, one of their go to brands is brugal, and it's a really solid, rum, but I have just so many that I love my plantation rum, diplomatico will like, Oh, so many good things. So. And a really good addition for this is rum, I use just a simple [00:04:00] silver rum. You can use an aged rum if that's what you have. And if you're not a big rum person, this would do really well with another what I consider a little bit of a neutral spirit. So, so you could add in vodka or maybe even gin, but I would not go into any other categories other than those, those are gonna. Be your best combinations. So the fruit punch is a combination. And so I started with a quarter of a watermelon. So I didn't want to buy a ton of watermelon because I didn't even know how much this will yield. So it was just easier to go for a quarter. So I took the quarter of a watermelon, and then just slice that up and cube did scooped it out, threw it in my blender and. I just went ahead and blended that down. And then I used a strainer, a mesh strainer, and just strained out the extra pulp and seeds. And [00:05:00] so that was my base t0 that I added. one of the frozen concentrates is a, was an orange and pineapple juice. I then added that into the watermelon. So, going in between a huge mixing bowl and my blender. So every time I would blend something, strain it, I put it into the mixing bowl and then just keep adding things. So, in my blender I put the frozen concentrate and then I added in two bananas and then blended that down, just pulsed it. It really good. Straighten that out as well. I also added the juice use of one Naval orange, two limes and a lemon. And then here and my local store, they have a juice that is a passion fruit base, but it's like a tropical juice or as passion, fruit juice, guava and papaya, I believe. And pineapple juice. And I just added overall probably about. A [00:06:00] cup to a cup and a half of that, just to add it in with the different fruit I was using, as I was blending that up to kind of create it a more of a liquid base. additionally, if you cannot find, like a tropical juice that you really love, and I really liked this one because the ingredients are minimal and you really get a fruit flavor. if you can find the fruit nectars. we have those around, especially, and some of your local, international stores. if there's anywhere in your city where they have a large, Caribbean population, then you tend to find those, really frequently. So if you do that and I would, I would, purchase, a passion fruit or guava or papaya or mango. nectars and add a combination of those in those cells would be like really good as well. I additionally felt like I needed a little bit more fruit flavor, so I had some frozen fruit and my freezer and I had some mixed berries and [00:07:00] mango. So I blended that in the blender with the little bit of the passion fruit juice though. One cup to one and a half cups is going to include all of these is additional additions. Anytime you need to add, like just a little liquid, I added the passion fruit juice. and then I blended that up, straighten that out, added that in there. And what are the YouTube videos that I found? it was for a Jamaican fruit punch and he added mixed essences  while I've seen it in the store. I wasn't quite sure what that included. So I did a little bit of a research and mixed essence is a combination of  vanilla  Almond and lemon extract,  so he suggested as a recommendation, if you couldn't find mix essence was to use almond extract for once. And I can't tell you how long, cause I bake a lot. I was completely out of almond extract. But another alternative to almond, almond and vanilla go hand [00:08:00] in hand and play like a really nice part with, additions and baking and things like that. Almond with really, strong, taste still, you have to be really careful with the almond extract. So even in his whole punch, he was only using. About a half of a teaspoon. So I substituted that with some vanilla, stirred that up and that was my juice and it was, Oh guys, it was so amazing. Now what you can adjust depending on your preference. So as you've seen it in a lot of recipes, they always tell you to season to taste. And I would say the same for fruit punch. So you're not adding any salt or pepper guys. So as you finish the punch, just taste it along the way. Some people like a sweeter flavor. So depending on where you are, that may work perfectly for you. Additionally, some may like a little bit [00:09:00] more. Of tartness and not like an equal balance. So I kind of went back and forth as I was tasting. And I was like, Oh, it's a little too sweet. So I'll add a little additional lemon or lime juice just to kind of pump up that tartness to give, a good flavor balance that was in tune with what I like to drink. Cause we went through this punch super quick guys. So to make your cocktail. You're gonna pour, the punch into a glass. I just put it into a normal bout 16 ounce glass. And I did about half of it for that. So eight ounces of the juice. If you want to make a larger  mix then by all means, add more alcohol let's punch. Just kind of play with it a bit. So. I added in about eight ounces of the punch and then two shots of rum and stirred that together. And then what always is an amazing [00:10:00] addition to run punches. Cause I made rum punches separately that I did not make a complete fruit punch base and. Is the addition of Angostura bitters. So I had about three to four dashes of Angostura bitters. And guys it's such a, just refreshing cocktail makes you feel like you've been transported to the beach. I know many of us can't really get to some of our friends. Favorite destinations, but it's like Calgon. It takes you away just for a little bit. So that's the cocktail guys. I'm just going to sum it up and call it terrica's fruit punch. And you can add in, like I said, any addition of alcohols that you would prefer,  Where I used the two shots of rum then you can add in vodka or gin in his course are going to give you a lot more floral notes. So the [00:11:00] addition of the bitters in using vodka and gin was probably not needed, but based on your personal preference, please like try it out. If you have them in your home. If you make cocktails often, try a little bit taste it, see what it, see what it does for you. So a little bit too. You know, heavy on the bitters and just add a little bit more juice to balance that out. So hope you enjoy guys. If you decide to make the fruit punch, even if you don't add in a cocktail and you just want to non-alcoholic version, please let me know how it turned out. Let me know what you think, tag us on Instagram or Facebook or any of this social platforms. If you want to share it at she's got vision. And until next time, guys, there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #003 - Marketing Your Business w/ No Expertise + Our Personal Stories Show Description In this episode we're diving into a pretty big topic for most business owners especially at the beginning. That is how do you market your business when you don't feel like you're an expert in your field? Or you feel like your knowledge is not on par with others in your field. We're also going to give you some behind the scenes of our businesses and what our early days look like too. Show Notes [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrick Strozier, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa shepherd and launch strategist and content creator. With a love of all things Disney, each week, you'll hear our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode three of the marketing cocktails podcast. Today, we're diving into a pretty big topic for most business owners. And that is how do you market your business when you don't feel like you're an expert in your field, or you have the expertise that is on par with the rest of your niche. We're also going to give you some behind the scenes of our businesses and what our early days look like too. So if you're ready to hear us stories, let's dive in. So what about when you don't have the [00:01:00] expertise to market your business. Well, I'll just do what everybody else does. I'll fake it till I make it. I'll act like a habit all to get together. When in reality behind the scenes, now this is a shamble that maybe I've never gotten a client act like I'm booked out. and when I'm marketing myself, I'll take one little. nuance of something that I've done and I'm going to blow it up tenfold, because we've all seen that someone, no one person take a step forward. Now they've transformed somebody's business and then that's how they market themselves. And that's okay. They put it out there even though they have, they don't have the expertise and it's okay if you don't, we all start somewhere. You all don't even want to know what my stationery business looked like when I started back in 2011, then in a one bedroom apartment with. This laser printer that [00:02:00] I didn't even really know that like how I was going to use it, but I took a client and I couldn't figure it out. And my inkjet didn't work.  and I went and spent $350 on a laser thinking that that was going to fix him. It was an Epic fail guys. It was so bad. I don't even want to look back at those things anymore, but I've come a long way in nine years, but I didn't fake it too. I, I wasn't faking it at that point. I just put out what I knew, what I could do offer. And at this offer point that I felt was congruent with where I was, so that if I underlay under delivered just a little bit, and it didn't feel like I was ripping these people off, but the whole time I was trying to overdeliver, I was like, I'm going to give you the best product that I can right now. And that's okay. Vanessa: Yeah. Oh my gosh, you, you don't need really don't need a college degree or a super extensive, consultant or, [00:03:00] all these fancy things that you could invest in right away to start and to start marketing your business. If okay, let's go back to some super simple examples. If a little kid can have an idea and start talking to people about it and make sales. Then you as a grown ass adult can do the exact same thing and I'm completely serious here. So if, if we're going to turn back the clock, once upon a time, I was a cute little blonde girl in Northern Canada, and I, they essentially started a business without knowing it because as you're a kid, you don't know what it's doing. You don't know what, you're, what you're kind of leading things in. I essentially started my first business when I was like six or seven. And I was making things I was crafting and making things for weddings or that people needed. And people bought them. I don't know if they actually thought they were good or why, or if they were just seeing, being nicest, poor little kid, but either way I made stuff, I sold it. I [00:04:00] talked to people that the people that bought my set I've talked to other people and people kept coming back fast, forward 20 years. I'm still doing the exact same thing. On down though. Cause that's not something I promote or push anymore a while. It was, I did a lot of weddings. I did a lot of birthday parties, a lot of baby showers I made and crafted my heart out. Did I have a website and a fancy, set of tools that I hire, a fancy consultants? No, I did make money. I did cover my bills. I covered my expenses. I was profitable doing it. I loved what I did. until it took like the fun out of it. but essentially like you D I didn't, I didn't have a college degree at that point. I didn't have, a marketing education, but I still was able to create a plan that was true to me. It was treating my customers, it communicated what I did, how I helped, people knew how to get in touch with me. And I took steps [00:05:00] that were really methodical because that's the way I am one foot in front of the other one step after the other. And I reached my goals. Was that okay? Absolutely. Everybody has different goals. Everybody has different outcomes for me, it was just having a fine side hustle that I did something I loved. I was helping people. I was creating things. and I paid a few extra bills. And was profitable doing it for somebody else. Somebody else might want it. They could turn around and do the exact same thing. They could turn around and make something, but they might want to grow it to six figures instead of, a few, four figures or whatever. And that's totally okay too. You don't, you don't need a degree to make a plan. I know people that have started their business by writing their, their plans and their goals and how they're going to go from point a to point B on a napkin. Okay. It's just a matter of write it down, figure it out, learn what you don't know. Constantly. Always be learning. Don't hack your way to the top. Don't super fake it. Be true to who you are [00:06:00] and people will. They'll they'll come and they'll, they'll flock towards you because you're real because you are relatable. And because you're, you're putting yourself out there in a way that's honest and ethical and is just like, Hey, I have a thing. I do this, and I want to help these. And people will appreciate the clarity that that brings to the table. Terrica: Exactly because real is not a trend or a fad. I know everyone loves that word authentic right now, but at the core of it, if you're true to yourself, that'll always be in season. It's interesting that you were using the example going back to when you were like six or seven, because as not every little girl, but many of us had the experience to be girl Scouts. I stopped [00:07:00] after brownies, but I, so I sold my fair share of cookies and we all learned really quickly to find a unique. Way of selling cookies. Cause everybody wanted to, the amazing you got when you sold like X number and higher and you wanted to be better than the other troops, or maybe somebody in your troop, you want to beat them. And you, I realized that maybe their mom worked here and they were doing it. They're like, what can I do different. What, what can I make up when I go knock on the doors and say, to make people want to buy my cookies and buy more than one box buy like three or four or five boxes? we've all heard the stories, like you said, Where someone started their business on a napkin with an old laptop in their closet. like all of the rags to riches story, does it take Vanessa: all the detours and other fancy techniques? okay guys, at one point in my life, I was [00:08:00] homeless and broke and I had absolutely nothing. I managed to get my hands on a snow shovel and I shoveled walks all winter. And that's how I made money, extra money and paid the bills and got myself back into having a roof over my head. So there's always a way there's always a way to communicate what you do and to put money in your pocket Terrica: and see. I learned something new about Vanessa every day. And this speaks to her, not just her innovation, but her grit guys cause I'm in Georgia and we barely have snow. So I couldn't even imagine having to do that, but it does speak to one thing that I've focused on, especially as a brand designer and everybody feels like. You gotta have the pretty brand. You gotta have the logo and the amazing website, [00:09:00] but guys, I know people who are booked out and I've made six figures off of emails. no actual website. My folk is, and I'm going to be a broken record with this. Is that the core of it all is people. And that empathy that you can have for your fellow man and finding out how you can truly help, how you can truly connect to actually listen, and to hear people that in itself takes no money. All that takes its time and focus and energy. And when you can do that, To me, that is the core of ourselves. That's how people book out. Doesn't matter how pretty now don't get me wrong. I love some pretty and true design has not only the aesthetic piece, but the impact is, [00:10:00] well, it converts and you need it when you get to a certain level, Vanessa: but Terrica: starting out, you don't have to have that. Like you were saying, Vanessa, it's. Having this idea. I do this, I offer this. This is how I can help you guys talk. And you have that full, that conversation that you go in that's cost you nothing. So even if you don't have this expertise, even if you feel like you don't have 10 years of experience and three degrees, and guys I'm telling you that doesn't mean anything. I have two degrees and sometimes I feel like I still don't know enough. I'm always learning. the master a true master of any craft is always a student. So in that. You don't have to have the expertise to market your business, but you do have to have a plan and you have to have intention and you have to map it out. Even if you map it out, thinking that these are like massive dreams. And I don't know if I'll [00:11:00] ever get it. It's literally taking one step. Vanessa: I come down those massive things, you break them down. So, okay. A great example for this is, me a few years ago, so I was constantly booked out. I didn't have a website for anything I did. I've had, I'm a serial entrepreneur. I've had multiple businesses over the years. I've sold the few. I've had a few down. It's fine. but I didn't have a website up until 2014 and in 2014, the only reason I actually started a website was because. For a project. When I was getting my marketing degree, we had to make a website and it had to be present fictional company. And I was like, Oh, hell no. If I'm going to break into the online space, I'm going to do a fictional company, but it's really on underneath. It's going to be like my real company and I'm going to make it awesome. I always worked double duty, but anyway, You don't have to have fancy things to make a go of it. I still pay my bills. I wasn't online. It was fine. but in terms of like having that [00:12:00] plan and having a big, lofty goal, I had a crazy goal, but what most people would call a crazy goal. I even thought I was crazy at the moment, to go back to school. I was in debt up to my ears. Like we're talking like 80 grand in the hole and didn't have my own place, had a car, barely, , had payments on it. I was not healthy. I was not, I wasn't even living a secure longterm job. I was trying to side hustle on top of it. And it was like probably one of the lowest points of my entire life, but I knew that I needed to dig myself out of the hole. And I set my sights on going back to school and getting a degree because I came , the thing at the time was okay, if you want to get that, this specific level of job, you needed a degree. Okay, fine. If that's what I need to do, I will find a way and I will get a degree, but I'm in debt up to my [00:13:00] ears. So how the heck am I going to get a degree? Well, I'm going to have to find a program that is 100%. Online, so that I can work full time, go to school and make a goal day. And at the time I was like, okay, cool. I can do this. I can do this part time. I had some serious doubts, whether or not I could go back to school in my late twenties and actually like fit in and, and make a go of it while working full time in a high pressure job. It wasn't permanent. And I didn't know if I was going to have a paycheck after my contract, my now and a few months. But I took the risk. I took the plunge. I applied to go back to school. I took one course to start. I knew, okay. I want, I want the degree. And it's probably, if I do it one or two courses at a time is probably going to take me for freaking ever. But that's the plan as to how I'm going to get there. And they mapped that out. I took one course and was like, I had this almost instant reminder of how. [00:14:00] Easy school could be for me and how much I loved learning and how it didn't feel like a chore that I thought it would be. And how everybody else around me had said, it's going to be impossible. You're never going to be able to do it. It's going to be way too hard. It's going to be, Oh, it's going to suck. You're not going to have a social life. And, and you're just, Oh, you're going to be miserable and don't even do it. If I had listened to all those people. And there were a shit ton of people who were telling me this. I never would have enrolled in that one class. And I was like, no, I'm going to enroll in this one class. We're going to see where it goes. That class was fairly easy. Yeah. There were, there were challenges as with anything else. but I went into it and I was like, by halfway through that class, I was like, Oh, hell no, I could do, I could do three of these at once. If I do three, I'm classified as a full time student. And if I do three at a time, I started doing math. I was like, how long it would take me to get this degree. If I did three or four or five. By the time I did that first class, then I did three and I was like, Oh, if I can do three, I could do five. That's totally fine. And my plan [00:15:00] kept adjusting. And that was totally okay because I still had a plan. I still broke it down. I even like I had, I had a crazy spreadsheet that mapped out all the courses I needed to take. And I moved those courses around as they changed because. Of course you'll enroll in a degree program. They change it as you go. It's lovely. Love the love, the educational system. but I mapped it out and I kept changing it to stay true to me and my goal and where I needed to be. I took what it's been a path that I should have finished in eight years doing it part time. I finished it in four and a half with honors and $10,000 with the scholarships in my pocket. I over that same amount of time, I landed a permanent job. I got a promotion. I wound up, collecting a whole bunch of scholarships, getting recognized, getting awards. I wound up moving, getting a better housing situation. eventually moved in with a boyfriend. Eventually got engaged to say boyfriend, like so many [00:16:00] things in my life started coming together because I created a plan. At the same time that I did all this crazy things, one of my assignments was to create that website. I created a website and while I was working full time, going to school, full time, trying to navigate a new life and all the things that change along with it, I decided to start side hustling too. So it is all possible. And it does sound absolutely ridiculous. And if even hearing myself related, it was like, man, if I was somebody looking at the outside of that situation, I'd be like that chick's insane. That is the craziest story ever. Terrica: And that's crazy. And people, probably someone listening is like, I have just as much things going on and I can't see, the forest for the trees. I don't know, where. My next move move is, and maybe, Hey, you [00:17:00] say you like created a plan, but I don't even know where to go next. And that's fine too. Knowing where you are is one of the biggest catalyst for change in how you go forward. So if you're at a point where. You really feel like you're in a crossroads and you don't know where to go and even crafting a plan seems overwhelming, then find help. Like I know that sounds so simple, but find help if you have the resources, if you can. Do things to garner resources. If you don't have any money. Now, if you need to sell a couple of things, if you need to try to work a little bit extra, whatever you can do to maybe invest in a coach or a program, didn't do that. If it's getting further education, then do that. If you're you're listening and you're like, and like I was at one time and it's like, I [00:18:00] don't have no money. Like I can't sell anything. I have nothing. Vanessa: We Terrica: are in the prime day and age right now. Of social media. There is a Facebook group somewhere that you can hop on for free 99 and ask questions and put yourself out there. Believe me, there are people who are out there who actually want to help. There are a lot of people who are trying to sell you some shit too, but there's a lot of people who are out there who truly want to help. So put yourself out there and say, Hey, I'm here. I know where I want to go. I just don't know how to get there, Vanessa: who Terrica: can help me. and that may seem like a big question, but that's a small question. And then people will ask you more detailed question. Okay. Well, where are you having trouble? Oh, how can I help? Oh, you need help here. You help there let's work through it. Then now this overwhelming goal. Now seems like actually attainable. [00:19:00] Now your mind is like starting to formulate in your mind and set changes. Oh, kind of like how Vanessa was that I just want to get a degree, and you break it down. Like, I can. I think I can do this. Like I'm doing it. Oh, Vanessa: we all have the power to do things that you literally blow your own mind. If you get into the right, like the right head space and you start realizing and putting things together, you're like, actually some of these things aren't quite as hard as they could be in. And some of these things are. No, they're, they're just easier. The biggest thing that holds us back is that fear a lot of times, and just the unknown of like, what the heck do I do? Write it down. Brain dump, journal your heart out of it.  put it on paper and really think deeply. On what you want to do and where you want to go. And not just  the surface level stuff,  honestly, almost everybody on the planet [00:20:00] wants to make money. Don't don't, don't go that far. That's not going to help you break down a plan. think deeper, dig deeper and really, really hone in on where you want it to go. And why? Like I wanted a degree. Yes. I wanted a better job. Yes. But my big, big, big vision that was like driving everything else is that I knew that someday I was going to make it possible to create a company that would help build up other women who were basically like in my shoes, who struggled, who didn't have a time who didn't have, but didn't know what the heck to do or how to put one foot in front of the other. And I'm still driving towards that vision and getting one step closer each and every day. Terrica: Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the [00:21:00] best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend to share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us. Yeah, she's got vision on all platforms until next time. Y'all we're wishing you much success. I remember there's always time for cocktails.

Episode #002 - Busting Marketing Myths: Part 2 Show Description In this episode, we're busting these marketing myths: "content is…?" and "You don’t need a marketing plan". Myths can be so damaging to entrepreneurs and business owners who decide to make decisions based on them. We've heard both of these myths so many times in online business, and it's about time that someone set the record straight! Show Notes [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrick astrologer, that's me a brand designer and sugar attic and Vanessa shepherd and launch strategist and content creator. With the love of all things business each week, you're here, our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. And given that bro marketer advice, the book. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink and let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode two of the marketing cocktails podcast. Today's episode is going to be a continuation of the first and we're just rounding up the final three marketing myths. The ones we'll do tackle today. Our content is blank. We all have a definition that can probably fit in there. Everyone is your customer, and lastly, you don't need marketing plan. So let's dive in. . So , you use the word content a lot. And that seems  to be as [00:01:00] confusing, a word for people as marketing is, and that people are like,  content is just the written stuff, right? So my content is just blog posts, but I hate blogging. So I guess I have no content. And then I heard people, no, your content is,  what people. Read about you, what they see. Oh, you mean my Instagram and my Facebook. So that's my content. So my content strategy needs to be centered around the first place. I want people to find information about me and there's this business owner back end.  that's YouTube for me. And someone else's like, Oh, I don't do videos. So I guess it's Instagram for me. And so we know that content is more. Then social media. Cause there's some people killing it right now and they have no social media presence at all. And that blows people's mind. And they're thinking I'm wasting all my time on Instagram [00:02:00] and someone's making six figures in your in box and I'm like, yeah. But if that's where your people are and where your people connect, put your time and energy there. So what else. Would you say about content? Cause I know that it's literally  you're  baby, you know, digital baby, I guess Vanessa:  I love content you can tell because, , I just spent the last 10 years deep diving into basically content in front of  break it down to a nutshell. Content is cool. Content is I really want to simplify it. It's every single message that you put out into the universe. So it's every time you open your mouth to tell somebody about you, your business and your brand that's content, you're creating content just by talking. We're creating content right now and all we're doing is yapping at each other. It's all the stuff you write down. So  your invoices, the way the stuff you put on them, [00:03:00] that is also a piece of content. The, blog posts you put out there. The stuff on your website, the stuff in your emails, the stuff on your videos, on your podcasts. Every time you send people have a box or a message or a Slack message, all of that is technically content. And people over complicated. They're like, well, content is only, blog posts or videos or whatever. Nah Nah  it's, everything, every single thing. There's so many different forms of what's called media or medium. and that's the format that your content comes in. So if you are writing it down, Then that's written or text based content if you're doing a video and that's obviously video content, same word. if you're doing a podcast or an audio snippet, anything is, that you can, you, hear it only. That's audio content, you can get, visual. So that's if like when Tara designs pretty awesome graphics that go up on, [00:04:00] Instagram, like all those pretty designed things. It's visual. Anything that's really graphical visual content. you can mix and match others media together. If you write, say you're doing a Rob blog, I like blogging. I'm old school. yeah, blog posts. I'm going to write that content down. I might record an audio for the people out there who hate to read and there's lots of, yeah. Are there, I might do a video for all the people who. Hate to read. They don't really want to listen. They want to see somebody's face as they're conveying the information. And I might do some infographic infographics, or maybe I'll do up some pretty pictures or maybe I'll do app like pins or little other visual elements. I'm gonna put them all into one post. I just created four different types of content. Put it into one delivery vehicle and put it out in the universe. Terrica: And we see this so much. At least I feel like my ads are flooded with [00:05:00] content planners, content strategy, content, content, content. It feels like one of those,  neon signs just flashing at you like seven, 11 time. and I wonder, cause I struggle with content. I can create all day. You say Terrica   design this for me. Sure. My nose is into my laptop and I'm focused, but then you say, stop doing that. And write something for an audience. Oh, I have to get out my artist's brain and say stuff to people. Okay. I have no idea what to talk about. And so, you know, I just sit there and then there's  crazy gaps. And anybody, if you, if you find me on Instagram, there's going to be gaps. I'm just telling you, I'm human. I'm getting better though. So what is your. Advice to people when it comes to developing a content [00:06:00] strategy, not just as a whole, because I feel  everybody's telling you that, but one that feels good or is in tune with what they like to do. Can someone say if I don't want to be on Instagram? It's fine.  my business won't implode on itself. If someone finds me and they're like, she doesn't have an Instagram, she's not reputable. Or if I just want to do video. Can I just live on YouTube and never write anything else again in my entire life? Vanessa: Technically all those situations are, could be true. And we could probably, if we think long and hard to come up with the right names, I'm really bad with names, by the way, I just didn't stick in my head. It's awesome. but we could probably come up with lists of people who they were, they went through a really simple process. They were like, okay. So I want to get into online business and I need, I know I need to put something out in the world to tell people what I do. What do I like doing actually, do I really love doing, [00:07:00] because if you're going to create content for the internet, you gotta love doing it because you might do it for a while before somebody ever stumbles upon it and goes, man, you are the next hot thing. And you become this overnight sensation, which doesn't actually happen. Almost everybody. Who's an overnight sensation has been doing something for awhile. Anyway, I digress.  a good example. We had a conversation when we were  hashing out. Do you even want to be on Instagram are your people even on Instagram or , do I have to be there? Cause everybody out there is telling me I have to be on Instagram. Cool. That's awesome. I know you don't have to be on any one platform. You have to be where your people are. You have to decide that. So by looking at things, we figured out your Pinterest, it was like blowing up continually, even when you do nothing and you're inconsistent, your Pinterest still blows Terrica: up. Yeah. Vanessa: And so we know there's a good segment of your people on Pinterest. And the great thing about Pinterest is it's very visual. Which meets your designer, inner artist [00:08:00] and it  can pull it out and we can automate that. So you don't have to spend hours at the scheduler and you can continually just keep designing and popping it up on your blogs. That auto feeds to Pinterest, and you never really have to touch any of it. and that works and that will work for people. You get clients through there, you get people at least inquiring. Finding it, maybe they send your pin to a friends and kind of refer you that way. we know that you don't like writing things down and that's totally okay too, but you have no problem picking up your phone and recording a video and putting it up on a live. So then you're kind of fine becomes I love designing things. I am totally comfortable doing impromptu videos when I feel like it. The mood strikes her that again, that's the artist flow. It's pretty awesome. And that's what I'm going to do because I know my people watch my videos and I know my people, I love my designs. So those are the two things that I'm going to tackle this year. And that's totally fine [00:09:00] because that works for you and it meets your people where they're at and how they want to interact with you. Me on the other hand, my people and what I love to do, I can write all day long. I could probably speak things out, but there's going to be a lot of ums and AHS because I overthink everything and I go down and cute little rabbit holes, not very efficient. If you just want to learn one thing, I have to really focus. It's fine. So I write, I have had many, many, many blogs over the years. People always find me. They always find the stuff and it drives traffic for freaking ever. It's awesome. you won't catch me jumping into video cause I, I don't know. I still have to learn how to do that stuff. When all the rest of the people of the world that were  super into video hopped on, I was out writing things down and doing degrees and doing research. So. I write my people find me. It's fine. I also like to design kind of findings or I might take photos and I'll put those up again. That's a visual form and people like it, the audience [00:10:00] responds well to it. So we keep doing it. To grow and to kind of meet more people over time. For both of us, we're going to have to take on another form of another medium. maybe we'll take on, maybe you'll start getting your videos transcribed and that'll be your written form. And maybe all start, I don't know, recording audio of my blog posts, but to be able to grow and reach more people and bring them people in, in different ways. Eventually they'll have to get to the point where you've created this like initial. layer of content. You add another medium on top of it. You're not exactly creating brand new content, but you're kind of beefing what you have created up. And I think a lot of people miss talking about that, everybody's like, you have to create new stuff all the time. There's, there's like a drop of truth to that because technically if I take my blog posts and. read it or verbalize it. I'm creating new content, but it's not reinventing the wheel. It's [00:11:00] reusing what I have. It's multiplying that first piece of content to make it even better. And do you use it in a different way so that it connects with even more people? Yeah, Terrica: it does to me and guys to anybody's listening. I really thought that you had to create something new. and I say that because I come from, obviously the designer world, and while some people have templates and things like that, your clients are always wanting you to come out with something new. the dreaded words. something that pops something that stands out. So then your brain automatically goes when someone says, create content, that's new, like something new every single time. And my brain is slowly, it looks like the iPhone emoji where the little fragments are just like flying out into the universe. So my brain looks like, and then I met Vanessa and she's like, You know that you don't have to always create [00:12:00] something new. And I was , alright, I'm a skeptic. Explain it to me. And she breaks it down and I won't break it down into everything that she does. Cause guys that's a little bit of genius, but regardless is that just the example that she gave you don't have to create something new. I created an email. For in,  for a sales, sequence that I then repurpose to a blog post that I'm then repurposed again, into an Instagram. Post or maybe two, not quite sure. And I still kind of go back and Oh, I can add to that. Let me take a little piece of that and do that. And my brain never went there before and now I'm like, wow, this is like freaking amazing. Maybe this is how all these people, we like. Fan girl or fan boy over, this is what they're doing on the back end.  nobody's, I mean, so we know that people have teams, so yeah, there's [00:13:00] that, but minus that maybe there is this person who's killing it at, you know, who's  a solopreneur and it, every time you turn, you're like they have some new content, how they're doing it in your life. This is how they're doing it. So guys, that's your win for today? Go back through some old content, see what you can repurpose, and now you have a whole new batch of content to put out don't you love us. Awesome. also this, I feel , goes into another one.  of our myths. And so maybe we'll  tackle two things at once. And one of them is that because we're talking about putting out content to your audience and people feeling that they have to be everywhere, which. is in line with the idea that everybody is your customer. So you should be everywhere. Like literally we all need to clone ourselves and be a little bit of everywhere so that we can sell to everybody so that we can make [00:14:00] all of the money. So that's one myth. That's not the case guys. So number two is, well, if it works for another company, it should work for me. And I use this example cause I've heard it like 15 bazillion times as well, targeted for everybody. Everybody can walk in target. There's something for everybody in target. So if it works for them, then I can sell to everybody. I don't have to pick a niche. I don't have to focus on anybody. I don't have to read the data. I'm just going to sell to everybody. And then I'll make all of the big books. That's what's going to happen. Vanessa: It's so wrong. It's so wrong. It's so wrong. It's Target's not for everybody. We love target. I'm very sad that they're no longer in Canada. They broke my heart with their marketing strategy. That's a whole tangent for another day, but that's [00:15:00] fine. target doesn't target everybody. If you think about it a little ironic. Yeah, it's fine. target goes after really specific audience. They're not going to find the people that go shop at Walmart. They're not going to shop at target. A lot of them a. Can't afford it. And a lot of them v.  Just won't vibe with it. Yup. target actually goes after more specific customers than say Walmart or some of the other department store kind of one stop shopping kind of places target really goes after that middle class. A person in the upper middle class person, even those people that are the Starbucks drinkers, the Apple product users, fixer upper levers. Those people have a little bit more income. They have a little bit of a higher standard, probably have more professional job. They have drive a nice car. They're not the people who are really struggling, struggling to make ends meet. And they're not so frugal that they [00:16:00] want to save money continuously. They still enjoy saving money as well. Who doesn't, but they're not. So cut coupon, clipping driven that they're going to be more inclined to go shop at Walmart. So the lesson in all this is that even when it looks like a company goes after. Like everybody out there, you know, a store that offers more than one thing for sale, it looks like they could, anybody could walk in and find something that they need. But if you look close enough, you can tell that that's really not the case. And so you can use that information to kind of help you in your business by knowing that you need to get really specific about who your customer is, what their pain points are and how you can actually help solve their problem. By focusing on that one customer and your problem solver, you'll be able to have no problem growing your business. Whereas if you focus on everybody, it'll feel like you're trying to go [00:17:00] after everyone and everything and chase things. And people won't really know what you do, how you do it and who you serve. And that is really, really confusing to a customer. And it turns them off really fast because they there's nothing there to be a memorable. Even if your brand is pretty awesome, Terrica: at Vanessa: that Terrica: is exactly what I was thinking in marketing to everyone. Because at that point you become a Jack or a Jill of all trades, at least on the outside, looking in. It seems as if you offer everything, you do everything, but your business. At that point gets a little lost in a sea of what? Everything, everything that's out there. Nobody thinks, Oh, Hey, I need someone who's amazing marketer and really good at Facebook ads, who do I call? They go to, Joe blow over here a [00:18:00] year or a Susie Q over here. But they don't think about you because there isn't that specificity there, that that's what you offer. And that's where your zone of genius is. Now I will say the normal ideal client avatar. It's not my jam at all. I don't feel as Vanessa: It really drives her nuts. People like she's, she's not kidding. It's hilarious. Terrica: I don't feel that you need to know that your customer is. 35 to 42 year old woman who lives in New York city or a similar metropolitan area makes between 58,070 $5,000 a year has 2.5 kids, probably a dog kids are in private school. She drinks Starbucks and she really loves Panera. And she shops at [00:19:00] anthropology and gilmore girls is her favorite show, ever all those details while they're great. And they can be connecting points in your community. If your audience has someone to taste or, and you know where they are in pop culture or socially or whatever, that's great, but I don't feel like you need to have any of that. What you need to have at the core is. What are your ideal customer values? What are these people value? Like you noted, what is the problem that they're having so that you can address in your offers? The, solution to their problems in a way that connects with them in a way that you understand who they are as an individual. And it's in line with the type of business you want to run. If you want to have an ethically focused business, well, you want people who aren't, you know, shady as fuck. nobody wants to work with those people. So to me, knowing. Who you want to serve [00:20:00] and then crafting your offer so that you can show up in the best way to connect to them is how you can really build a profitable business. And at that point you're not selling to everyone. You may not sell to us, you know, such a specific. Sector of people that this crazy ideal client avatar that I gave. And I'm sorry, people, if you've created that and it works for you, then kudos, it works for you. I just have a different perspective on it. Neither one is right or wrong. they're. Accurate to both of our experiences, but going forth to me at the core of everything is people. So. There's an easier way to attack it. so you can work with people in different niches, but at the core of it, they have the same value. So that's the kind of central, focus. and I think that's what works that you don't market to everyone you can diversify you work with, but still have that core. That is true. [00:21:00] Vanessa: Absolutely and there's all these exercises that are floating around out there. Some of them are really helpful and you're absolutely right. Like the ideal customer avatar doesn't work for you. It does work for other people. It does work for some, like some of our clients and some of the people I've worked with. And it can be a really great exercise to go through, to find commonalities. if you're, if you've come to a point where. those values, you've kind of picked a evaluates focus and you know, your values and, you know, the problems that you, people are having new. You've built an audience around that, and you've got to a point where you're looking, you're like, Holy crap. I need to find like some common threads pulling out that ideal client avatar exercise can be helpful for that. It can be helpful. when you're actually like looking to target somebody with say Facebook ads, because it allows you to think. In really outside the box ways for how to reach those people, through platforms where. It's really hard to reach people like in Facebook ad land, [00:22:00] you can't, I can't plug in value based, things into, ads manager in hope to heck they, I find the honest, ethical people who, you know, are just there to make a difference in the world. That's that's not something I can target, but I can target based on some of those other interests. So that's where some of those exercises come in, really helpful. Kind of a, maybe later points in, growing in marketing or business and with really specific strategies. So don't become like super overwhelmed. If you are hearing about some of these exercises, through courses or through, YouTube videos or wherever you're picking up your information, but just know that some of them are super beneficial for different things. And it's okay if, if one of them or a few of them don't feel like a great fit, find a way to. Kind of craft a picture of who your customer is that feels good to you and run with it because the most important thing you can do is find a way to market yourself and talk about your business and connect with other people in [00:23:00] a way that feels really natural and just really comfortable and like almost effortless. because if it feels like a struggle, you're not, you're a, you're not going to do it. And B you're, you're going to feel rehearsed and nobody wants to connect with somebody who feels like a walking, like robot. Kind of delivering their sales page over and over and over again that nobody wants to do that. Don't do that. Just be yourself, connect with people, connect with those real people and they'll come, they'll come flooding in. They'll find you. They always do. Terrica: So now that we got a little bit more into the marketing piece, I feel like this is a good transition point, to go into our. Next myth, which is   that you don't need a marketing plan to truly effectively market your business. And to really craft a business that's profitable because [00:24:00] that's what everybody, at least I hope everyone's in goal is to have a profitable business. You can make money, but if you spend more money than you make, then guys, it's the point. You barely break even at that point. but the end goal. Is to have a successful business that brings in revenue and is profitable. So with those goals in line, can you do that without having a marketing plan? Vanessa: Yeah. So that's a great question. and it kind of comes down to this, no matter how fantastic your product is or your services, it won't sell itself. And the best way to sell something is to make a plan. You need a solid plan. And when we communicate about things that you need to sell, it's called marketing. It's awesome. It's all it is. Marketing is just communication. It's just like finding [00:25:00] a, an Avenue or two or three or however many kind of fit for you that communicates, what it is that you need to sell that product or service marketing. And a marketing plan is really just like a set of. tools and tactics that you're going to use to win your customers, attract them, win them over. And basically you're defining a way to achieve your sales goals. So a marketing plan is basically an action plan that includes your marketing budget. And a lot of people are like, Whoa, I'm not big enough to have a marketing budget. That's actually very wrong. So. You have a budget for your household, you know exactly how much you need to spend on, you know, keeping a roof over your head and all those fun things. You ha you need to have a client, a budget, and upon for your business of how you're going to use your finances. And even if you don't have a big budget, you still need to dedicate a small portion of your budget. It's not a portion of the profits. You're actually bringing in to reinvest back into marketing [00:26:00] yourself so you can attract more people. A lot of people, miss actually having, any sort of marketing budget, they bring money in and they're like, I just need to make money to pay my bills and that's it. And they take all that money and they put it towards their bills. I forget to pay their taxes. They forget that, they need money for all the, all of these, the tools that they're using and that they actually need money to reinvest back in marketing. don't skip that step. Figure out exactly how much it is that you need to make for yourself, how much you need to spend on the tools that you're using in your business and budget, in a set percentage that you need to make to be able to cover marketing expenses that you can actually invest in ads or some, some promotional mechanism that fits where you're at right now. Because if you don't do that, you're not going to ever have the budget. And you're going to [00:27:00] feel really, really stuck, really, really fast, best way you can grow your business is to actually invest in your marketing one way or another. because in, in this super noisy world, it's really hard to stand out. If you don't, it's really, really hard to. put yourself out there in a way that actually hits people where they're at, unless you have like a bajillion friends. and even then it can be really hard for people to stand out and stand up consistently and hit, big, crazy goals that almost, you hear everybody wanting to achieve. Terrica: Exactly. I think, marketing plans sound so huge in theory. Because many people associate them with a business at a higher level ones that are really detailed and have this whole scope and plan of action. And people are really small and in their head, [00:28:00] they're like, I just need the next client. I'm not thinking about anything marketing I'm on Instagram, but that's it. So. That's that's my focus and I'm not looking at anything else, but the reality is a marketing plan can be simple. It's in correlation with where you are in business. Of course you wouldn't have a marketing plan or a budget of an eCommerce business. That's done a million dollars in sales that, that just doesn't even. They're not even on the same plane and that's fine. but you do have to have a plan of attack and it actually reminds me that going to go down memory lane when I was in high school. And I went, I was in a Vanessa: magnet program in math and science Terrica: magnet program, and we had a coordinator and she would come in [00:29:00] and check with you midway to see how your grades were doing. Um, because we had to maintain a B average to be in at other. Otherwise we went on academic probation and then eventually, if you didn't do it, you were dropped from the Academy. But one thing she said, and it was her mantra and I'm pretty, pretty sure you've all heard this somewhere, but if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. So at some point there needs to be a plan of attack, even if it's just that, I'm going to invest in later so that I can schedule all of my Instagram posts. And eventually when I get to. X amount, whatever you it's is down the road. When I launched this product and I finished and I do want to put some money in ads, or I do want to maybe, maybe you're in the wedding industry and you want to advertise. And one of the publications, that's your that's in your marketing plan. You need to know [00:30:00] how much that's going to cause when you're going to do it, how are you, how you're going to do it. Like it doesn't have to be this huge thing guys, but you do need to have Vanessa: a plan. Absolutely  within your marketing plan,  at the basics, it includes like a budget, a calendar. Cause you need, you need to create content. Let's also address that to market yourself. You need to communicate to communicate is create content, content, communication, same thing. so having a calendar, like an editorial calendar where you can. Easily really easily see at a glance and chart out. Okay. Like how many emails do I need to write for this? What are my emails going to be about? When am I going to send them, am I going to do social media for, marketing this product or service? What, which social media channels am I getting used? How, why, what do I need to create for them? a calendar can help me all of that out in one place. So that super easy to reference, for all of our, students inside launching made simple. We give them a tool like a [00:31:00] content calendar tool, where they can map out all of their blog posts or videos, all their Facebook lives, other emails, every little piece of content that they need to actually market themselves. Again, map it out in one spreadsheet and just start working on it and assign themselves deadlines and due dates. And that helps those people stay on track to actually map out every little step that they need to take. To promote their product or service and, and to steer clear of all the shortcuts and hacks that are really shiny and distracting, it helps them to get consistent, stay the course, and it's helped people to grow, in so many different ways. We have so many different people inside. all of our courses and it's really, really cool to see that the basic strategy it's kind of timeless things like creating a marketing, marketing plan and creating a content plan. That's what helps establish that foundation for your business. That's what helps you to achieve success? it's not, jumping on the latest [00:32:00] trend and, and trying to hack it and trying to see what works it's investing in. The things that are going to be profitable. Once you invest your time, effort, and energy into it, that it's going to return you something on it. The other end, like when we approach how to market any of our,  services or any of our, our products, we're thinking about. Okay. If I invest time in promoting this thing, what am I going to get back out of it? will it actually help me to move the needle? It is not going to help me move the needle. I'm not going to do it. If it is something that's going to move the needle a little bit. Okay, awesome. That's another step in the right direction. That's another step along the journey to get people to where you want them to be. And so that's, that's kind of the way you need to think about your marketing plan. What are the steps that you need to take? To stay consistent to communicate about your product or service and what are the tools that you need to be able to go from point a where you're starting out now to point B and [00:33:00] where you want it, where you want and need to be. Terrica: So I feel like since we said, this is going to be a two for one that you brought up some interesting points in that. In the courses and other educational material that we have out there, that it helps people not have to hack their way to a marketing plan or any of that, like a gear, this roadmap to get there. But when someone's either first starting and they don't really know the lay of the land, And they feel like they have to hack their way to success. As we wrap up today's episode, we spoken a lot on the need for a marketing plan in your business. And I know many of you were thinking that's easier said than done. So you know what? We're helping you with the done part. And we [00:34:00] are presenting to everybody, our new offer launching make simple. It not only gives you direct access to our brains, but exclusive access to our course library that contains everything we've created and will create on marketing strategy. Facebook ads, sales, funnels, tech and so much more. You'll also learn in here how to plan your content around your sales, how to plan a strategic launch so that you're not wasting time and just throwing spaghetti against the wall, how to choose the right offer and how you promote that to your audience and the most strategic way possible. How do you drive traffic to your offer organically and paid all of that? It's going to be. In lodging make simple. And you know what? I know this probably sounds like this is like a thousand dollar course. It's not guys want to make knowledge affordable and we want you to really grow. So we're offering it right now for a [00:35:00] limited time, only $147 for an unlimited access pass. Yes. You heard it right. $147. So if you're interested. Go to she'sgot vision.com/launchingmadesimple. Well, the link will also be in the show notes and we would love to see you in there. We would love to help grow your business and guys, you know what? I want you to make money. We want you to be fulfilled in your business and we want you to be, be aligned and we're here to help. So if you're on the fence about this, or if you have any questions, you're welcome to send us an email at hello, and she's got vision.com. Or find us on Instagram at she's got vision. As soon as the DM, Terrica: Thanks for listening. Y'all you can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcast. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, we love it. If you'd leave a review and subscribe to the podcast and because word of mouth is the best marketing avenue, please tell a friend to share it. If you do, [00:36:00] don't forget to tag us at she's got vision on all platforms until next time y'all we're wishing you much success. And remember, there's always time for cocktails.

Marketing Myths: "Marketing & advertising are the same thing" and "Facebook ads are like an ATM". Show Description In this episode, we're busting these marketing myths: "Marketing & advertising are the same thing" and "Facebook ads are like an ATM". Myths can be so damaging to entrepreneurs and business owners who decide to make decisions based on them. We've heard both of these myths so many times in online business, and it's about time that someone set the record straight! Show Notes [00:00:00] Terrica: Welcome to the marketing and cocktails podcast. We're your hosts. Terrick Strozier, that's me, a brand designer and sugar addict, and Vanessa Shepherd, launch strategist and content creator with a love of all things Disney. Each week you'll hear our behind the scenes conversations and expert advice on marketing and launching your next offer while doing it all ethically and organically. While giving that bro marketer advice the boot. Thanks for spending some time with us today. Grab a drink. And let's jump into today's episode. Welcome to episode one of the marketing and cocktails podcast today, we're talking about debunking marketing myths. So we're going to break this up probably to maybe one to two part episode, and we're going to debunk five of the marketing myths that we have heard so much, and we want to just address them. So here we go. Vanessa: Alrighty. Let's debunk some marketing myths. Marketing and advertising are the [00:01:00] same thing. Not. Big time, not. I hate when people say that they're not the same thing. They're very related. Advertising is a part of marketing, but they're different. So marketing is that kind of ongoing end to end plan that covers  everything you do, the entire process, your business should follow how it provides products or services to the people you serve. That includes everything like designing a price of the product, deciding where it will be sold, how to persuade people to buy it. All the branding,  all of that stuff is related to marketing. Whereas advertising is only one teeny tiny piece of the marketing plan pizza. So it's more focused on creating and placing ads to help spread the word about all the amazing products or services that you actually have to offer. [00:02:00] Terrica: Does that make sense then? I feel like everybody puts it together. Cause you, you watch the TV shows and you see the people on the ad team and they're creating these  jingles   and commercials and all that jazz. And then people are like, Oh, they're marketing the product. So it's the same thing and they're designing it and they have a script. So.  in,  my marketing plan, I'm supposed to write about X, Y, and Z. So that means that marketing and advertising are the same thing. Vanessa: I get that. I get that. It's funny how,  we don't, people don't see the back end. Like they don't see that the ads on TV are like one tiny thing. And there's a lot of overlap, especially if you're getting into  the online space, you can have  a lot of people use the copy from their emails, the copy from their social media posts, or  that pool of content that you create. They pull from that and use it  in their like Facebook ads or in their Pinterest ads or wherever they're blasting things out to their audience. So there's a lot of overlap, but the strategies have to, I think they have to work together and they have to be really specific to what your goals are. [00:03:00] For each piece of the puzzle,  you'll have overall marketing goals about how you want to communicate the things you want to achieve related to the big picture. And you have advertising goals, like how well you want your Facebook ads to do, or your Pinterest ads to do, or the TV and radio ads that you might run. You have to be able to define. How that one little piece of the advertising puzzle will perform and then how all the other marketing around that product or service will perform.  most people think about it as this one big piece of the puzzle.  I'm gonna throw up ads and I'm gonna do a thousand sales total, and I'm going to expect all of that to come up, come from ads and they don't have to do anything else. When the reality is you have to be communicating or marketing your product in. So many different ways and some people never, ever put up ads and that's totally fine because they have a rock solid  marketing strategy that is so on point with the messaging and the offers for their audience, that advertising just helps to [00:04:00] amplify those positive things. And see, Terrica: I think that's the difference is that everybody feels  in order to make money, You have to have ads, even though people tell you that you can do it organically. There's usually the big people don't show you that, , An actual viable Avenue. It just feels like, Oh, they tell me that, but it's organic because they put up ads and then all these people are coming to their stuff. So they already love them. And nobody knows me because nobody knows me. I have to pay to play. I need ads. Vanessa: Yeah. And those are the, like the surface level stories are so aggravating.  what's that when we keep hearing from Gary V all the time, he was , Putting stuff out there and creating content and marketing his stuff, Terrica: right? Like, like 10 years or something crazy. He has stuff on YouTube from forever that people are now finding. And he was , I was making that when nobody knew who I was and nobody was really listening to me. Vanessa: Yeah. So  his content fell [00:05:00] on deaf ears the same way. Like lots of regular people feel that our content falls on deaf ears too. marketing can take time, especially. If you, if you're not paying the play, if you're not like putting some ad spend behind it to help it reach market, it's really, really hard to have your stuff be seen when there's 10,000 other people out there,  putting out the same message at the same time. Terrica: So then I know somebody is listening to this and thinking  well, I thought I knew what my marketing plan was. So now my marketing plan has to include advertising or am I missing something or am I okay with this current marketing plan I have, which may be.  a combination of I'm going to do  these launches, I'm going to design my offers, these what this way, and this is my funnel, but I didn't even think about advertising. And I guess I'm missing out. Cause I don't have advertising. Vanessa: And some people are definitely going [00:06:00] to feel that way. But the, the great part is  not everybody run out. It's not every business out there is running ads and making sales and hitting,  four figures figures, six figures, seven figures a month. I've worked with a lot of people who really didn't start ads until they'd hit a really, really solid place in their business.  they nailed their organic strategy. They made sure that their messaging knocked it out of the park, that their funnel worked flawlessly, that they were having everything was at the conversion rate that they really wanted to see from it so that they knew that when they did finally put ad spend behind it, That it would get to this place of only amplifying what was working the worst part of advertising is people jumping in too soon when their messaging is not really refined or they don't really have a lock on their audience, or maybe it's a brand new offer. And they're not really sure how it's going to convert. A lot of people go out and jump into ads. A lot of [00:07:00] people, unfortunately have really bad experiences with ads managers who don't look at the bigger marketing picture too, so that layers into it. And then they're like, Oh, well, ads don't work for me because I lost a whole bunch of money. When the reality of it is their marketing just wasn't solid before they went in and ran ads. So it's almost better to go at it from following a markerting strategy, and a marketing plan a little bit more organically, nailing things down, and then adding advertising to it when you're ready, instead of going the opposite direction, because paid ads really. They only amplify what does and doesn't work. And the something doesn't work. Say your email sequence isn't converting, or maybe you're landing page design just sucks, right? Advertising is only going to amplify that. And, and it's only going to show you that you have problems, and you're going to have to read the lines between the data to be able to figure out that you have these problems. And not everybody is really proficient at being able to, to [00:08:00] read that data, to figure out where all those problems lie. Terrica: So with that being said, I feel like this then segways into the next myth, which is that Facebook ads are like an ATM. Vanessa: Yes. Oh my gosh. If I have to hear somebody say that one more time and we're going to hear it, it's an online space. That's why some of these awesome bro marketers do their like Facebook ads or like an ATM. I put money in. I get my money back out. Sometimes I get more money out. Which actually sounds more like a slot machine than an ATM, but whatever. Um, or Terrica: one of those little change machines at the laundry mat. Vanessa: I put it, I put a dollar bill and I got a . whole bunch of quarters out it's fine. Um, Facebook ads are not an ATM machine. It can feel like that. You can definitely get to the point where it feels like money in and more money out. It covers my expenses. I make a profit from it, but that's not the reality for everybody.  we can put ads that maybe it's the wrong time, or maybe it's the wrong [00:09:00] offer. Or maybe the photo just didn't stand up enough to be noticed. Like you never know how things are gonna are gonna do until you like test them. Terrica: But testing costs, money, Vanessa: Testing costs money. and especially if you don't have say you don't have that marketing strategy on lock, you don't have a clear plan. You're not creating content consistently. You're hiding behind a computer screen. You're not going on video. People don't know who you are when you put an ad up, they're still not going to know who you are. So if you don't have  that content marketing foundation, plus your advertising kind of strategy, all working together and working harmoniously, Facebook ads are going to feel more like running your money through a shredder, then popping out whole bunch of dollar bills every single day. Terrica: And that's so interesting because I hear so many online business owners or business owners in general will say, you know what  you finally have that offer or I decided to do a [00:10:00] sale. And all I have to do is put, is  put up some ads. It's going to open up my audience in this arena to like millions of people. And then the money will flow in is all I have to do. And only money that I have to put behind it besides ad spend is I just have to find an ad manager. Some people try to  dive in it themselves, but even. I will say from a personal experience, all I tried to do was boost a post, which I've learned from Vanessa, that's not the way to go, but even just doing that, I was like, Oh, this is confusing as hell on the back end. I don't know what any of this stuff means. I don't know how anybody decides to do ads by themselves and put thousands of dollars. If you're one of those people not talking about you, but more power to you. I couldn't do it. I'm I'm not risk adverse like thats not the way to go. But it's interesting. Cause  you've run. I don't know, probably at this point, thousands of ads, and [00:11:00] it's almost like a different viewpoint that people you're saying that  Hey, just because you put the money behind, it doesn't mean that people will come not like field of dreams, you build it. They will come. Vanessa: Yeah. You run an ad. They won't flock to it. You hope they will. You hope that they'll get a viable ad and they'll flock to it, but. I've seen so many times,  people say, well, my product sells.  I sold it to a hundred people that must mean it. It really sells. Okay, cool. Were those people already on your email list or they already kind of knowing you loving you if you run ads and put it up and it goes straight to your warm audience and your warm audience is kind of like. Small to midsize. Yeah. Those ads should convert like gangbusters, because you should know your people so well that you've written this ad that like connects to them on this like deep level. I'm like, yes, that's me. That's my problem. That's my thing. And, Oh my gosh, you have a product. It's going to super connect with me. I love it. I'm in, I'm going to pay you like right now, I take my money, [00:12:00] but all the rest of the people, the other millions of people on the internet out there in the world, they haven't met you yet. They have no clue who you are. Those people are going to take a lot more convincing. You're really going to have to know their pain points. And if you get into this position where you have say a few hundred people, or even a few thousand people on an email list, those people are all different. They all have different motivations, pain points, different levels of money in their bank account. What motivates each and every person on that thing, you're going to have to suss out, like, where are those common threads are, and really get specific on who you want to have buy your product because. You can't throw up. We could like 10 million ads speaking to all those individual people, but that is going to take a lot of time, a lot of money, and it's going to be really ineffective. Whereas if you  focus on one or maybe two kind of people that are your ideal, knock it out of the park, dream people, and your offer speaks to them. It solves a problem. It's really [00:13:00] clear when they see that, then it's, it's really gonna resonate with them then. Cool. Then the ads can work. Quite well, but they're always going to be more expensive than targeting your warm audience. So if you take the time to  get people in, get them into a lead magnet, warm them up, or maybe you're going to do a whole bunch of Facebook lives and just put your face out there and have people hearing you and connecting to you. You're gonna have to take the time to let people really get to know you and your brand and what you offer and who you are and what makes you different. There's a lot of mistrust out there, especially when it comes to ads popping up in your feed. And do you have to, you have to cut through that. You have to be able to connect with people, the people that are really able to do that and do that well, who can get that sense of realness across and they show up and show up consistently those people, when they run ads, they do really, really well. The rest of the people that don't do those things tank almost every time. Terrica: So, because [00:14:00] I know you, and I know where your focus is. When it comes to the foundation for a really good ad, but , what about the people that all I need is an amazing sales page, right? So I'm going to find this template, or I'm gonna pay this designer and they're  gonna create me this beautiful sales page and like subsequent. Funnels, maybe a tripwire page. Thank you page and all of that. And it looks gorgeous and I'm going to focus on my copy and I'm going to hit those pain points and that's all I need for my ad to convert. And then if it doesn't, then there's obviously something wrong with these people,  in the universe who are hopping on my stuff. Cause it's beautiful. My copies on point and my offer is amazing. But I know that there is another elephant in the room, as they say. And then what if that person has no [00:15:00] content, someone decides to say, Oh, they're offer looks interesting. Let me like deep dive into their brand. I want to see what else they're about. And they, they navigate and find their way to your social media page or even your website. And it's, it's nothing there. And. It seems like for most people they don't connect that. It's just like, well, my ad is amazing, so people should buy it. Does it matter if I don't write blog posts? I don't like writing blog posts or Instagram get's on my nerves. Vanessa: there'll be a lot of people who say that lots, like tons buckets of them. We've seen it over and over and over again, but I've got  thousands of emails that come through. My mini inboxes kind of a bit of an addiction guys. I have emails that just collect emails from other people. That's awesome. The people that do that,  I don't know, it comes across spammy and salesy and really  narrow focused because you got this we're human beings, everybody around here, human [00:16:00] beings. We have this desire to know who and what we're buying from. It's no different than you walking into the store. If the store feels  super sketchy and  thrown up and kind of like janky for lack of a better word, you're not gonna, you're not gonna want to shop there. You're going to be like, is this guy gonna steal all my credit card information? If I buy one thing from him and then is he going to  drain my bank account? And I have to fight with him for five years to get my money back. You're going to leave every time. Online businesses, are no different, except you're not physically walking into the store. You're landing on somebody's sales page, you're landing on somebodies website. You check them out on social media.  if you look on the backend, when you run ads, if you're doing things right, and you connect all the different pieces of the puzzle, you can actually paint this really crazy looking picture of all the different touch points that somebody has and the people who. I don't have that sense of trust. The touch points that it takes before you hit conversion are  between anywhere from  minimum seven, for [00:17:00] somebody who gets it right away, all the way up to  20 or 30 touchpoints. Terrica: Wow. That's massive man, Vanessa: which is insane. Absolutely insane. So somebody is going to see your, your stuff that many times before they buy. So maybe they've seen your ad 20 or 30 times. And then landing on your landing pages and all that stuff. You can speed up that process by having good quality content that connects to people. You have to engage with them. It has to inspire them or entertain them, or let them get to know you and who you are whole lot faster. If you don't put up content, man, that customer journey takes four AV or, but  to put up that content. Then it shortens that window. I think it gets it down to a point where you can speed that process up and convert those cold people a whole lot faster. Maybe you're gonna decide to do some videos and cause you hate blog posts. Maybe you're gonna figure out your audience. Isn't on Instagram and they're over on Pinterest. [00:18:00] So you're going to promote some of your best performing pins. That'll all help shorten that window of conversion. Otherwise, if you're just focusing on one piece of the puzzle, if you're just buying a beautiful sales page, we've done it we  had people, I've had people design, gorgeous sales pages and websites, and they look really pretty. They never freaking converted. I basically threw my money into the wood chipper and watched it burn a few times over. And that helped to like reinforce Oh, conversion is a big thing. Pretty. Yeah, it matters, but it has to be pretty. And it has to hit the points before you like, just focus on the pretty you have to focus on. Maybe you have lots of pictures on your page and it slows down the time. It takes those things, those pages to load that matters people. Aren't going to wait. 30 seconds. They're not even going to wait five or eight seconds. They have to have everything optimizing and [00:19:00] loading super fast on your sites. Otherwise people bounce. We have very short attention spans and marketers and  website designers and all those. fun people they've learned that, that you have to have something that. Converts, but it also loads fast and it gets to the heart of whatever you're trying to convey to them. Build trust really quickly. Otherwise you're spending a whole bunch of money on a pretty sales page or a pretty landing page. You might as well just burn it and just go knocking doors because it's going to take the same amount of time to actually get a sale. So that wraps up Terrica: today's episode. We have covered two of our marketing myths, , Facebook ads are like an ATM. And marketing and advertising. Aren't the same thing. , stay tuned for the next episode. We're going to cover everything about content, how everyone is not your customer and wrapping up, everything about a marketing plan and when you don't have the expertise to market to your audience. [00:20:00] So stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks so much for listening. You can find the show notes at she's got vision.com/podcasts. If you've enjoyed what you've heard today, please leave a review and subscribe to the podcast. And because word of mouth is still the best marketing Avenue. Please tell a friend or share it. If you do, don't forget to tag us. Follow at She's got vision on all platforms! Until next time, y'all we're wishing you much success. And remember, there's always time for cocktails.