Authentic Online Marketing With Ruthie Gray podcast

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 116: Balancing Family and Work as an Empty Nest Entrepreneur 24:32

منذ 16 weeks24:32

24:32

Balancing family and work is a challenge many of us face, especially in the empty nest stage of life. How do you carve out time for your God-given passions while ensuring your family’s needs are met? In today’s episode of the Authentic Online Marketing podcast, Ruthie Gray and her insightful retreat staff discuss these questions. Resources Sign up for the Next Steps Retreat Listen to Ep. 95: Faith-Fueled Leadership: Empowering Christian Women in Business and Social Media Listen to Episode 94: Ep. 94: Empty Nest Case Studies: Finding New Purpose in the Digital Age Visit the new website here The Next Steps Retreat: A Path to Clarity and Achievement For those of you who find yourself juggling family commitments with entrepreneurial desires, our Next Steps Retreat in the serene mountains of West Virginia is designed to provide clarity and support. Many empty nest entrepreneurs struggle with prioritizing tasks—every task feels urgent, yet not every task is critical. Through this retreat, you’ll learn to set a hundred-day goal while surrounded by a supportive community ready to help you sift through what’s truly important. Balancing Family and Work Goals In today’s episode, we bring you insights from Pat, Brenda, Suzanne, and Cathy on finding balance. Kathy emphasizes setting boundaries to preserve creative endeavors, like her newsletter day, while Pat talks about intentionality over balance, reminding us that while family matters, boundaries are key. Brenda shares an innovative approach involving a shared, color-coded Google Calendar with her husband, harmonizing personal and business time. Meanwhile, Suzanne discusses the potential need to shift priorities when family health needs arise. Insights on Balancing Family and Work from Inspirational Women Cathy : Writes a newsletter weekly, prioritizing her creative time despite family demands. Pat : Advocates intention over perfect balance, setting clear work boundaries to enjoy precious family moments. Brenda : Utilizes a shared Google Calendar for clarity and shared family accountability, combining fun personal projects with business goals. Suzanne : Manages active involvement in her grandchildren’s lives while preparing for possible care duties for her in-laws. Ruthie’s Own Journey and Transition Personally, my journey continues with writing a book proposal and launching a new website, ruthiegray.com , both ventures that resonate deeply with my passion to minister to moms. As I pivot better to serve this community, I’m propelled by a desire to support women in managing validation from relationships and establishing healthy boundaries. Three Takeaways to Balancing Family and Work Communicate Clearly : Convey your priorities to your family to manage expectations and ensure you carve out the necessary time for your work and passions. Color-code Your Schedule : Like Brenda, use tools such as a shared Google Calendar to harmonize personal and professional commitments. Redefine Balance : Take Pat’s advice—not every part of your life will be balanced at all times, but being intentional can lead to more fulfilling achievements. Continuous Support and Growth Opportunities Our conversations stress the importance of community and shared experiences, underscoring the benefit of retreats like our Next Steps Retreat. If you’re interested in joining a network that will support you in achieving your next big goals, visit ruthiegray.com/retreat for more information. Thank you for joining us for this insightful discussion. Until next time, continue sharing your message in your authentic voice. The post Ep. 116: Balancing Family and Work as an Empty Nest Entrepreneur appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 115: 5 Clear Indicators It’s Time to Quit and Start Fresh 23:14

منذ 33 weeks23:14

23:14

Knowing when it’s time to quit can be hard, right? Today, I’m sharing how I said goodbye to a season and how this decision unfolded over time. If you’re contemplating a pivotal shift or quitting something to start something new, this episode is for you. Resources Purchase your copy of 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan Join the waitlist for the Empty Nest Entrepreneur Retreat in West Virginia in 2025 Purchase your copy of Empty Nest Awakening by Ruthie Gray Finding Peace in Letting Go Have you ever felt a persistent nudge and ignored it because it seemed too difficult? That’s exactly what happened to me. It started six months ago, like my grandson’s forgotten basketball rolling around in the back of my trunk. God brought me to this moment, and I almost ignored it. If you’re on the brink of a tough decision and you’re wondering if it’s time to quit, let me offer you some peace. Stop everything, get off the hamster wheel of doing, doing, doing. Focus on what you want to achieve in the next five years. What would accomplishing that look like, and what do you need to quit to make it happen? 10X vs. 2X: Doing Less to Achieve More One of my favorite business books, 10X is Easier than 2X by Dan Sullivan, emphasizes doing less to achieve more. Zero in on your main calling and perfect it, which often involves quitting. Sullivan warns that committing to the 10X process inevitably requires letting go of your current identity, circumstances, and comfort zone. Going 10X means excelling in one thing rather than doing more of the same just faster and harder, which is unsustainable. 5 Steps to Take When It’s Time to Quit 1. Prayer and Scripture Meet the Lord daily in prayer and search His Word to gain clarity on your calling. 2. Wise Sounding Boards Share your thoughts with trusted friends, a mastermind group, or a coach. My coach helped me immensely. 3. Journaling or Typing to Process: Writing out your thoughts helps you process and figure out your next steps. 4. Trust Your Gut If you’ve felt the nudge for 6-9 months, it’s time to trust your instincts. 5. Take the Step Make your decision public and see how it feels. Personal Breakthroughs and Decisions I made several 10X decisions in November: I quit coaching Instagram, announced a podcast rebrand, attended a retreat, and secured a venue for our September Empty Nest Entrepreneur retreat. I found a writer’s mastermind and committed to pursuing writing and traditional publishing. The book of Daniel inspired me to help guide people wisely. Dan Sullivan encourages us to expand emotionally, living a more committed life even when it’s tough. My grandson verbalizes his emotions clearly – it’s hard, he says. Indeed, change is hard but necessary for growth. Planning for the Future The pivot allows someone else to pick up where you left off. I’m focusing on family and writing books, aligned with my long-term goals. I’ve had to decide what I’m unwilling to give up, realizing that time with family and writing are non-negotiable for me. If you’re seeking wisdom and community, join our retreat in West Virginia in 2025. Sign up for the waitlist to stay informed and get coaching input in a supportive group setting. Goodbyes are hard, but they leave room for peace and growth. Final Thoughts As we wrap up our last episode in this format, I encourage you to consider what the nudge means for you. What does the master call a butterfly at the end of its world? Until next time, share your message your way, in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 115: 5 Clear Indicators It’s Time to Quit and Start Fresh appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 114: Goal Setting Essentials for Empty Nest Entrepreneurs 17:47

منذ 38 weeks17:47

17:47

As an empty nest entrepreneur, setting goals is essential for sustained growth and achievement. But how do you effectively set goals that encompass both short-term wins and long-term aspirations, say, three to five-year goals? And as many of you know, most of our listeners are in the empty nest, meaning we’re fifties, sixties, even seventies. And I want to point out, you may not have heard this, but it’s a well-known statistic that women in their sixties and seventies are just hitting their most productive time of life. These goal setting essentials have helped me in my entrepreneurial journey and I’m sure they can help you too! Well, today, what I’m about to share with you about goal setting essentials is my personal approach that I have worked out over the last seven or eight years. It works for me. But you don’t have to do everything I say. I just want you to consider and listen. I don’t believe it’s a one-size-fits-all all. You have your personality and your superpower and your skills, strengths, and weaknesses. And so do I, but I would encourage you to try some of these goal setting essentials if you haven’t yet. Resources Get your copy of the Move Forward Minimal Journal Cultivate Planner: Use this link with the code RUTHIE_GRAY_AUTHOR for 10% off entire order! Join the Authentic Online Marketing Retreat waitlist Get your copy of Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passions into Purpose by Ruthie Gray Listen to Ep. 108: 3 Steps for Entrepreneurial Focus with Amy Debrucque Listen to Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize Goal Setting Essentials Retreat and Community Support A couple of months ago, I hosted a retreat for empty nest entrepreneurs in beautiful Treasure Island, Florida, here in my state. And it was just weeks before the hurricanes hit and flattened our community. Thank the Lord for his perfect timing in protecting the retreat attendees and that we got to do that. I’m all about helping my clients find their next steps for moving forward. Most of them are Christian creatives—authors, speakers, podcasters, coaches. Others are in the product and sales industries like beauty and clothing. Each of the 11 delightful attendees got a turn in the hot seat for a coaching session. Together, we determined their goal for the next 100 days. What you’re about to hear is one of our follow-up group coaching calls to see how they’re doing on their 100-day goals and answer questions on issues where they’re getting stuck. The really exciting part is hearing the progress and breakthroughs they’re making as they inch toward December 23rd, the 100-day mark. By the way, would you like help with your big goals? If you’re constantly finding yourself distracted or overwhelmed by all the things and wondering which of the hundreds of tasks to prioritize, you can join my newsletter and retreat waitlist to get information about the 2025 retreat. Simply click the retreat link in the show notes or head to authenticonlinemarketing.com/retreat. As multigenerational caregivers, we face indecision a lot in this stage of life. We need wisdom, community, and coaching to help us sort the wheat from the chaff. We don’t have time to waste because we’re not getting any younger. I hope you’ll join the waitlist and stay in the loop for valuable resources and tools to move forward and make better decisions. Using the Move Forward Minimal Journal First up, let’s talk about setting goals. I use the Move Forward Minimal Journal by Krista Hutchins. This simple goal setting essentials tool has been a part of my life for six years. Each day, I write a few sentences about what happened, focusing on both personal and business-related events. In the middle of the journal, there’s a checkpoint for five-year goals. It prompts you to list three five-year goals and at least one thing you do each month to work toward them. I have written down goals like getting traditionally published, getting on staff at my favorite conference, Speak Up, and toying with the idea of writing a fictional book series based in my hometown of Gulfport, Florida. Every month, I document my progress in little squares. This structure helps me stay aligned with my long-term aspirations while being flexible enough to change if needed. Cultivate Planner: Staying on Task Another tool that keeps me on track is the Cultivate Planner. I’ve used this yearly planner for the past six years. It helps me stay focused with guided questions at the beginning of the year about what I want to cultivate. You can brainstorm your goals and then narrow them down to yearly goals. I’ve realized that having too many goals can be overwhelming. Therefore, at most, I recommend having around six goals for the year, with at least one being personal. Monthly and quarterly check-ins help me reassess what’s working and what’s not, allowing me to adjust my focus and keep the most important goals top of mind. Monthly and Quarterly Goal Reviews Every month, at the start and end, I review my goals to see what’s working, what isn’t, and what I’m thankful for. This process helps me stay on task. Brenda asked if this helps, and she confirmed that it does. Knowing that every month I review my five-year goals ensures they stay top of mind. Tracking and Sharing Progress on Goals Let’s hear updates from our participants on their 100-day goals. Brenda shared her approach of reverse engineering her book’s writing schedule, with insights from editor Lois Flowers revitalizing her process. Elizabeth has been diligently working on her website, seeing tremendous progress as she aims for a Christmas launch, though she’s flexible with a possible January 1st launch. Melanie has successfully maintained a weekly email schedule, finding that Sunday nights work best. Next Steps for these Goal Setting Essentials It’s amazing to see everyone so fired up and moving forward with their goals. The key is cutting out tasks that don’t move you toward your 100-day goal and using tools like the Move Forward Line a Day Journal and the Cultivate Planner to document goals, track progress, reset objectives regularly, along with the other goal setting essentials. First, know what you want to accomplish in the next three to five years. Take time to pray and assess your goals. Focus on a few things to move you forward toward your big goals. What are your big goals? Check out the Move Forward Line a Day Journal and the Cultivate Planner. Sign up for the next retreat and get your decision prayer guide. Use these goal setting essentials to push forward towards your goals! Until next time, be sure to share your message your way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 114: Goal Setting Essentials for Empty Nest Entrepreneurs appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 113: Leverage Your Podcasting Personality with Linda Goldfarb 31:00

منذ 42 weeks31:00

31:00

We’re thrilled to have Linda Goldfarb on the podcast with us to discuss how to leverage your podcasting personality. Linda is an award-winning podcast host, author, actress, and audiobook narrator, renowned for her expertise in creating engaging audio content. In this episode, we discuss the art of podcasting, starting with Linda’s journey from guest to host, and uncovering the pivotal role that understanding your podcasting personality plays in your success. We’ll explore the four unique podcasting personality types—Mobilizer, Socializer, Stabilizer, and Organizer—and how each can leverage their strengths while addressing their challenges. Linda shares invaluable insights, from transitioning from a guest to confidently hosting your own show, to the exponential growth of the podcasting industry. Whether you’re a writer looking to venture into the world of podcasting or simply seeking to refine your hosting skills, Linda’s wisdom and practical advice will inspire you. Resources Take the free quiz – How God Designed Me Check out her book Creating Dynamic Podcasts and Audio Books Listen to her podcasts Your Best Writing Life , Staying Real about Faith & Family Listen to Ruthie’s guest episode on Your Best Writing Life: How to Juggle Writing & Caregiving Follow Linda on Instagram Related Episode 102: Navigating Your Path to Podcasting: from guest to host with Jennifer Sakata Listen to the Private “Shh” Podcast by clicking here Discover your Podcasting Personality Linda’s unique personality assessment can help you understand your podcasting style—whether you’re a Mobilizer, Socializer, Stabilizer, or Organizer. Knowing your type can make a world of difference in how you connect with your audience. Embrace Being a Guest First Starting out as a podcast guest can be a game-changer for your podcasting career. Understand different podcasting styles and find your best fit before launching your own show. Obsess About Your Audience It is critically important to understand your audience. By obsessing over their needs, you can provide consistent value and maintain listener engagement. The more you understand their needs, the better you serve. Listen now to the full episode and discover how you can leverage these tips to create compelling and authentic content for your podcast! Meet Linda Goldfarb Linda Goldfarb is a bold communicator whose passions include educating individuals about their God-designed personalities and helping others live God’s best life. She believes in the power of relational transparency and is quick to share that transparency transforms! As an award-winning, multi-book author, international speaker, certified personality consultant, professional actress, board-certified Christian life coach, audiobook narrator, and talk radio veteran, Linda has logged thousands of hours influencing lives worldwide. She’s the award-winning host of the Your Best Writing Life podcast, the Staying Real About Faith & Family podcast, clarity and mindset coach for The Biblical Nutritionist Academy, a board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, emcee of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and co-founder of the LINKED® Personality Assessment. When Linda is not working, you’ll find her sipping frothed coffee on a comfy couch or photographing nature from odd angles while she and her hubby, Sam, play golf and hike across the USA. Spending time with her four favorite children, amazing grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and country dogs—check off the boxes that complete her life. Linda says, “My life is far from perfect, and that’s where Yeshua met me, loved me, and saved me. For Him, I’m eternally grateful.” The post Ep. 113: Leverage Your Podcasting Personality with Linda Goldfarb appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 112: Balancing Writing and Audience growth with Janet McHenry 23:26

منذ 47 weeks23:26

23:26

In our latest podcast episode about balancing writing and audience growth, I had the pleasure of welcoming Janet McHenry, a renowned national speaker and author of 27 inspiring books, including her latest release, “Praying Personalities.” Janet shared her invaluable insights on balancing the writing life with entrepreneurial endeavors. Resources Take Janet’s Quiz Praying Personalities Check out Janet’s website Use code AUTHENTIC20 for 20% off your next purchase on Janet’s website shop Follow Janet on Instagram Listen to Ep. 22: When to trust your instincts for platform growth Listen to Ep. 111: Efficient Work Methods for the Empty Nest Writer with Michelle Rayburn 4 Secrets to Balancing Writing and Audience growth Discover Your Calling Janet emphasizes the importance of understanding God’s calling in your life as a filter for prioritizing tasks and saying no to distractions. Writing Processes for balancing writing and audience growth From concept to publication, Janet walks us through her unique approach to book writing, emphasizing the creation of a solid book proposal as an essential step. Social Media Mastery and balance Learn how Janet streamlines her daily social media presence across multiple platforms with an efficient, faith-driven routine. Email List Building via Quizzes Janet’s engaging online quiz added over 6,000 subscribers to her mailing list, driving significant engagement and book sales. Ready to deepen your prayer life or find new motivation in your writing journey? Janet’s books, including “Prayer Walk” and “The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus,” are available on Amazon and other leading bookstores. As a special thank you for being a loyal listener, use code AUTHENTIC20 for 20% off your next purchase on Janet’s website. About Janet McHenry Often described as a life juggler, upon graduation with a degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, Janet McHenry worked as a newspaper reporter and high school English teacher while raising four kids with her high school sweetheart husband Craig (aka The Rancher). Post-college and post-Army, they settled down in the Sierra Valley in northern California. They raise beef cattle in a county without a single stoplight and love sharing the outdoors with their nine grandchildren. Janet looks for ways to serve leadership and others when she speaks at retreats and conferences. She also serves as prayer coordinator at The Bridge Church in Reno, on the advisory council of First Place for Health, and on the state leadership team for the National Day of Prayer. She is a writer, speaker, life and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association Certified Coach as well as the founder of the Sierra Valley Writers Retreat . She also loves hosting friends new and seasoned at her Sierra Valley Writers Retreats . . . or just for a cup of something yummy. And she looks forward to knowing you better! The post Ep. 112: Balancing Writing and Audience growth with Janet McHenry appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 111: Efficient Work Methods for the Empty Nest Writer with Michelle Rayburn 27:01

منذ 51 weeks27:01

27:01

Today, we have the pleasure of conversing with Michelle Rayburn, an accomplished writer, podcaster, speaker, and author of several inspirational Christian living books. Known for her delightful sense of humor and knack for repurposing life’s challenges into teachable moments, Michelle joins host Ruthie to share her extensive experience in freelance writing, efficient work methods, and navigating the empty nest phase. With over 20 years in the field, Michelle reveals her secrets to staying productive while maintaining work-life balance through effective systems and boundaries. We’ll hear about her latest collaborative project, “This Reimagined Empty Nest,” and how embracing her own “repurposed” journey has enriched her life and work. From organizational tips to heartfelt reflections on motherhood, this episode is packed with valuable insights for anyone looking to thrive in both their personal and professional lives. Resources Subscribe to the Private Podcast Check out Michelle’s website Follow Michelle on Instagram Get your copy of This Reimagined Empty Nest Listen to Ruthie’s guest episode on Michelle’s Mid-Life Repurposed Podcast Listen to Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur Listen to Ep. 90: Empty Nest Awakening: Ruthie Gray’s Inspirational Book on Rediscovering Passion in Life 9 Tips for E fficient Work Methods 1. Embrace Boundaries Ensure you have clear boundaries with work and family for a balanced life. 2. Systemize Tasks Organize tasks using folders and digital tools like Asana or Trello to stay efficient. 3. Use What You Have Maximize your existing tools before investing in new software for productivity. 4. Schedule Sprints Work in focused periods and take breaks to maintain high productivity levels. 5. Prioritize Flexibility Value flexibility in your schedule to adapt to both professional and personal commitments. 6. Celebrate Growth Acknowledge the personal and professional growth that comes with an empty nest. 7. Cherish Relationships Stay connected and involved with family, prioritizing meaningful moments together. 8. Follow Your Calling Pursue passions and projects that bring joy and fulfillment in this new phase of life. 9. Trust the Process Have faith that God repurposes challenging times into opportunities for growth. Listen in to get inspired and take actionable advice from a seasoned entrepreneur and author. This Reimagined empty nest is a heartwarming anthology that brings together twenty-two diverse voices and experiences to support and inspire you as you step into a new chapter of life. From the joyful to the bittersweet, our contributors share personal stories, poems, and reflections on embracing change, redefining relationships, and finding renewed purpose after the kids leave home. Get the book on Amazon here . Meet Michelle Meet Michelle Rayburn, the ultimate trash-to-treasure guru. When life hands her lemons, she not only makes lemonade but also crafts a stunning lemon-themed centerpiece out of the peels. And let’s not forget her love for iced coffee and lazy afternoons in the hammock with a good book – and dark chocolate! Michelle is a woman of eclectic talents, including writing, podcasting, and mastering the art of lighthearted sarcasm and dad jokes – a language all moms seem to pick up eventually. With an MA in ministry leadership and counseling, she also helps others turn their own trash into treasure, both in life and in faith. So if you’re looking for a dose of humor and inspiration, look no further. And if you’re lucky, she might even share some of that dark chocolate with you. The post Ep. 111: Efficient Work Methods for the Empty Nest Writer with Michelle Rayburn appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 110: Anniversary Special: Top 5 Episodes from Year 4 22:46

منذ 1 year22:46

22:46

Today we’re covering the top 5 episodes from year 4 of the Authentic Online Marketing podcast! Each year we cover the top episodes that you all love the most. This year we covered so many wonderful topics like learning to say “no”, self-publishing tips, and online marketing tools for entrepreneurs. Resources Sign up to listen to the private podcast 2024 Marketing for Creatives Listen to Ep. 85: 7 Online Marketing Tools for Entrepreneurs Listen to Ep. 91: 3 Reasons to Self-Publish Listen to Ep. 84: 5 Secrets to Successful Affiliate Marketing Listen to Ep. 93: How to Reverse Engineer Your Launch Listen to Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize Top 5 episodes of year 4 5. Ep. 85: 7 Online Marketing Tools for Entrepreneurs As entrepreneurs we need the right online marketing tools to grow our businesses. I’m all about Instagram and email marketing, but there are so many other things involved in my work on a daily basis.In this episode I’m sharing my top time saving online marketing tools that I use in my business. 4. Ep. 91: 3 Reasons to Self-Publish Ever wondered about the process of writing and self-publishing a book? Today I’m diving into the behind-the-scenes conversation with Kent Sanders on my decision to write a book and the pros and cons of self-publishing. 3. Ep. 84: 5 Secrets to Successful Affiliate Marketing Ready to boost your online marketing game? In this episode, we delve into the world of successful affiliate marketing and how it can boost your sales and business. It’s important to realize how affiliate marketing is an additional income stream for both active and passive sales. Given these points, when you regularly promote or talk about certain topics on your blog, podcast, newsletter, or social media, you can just pop the links in wherever they apply. Listen to this episode to learn the 5 secrets to successful affiliate marketing. 2. Ep. 93: How to Reverse Engineer Your Launch Today, I want to share with you 10 tips on how to reverse engineer your book launch for maximum success. These tips are based on my own experiences and strategies that have served me well. Listen to the episode and use these 10 tips I used myself when you launch your book. 1. Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize Do you find yourself saying “yes” to too many things? Learning to say “no” can be incredibly challenging! Time is your most valuable asset. In this episode we dive into the importance of saying “yes” to the right things, breaking down big goals, and achieving those goals while protecting your time. Saying yes to too many things means you can’t complete the goals you’ve set for your life and business. Learn how to protect your time and market your business more efficiently. Top 5 episodes of year 4 of the Authentic Online Marketing Podcast Those are the top 5 episodes that you all loved from the past year! Thank you for listening! The post Ep. 110: Anniversary Special: Top 5 Episodes from Year 4 appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 109: Email Ideas (That Work) For Nurturing Your Audience with Christa Hutchins 21:18

منذ 1 year21:18

21:18

In today’s episode, we’re talking about effective email ideas and marketing strategies with special guest, Christa Hutchins from the Just One Simple Thing podcast. Ruthie and Christa discuss the importance of nurturing your audience through well-crafted emails, the pivotal role email plays compared to social media, and how consistent communication keeps you top of mind for your audience. They share practical tips, including maintaining a consistent brand voice, experimenting with different email formats, and fostering engagement by encouraging responses. Also, don’t forget to catch Part 2 of this insightful series on Christa’s podcast. Resources Listen to the Just One Simple Thing podcast Check out Christa’s website Listen to Ep. 100: Email Marketing Trends for 2024 Listen to Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways 3 Email Ideas for Nurturing Your Audience Email Purpose The primary goal of your email should be to develop and strengthen your relationship with your audience. Ensure when your email lands in their inbox, they want to open it because they find value in your content. Consistent Communication It’s crucial to keep your brand top of mind by emailing consistently. Don’t be discouraged by “lurkers” — individuals who read but don’t immediately interact. Consistent, valuable emails can turn these readers into loyal customers when the time is right. Personal Touch Matters Including a call to action and inviting responses in your emails helps foster engagement. Always aim to reply to your readers’ responses to show that you value their input, nurturing a stronger relationship. Email Ideas for Your Email Marketing Remember, email marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s a journey of discovery and connection. Always offer value to your target audience. Keep experimenting, stay genuine, and your audience will feel that authenticity. The post Ep. 109: Email Ideas (That Work) For Nurturing Your Audience with Christa Hutchins appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 108: 3 Steps for Entrepreneurial Focus with Amy Debrucque 24:31

منذ 1 year24:31

24:31

Amy Debrucque joins us on the podcast today to discuss the struggles of entrepreneurial focus. Amy brings a wealth of experience and insight into the world of Christian entrepreneurship. She’s not only a confidence coach and author of “Embolden,” but also a speaker, cancer survivor, host of the Life on Purpose podcast, and co-creator of the Focus retreat. Her journey and dedication are centered on helping women break out of their comfort zones and concentrate on what truly matters in their lives. Throughout the episode, Amy discusses the common challenges entrepreneurs face, particularly maintaining focus amidst the distractions and comparisons present in today’s digital world. You’ll also receive an outline of three essential tips to help refine and maintain focus. Resources Visit Amy’s Website Check out the Focus Retreat Follow Amy on Instagram Follow the Focus Retreat on Instagram Listen to Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur Listen to Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize 3 Steps for Entrepreneurial Focus Understand What Matters Most Amy places a strong emphasis on identifying the core elements that are most important in one’s life. Recognizing these can help steer focus and make decisions that align with personal and professional objectives. Revisit Your “Why” It’s crucial to continually revisit the reasons behind your entrepreneurial journey. Understanding your ‘why’ helps navigate through challenges and keeps you aligned with your mission, especially when distractions or discouragements loom. Evaluating the Costs and Aligning Actions with Values Amy advises considering the costs of engaging or not engaging in certain actions and assessing whether these actions align with one’s core values. This helps you make decisions that not only bring focus but also ensure that your actions consistently reflect your beliefs and goals. Amy’s insights are a testament to her journey and dedication to helping others find clarity and focus in both their personal and professional lives. By embracing her tips and applying them diligently, Christian entrepreneurs can navigate their paths with confidence and purpose. Amy Debrucque is a Confidence Coach, author of Embolden, Speaker, cancer survivor, Host of the Life On Purpose Podcast, and co-creator of the FOCUS Retreat. She is passionate about helping women get out of their comfort zones and focus on the things that matter most. Amy encourages women globally with her podcast and featured articles in Darling Magazine, ThriveGlobal, Womenencouraged.com, and many more. Surrendering gave Amy courage in all areas of life, and she is grateful that she’ll never be the same. The post Ep. 108: 3 Steps for Entrepreneurial Focus with Amy Debrucque appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 107: 10 Ways to Repurpose Instagram Stories 17:48

منذ 1 year17:48

17:48

Everyone loves a good story, especially Instagram users browsing through their daily feeds. But here’s the catch: so many of us aren’t fully utilizing Instagram Stories. This episode is aimed at changing that. Here are 10 ways you can repurpose Instagram Stories by transforming them into valuable content across all of your neighborhoods — Reels, carousels, highlights, and even platforms like Pinterest and Youtube. Resources Get access to the private podcast Listen to Ep. 106: Deciphering Instagram Analytics for Optimum Views Listen to Ep. 105: Ruthie‘s Instagram Sabbatical: Using Only Stories for 30 Days Listen to Ep. 103: Instagram SEO Simplified: Increase Your Visibility Listen to Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 Listen to Ep. 41: What to share in stories 10 Ways to Repurpose Instagram Stories 1. Convert Stories into Reels Convert your stories into immersive Reels with ease, finding new audiences and engaging followers in a fresh format. 2. Create Graphics from Stories You can repurpose the story into an infographic or a quote. Perhaps you don’t care for the actual look of the story, so simply repurpose the content as a quote or some kind of graphic. 3. Create Carousel Posts from Story Content You can repurpose a collection of stories into a carousel for your feed. The longer people swipe through the carousel, the longer they’ll stay on your feed, and that signals to the algorithm that people are interested in your content. 4. Make New Videos Based on Stories If someone comments on your Story you could make a Reel based on the message. Or if you want to talk deeper about something in your Stories you could make a Reel about it. 5. Strategic Use of Highlights Use your Instagram stories strategically to enhance your highlights, linking your audience directly to your core content. Use highlights for only important content. 6. Utilizing Audience Interactions Use comments or information you gather from polls, question boxes, or conversations. The more engagement and interaction you get from people, the more content ideas you’ll have. 7. Story Content as Captions Use the content in your Stories as captions for another post in your feed. 8. Designing Reel Covers with Stories Use Stories to take pictures and add title text for your Reel covers. Download your story to your phone then use it as the cover for your Reel. 9. Direct Messaging Stories to Enhance Engagement After you’ve posted a story, you can send it to people via the DMs or your broadcast channel. You can also post the link to your story and share it anywhere. Just remember that stories expire after 24 hours! 10. Repurpose Instagram Stories on Other Platforms Expand your reach by repurposing your stories across different platforms like Pinterest and YouTube, maximizing visibility and engagement. Repurpose Your Instagram Stories You don’t have time to make fresh content all the time It’s important to repurpose, repurpose repurpose. As content creators, we want to create. We want to make new things, but we don’t have time for all the things. We just don’t have time to create all the time if we really want to use our time wisely. Instagram Stories only last for 24 hours, but by repurposing Stories your hard work can live on beyond its fleeting lifespan. The post Ep. 107: 10 Ways to Repurpose Instagram Stories appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 106: Deciphering Instagram Analytics for Optimum Views 15:29

منذ 1 year15:29

15:29

For the month of April, Ruthie is embracing an Instagram posting sabbatical and dedicating a whole month exclusively to Instagram Stories. In this episode, Ruthie is talking about deciphering Instagram analytics and how to repurpose content that truly resonates with your audience. Discover the significance of Reach, Replies, Link Clicks, and Profile Visits, and learn to tailor your content strategy like a pro. Resources Get access to the private podcast here Listen to why Ruthie is taking a sabbatical from posting on Instagram Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Listen to Ep. 41: What to share in stories Listen to Ep. 30: 2 Easy ways to repurpose stories to Reels Deciphering Instagram Analytics Understand Your Story Reach Knowing which stories garner the most views can help tailor your content strategy towards community building and cultivating a loyal audience. Measure Engagement Through Replies Analyze which stories prompt conversations. Replies signal the topics that genuinely interest your followers. Use this information to create more engaging content. Track Link Clicks for Conversion Identifying the types of stories that drive your audience to take action can refine your approach in transforming story viewers into website visitors or subscribers. Deeper dive into deciphering Instagram analytics If you want an even deeper dive into deciphering Instagram analytics, subscribe to the private podcast to unlock insider tips and discover even more about story metrics and their strategic applications. Just remember to share your content in your voice, in your own unique, authentic way on Instagram. The post Ep. 106: Deciphering Instagram Analytics for Optimum Views appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 105: Ruthie‘s Instagram Sabbatical: Using Only Stories for 30 Days 16:08

منذ 1 year16:08

16:08

In this episode of the Authentic Online Marketing Podcast, I announce my decision to take an Instagram sabbatical for the entire month of April and only focusing on Instagram Stories. But hear me out – this isn’t just about taking a break. It’s an intentional effort to explore the power of Instagram stories and share valuable story tricks of the trade with you. The thing is, we often get caught up in the overwhelming nature of social media, constantly worrying about losing followers or missing out on growth opportunities. But I firmly believe that sometimes, we need to take a step back and reassess our approach. That’s exactly what I’ll be doing, and I’d love for you to join me on this journey. Throughout the month, I’ll be sharing my insights, tips, and strategies for leveraging Instagram stories effectively to drive traffic, engage with your audience, and amplify your online presence. I want to equip you with the tools and knowledge to make the most out of every story you post. Resources Follow Ruthie on Instagram Subscribe to the private podcast, 2024 Marketing for Creatives Listen to Ep. 53: What to do with Pinned Posts Listen to Ep. 37: How to drive Instagram traffic with stories Listen to Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 Ruthie’s Instagram Sabbatical The Significance of Instagram Stories Learn how Stories can still drive traffic to your website, podcast, and offerings, ensuring you’re not entirely reliant on the Instagram algorithm. You don’t own Instagram. Make sure you have a website and an email list so people can still build relationships with you. Leveraging the Grid of 9 Discover how to strategically showcase top posts related to your offerings, podcast, and newsletter, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement. The Importance of Taking Time Off Understand the benefits of a 24-hour break from posting stories, and how it can positively impact your view counts upon resuming. Follow along with Ruthie’s Instagram sabbatical! To make sure you don’t miss out on any of these valuable insights, subscribe to my private podcast. This will be the primary channels through which I’ll be sharing my exclusive content throughout April, providing you with even more resources for mastering the art of Instagram storytelling. The post Ep. 105: Ruthie‘s Instagram Sabbatical: Using Only Stories for 30 Days appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 104: Authentic Reels Ideas for Your Voice And Vision 21:58

منذ 1 year21:58

21:58

In this episode of Authentic Online Marketing, Ruthie talks with Suzanne, Cathy, and Jennifer about authentic Reels ideas that are unique to their message on Instagram. These Christian creatives shared their experiences with utilizing reels on Instagram to reach and authentically connect with their target audiences. Here are some key takeaways from our insightful conversation. Resources Follow Cathy , Suzanne , and Jennifer on Instagram for some Reel inspiration! Get access to the private podcast , 2024 Marketing for Creatives Join the Authentic Instagram Engagement Facebook Group Listen to Ep. 103: Instagram SEO Simplified: Increase Your Visibility Listen to Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 Listen to Ep. 97: Content Creation: from overwhelm to clarity with Jennifer Sakata Authentic Reels Ideas Reels are for Everyone At first these ladies were apprehensive, but Suzanne, Cathy, and Jennifer successfully incorporated reels into their online marketing strategies. They each found their authentic voice and style to create engaging and diverse Reels, proving that anyone can utilize this tool effectively. Niche Targeting Understanding your target audience is crucial for successful marketing. Cathy emphasized the value of tailored content, while Jennifer highlighted the use of reels to address her audience’s pain points, provide educational content, and even inject some light-hearted, personal glimpses. Their approach showcases the power of niche-focused outreach. Evolution and Authenticity All three guests expressed initial hesitation towards using Reels; however, through continual practice and experimentation, they successfully incorporated this tool into their marketing arsenal. They discussed the importance of staying true to their brand’s message and identity, proving that authenticity and evolution go hand in hand in the online marketing space. If you want to be successful with your online marketing, don’t miss out on this eye-opening episode where you can learn how to get authentic ideas for Reels and effectively reach your target audience. The post Ep. 104: Authentic Reels Ideas for Your Voice And Vision appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 103: Instagram SEO Simplified: Increase Your Visibility 11:56

منذ 1 year11:56

11:56

Are you leveraging SEO keywords in your Instagram strategy? In a recent podcast episode on Authentic Online Marketing, we discussed Instagram SEO Simplified: the increasing importance of SEO keywords over hashtags to boost your visibility and engagement on Instagram. Resources Check out this article from SEO guru Neil Patel Get access to the private podcast , 2024 Marketing for Creatives Listen to Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 Listen to Ep. 100: Email Marketing Trends for 2024 Listen to Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing Listen to Ep. 82: Maximizing Your Online Presence: Strategies to Fit Instagram into Your Busy Schedule Instagram SEO Simplified Incorporate SEO Keywords Integrate relevant SEO keywords into your Instagram account. This practice signals to the algorithm that you are an authority in your niche. Research and Refine Utilize the search bar on Instagram to discover related keywords. Conduct thorough SEO research to identify the most effective keywords for your content. Get Found On Google Instagram profiles can appear in Google search results if your profile is using keywords. As Instagram continues to prioritize SEO over hashtags, aligning your SEO strategy across platforms can help you reach new people that are actively searching for the solution you offer.. Use these simple Instagram SEO tips so you can elevate your profile’s visibility and connect with your target audience effectively. Stay tuned for more valuable tips and tricks on optimizing your online marketing presence! The post Ep. 103: Instagram SEO Simplified: Increase Your Visibility appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 102: Navigating Your Path to Podcasting: From Guest to Host 20:44

منذ 1 year20:44

20:44

On this episode of Authentic Online Marketing, Ruthie helps Jennifer explore her journey in pursuing speaking opportunities and how to pitch for podcasts. From overcoming overwhelm to identifying her podcast content, we dive into practical steps and valuable insights. Discover how to pitch yourself as a guest on other podcasts, find your core message, and connect with the right audience. Listen now for actionable tips and inspiring stories to fuel your own marketing journey. Resources Get Ruthie’s book, Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of your Passions into Purpose Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Listen to Ep. 28: Podcast pitching for authors with Kim Stewart Listen to Ep. 38: Podcast Growth From the Ground Up With Eric Nevins Listen to Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 How to pitch for podcasts Find Your Voice You need to have a core message and topics that resonate with your audience. Reflect on your life experiences and select the most engaging content from your previous work to help generate podcast topics. Pitch Yourself Compile a list of 3 to 5 potential podcast topics when reaching out to podcast hosts. This demonstrates your preparedness and helps hosts envision how you can add value to their show. Seeking Inspiration Listen to some episodes of the podcasts you’re interested in. You’ll need to know the preferences and interests of different podcast audiences. Podcast Recommendations Ruthie compiled a list of podcast recommendations that you can explore to kickstart your podcast guesting journey: – Grace Enough podcast with Amber Cullum – The Confident Christian Women podcast with Michelle Bowman – Created to Thrive podcast with Laurie Snyder – Legacy: A Mom podcast with Tina Smith and Brit Fortunato – Raising Christian Kids by Leanne Mancini – Made for Hope podcast with Sarah Ward – Peace in His Presence with Michele Diercks – By His Grace Podcast with Misty Philip – Christian Podcasters Association Facebook Group – Spark Media Facebook Group – Secure in God’s Embrace Podcast with Cheryl Lutz – Storming the Gates: A podcast about Prayer with Joni Scott – The Family Room Podcast with Billie Jauss – Expedition Marriage with Chris and Jamie Bailey – Life Repurposed with Michelle Rayburn – Kairos Moments with Julie Holmquist These podcasts cover a range of topics, from faith and family to personal growth and encouragement. We encourage you to check them out and consider reaching out for guest opportunities. Remember, your unique perspective has the potential to resonate with and inspire countless listeners. Don’t be afraid to take that first step. The world of podcast guesting is waiting for you! The post Ep. 102: Navigating Your Path to Podcasting: From Guest to Host appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 101: Create a Simple One-Page Website with Lori Lyons 22:04

منذ 1 year22:04

22:04

Do you have a new business or perhaps a newly revamped business, but not a website? You know you need one, but it’s just one more thing on the growing list of entrepreneurial duties, and somehow it always gets shoved to the back of the line. A one-page website might be the very thing you need to get started. Today we’re talking about how to create a simple 1-page website with my guest, website design expert, Lori Lyons of IgnitingYourBusiness.com and the Encore Entrepreneur podcast . Lori shared how she started her own website design business at age 52, proving that it’s never too late to learn new skills and make a career change. Simple One-Page website ideas for your small business But the real magic in this episode is how a simple 1-page website can revolutionize how small business owners present themselves online. And when I say small business owners, I’m talking to you, writers, podcasters, speakers, bloggers, as well as those of you who sell physical products and services! Resources Sign up for the private podcast to hear the full one-page training Listen to Ruthie’s guest episode, Enhancing Your Instagram Presence , on Lori’s podcast, The Encore Entrepreneur. Check out Lori’s website, IgnitingYourBusiness.com Listen to Lori’s podcast the Encore Entrepreneur podcast Follow Lori on Instagram Listen to Ep. 86: 5 critical website features you must have with Sara Motes Listen to Ep. 38: Generate Instagram revenue by driving traffic to your website with Suzy Goodwin Listen to Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 Tips for building a simple one-page website Lori’s insight provided fantastic tips for anyone considering a 1-page website for their business, including: – The importance of branding and tailored visuals – The impact of testimonials and social proof – Easy ways to maintain fresh content with FAQs We also discussed choosing the right platform for your website, exploring WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and more. If you’re ready to take your online presence to the next level or know someone who could benefit from this valuable information, make sure to tune in to this episode of the Authentic Online Marketing podcast. Make your own simple one-page website And be sure to stay til the end so you can find out how to watch the entire video of this training because this is just one segment of it from inside my mentorship, and doesn’t include all the valuable answers to our member’s questions about topics like moving content from an old website to your one page, effective tagging for blog posts, how to get an effective photo shoot, plus several other simple solutions to the seemingly big questions all of us have at one time or another in our website journey! I promise, the full video will deliver even more value, because Lori shows us examples of one-page websites and what they should include, so be sure to sign up here . And don’t forget to connect with Lori on Instagram @ ignitingyourbusiness and check out her podcast, The Encore Entrepreneur , for even more insights into the world of online marketing. Lori is the CEO of Igniting Your Business, a marketing strategist, website designer and coach that shows entrepreneurs how to get more leads, more clients and make more money with a profitable and captivating digital and website presence. Lori teaches business owners to “Make Their Marketing Simple” through her individual coaching, group programs and intimate cohorts. She is a sought-after speaker, media guest, and host of the podcast The Encore Entrepreneur where she translates the complicated side of “marketing speak” into simple everyday language for her audiences. The post Ep. 101: Create a Simple One-Page Website with Lori Lyons appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 100: Email Marketing Trends for 2024 22:27

منذ 2 years22:27

22:27

In this episode we discussed the top 5 email marketing trends that will shape the landscape this year. As we enter 2024, it’s time to revamp our email marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve. These tips will elevate your email game and create impactful connections with your audience. Resources Join the 5-day Instagram Growth Challenge starting Jan. 22, 2024 Listen to Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 11: 6 Email providers for newsletter marketing Email Marketing Trends for 2024 Reimagined metrics You need to shift your focus from traditional open rates to more meaningful metrics like unsubscribe rate and click-through rate. Listen to the episode to learn more about the evolving email performance indicators and how they can enhance your strategy. Email Marketing Automation Email marketing automation ensures consistent and cohesive communication between subscribers and brand. Moreover, it gives the customer a sense of control over their inbox. In this episode we talk about how to create an email welcome series and how it boosts engagement and revenue. Using Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing Embrace AI to simplify content creation and even for crafting engaging subject lines. AI isn’t going anywhere, and it’s only going to get better. It’s time to learn how to use it effectively so you can grow your business and email list. Design for Mobile Friendliness First Designing for mobile-first is no longer an option, but a necessity. If your emails aren’t formatted for mobile devices, you’re not just missing out on clicks; you’re missing out on potential business. Interactive Email Elements Get ahead of the competition by exploring new interactive email features such as polls, quizzes, and video embedding. Interactive elements have been proven to boost customer engagement and significantly increase email interaction Which of these are you going to implement first? Send me a DM on Instagram at @ruthie_gray_author . I’d love to see what you’re trying and the results you get! The post Ep. 100: Email Marketing Trends for 2024 appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 23:39

منذ 2 years23:39

23:39

In this episode, we’re thrilled to bring you an in-depth discussion on the 2024 Instagram trends, with my assistant, Sara Motes. This episode highlights the 2024 Instagram trends, including the domination of video content, the impact of short-lived content like Instagram stories, the growing significance of SEO over hashtags, the emergence of hybrid content incorporating AI, and the overarching theme of authenticity. We’re discussing the implications of these trends and provide valuable insights for your social media strategy in 2024. Join us as we uncover the key Instagram trends that will shape the digital landscape in 2024. Resources Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Get Ruthie’s new book, Empty Nest Awakening Throughout this episode, we discuss content from articles from the Social Insider and GainApp Listen to Ep. 30: 2 Easy ways to repurpose stories to Reels Listen to Ep. 29: How to overcome your fear of Reels Listen to Ep. 27: Reels ideas: Trending sounds, voiceovers, and tips for any personality 2024 Instagram Trends: What You Need To Know 1. Video Content Domination Reels continue to rule on Instagram. Reels will continue to be the most engaging type of content on Instagram. The important thing about making Reels is using viral audios to increase the video’s chances for virality. That’s the main secret. 2. Short-lived content Short-lived content that disappears after 24 hours will still be around in 2024. This type of content is real, authentic, and creates FOMO that encourages user engagement. Studies show that after viewing Stories on Instagram 62% of users become interested in a brand or product. 3. SEO on social media will be more powerful than hashtags 40% of young adults (ages 18-24) use social media as a search engine. SEO practices on social media will set the distinction between brands that put in the extra effort when it comes to their posts on social media. Research from Hootsite showed that social media posts which relied heavily on great SEO manage to increate their engagement rate by 30%. That’s why your social media strategy for 2024 needs to include “keyword research”. 4. Hybrid content Artificial Intelligence meets human creativity. AI doesn’t have to be the bad guy – use it as a tool to spark ideas and efficiency. AI stickers, captions, and more can elevate your content game. Just remember, always make it your own! 5. Authenticity Always Authenticity takes center stage in 2024! Users are tired of inauthentic brand messaging. They crave real, transparent interactions. In 2024, this means brands should showcase behind-the-scenes looks, candid moments, and even acknowledge imperfections or mistakes. Be open, be real, and connect with your audience on a personal level. Build trust and brand loyalty by being your authentic self. The post Ep. 99: Instagram Trends for 2024 appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 98: Tidings of Goodwill: An Unexpected Christmas Miracle 11:59

منذ 2 years11:59

11:59

Every once in a while you hear of an unexpected Christmas miracle. Three years back, I received mine. You see, 25 years ago, I made a snap decision I would later regret. Resources Christmas gift idea: Ruthie’s book, Empty Nest Awakening Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) A young wife with 2 kids and a baby, I was packing our house up for a job relocation back home. As is often the case, one accumulates tons of junk when raising little ones, so I feverishly off-loaded to Goodwill like a mad woman. I packed the boxes, and Jim (after questioning all the stuff I purged – and getting the stink eye from me), loaded them up and whisked them away. We were finally moving home, and life was good. Once we relocated, I unpacked necessary items and then stuffed a few unpacked boxes with sentimental possessions in my closet. After all, life was moving at breakneck speed with my new career as the music teacher at the kid’s Christian school… and I just found out I was pregnant. Again. About 5 months into our relocation, I looked for our wedding memorabilia. Except when I dug through all the boxes – it was missing. No photo album, no signed guest book – it was gone. ALL of it. With a sinking feeling, I realized I’d given our wedding memories to Goodwill and would most likely never see them again. Around the same time, Jim discovered his nice black dress coat was also missing. (I got in trouble for that.) He’s often joked that someone in Martinsburg is walking around with his good coat and claiming our wedding memories. We have just one picture of the wedding, from somebody who attended. Our kids have never seen our wedding pictures. Many times, I’ve lamented the non-passing on of our heritage. The Unexpected Christmas Miracle But all that changed today with a mysterious phone call. A guy who owns rental property found our wedding memory box years ago in one of his dwellings, took it home, and set it on a shelf. And that’s where it sat for 20 something years – until he decided to open it. Mr. Vanmeter from Martinsburg, West Virginia, wanted to know if we were still together (I’d have wondered that too – after all, who gives away their wedding album?!) and he proceeded to tell Jim our engagement story – written in our wedding guest book, so we knew it was legit. How did he find us? Inside the box was an old bulletin from Maple Valley Baptist Church, where my dad pastored, with his name and home phone number on the front. Long story short, my dad and mom still had the same phone number and the wedding box found its way home on December 21, right when all of our kids were home for Christmas!⁣ My eldest snapped a photo of Jim and I with our kids gathered ‘round, getting their first peek at our unexpected Christmas miracle– our wedding photos! When asked why he would do this for us, he responded, “I’ve been married 54 years. I would have wanted someone to mail me my wedding memories too.” Keep praying, even in the impossible Crazy, right? I never dared to dream…or even pray that my wedding photos would be returned to me. But my mom did, right from the start. (She’s the prayer warrior in the family – we could all learn a lesson from her! Take it from this former cynic – nothing is impossible with God.) I guess unexpected Christmas miracles still really do exist. Jim’s coat is still gone though. “And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “ Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:34-38 The post Ep. 98: Tidings of Goodwill: An Unexpected Christmas Miracle appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 97: Content Creation: from overwhelm to clarity with Jennifer Sakata 30:23

منذ 2 years30:23

30:23

In the latest episode of the Authentic Online Marketing podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Jennifer Sakata to discuss her journey in content creation, attracting followers, and building an email list on Instagram. Discover how she overcame creative overwhelm and found a balance in her weekly schedule, prioritizing writing above all. We discussed the challenges of perfectionism and the value of consistency in building an audience. Resources Follow Jennifer on Instagram Visit Jennifer’s website Listen to Ep. 48: 7 Ways to get followers on your email list Listen to Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur Listen to Ep. 96: Create High Converting Content with Authentic Online Marketing School Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Time Management and Prioritization Organizing her week is key for Jennifer, with specific days dedicated to writing and cleaning. Prioritizing writing over other tasks has been a game-changer for her, reminding us to nurture our creativity with discipline and consistency. Offering Value to her Audience Her journey from starting on Instagram to gaining follower engagement and email subscribers is nothing short of inspiring. Jennifer’s content on prayer and grace has struck a chord with her audience, showcasing the power of authentic storytelling. Building an Audience Jennifer’s success in building an email list on Instagram is a testament to the value of offering engaging content for email opt-ins. She wows us with her brilliant approach to creating captivating welcome series and connecting with subscribers. Launching a 10-Day Prayer Challenge Jennifer’s faith-centered approach to content has not only resonated with her audience but also showcased the power of showing up consistently. Her 10-day prayer challenge, embraced imperfections, and realness has impacted her audience for the better. More content creation tips Listen to the rest of our conversation where we talk about the struggles of perfection, the beauty of consistency, and the impact of showing up authentically to attract and connect with an audience. Check out the full episode and be empowered by Jennifer’s journey to grace and success. The post Ep. 97: Content Creation: from overwhelm to clarity with Jennifer Sakata appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 96: Create High Converting Content with Authentic Online Marketing School 12:28

منذ 2 years12:28

12:28

Are you looking to create a high converting content marketing plan in just 8 weeks? Look no further! Join me and a community of Christian creatives and entrepreneurs in Authentic Online Marketing School as we dive into the perfect blend of Instagram and email marketing. Authentic Online Marketing School is not just another course – it’s a supportive community and a game-changer for growing your audience and networking opportunities. Resources Join Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 16: Why audience clarity is the secret to driving traffic from your bio Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Check out the Authentic Instagram Engagement Course What you’ll learn in Authentic Online Marketing School Phase 1: Instagram Excellerator Creating a powerful Instagram bio Knowing who you are helping and what your message is crucial for an effective Instagram presence. Get feedback from our supportive community and learn how to drive traffic from your bio. Social Media Content Pillars Once you know who you’re talking to you can establish your main pillars of content. Having content pillars helps you have ideas going forward for what to share. Grow your Instagram followers organically This is when we have a follower growth challenge. It’s very fun. We have prizes, and you will likely pick up anywhere from 20-50 new followers per week. You’ll be able to take advantage of and lean into a larger community. You’re going to learn how to grow your platform with people who want more of what you have to offer and people who can collaborate with you to help you grow your audience. Driving traffic from Instagram We will focus on how to drive traffic from instagram. You need to learn how to get your Instagram followers from instagram and get them on your email list because you don’t own Instagram! The email list is where your true dedicated people are that want what you have to offer. Phase 2: Email Optimizer Crafting an email welcome sequence Learn how to storytell to market to your audience and get them to respond. Your welcome sequence will be a template you create that you will use every time you get a new subscriber. Email swipe files For ongoing content you will create a story swipe file so that you never run out of content once you’re done with the class. Graduate from AOMS When you graduate from Authentic Online Marketing School you’ll have a fully optimized Instagram bio, new followers, a content strategy, and an email opt in that you can drive your Instagram traffic to. You’ll have a newsletter welcome sequence and a strategy going forward to make both of those powerful platforms work to grow your marketing, and networking. Authentic Online Marketing School is for people who have been on the Instagram platform for a while and know how it works, but you feel like your growth is stuck. You need at least 200 followers and be able to maneuver the Instagram tech easily. If you’re new to Instagram or aren’t great at the tech side of things, check out the Authentic Instagram Engagement course. This is a great course for beginners. Create high converting content in Authentic Online Marketing School Your message matters. And I’m here to help you share it in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 96: Create High Converting Content with Authentic Online Marketing School appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 95: Faith-Fueled Leadership: Empowering Christian Women in Business and Social Media 26:06

منذ 2 years26:06

26:06

In this episode, Ruthie is joined by three entrepreneurs, Cathy, Suzanne, and Brenda, to discuss their experiences as women in business online. They each share their unique entrepreneurial journeys, from content creation on platforms like Instagram and Newsletter Marketing to selling products through social media and email marketing. These women reflect on their growth as entrepreneurs, the importance of community support, and the impact of authentic online marketing strategies. Resources Check out Ruthie’s new book “Empty Nest Awakening” Find out more about A uthentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 25: How to build a strong Instagram community (and why you need one) Listen to Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Follow Suzanne on Instagram Follow Cathy on Instagram Follow Brenda on Instagram Growth and Learning as Women in Business First up, we have Cathy , an online content creator who started with documenting her online journey but has now evolved into building a business. She’s all about serving, learning, and having fun in this season of life as The Retired Empty Nestser. From sponsored posts to affiliate products, Cathy’s entrepreneurial spirit is truly inspiring! Next, we have Suzanne , a beauty guide with a passion for educating women about skincare and makeup. Despite her initial hesitations, she embraced the world of Instagram Reels and has found her niche. Her dedication to championing midlife women and addressing their unique needs is truly remarkable. Last but not least, we have Brenda , who bravely embarked on a pivot to become a NuSkin product distributor. In addition to promoting skincare products, Brenda is also busy marketing her Texas Bucket List Series, showcasing her diverse entrepreneurial pursuits. The Role of Community in Growth and Business One key takeaway from these amazing women is the significance of community and learning from one another. Their collaboration and support have been instrumental in their growth as entrepreneurs. It’s a reminder that success is often nurtured through shared experiences and mutual encouragement. Insights into Email Marketing and Authentic Online Marketing School Cathy shares how her newsletter has become a foundational part of her business, offering unique insights and fostering deeper connections with her audience. Email marketing isn’t just about sales, but about building foundational relationships. Suzanne emphasizes the value of a God-centered and community-driven approach to online marketing, underscoring the importance of trust and support within entrepreneurial circles. It’s a reminder that authentic relationships are at the heart of successful marketing. Brenda’s insights also indicate the versatility of skills learned in Authentic Online Marketing School. The knowledge gained doesn’t just apply to Instagram but can be seamlessly transferred to various platforms, demonstrating the breadth and adaptability of their entrepreneurial expertise. This way, women in business can keep things versatile and open up more chances for their business to grow. Listen to the full conversation on Authentic Online Marketing and get inspired by these remarkable entrepreneurs! The post Ep. 95: Faith-Fueled Leadership: Empowering Christian Women in Business and Social Media appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 94: Empty Nest Case Studies: Finding New Purpose in the Digital Age 31:02

منذ 2 years31:02

31:02

These Empty Nest Case Studies feature my amazing guests, fellow empty nesters, Suzanne, Brenda, Cathy, and Pat, discussing the various unique stages of empty nesting, from being a boomerang empty nester (what’s that?!) to fully retired. Each guest shares how they navigate this stage of life, whether it involves grandchildren, side gigs, or pursuing new passions. Resources Get your copy of Ruthie’s new book “Empty Nest Awakening” Follow Ruthie on Instagram Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Listen to Ep. 90: Empty Nest Awakening: Ruthie Gray’s Inspirational Book on Rediscovering Passion in Life Listen to Ep. 89: Building Authentic Connections with Kim Stewart Listen to Ep. 80: Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Empty Nest Case Studies Invest in yourself Cathy, the retired empty nester, discusses the importance of investing in yourself and how it has propelled her business forward. She advises women to not wait to invest in personal and professional growth. Whether it’s coaching, courses, or joining a supportive community, investing in yourself can accelerate your progress and make you happier in your business. Community is crucial Suzanne highlights the importance of finding a supportive community. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals and having a guide can help you navigate challenges, make lasting connections, and find new opportunities. Embrace change and pivot Brenda shares how she took a leap into retirement and moved into new pursuits, such as skincare and social media presence. Embracing change and viewing life as an intentional adventure allows you to discover new passions and unlock new possibilities. Find gratitude in life’s unexpected twists Pat shares her experience with divorce with grace and gratitude. Life doesn’t always go as planned, but embracing the journey with a grateful heart can lead to newfound joy and fulfillment. These amazing empty nest case studies are thriving in their own unique ways! If any of these tips resonate with you check out Ruthie’s new book “Empty Nest Awakening”. This book offers further guidance, practical tips, and inspirational stories to help you make the most of this new phase in life. And if you’re ready to build a business or online platform, get on the Authentic Online Marketing School Waitlist to be the first to know about our Black Friday Launch. The post Ep. 94: Empty Nest Case Studies: Finding New Purpose in the Digital Age appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 93: How to Reverse Engineer Your Launch 17:38

منذ 2 years17:38

17:38

In today’s episode, I’m talking about how to reverse engineer your launch. I recently launched my book, “Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passions into Purpose,” and I’ve been sharing my tips for a successful book launch in the previous episodes. In our recent episodes, we’ve covered the world of book launches and the importance of building a solid platform beforehand. Today, I want to share with you 10 tips on how to reverse engineer your book launch for maximum success. These tips are based on my own experiences and strategies that have served me well. Resources Buy Ruthie’s new book “Empty Nest Awakening” Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) 10 tips for launching your book 1. Be consistent with posting Check out episode 87, “Mastering Platform Consistency – The Key to Growing a Super Engaged Following,” to learn how consistent posting and engagement can work wonders for your book launch. 2. Engage on Social Media Ep. 21: “3 Overlooked Instagram Hacks to Boost Engagement and Keep Them Coming Back,” shares valuable insights on effective engagement strategies to connect with your target audience on social media. 3. Start an email list An email list is a powerful tool for building a loyal audience. Discover effective newsletter opt-ins for email list building in episode 9, “Effective Newsletter Opt-ins for Email List Building with Sarah Gehringer.” 4. Go live and establish trust Going live on social media platforms helps establish trust with your audience. Tune in to episode 66, “Gain Organic Followers with Live Video,” to learn how to leverage the power of live video to build a connection and boost your book launch. 5. Share stories and behind the scenes Episode 30, “Storytelling Tips for Captivating Your Audience,” explores ways to use the power of storytelling to engage and captivate your audience. Stories create an emotional connection, and they can be a powerful tool in your book launch strategy. 6. Poll your audience in stories Create a simple poll in your stories about something relatable. The goal with your poll is to find some common ground with your audience. It could be as simple as asking your audience if they take a morning walk like you do. Listen to episode 37, “How to drive Instagram Traffic with Stories” . 7. Know your audience You don’t always know who your target audience is when you first start on Instagram. If you’re looking for help on how to find your target audience check out episode 16, “Why audience clarity is the secret to driving traffic from your bio”. 8. Collaborate and share others’ content Lateral community is where you share content from other people that complement your industry or in your industry. Share posts and affiliate for each other. Listen to episode 47: “The most effective way to build your Instagram following” . 9. Be Authentic “Building an authentic Instagram platform without Compromising Your Calling” is episode 31. Share your real self so that your audience can get to know you. You can do that by sharing behind the scenes in your stories, going live, and just being yourself. 10. Be Generous with your Audience Always deliver value with your content. Take the time to know your audience well enough to give them the insider tips they need. I don’t give away all my tips and strategies, you can get that through signing up for coaching with me or in Authentic Online Marketing School. Listen to episode 72: Grow Your Author Presence On Instagram . Start with what you need If you’re overwhelmed right now, pick the number that you need the most and go ahead and listen to that episode. Message me on Instagram and let me know what you’re working on! The post Ep. 93: How to Reverse Engineer Your Launch appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 92: 7 Marketable Book Launch tips for Instagram users 15:48

منذ 2 years15:48

15:48

Today I’ll be sharing 7 marketable book launch tips for Instagram users. As writers, we know that marketing our books is a daunting task, yet it’s crucial for actually selling the book and getting your message out to the people who need it. So, whether you’re an aspiring author or an experienced writer looking for fresh marketing strategies, this episode is for you. In this episode, I’ll be sharing my personal journey of launching my own book, “Empty Nest Awakening,” on Instagram. I’ll provide you with practical and effective tips that have worked for me and will undoubtedly work for you too. We’ll explore simple ways to promote your book that are often overlooked, as well as strategies that require a bit more thought and effort. But fear not, because I’ll break it all down and show you it’s easier than you think. Resources Join Ruthie’s Newsletter Get the Instagram Growth Kit Buy Ruthie’s book “Empty Nest Awakening” Follow Ruthie on Instagram Listen to Ep. 90: Empty Nest Awakening: Ruthie Gray’s Inspirational Book on Rediscovering Passion in Life Listen to Ep. 91: 3 Reasons to Self-Publish Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories 7 Marketable Book Launch tips for Instagram users 1. Change your Instagram bio Make it reflect your book launch, describe your target audience, and add relevant emojis. Emojis are like hidden gems on Instagram – they catch the eye and add a fun touch. Don’t forget to include your book link in your stories! 2. Change your profile picture Change your profile picture to either your book or a professional headshot. Brand yourself and get noticed! People will associate you with your book, even before it’s launched.Stand out and make a memorable impression. 3. Make an Instagram highlight for your book Create a book highlight on Instagram. Share stories, testimonials, and highlights about your book. This is prime book real estate, so make sure to make the most of it! Plus, add a direct link to purchase your book in your stories. 4. Make video content Embrace video content. Share reels, behind-the-scenes peeks, and pain points related to your book. Engage your audience and build excitement! Don’t forget live videos for launch days – it’s your chance to connect with your audience in real-time. 5. Use a branded hashtag Create a unique hashtag for your book and use it consistently in your posts. It helps create buzz, organize content, and allows readers to find your book easily. Make your hashtag memorable and share it all around. 6. Have launch members share and tag you in posts Have your launch team members share talk about your book in feed posts, reels, and stories, and tag you. This works for obvious reasons. People can tap on your user handle and check out more about your book and order from your link in bio. Also, your launch members can share the link to the book and their stories, making it super easy to purchase your book! 7. Share behind the scenes Instagram Stories are where your dedicated followers live, and they like to know what’s going on. Unbox your book, read snippets from it, share launch team members holding it, show the process of writing it, etc. You can also share behind the scenes content in your newsletter. Remember, launching and marketing your book doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Take advantage of these easy-to-implement tips and watch your book gain traction on Instagram. If you want to dive deeper into the topic of book launching and learn more about my personal experiences, be sure to listen to this episode. The post Ep. 92: 7 Marketable Book Launch tips for Instagram users appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 91: 3 Reasons to Self-Publish 14:04

منذ 2 years14:04

14:04

Ever wondered about the process of writing and self-publishing a book? Today I’m diving into the behind-the-scenes conversation with Kent Sanders on my decision to write a book and the pros and cons of self-publishing. Resources Get Ruthie’s new book, “Empty Nest Awakening” Learn more about Market Refined Media & Publishing Check out Kent’s website Daily Writer Listen to Ep. 74: Step into Courageous Authorship with Sherry Ward Listen to Ep. 71: Transform Book Marketing with Shelley Hitz⁠ Listen to Ep. 69: 10 Ways Writers Can Make Money with Kent Sanders Listen to Ep. 90: Empty Nest Awakening: Ruthie Gray’s Inspirational Book on Rediscovering Passion in Life Is self-publishing worth it? When it comes to publishing a book, there’s no right or wrong way. It all boils down to your goals as an author. There were three main deciding factors that influenced my decision to self-publish: the time factor, creative control, and the opportunity to showcase my marketing expertise. Self-publishing is faster I decided to self-publish my book because I wanted to write and publish it in 2023, which is possible with self-publishing. Traditional publishing would have required me to go through the process of writing a book proposal, meeting with acquisitions editors, and potentially waiting for two years before getting published. Self-publishing gives you creative control Self-publishing allows authors the freedom to make their own decisions, from cover design to content choices. Traditional publishing may involve compromise as the publisher has a say in various aspects of the book. Marketing a self-published book I also felt confident in my marketing skills and saw self-publishing as an opportunity to showcase my expertise in marketing my own book. Plus, I’m able to take what I’ve learned and share it with all of you! If you’re an aspiring author or curious about the publishing industry, I encourage you to listen to the episode for more insights. The post Ep. 91: 3 Reasons to Self-Publish appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 90: Empty Nest Awakening: Ruthie Gray’s Inspirational Book on Rediscovering Passion in Life 13:30

منذ 2 years13:30

13:30

I’ve just released my book, “Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passions into Purpose.” In this episode, I’m sharing a little about the book, why I wrote it, and how it relates to my work as an online marketing coach. I’ll also give you some insider knowledge on how to successfully launch your own book. Resources Order your copy of Empty Nest Awakening Listen to Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors Listen to Ep. 74: Step into Courageous Authorship with Sherry Ward Listen to Ep. 89: Building Authentic Connections with Kim Stewart Be consistent with your small following A small, engaged following is better than having tons of followers who never engage with your content. Everyday I have to block fake followers. They’re not going to grow your community or engage with you in a productive way. Consistency creates opportunity Some people will follow you but not engage for a long time. Make sure your profile name and bio accurately reflect what you do and what you can do for them. I recently had two followers who were just lurking on my page but were watching me because of my name, Authentic Online Marketing Pod. But because they knew who I was and what I can do for them, they reached out and I was able to book two speaking engagements at their conferences. Consistency builds community I knew I needed to write a book this year but I was struggling to reign myself in and get on track. But at every juncture God sent me who I needed at that time. All I knew is that I didn’t want to format my book and I didn’t want to make the book cover. Formatting “Empty Nest Awakening” The Lord brought Mandy Roberson into my life who asked me to speak at her conference. I learned what Mandy did for authors and I was so excited to learn that she could do all of the formatting and design work for me! Small but mighty I might have a small number of followers, but they’re a mighty number and they are excited for my book! People will take notice of you if you’re consistent. Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of your Passions into Purpose If you’re interested in exploring your passions and purpose in the second half of life, this book is for you. I share insider knowledge, excerpts from the book, and tips on how to launch your own book. Whether you’re a parent transitioning into the empty nest phase or simply looking for a new direction in life, “Empty Nest Awakening” provides guidance and inspiration on discovering your purpose and weaving your passions into your everyday life. Order “Empty Nest Awakening” Order your copy of “Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passions into Purpose” anywhere books are sold. Available in Kindle and hard copy formats. Order your copy here . The post Ep. 90: Empty Nest Awakening: Ruthie Gray’s Inspirational Book on Rediscovering Passion in Life appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 89: Building Authentic Connections with Kim Stewart 20:03

منذ 2 years20:03

20:03

Today, I want to highlight my wonderful guest, Kim Stewart, from the Book Marketing Mania podcast, who shared some invaluable secrets on building authentic connections. Resources Preorder your copy of Empty Nest Awakening Follow Kim Stewart on Instagram @Kimstewinspired Check out Kim Stewarts’ podcast Book Marketing Mania Podcast Listen to Ruthie’s interview on Kim Stewarts’ podcast here Listen to Kent Sander’s Daily Writer Podcast Check out Ep. 28: Podcast pitching for authors with Kim Stewart Check out Ep. 88: How to know what your audience wants (and give it to them) Check out Ep. 34: 5 Steps to experiencing authentic audience growth In our conversation with Kim, she emphasized the importance of cultivating relationships and the impact it can have on not only our personal growth but also our marketing efforts. Here’s a few key takeaways: Embrace authenticity Don’t underestimate the significance of being genuine in your interactions with others. Building relationships that are rooted in authenticity fosters trust and attracts like-minded individuals to our online community. Seize opportunities Kim shared her experience of seizing every opportunity to connect with people. Whether it’s a quick coffee chat, a networking event, or an online conversation, she encourages us to take advantage of these moments and explore potential collaborations or partnerships. Follow your intuition Often, Kim gets a strong sense or intuition about certain connections. Trusting her instincts, she acts upon these promptings quickly before they slip away. It’s incredible how these spur-of-the-moment connections can lead to great collaborations and opportunities. Communication is key We cannot overemphasize the importance of community. Surrounding yourself with supportive, like-minded individuals can provide the inspiration and motivation needed to grow and expand your reach. Building authentic connections Remember, building an engaged online community is much more than just marketing. It’s about forming genuine connections, sharing valuable insights, and uplifting one another . Let’s continue to grow together and make a positive impact in the digital world! Check out Ruthie’s new book! Also, a quick reminder that Ruthie’s book, “Emptiness Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passions into Purpose” is launching on Tuesday, October 17. Preorder your copy now to enjoy exclusive bonuses before the big release! Kim Stewart is a book marketing coach and host of the Book Marketing Mania podcast. She helps Christian nonfiction authors build their platforms and market their books on podcasts. When she’s not strategizing with clients, you’ll find her in Dallas enjoying time with her family, and indulging in coffee, caramel and Friends reruns. kimstewartmarketing.com Instagram LinkedIn The post Ep. 89: Building Authentic Connections with Kim Stewart appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 88: How to know what your audience wants (and give it to them) 17:50

منذ 2 years17:50

17:50

Are you struggling to know what your audience wants? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many of us have been through the “throwing spaghetti at the wall” phase. Let me share some insights on testing your market and finding your audience. It’s common to have a passion for sharing something but not know exactly who your audience is right away. When you’re starting out, you might think you’re sharing with a specific group, but they may not be the ones responding. It’s trial and error. Resources Check out Ruthie’s book Empty Nest Awakening Learn more about Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Listen to Ep. 87: Mastering Platform Consistency: The Key to Growing a Super Engaged Following Listen to Ep. 82: Maximizing Your Online Presence: Strategies to Fit Instagram into Your Busy Schedule Listen to Ep. 83: Threads Unraveled: 5 Pros and Cons on Instagram’s newest app Listen to Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing How to find your audience on social media I remember when I started growing my Instagram. I was posting, but there was little response. It felt like a waste of time. So I experimented on other platforms like Facebook, where I had more experience. And guess what? People responded differently there. Building an audience without engagement is like having a one-way conversation. You’re talking, but the person isn’t responding. However, even with a small following, you can test and find out what your audience needs. It’s all about understanding them and learning what your audience wants. Engaged followers are better than a ton of followers Traditional publishers often want to see a platform of engaged followers, not just a large one. They want to know if your audience is actively involved. It’s crucial to have a pulse on what they want. Your engaged audience is the key to success! I had a client who had around 1,200 followers on Instagram when she was approached by a publisher to write a book. Why? Because she had created branded content, used targeted hashtags, and stayed consistent. Engagement matters more than just numbers! How to know what your audience wants Testing your market helps you understand your audience’s needs better. It’s how I discovered my audience was empty nesters. That’s why I could confidently write a book about this topic. Knowing who you’re speaking to is powerful! So, whether you’re just starting or trying to find your new audience, testing is key. Look at your analytics, listen to your followers, and adapt accordingly. It’s all about figuring out what resonates with your people. Remember, success doesn’t happen overnight, but with dedication and insights from testing your market, you can build a thriving platform that speaks to the right audience. Keep experimenting, keep tweaking, and keep connecting with your ideal followers! The post Ep. 88: How to know what your audience wants (and give it to them) appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 87: Mastering Platform Consistency: The Key to Growing a Super Engaged Following 20:13

منذ 2 years20:13

20:13

We have a saying here that community grows opportunity and that starts with mastering platform consistency. Networking and being willing to get outside your comfort zone and talk to people builds your community. That’s how you build peace and goodwill and really good relationships. Something I try to teach people is that I’m not going to promise you the moon. I’m going to give you the tools for getting started and being consistent. Consistency goes farther than just about anything else you do. Resources Check out Ruthie’s book Empty Nest Awakening (pre-order for book bonuses!) Join the book launch team Listen to Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 82: Maximizing Your Online Presence: Strategies to Fit Instagram into Your Busy Schedule Listen to Ep. 85: 7 Online Marketing Tools for Entrepreneurs Mastering platform consistency online is key If you’re not consistent, people lose faith and trust in you. If you’re not consistent with your email or social media they begin to lose faith in you. Decide what you can feasibly do, whether that’s one time per week or three days per week for mastering platform consistency. Be consistent with your small following A small, engaged following is better than having tons of followers who never engage with your content. Everyday I have to block fake followers. They’re not going to grow your community or engage with you in a productive way. Consistency creates opportunity Some people will follow you but not engage for a long time. Make sure your profile name and bio accurately reflect what you do and what you can do for them. I recently had two followers who were just lurking on my page but were watching me because of my name, Authentic Online Marketing Pod. But because they knew who I was and what I can do for them, they reached out and I was able to book two speaking engagements at their conferences. Mastering platform consistency builds community I knew I needed to write a book this year but I was struggling to reign myself in and get on track. But at every juncture God sent me who I needed at that time. All I knew is that I didn’t want to format my book and I didn’t want to make the book cover. The Lord brought Many Roberson into my life who asked me to speak at her conference. I learned what Mandy did for authors and I was so excited to learn that she could do all of the formatting and design work for me! My book launches in October. It’s going to be beautiful and exactly what I wanted it to be. I might have a small number of followers, but they’re a mighty number and people are watching me. People will take notice of you if you’re consistent. The post Ep. 87: Mastering Platform Consistency: The Key to Growing a Super Engaged Following appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 86: 5 critical website features you must have with Sara Motes 19:25

منذ 2 years19:25

19:25

You need to make sure your website is ready to help you crush your goals for your business with these 5 critical website features. Maybe your goals include getting serious about your blog, or maybe being more consistent with your email list. No matter what your goals are for your business you’re likely going to be sending more people to your website to accomplish those goals. Resources SIGN UP for my newsletter, the AOM Insider and get your Instagram growth kit + 30 hooks for going live Listen to Ep. 32: Using the Pinterest search engine to drive traffic with Sara Motes Listen to Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 38: Generate Instagram revenue by driving traffic to your website with Suzy Goodwin Let’s get your website ready to go! 1. Update the copyright date Make sure the copyright date in the footer, which is the very bottom of your website, says the current year. That is the first website feature you need! This needs to be updated every January. The copyright date identifies the content and work on the website as yours. It helps people who want to use or share your work (images, blog posts, podcast quotes, etc) to identify the owner of the content and obtain permission to use your content. 2. Check your links Click every single link on your website and make sure you have no broken links. Click on everything in the menu, start at the top, work your way down, start at the homepage, and then move on to the next page. If you have links on your blog that go to someone else’s blog posts, or maybe you’re referencing a PDF somewhere, make sure everything links properly. Not only is this important for your search engine optimization, but it’s also creating a better experience for your user. 3. Content is king Pay attention to this website feature: don’t rewrite your whole site! Simply read through your site as if you were a first-time visitor. Do you have a clear call to action? Can people understand what service or product you offer within the first 3 seconds of visiting your site? A simple change can go a long way! 4. Check Google Analytics Google Analytics changed a lot this year. Universal Analytics is no longer supported and now we have to use GA4 . Contact your webmaster to make sure that you have GA4 installed on your website. Now you can start gathering the data Analyze your data. Look at your analytics every few months or at least every 6 months. Knowing your analytics will help you make informed decisions for your marketing strategies. 5. Make it easy to sign up for your email list Your email list sign up form should be in multiple places on your website. Make it as easy as possible for someone to sign up for your email list. Pro tip: embed your email sign up form in the footer of your website. The post Ep. 86: 5 critical website features you must have with Sara Motes appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 85: 7 Online Marketing Tools for Entrepreneurs 18:05

منذ 2 years18:05

18:05

As entrepreneurs we need the right online marketing tools to grow our businesses. I’m all about Instagram and email marketing, but there are so many other things involved in my work on a daily basis. I’m sharing my top time saving online marketing tools that I use in my business. Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Listen to Ep. 78: What is Meta Verified and Do I Need it? Listen to Ep. 23: How to use an Instagram challenge for follower growth Sign up for the Refined Conference . Use Code: AUTHENTIC for $100 off Learn more about Missing LETTR Check out Voxer Check out Google Docs Learn more about Later.com Learn more about Tidy Cal Check out Vimeo . Email me at ruthie@authenticonlinemarketing.com for a 25% off code. Learn more about Descript Get the best username and password manager LastPass 7 online marketing tools for entrepreneurs 1. Missing LETTR Missing letter is a social marketing platform that turns your content into engaging social media posts and helps you schedule them. You can integrate it with Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin. But what I love about it is that it’s connected to my website. So whenever I published a new blog post Missing LETTR sends me an email reminding me to set up my scheduler to publish content for social media. It reads the blog post and create the content. I can select the content and select or upload some images for the posts. This is a great tool to help you repurpose your content. 2. Voxer The Voxer app is saving my life. Voxer is like a walkie talkie. I use Voxer with my VA’s, clients, and my coach. I can use the chat feature to drop a voice message to explain something or I can just send it via text. Voxer also has the capability to do groups. 3. Google Docs Google Docs is a no brainer. I use Google docs to store client testimonials, podcast transcripts, book information, and contracts. 4. Later.com Later.com is also a scheduling app. I use it for the extra things that I want to put in. It’s always going to be my fallback because there is a not section that I like to keep special hashtags in and caption ideas. 5. TidyCal TidyCal is a calendar app. It’s great for scheduling meetings with colleagues, clients, friends, and podcasters. It’s cheap and it’s easy to use. I connected it to my google calendar and my iPhone calendar. TidyCal provides a list of appointments people can book for a discovery call. 6. Vimeo Vimeo is a video hosting service. You can upload your videos and edit them in Vimeo. You can copy the link to share it. 7. Descript Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editor. I use Descript for recording my podcast. With just the push of a button Descript can remove all of the fluff words in my podcast including the um’s and uh’s. BONUS: LastPass I simply couldn’t end this post without telling you about LastPass. LastPass is a password management software that securely stores and organizes passwords so you don’t have to. Lastpass will automatically fill in your username and password information when you need to log in to a website. No more hunting down your passwords and usernames! The post Ep. 85: 7 Online Marketing Tools for Entrepreneurs appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 84: 5 Secrets to Successful Affiliate Marketing 11:30

منذ 2 years11:30

11:30

Ready to boost your online marketing game? In this episode, we delve into the world of successful affiliate marketing and how it can boost your sales and business. It’s important to realize how affiliate marketing is an additional income stream for both active and passive sales. Given these points, when you regularly promote or talk about certain topics on your blog, podcast, newsletter, or social media, you can just pop the links in wherever they apply. If you’re looking for a way to generate income, you will want to listen to today’s episode. Resources This post contains affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase I will receive compensation from said products. Apply to join the September Insider Mentorship (doors close August 25th)! Join here Check out Christa’s Journal Listen to Christa’s Podcast, One Simple Thing Christa’s Masterclass: Simplify Your Social 5 tips for successful affiliate marketing 1. Believe in the brand The only authentic way to sell is to affiliate for products that you have used yourself and firmly believe in. 2. Have a presentation plan Determine what platforms you’re going to use to present it. Use the platforms where your audience is active: YouTube, Instagram, email list, Pinterest, etc. 3. Don’t sell it. Tell it. Your love of the product will sell it through your own stories of using it. 4. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Keep putting your affiliate links out there. Don’t just share one time and forget it. The reason for this is, people need to hear it seven plus times before they even start to click or consider the product. Don’t let affiliate sales usurp your own products. Make sure the products you’re promoting are complementary to what you provide. The post Ep. 84: 5 Secrets to Successful Affiliate Marketing appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 83: Threads Unraveled: 5 Pros and Cons on Instagram’s newest app 20:01

منذ 2 years20:01

20:01

*This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! On this episode of Authentic Online Marketing, we dive into the world of Threads, the new app released by Instagram that is generating a lot of buzz. I’ll show you an inside look at Threads based on my personal experience and discuss how to use it, how others are using it, and whether or not it’s worth using. Resources Check out the Refined Media Conference (Code: AUTHENTIC of $100 off) Download your free Instagram Growth Kit (+ 30 hooks for going live) Listen to Ep. 51: 7 Tips to up-level your productivity Listen to Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur Listen to Ep. 34: Steal my Instagram Engagement Tip Threads Unraveled We’re talking about: 1. What is Threads and why is it generating buzz? 2. Should I use Threads if I’m already overwhelmed with social media? 3. How can I use Threads without starting from scratch on a new platform? 4. Are there any drawbacks to using Threads? 5. Can I share Threads on my Instagram Stories? 6. How can I build authority on Instagram even when starting out with low engagement? Many people are hesitant about trying Threads, especially if they are already overwhelmed with social media. But fear not! I’ll share with you five compelling reasons why you should consider using Threads and how to incorporate it into your busy schedule. Picture this : Threads is like a virtual meet and greet where you can share the juiciest stories, throw in some LOL-worthy moments, and stir up emotions all around. Plus, we’re spilling the tea on the power of messaging in Instagram Stories, because that’s where the magic happens. Building connections through DMs and Stories is the secret sauce to success. Addressing low engagement on Instagram Wondering why your Insta reach has taken a nosedive lately? Well, blame it on the Threads frenzy! But no worries, because consistency is the name of the game . I’ll show you how to keep your Instagram game strong even with lower engagement. Trust me, it’s all about that long-term hustle! However, this episode is not completely about Threads! I’ll also share information about the upcoming Refined Media Conference and how it can help with your marketing strategy and platform growth. Plus, I’ll share my own experiences and opportunities I have received as a result of consistent presence on Instagram. So, don’t you dare miss this epic episode of Authentic Online Marketing! Threads is calling, and I’m here to guide you on this wild social media ride. Don’t forget to check out those show notes and my Instagram for some exclusive goodies and deets about the fabulous Refined Media Conference (Code: AUTHENTIC of $100 off). Let’s slay the social media game, one Thread at a time! The post Ep. 83: Threads Unraveled: 5 Pros and Cons on Instagram’s newest app appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 82: Maximizing Your Online Presence: Strategies to Fit Instagram into Your Busy Schedule 6:49

منذ 2 years6:49

6:49

I wanted to do a roundup of five different podcast episodes from the archives to delve into the topic of taking breaks from social media, particularly Instagram and how to fit Instagram into your busy schedule. Last summer I did a special series on this very topic and I’ve heard from so many Instagrammers and marketers who want to take a break over the summer and need to be with family but they don’t want to lost momentum, or if they do take a break they’re afraid they just won’t come back, which is also a valid concern. So I want to give you some time tested advice on how and when to take a break from Instagram and then how to come back and keep going while maintaining a busy schedule. Key topics in these episodes include: Overcoming discouragement and burnout on social media Strategies for coming back to Instagram after a break Fitting in time for Instagram while managing other tasks Planning and time blocking for increased productivity Aligning opportunities with business goals Repurposing content and avoiding shiny object syndrome And much more! This post contains affiliate links. Should you purchase from said links, I will be compensated. Thank you and Godspeed. Resources Listen to Ep. 38: When to take a break from Instagram Listen to Ep 39: How to come back to Instagram (after taking a break) Listen to Ep. 40: How to fit in time for Instagram Listen to Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur Listen to Ep. 51: 7 Tips to up-level your productivity Wren Robbins 6 first steps to starting a podcast freebie 10x Rule by Grant Cardone Ep. 38 : When to take a break from Instagram Listen to the episode here . Do you ever feel like you just need a break from Instagram? Summertime brings a different schedule, often vacations, and at the time of this taping we’re in June! So, you may be thinking – when do I take a break? Is that a bad idea? That’s a valid question! Another thing to consider is, maybe you’re, well, tired of it. Like you’re just over it? Usually this happens because we’re burnt out on posting or just have too much on our plates or maybe it’s a busy season. This happens to me just about every 90 days, and I know it happens to my mentorship members and clients, so I’m sharing ideas with you for how to know when to take a break. Ep. 39 : How to come back to Instagram (after taking a break) Listen to the episode here . In episode 38, “When to take a break from Instagram,” I shared how I took my own break after a big launch and while working on my new website. It was difficult to fit Instagram into my busy schedule. But something I did that encouraged me to come back to Instagram when it was time, was I committed to accountability. That was through a Reels collaboration with Wren Robbins of the Don’t Wing It Podcast (Wren is also my podcast coach, and is in our Insider Mentorship). I contacted her and said let’s pull the trigger on this Reels collab we’ve been planning for three weeks. So we set a day and a time and we did it, and that propelled me back into my regular posting schedule. Ep. 40 : How to fit in time for Instagram Listen to the episode here . Fit Instagram into your busy schedule Know your why. Get it nailed down. After this interview, Brenda got busy and back on the ‘gram as you heard in episodes 38 and 39. She answered her own question, basically for how to get back on Instagram – know your purpose. Know your time. How much time a week do you have to work Instagram? Base the amount of posts and engagement on that number. If you don’t have time to post every day, do it 3 days a week. If not that, start with 1 or two. Use the time you have, but predetermine how long you’re going to take and only use that time, don’t let it bleed over. REPURPOSE your content! Use what you already have, don’t reinvent the wheel. Draw from your blog, your newsletter, your podcast, wherever your content is coming from. Break it down. Use whatcha got. If at ALL possible, get help. Use a VA or just get someone to free up all the little tasks of creating images and maybe even pulling copy you’ve already written – you can even go over it to tweak, but get someone to set up your emails and funnels and maybe even answer your comments, depending on the level of expertise they have. Ep. 50 : Time management for the Christian entrepreneur Listen to the episode here . Wren gave us 3 clear time management tips: Have a plan and work the plan, build relationships, and target actions that move the needle in your business. She also gave a great tip for when you’re first starting out – say yes, but pray. The book she referenced, the 10 X rule by Grant Cardone she mentioned the last time she came on the show sharing how she grew her new account by 100 followers in 15 days. Of course, it’s a given that we BOTH believe podcasting is a huge plus for a business, so go pick up her freebie your first 6 steps to starting a podcast, and be sure to follow her on Instagram as well. As always, thanks for listening, and remember to share your message your unique way in your own authentic voice. Ep. 51 : 7 Tips to up-level your productivity Listen to the episode here . In this episode I’m sharing 7 ways to design your day and up-level your productivity. Plan your year, vacations, goals, conferences, launches, everything. Plan your week and focus on the 20% plus padding – don’t jam pack the thing. Tap into your superpowers and offload tasks others can do or perhaps just chuck them all together. (Don’t’ forget, there’s probably a teen nearby who could create graphics or manage tech issues). Get a coach or mastermind – studies show that accountability is the key factor to sticking with goals and community leverages the power of moving forward! Assess your goals each quarter and ask God, do I really need to do this right now? Is this still working, or have you changed the dynamics? Are you calling me to this now, or was it only for a season? Is it me or is it YOU? And finally, repurpose content. Work smart, not hard! God doesn’t call us to running ourselves to death, we do. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said “Even Jesus took naps. Take more naps. Be like Jesus.” I hope you enjoy this round up of helpful episodes to help you fit Instagram into your busy schedule. The post Ep. 82: Maximizing Your Online Presence: Strategies to Fit Instagram into Your Busy Schedule appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize 14:20

منذ 2 years14:20

14:20

Do you find yourself saying “yes” to too many things? Learning to say “no” can be incredibly challenging! Time is your most valuable asset. In this episode we dive into the importance of saying “yes” to the right things, breaking down big goals, and achieving those goals while protecting your time. Saying yes to too many things means you can’t complete the goals you’ve set for your life and business. Let’s talk about how to protect your time and market you business more efficiently. This post contains affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase I will receive compensation from said products. Resources Listen to Ep. 51: 7 Tips to up-level your productivity Listen to Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Christa Hutchin’s Move Forward Line-A-Day Journal Break it down Take the time to break down your big goals into smaller, more attainable ones. Even if the year is halfway over, it’s still possible to achieve your goals and make significant progress in the second half of the year. Optimize your content Optimizing your blog posts for SEO is one of the most important strategies to help make your content findable and searchable on Google. But, it’s equally important to repurpose your content into videos and reach a wider audience. Consistency is also the key to success. Creating a yearly and monthly goal plan using assessments and progress evaluations will keep you on track. Build your email list Building an email list can make a massive difference in promoting your content. By providing quick, consumable content that solves a problem right away, you can create engaging relationships with your audience. Build relationships Remember, marketing is not just about shouting “buy my thing” ; it’s about building customer service relationships and demonstrating your product/service in action . Always try to include a call-to-action (CTA) in your content and drop breadcrumbs to lead your audience to a more significant ask. Learning to say No It’s never too late to make progress towards your goals. Know your limits and say no when you need to. Remember to commit your works to God and trust the process. Celebrate your accomplishments and set monthly goals to reach your long-term objectives. The post Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 80: Top 5 Episodes of 2022 19:31

منذ 2 years19:31

19:31

*This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Before we jump into the top 5 episodes of 2022, we are celebrating the third birthday of the Authentic Online Marketing Podcast! I just want to say a heartfelt “thank you” for those of you out there who have helped us achieve over 65,000 downloads in the past three years. Thank you to everyone who has listened, subscribed, and reviewed the podcast. It means so much! Everyone that leaves a podcast review this week will be entered to win our Stories to Market Workshop , so join in the fun (even if you’ve already left a review, you can do it again)! Today I’m going to share with you our top 5 episodes of 2022 of the Authentic Online Marketing Podcast. Let’s get started with number 5. Resources Ep. 62: 10 Superpower Case Studies Ep. 34: Steal my Instagram Engagement Tip Ep. 33: 5 Features for Your Woman Owned Website Ep. 35: How to Grow Your Biz by Doing Less with Alicia Byers Ep. 32: Using the Pinterest Search Engine to Drive Traffic with Sara Motes Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Number 5 Ep. 62: 10 superpower case studies This episode highlights 10 different women who discovered their superpowers and how that fits into their business, then infused into their online marketing strategy. We hear testimonies of the 10 women and their practical ideas and discoveries in the online space. The testimonies included rave reviews of how crucial Authentic Online Marketing School has been in helping them discover their voice and boost their online presence. Listen here . Number 4 Ep. 34: Steal My Instagram Engagement Tip This episode is about using SEO or hashtags to find people complimentary to your brand. It also highlights finding your target audience and emphasizes the importance of collaborating with that target audience. The main tip is to get out of your bubble to find more people to connect with if you’re wanting to build instagram engagement. Listen here . Number 3 Ep. 33: 5 Features for Your Woman Owned Website This episode highlights 5 different helpful tips for a great website: 1. Personality + Good Copy 2. Have clear offerings 3. Clear images 4. Testimonies 5. Opt-ins Listen here . Number 2 Ep. 35: How to Grow Your Biz by Doing Less with Alicia Byers In my interview with Alicia Byers, she provides three practical ways to build time for rest: 1. avoiding black-and-white thinking 2. establishing appropriate work hours 3. recognizing rest as a goal. Rest incorporated in your work is the main idea of this episode. Alicia also touches on seeing Instagram in a more personal way, rather than just trying to run a business. She explains that showing up to add value to others, rather than to just take for yourself, helps build that community that you need to connect on a personal level Listen here . Number 1 Ep. 32: Using Pinterest Search Engine to Drive Traffic with Sara Motes I had the opportunity to interview Sara Motes, a Pinterest marketing pro, and and discussed the power of Pinterest for small businesses. We talked about time management strategies for Pinterest, essential tools for optimizing performance, leveraging Pinterest as a sales funnel, and repurposing Instagram Stories and Reels for Idea Pins. Sara emphasized the significance of focusing on “top of funnel” platforms like YouTube and Pinterest, so you can get maximum brand exposure and attract potential customers. By actively engaging with these platforms, small business owners can broaden their reach and enhance their visibility in the digital space, ultimately leading to improved SEO on Google. Listen here . The post Ep. 80: Top 5 Episodes of 2022 appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 79: Strategies for Maximizing Your Instagram Live Views 16:34

منذ 2 years16:34

16:34

Why are my Instagram live video views so low? Do Instagram lives turn into Reels? How long is too long for a pre-recorded video to upload? Asking questions is key to further your growth, no matter what stage you are at in your Instagram growth journey. As we all know, Instagram gives us plenty of fodder for questions, and I love exploring what they’ve come up with next. Here’s everything you wanted to know and more. Listen in to my conversation with members of my Insider Mentorship as we discuss how to increase your Instagram Live views! Resources Check out the Authentic Online Marketing Insider Mentorship Listen to Ep. 66: Gain Organic followers with Live Video Listen to Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends Instagram Live Vs. Reels: Which should you do? If your Instagram Lives aren’t very well attended, Instagram isn’t going to push it out further to other viewers. Quick, consumable video content is what people are looking for instead of long-form video content. It looks like the days of long-form video content on Instagram are gone. You can upload a longer video (one and half minutes max) and use that as your long form content. Upload it as a post and it will automatically turn into a Reel. Then, share that Reel to your stories and that will help it get more traction. You want to maximize your work and that’s the best way to do it. 2 ways to create long-form content on Instagram in 2023 Since Instagram only wants short form video content (1.5 minutes or less) you’ll have to divide up your longer pieces of content as a series. Try releasing part of it on Monday, the next part on Tuesday, etc. You could also create longer content in your Stories then save it to a Highlight. Always be willing to experiment on Instagram Experimenting with posting Instagram Lives to your feed is a good idea if you aren’t sure what your content will look like or how long it will be. Posting a snippet of it as a Reel can bring viewers to your next live if you’re struggling to get followers to join in. Instagram is constantly changing We are continually learning the ins and outs of social media as it expands and changes, and we learn better together and continue to encourage each other as we grow our platforms. If you don’t have a posse and would like to join mine, check out my Insider Mentorship and fill out the application. I’ll contact you, we’ll have a quick Zoom call, and see if our group may be the next step you need to move forward in the online space. You never know ‘til you try! At any rate, I’m excited to see what you do with this episode. If it helped you in some way, maybe clarified some questions you had about Reels, live video, or any type of video on Instagram, screenshot the show, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag me at @authenticonlinemarketingpod so I can see your feedback, I love seeing who’s listening and reading your comments and questions! Let’s get busy with video. Lives are still a powerful tool, don’t underestimate them. Experiment uploading pre-recorded video and see what works best for you. The post Ep. 79: Strategies for Maximizing Your Instagram Live Views appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 78: What is Meta Verified and Do I Need it? 9:32

منذ 2 years9:32

9:32

Should you get Meta Verified on Instagram? Today I’m sharing insight about this new Instagram feature. As with anything for your platform, we need to research our options and look into alternatives that can help replicate our authentic voices. While we often need to invest in our businesses to promote growth, other times we can be resourceful with what is already available to us. In this instance, I’m talking about a paid subscription called Meta Verified. What is it? What purpose does it serve? And are there other ways to achieve the same goal? *NOTE: At the time of this recording, Meta Verified was not yet available in the US, but has recently been released. Resources Join my broadcast here . Listen to Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features for Marketers in 2023 Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram Stories What is “Meta Verified”? Meta Verification is a paid subscription service to get the blue check on your Instagram and Facebook profile. It protects your accounts from being stolen. You’ll also get access to customer support and will get increased reach and visibility. The monthly cost right now is between $11-$14 USD per month. They first tested it in Australia and New Zealand, then made it available in the US. Don’t want to pay a subscription fee for Meta Verification? Here are a few things you can do instead to protect your account and expand your reach. 1. Enable Two-factor authentication If you haven’t done that yet, you can go to your settings to enable and receive a code to can get back in if somebody tries to take your account. 2. Increase Reach and Visibility There are several ways you can increase reach and visibility. First, if you’re wanting to invest in something, you could try ads. Second, collaborate with other creators in your niche. Finally, you could simply post more content. You don’t have to use Meta Verified to Grow Meta Verified is a paid subscription that may increase your visibility and keep your account safe, but there are other alternatives. Enabling the two-factor authorization, paying for Facebook and Instagram ads (if you want to put some money into it), increased posting, more Reels, and collaborations are other alternatives to achieving similar goals. Meta Verified at this juncture is a no-go for me. Will I always say that? I don’t know! Maybe I’ll test it out at some point just like I’m currently testing broadcasts (by the way, let me know if you’re interested in hearing about how to use broadcasts and I’ll do an episode on it, and in the meantime you can join mine ). My goal at Authentic Online Marketing is to teach you to use organic means in your own authentic voice to gain traction. But paying for Meta Verified is similar to paying for ads or a subscription to get more eyes on your content, and that’s not wrong, it just depends on your current goals. You don’t have to use Meta Verified to grow. Use what you have because there are definitely other alternatives to paying social media to get people to notice you or keep your account safe. The post Ep. 78: What is Meta Verified and Do I Need it? appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing 13:39

منذ 2 years13:39

13:39

Today we’re going to talk about a hot topic: Artificial intelligence, otherwise known as AI. What do you think about it? How do you feel about ChatGPT? Let’s talk about how to use AI for content writing. By now you’ve likely heard about this newest trend designed to help content creators write and design. While saving time and brain space, Artificial intelligence can help you do anything from crafting resumes, email, subject lines, sales pages, SEO descriptions, blog headlines, poems and full blog posts. But many writers feel very strongly about accepting help. It’s either cheating or, we may lose our voice in the process. And those we deem not “real writers” are going to become writers. And how do we feel about that? It stifles the creative process. This podcast episode is an Insider Mentorship conversation with our own writing experts. *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Resources Listen to Ep. 73: How to Write Lean and RIPT with Dalene Bickel Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Check out the Authentic Online Marketing Insider Mentorship WordHero – AI Content Writer Is using AI for content writing “cheating”? Writers are starting to use AI more and more. It’s never going to replace your brand voice or how you write. It can aid in inspiration and spark the imagination. It’s a fantastic resource, especially for blog headlines and email subject lines. Where can writers start using AI? Use it where you need it! If you find yourself getting stuck when writing your email newsletter, plug in some of the lines from your email and see what else it comes up with. The AI might jog your memory or give you the spark of inspiration that you need. Is content written by AI actually mine? AI is very new and there’s a lot we don’t know about how content from AI can be used. If you write a book, will you have to sign a document stating that you wrote the book 100% without AI’s help? We don’t know. That’s why it’s best to simply use it for inspiration for your writing and marketing. The AI tool can benefit your writing in a way that is unique to you. It’s not to be used as a way out of writing, but as a way to enhance your writing . My advice is don’t let AI write for you. But if you’re stuck, allow yourself to have a prompt that can get you past your writer’s block. We cannot stress enough that authenticity is key. But already having an idea of what you want to write and then getting a few keywords to move you forward can make a world of difference. Using AI for writing your content What are your thoughts? What do you think about this conversation? Don’t forget to come over on Instagram and weigh in. My opinion is this: everyone can use help whether it is AI or a thesaurus online. We all get a little stuck in our writing. That’s why we encourage each other in these training sessions inside my mentorship to ask questions and discuss current issues with Instagram writing and business. And by the way, If you are interested in our mentorship, we do have an application here . You need to have a thousand followers and be active on the platform, know all the basics of Instagram, and be able to navigate the technology without a problem. I can’t wait to hear your opinions about AI. Join the conversation over @AuthenticOnlineMarketingPod on Instagram. Remember to share your message your way, in your own authentic voice. (And don’t rely on artificial intelligence to come up with your unique voice.) The post Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works 10:34

منذ 2 years10:34

10:34

For today’s topic we’re going to talk about why you need to move your clients off rented space and onto your email list. Turning Instagram followers into email subscribers can be a game changer for your business. There are so many platforms at our fingertips now to take advantage of and build your client base. And as you know, my favorite is Instagram . I’ve done a lot of business there and continue to gain leads and generate weekly conversations via direct messages (DMs). Even so, social media platforms are rented space. The DM’s are a place to take them deeper where they get inside information beyond your surface content while also building a rapport with them. In this snapshot from a previous training inside Authentic Online Marketing School (AOMS), you’ll learn why an email list is essential in those next steps beyond the Instagram DM’s. Resources Get your Instagram Growth Kit + 30 Hooks for Going Live here . Ep. 10: How to write newsletters they actually WANT to read Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors Ep 45: 3 Newsletter musts for engaged readers Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Why you still need an email list when your clients only want to talk to you through social media In a conversation with Pat, a member of AOMS, she mentioned that her clients don’t want to be on another email list. They just want to converse in her Instagram DMs. She doesn’t have their email address and she’s only conversing with clients or potential clients on Instagram. She putting all her eggs in one basket: the rented space of Instagram. My answer to her was this: you still need their email address in case Instagram fails you. If all her clients and leads want to converse with her on Insta, that’s fine. But at least get their email address in case something happens to her Instagram account. How to turn Instagram followers into email subscribers Here’s how to ask for an email address in the Instagram DMs: “As a client, one of the perks is that you have access to my exclusive email list. It’s not going to be a lot, maybe one email per month with helpful information for you. It’s not going to be overwhelming. But I do need a way to communicate with you off Instagram just in case something happens to my account.” Email lists opens more communication Not only is a newsletter going to tell your clients what they will receive, but it also opens the door of connection between you and them. You can tell them exactly what to look for from you and then deliver. If you are concise and consistent with them, they’ll know what to expect and it’s welcomed. Email lists keep you top of mind You can do a weekly bi-weekly or monthly newsletter to keep your services front and center for your clients. They will continue to view you as their go to resource. Previous clients are often repeat clients. And warm leads are way easier to market to than cold ones. Ask me how I know. Don’t focus on rented space. Focus where your ownership aligns. This is where things get personal. It’s called social media for a reason. Direct your client to a personal space where they can have some of those pain points relieved and open the door to deeper connection. How do you feel about this? Do you do a lot of your marketing and transactions through social media? Or do you move them over to your email list? I’d love to know your thoughts on this. So hop on over to Instagram and weigh in. Every week I have a carousel with information about the podcast episode. Leave a comment on that post and let me know what you think. Until next time remember to share your message your way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors 9:31

منذ 2 years9:31

9:31

Identifying your main goal in your social media presence can tie directly to your email list. All month long we’ve focused on writers and authors in the realm of online marketing, writing an email, and social media. Stay tuned to learn more about Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors . In this episode, we are combining a couple of previous episodes with Kent Sanders from The Daily Writer Podcast. In this episode, we’re talking about how to… grow your author presence on Instagram manage a personal and professional Instagram account tie your business goals into social media get more email sign-ups from social media Resources Check out the episode with Kent Sanders referenced in this episode: The Daily Writer Show: Instagram Strategies for Authors Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Repurposing content for professional vs. personal brand Instagram accounts It all depends on what your goal is for your business. If you want to drive traffic to each account, then yes, you should cross-post. Kent’s goal is to get more email subscribers and he needed a strategy. Kent can post to his personal brand account and encourage people to follow the Daily Writer Instagram account. On that professional account, he can build relationships with his followers and encourage them to sign up for his email list. This is a great email subscriber strategy if you have more than one Instagram account. Email Subscriber Strategies Define your goal and use your assets to help you achieve it. In Kent’s case, we know that email signups are the main goal. So utilizing Instagram through your feed stories and reels can direct your audience to your email. Talking about your newsletter on Instagram can move people to sign up for your email list. Provide something that solves a pain point right away, like a short ebook, checklist, resource, or template. Show your audience what you have to offer for free and that will keep them coming back for more. The post Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 74: Step into Courageous Authorship with Sherry Ward 28:59

منذ 2 years28:59

28:59

You know you’ve been called to write. You may even have a book. But something’s missing…you can’t seem to bring yourself to tell people about it. Today we are going to learn how to Step into Courageous Authorship with Sherry Ward. On social, you’ve posted about it one time. Mostly, you just offer encouragement through scripture and quotes. It’s the ‘safe zone”. You’re afraid of someone judging you or your writing, or maybe snide remarks or, “who do you think you are to say this stuff?” Maybe you’re afraid of getting on video and showing your face. Maybe you’re afraid to actually say HEY I WROTE THIS! Sound familiar? We have a common term for this. In fact, it’s becoming cliché, but it is what it is. Imposter syndrome . Today’s show is all about how to break through that mindset – and that’s what it is, simply a mindset. You’ll hear from my special guest, Sherry Ward, Founder and CEO of Square Tree Publishing , as we discuss one of the biggest barriers to getting your book seen – fear of being seen and known. You will learn… how you can build in time to write (even on a squished schedule) the surprising reason most authors get held back in their writing how writing a book fits into your life calling and Sherry’s huge writing challenge that can get you started toward finally writing and publishing your book! If, for any reason, fear may be holding you back from writing your book you will come away from the show with a renewed sense of purpose for your high calling. Resources To sign up to join Writer’s Roadmap email Sherry at info@squaretreepublishing.com Publishing Process Guidebook: https://callingoutthebook.com/guide Listen to Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways How to make time to write Sherry says, “I probably sat down for about 10 or 12 hours a day with three kids in elementary school (which, if any of you have kids, you cannot say that’s an excuse). Each of them could invite one friend over too, so I literally had six kids as I was writing my book. It took me about three and a half months, and I finished the book. Then when I did it, that’s when it started. Just that act of obedience, that one act. People started coming, saying, “How do I do it?” And that’s how we launched Square Street Publishing 11 years ago.” The problem keeping you from being a courageous writer Many writers deal with Imposter syndrome. “Who am I, who’s gonna read it?” The list goes on forever. It’s a lot of fear-based stuff. Fear of being known. Fear of being seen. A lot of times writers’ voices are stifled for whatever reason, maybe something from their childhood. It’s finding their voice again, being able to speak. How does writing a book fit into your life’s calling? The number one thing is knowing your “who”. Who are you called to? Second, How are you to serve them? Those are two key elements, knowing your “who”, and how you are supposed to serve them. Your book is a vehicle for ministry. Writing challenge to help you be a courageous writer Sherry says, “We do a challenge a couple of times a year called “Calling Out The Book”. If you feel like God’s calling you to write a book. We go through the challenge, and at the end, we have a writing coaching program called “Writer’s Roadmap” which incorporates all the things that we’re talking about. It has the prayer team, our mindset coach Dr. Amanda, and a writing coach. Throughout this 90-day program, you’ll get resources every day in a Google calendar, and once a week, you meet live with your coach. One week it’s the writing coach, the next week it’s your mindset coach, and then the writing coach and the mindset. Next we give you a writing calculator. It helps you set goals for your writing, and we hold you accountable and say, “Did you write this week? How many words did you write?” It’s a really good program for people that feel called to write a book. If you feel overwhelmed. Where do I even start? We walk them through this entire process, and then at the end, they get a free cohort. It’s a very small group of people that you will be teamed up with, usually your same genre. Every week, you get to meet with your writing coach for a whole month. About Sherry Founder and CEO of Square Tree Publishing Sherry Ward is a seasoned publisher with over eleven years in the publishing industry. Her authors have been featured in media outlets including CNN, Fox News, the Dr. Drew Show, and the Orange County Register. Square Tree Publishing has given authors a voice, allowing them to cultivate their own platforms and lend their influence to events and organizations from local state task force conferences to the United Nations. As a film and podcast producer, Sherry is uniquely qualified in production development and podcasting. She has been featured on Good Morning America and The Home & Family Show and has done over twenty interviews on national TV shows. Sherry is also an executive producer of Infinity System, a western Sci-Fi pilot to be released in 2023. The post Ep. 74: Step into Courageous Authorship with Sherry Ward appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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Ep. 73: How to Write Lean and RIPT with Dalene Bickel 29:27

منذ 2 years29:27

29:27

March is writer’s month on the podcast and today we’re chatting about how to get your copy lean and RIPT. I don’t know about you, but I struggle with cutting down my verbiage. I’m not so much full of verbal verbosity as I am written verbosity! LOL. We are going to learn together how to write lean and RIPT with Dalene Bickel. I could go on and on and on with my laptop at my fingertips! But there needs to be a filter, a lens, or something to measure how much stays in and how many of those words need to GOOOOOO. That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to my friend and book marketing coach, Dalene Bickel. Dalene and I got to know one another in Authentic Online Marketing School and that’s when I came to realize her vast knowledge in the book writing and publishing industry. Resources Check out Lasting Legacies Publishing LLC Listen to the Ink and Impact podcast Learn more about The Inkwell Collective (a membership community for Christian writers) Listen to Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors Listen to Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content How to write lean and RIPT As a writer , it can be hard to write lean because we are married to our words. Our words are our lifeline, it’s hard to cut and trim. How can writers begin to do this? Dalene encourages us to think less about the words being our babies and more than just trying to hit a certain word count. Flip that switch in your mind to stop focusing necessarily on the words individually but about what all those words together convey. The goal is to inform and connect with the reader, not just throw words on a page. Don’t add fluff just for word count. The RIPT acronym R is Related The reader should relate to what you’re writing. You want them to lean in and read all the way to the end. That’s the goal of every writer. We can do that by sharing relatable experiences. I is Impactful When we are willing to share the knowledge that we’ve acquired and provide what our reader is looking for, that’s when we write a book of impact. It’s really a matter of marrying the information you have to provide with what the reader needs in a way that they’ll be receptive to it. P is Personable Most of us have a favorite author or two, and they’ve probably written more than one book and maybe even in different genres. But chances are if you were to pick up one of their books and didn’t see their name on the cover, you’d still know it was their book. Why or How? It’s because of what we know in the writing world as voice. Use the words you commonly use in real life. Don’t try to fit the mold necessarily. T is Transparent Show the good and the bad of your topic or experience. Share your personal transformation story about your topic. It encourages the reader to see that there’s hope that they can overcome it too. Offer a reminder that negative situations won’t last forever. And if you’re a Christian writer, point the reader to the source of truth. That can be as simple as sharing a Bible verse or sharing again, your personal testimony. Again, be yourself. These techniques don’t need to all be applied at once! Start where you are and slowly implement each piece of the acronym. Your writing skills will expand as your practice and grow. Write that messy first draft. Just get it out there. Don’t worry about all of this right now. Save it for after that first draft is written, and then go back and incorporate more of your voice and personality. After that’s done, go back and look at where you can now condense and cut. Don’t stare at a blank page. Just write something and you can edit it later. About Dalene Bickel Dalene Bickel is the founder of Lasting Legacies Publishing LLC where she serves as a commissioned biographer, book coach, and legacy speaker. She is also the host of Ink and Impact podcast, the founder of The Inkwell Collective (a membership community for Christian writers), and the author of The One-Year Collection of Weekly Writing Prompts . The post Ep. 73: How to Write Lean and RIPT with Dalene Bickel appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 72: Grow Your Author Presence On Instagram 17:49

منذ 2 years17:49

17:49

Today’s topic is Grow Your Author Presence On Instagram but before I get to that, you should know that for the Month of March, we are focusing on you, the author and writer, to help you understand how to take advantage of not only Instagram, but email marketing, book promo, writing tips, and more. Join my special guests and me as we bring you the best of the best on how to get your book written and build a platform of raving fans who are ready to read it! Resources Instagram Strategies for Authors https://dailywriterlife.com/marketing-expert-ruthie-gray-on-instagram-strategies-for-authors/ Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Listen to Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors Recently I was on the Daily Writer Podcast with Kent Sanders and this is just a short snippet of our conversation. You’ll hear Why writers should be on social media, and how the introverted writer can adjust her perspective of society from one of drudgery to actually enjoyment. How to use Instagram to promote your book, behind-the-scenes ideas, and how to build systems so you can still hunker down in your writing shed and channel your inner Jane Austin. I know you’ll enjoy this short conversation with Kent, which is NOT the same conversation we had a couple of weeks ago in episode 69 called 10 Ways writers can make money, again, this is when I guest interviewed on his show. And now, listen in. 10 Ways Writers Can Make Money https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/10-ways-writers-can-make-money/ Why should writers be on social media? Kent: Why should writers be on social media in the first place? I mean, I think we all intuitively know it’s important, but from your perspective, as somebody who’s thought about this a lot, you’ve created lots of resources around it. Why should we be spending time on social media in the first place? Ruthie: Well, social media is not only a place to make the public aware of your writing but it’s the place to network. It’s like a big networking event, that is how you forage important relationships that are integral to your book lunch and getting the word out about your writing. Kent: In some respects, does it go back to the question of whether or not we want to put time and emotional energy into relationships? Grow your author presence on Instagram Ruthie: It is, Social media is social, you can be on Google and do your SEO work that’s important. I do think that social media helps you build your authority better because other people, give you shout-outs as they come to know you as a person, then you earn their trust and they become, for lack of a better term, super fans, They tag you and share your work on Instagram and, others see that and start following you, reading your blog or listening to your podcast. it’s just like a never-ending circle of networking. Kent: That’s really good. It’s an important reminder because a lot of us are introverts and we would prefer just to stay in front of our computers and not have to engage with the world. So for writers, who are introverted and who perceive all of this as a big pain. Is there a certain attitude adjustment that you would recommend or something that we can shift in ourselves that would help us have more fun with this and value this more? Ruthie: I get that because, there was a time when I was just like, I just want to write, I just want to get my work out there. And yet I realized that if I didn’t actually interact with other people, they could care less about my content. Kent: Yeah, that’s a great point. Use social media to build your writing community Ruthie: So how to make it fun? You have to sort of determine that yourself. You have to first be committed to carving out a time niche too and building your community. Kent: Right, And is that a perception that many of us have sometimes? Is that this is gonna take up my whole day, I’m gonna spend hours and hours on social media wasting away my time. It doesn’t really have to take that much time, does it? Ruthie: It doesn’t have to take that much time, especially when you put systems in place and boundaries for yourself because it ultimately comes back on you. How much time do you have? and how much time are you willing to spend? And then you just cut it off, I do not let social run my life because there is an important work of content creation to focus on. Grow Your Author Presence Kent: What are some of the best ways that writers can use Instagram to promote their books or engage people in the book-writing process? Simple ideas to grow your author presence on Instagram Ruthie: Well, for instance, for writing, do you have a daily writing practice? So set up a ring light with your camera and put it on fast speed, just a little clip of you doing that or a picture of it. Take a picture of yourself at events like a podcast and say something like; “I’m getting ready to go on Kent Sander’s podcast”. If you’re going to the printers or if you get that manuscript in the mail post about it. Anything that is integral to the writing process. Kent: This is really, really good stuff and you’ve given me like 10 really good ideas. I had never thought about this. Sharing is how your develop trust Ruthie: Yeah, it’s simple. Sharing, that’s how you develop trust. You’re like, why would anybody not know this? Or Why would they wanna know about it? They wanna know about it. They need to know that behind-the-scenes story. People are nosy on Instagram, and that’s what social is all about, is sharing your life and, developing those relationships. Posting schedule for authors who want to grow their presence on Instagram Kent: What do you think about the idea of having some kind of content posting schedule? For example, on Mondays, I post about this particular thing. On Tuesdays, I post about this thing, like you basically you have three to five topics that you rotate on a weekly basis or a regular basis. Ruthie: Absolutely, because it’s kind of like your Scripture reading. If you don’t have something laid out that you’re gonna do, then you’re probably going to not do it. Some days you’re just like, “should I read Ephesians today?” I like to have a scripture reading plan. Systems are what keep you consistent and consistency is what brings your audience. For instance, for my posting schedule: I post three to four times a week. No more than that. Monday is always about the podcast. It’s going to be quotes from the podcast. It’s gonna be a carousel form. Wednesday or Friday is going to be a Reel of me just talking about that podcast, but it’s not, go listen. It’s more of a nugget of information from that podcast and then I cite the podcast in the caption. Then Friday it could be a quote, like an inspirational quote. A lot of my audience. They’re writers, so I love to post writing quotes, a lot of them are also entrepreneurs, so entrepreneurial mindset. My pillars on Instagram are Instagram and email marketing. A marketing mindset is what drives you to do all the other things, it’s not possible to overshare your core message. Say things over and over again. Kent: That’s a really good thought. Okay. It’s not possible to overshare your core message. Authors can repurpose their content to grow on Instagram Ruthie: It isn’t, keep focused on your message. Repurpose content, say it in an email, and say it again in a post. Say it again in an Instagram carousel post and in a Reel. Mix it up and say it in a different way, but keep saying it. Writers think they have to come up with new content all the time and new captions. That’s what makes it so hard for them to do it. I draw from my podcast. On Monday I go with those quote images, and I go grab the quotes out of the podcast. I pop it in there when I’m scheduling and put a hook in the first line, and a call to action and I am good to go. Don’t make it hard. Kent: That’s a really good piece of advice because I think a lot of us as writers feel like we have to constantly be turning out a lot of new stuff. It takes the pressure off of us, doesn’t it, where we don’t have to come up with something new, all the time. Don’t create new content, just repurpose Ruthie: It really does. That is the biggest drawback for writers is they think they have to create all this new content, You just need to repurpose it. That’s something that I teach the people in my communities all the time. Once you write a stellar email, use that thing again. You need to work smart but not hard. Go back to a post that received a lot of attention and re-share it again with a different image or created in the form of a reel. Share it in your stories. Take the caption that you wrote and just repurpose it. Kent: That’s really good. I do that on here, on the podcast actually all the time. I reuse content constantly because you have new people come in and listen to it. People won’t remember all the content you create Ruthie: Exactly, we are so close to our content that we’re like, oh, I can’t send that email again. They just got that in the last six months. How many emails do you get in your inbox every week? I mean, no one’s gonna remember. Kent: Exactly. You get something that you like and you just keep coming back to those same things over and over. Ruthie: That’s why I like using Stories so much because I repurpose a lot of my content, but just in a different way. You want to cultivate that community. Kent: It’s almost like, like thinking of yourself, uh, kind of like the Hallmark channel, where really they have one type of thing that they do. They’re known for one thing, every movie is like a variation on the same set of messages. This is true of any brand, isn’t it really, you have a set of core themes and everything is a takeoff on that somehow. Ruthie: It is, you just wanna keep track of your thoughts. What works well for writers is to focus on bringing in an ideal audience of readers. Don’t be afraid to share yourself, your personality, and your life, be transparent, get on video, make a statement, and put a stake in the ground. Photograph or video behind the scenes, your writing process, amidst dog walking, caregiving, and taking care of grandkids. How did you get inspiration for writing? Network. Repurpose your content. Develop a posting schedule and set a timer so you don’t get sucked down the Instagram hole. Cultivate boundaries and promote your book. Do you need more concrete ideas for how to do this? Listen to the full episode on the Daily Writer Podcast with Kent Sanders, Instagram strategies for Authors, link is in the show notes. https://dailywriterlife.com/marketing-expert-ruthie-gray-on-instagram-strategies-for-authors/ The post Ep. 72: Grow Your Author Presence On Instagram appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 71: Transform Book Marketing with Shelley Hitz⁠ 33:31

منذ 2 years33:31

33:31

*This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Are you a Christian writer or author ready to transform book marketing? If so, I want to invite you to join me at the Kingdom Writers Conference Email Marketing Edition , A FREE one-day virtual conference to help writers unlock the power of email marketing to generate book sales without feeling sleazy, and instead, you’ll create authentic relationships (and you know we’re all about authentic around here)! You’re going to love today’s interview with Shelley Hitz, teaching you how to transform book marketing! Discover a proven strategy to stay connected with your readers without posting on social media every day! Join CJ and Shelley Hitz, hosts of the Kingdom Writers podcast and founders of the Christian Book Academy. The conference is just one day with eight speakers so you don’t get overwhelmed, it’s all about email marketing, and I am speaking on 7 Ways to Get Your Followers to Join Your Email List ! Resources Kingdom Writers Conference Email Edition Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors Listen to Ep. 13: How she secured a book deal on Instagram; Case Study Transform your book marketing Do you get stuck when it comes to marketing your book (or potential book)? You are not alone, my friend! After I published my first ebook, I struggled with how to present it in a way that wouldn’t seem like I was touting myself or bragging. I was fearful of what people would think of me. She is always talking about herself. Who does she think she is, why does she have a book, why is she doing this, and what is she trying to prove? And chances are many of you listening struggle with this too. Christian writers feel deeply called to their craft, but when it comes to marketing books they start to shrink and almost lose confidence in everything they built. This is when it’s time to own the fact that you were called to do this, and you will need to transform your book marketing and it will involve book promo. Marketing pro for self-publishers, Shelley Hitz This is where author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Shelley Hitz comes in. She’s been mentoring writers since 2010 inside The Christian Book Academy. She’s a terrific entrepreneur and has built a business on book writing and coaching others. Inside Christian Book Academy Shelly helps aspiring authors write words that will outlive them. Self-publish books that fulfill their calling, and reach more readers with their message. Shelley and her husband CJ have often been called “pastors for writers” and together create a powerful team to help you accomplish your God-given goals. They host the Kingdom Transform Book Marketing Ruthie: Shelly, I started following you back in 2015 and joined your training for how to write a book. You had such a fantastic way of explaining how to do it simply, and quickly so that you could get a simple 10,000-word ebook out there. I did it and that was just such an amazing experience. Shelley: That’s so exciting, we’re celebrating our eighth member anniversary of the Academy this month. It’s hard to believe, but we now teach that information in Christian Book Academy and also have a separate workshop, Procrastination To Publication. Unlock your business growth by transforming your book marketing Ruthie: It’s super practical and Kingdom-minded. There’s a bigger picture, and I just love all that you stand for. Today, we’re gonna talk about unlocking business growth by teaching you how to transform book marketing tips. You do have to market a book. So, it’s sort of like you have to be business-minded, right Shelley? Shelley: Right, I always say you give birth to the book, and just like giving birth to a baby, the birthing process is pregnancy and birth. Typically nine months, and then you parent for the rest of your life, right? It never stops. You have that initial burst of the writing and the publishing and giving birth to this book. Then you have the marketing and it’s also true with the business, right? It’s a stewardship thing, I get the opportunity to steward this message that God has given me to impact lives for eternity. Ruthie: Yes, and I would say, many of our listeners and clients are writers and authors or aspiring authors, probably 75%, and they struggle to market their books. They just don’t know how. We’re going to talk a little bit more about how you can cross that bridge, and how you got into running a business and seeing it as a business too. Let’s talk about when did you first become passionate about entrepreneurship? You were an author first, right? From physical therapist to entrepreneur Shelley: Yes, I was thinking about this and my previous career was as a physical therapist, and I think I already had those seeds of entrepreneurship in my job as a physical therapist. I worked at a special location, just by myself, and I ran that clinic with Whirlpool Corporation. So I was onsite there, and I would create programs for body mechanics and lifting, and I would go out to job sites and create new forms. And I was always thinking and creating and doing new things, and that’s what an entrepreneur does, right? It started with an idea We create something from nothing. Then we were missionaries in Belize for two years. I used my physical therapy degree and did ministry and worked with children with disabilities. I was creating programs, I was training people, I was doing things that make something from nothing. When we came back from Belize, this experience sparked something in us. What are we gonna do? We loved having our own time freedom and working together. My husband and I actually stumbled across some training on how to write a website that attracts people from search engines. I started my first website in Belize, and so that was 2004. I started some entrepreneurship before I published my first book in 2008. Ruthie: Okay, and I remember starting my website way back before I met you and thinking, man, this is really hard. I can’t imagine writing a book, but at the same time, I had all those sparks too, so I know what you’re talking about. It’s like those juices start flowing, don’t they? Shelley: Yes. Now I have written and published over 50 books. With my husband, it’s been over 70, and we’ve created I don’t even know how many programs. God made me to be prolific and to be a teacher and to share my experiences, even my testimonies. God made me an entrepreneur. Ruthie: Right, and so you just looked at those threads and you saw what sparked you and then you just went with it, didn’t you? “God can’t direct a parked car.” Shelley: Yeah. Just one thing at a time. And I didn’t wait until it was perfect. I didn’t wait until I had all the plans. I think that’s one of the things that we can do is we just sit around thinking, oh, I need to know exactly what’s gonna happen and how it’s all gonna work. My friend Shea Binds, from Kingdom-Driven Entrepreneur, says “God can’t direct a parked car.” Ruthie: That’s right, and I hear the excitement in your voice, and the more you talk about it, the more excited I get because we share the same passion. It’s something that I tell our people over and over again. So tell me this, when Christian female writers come to you, what is their biggest hangup about running their own business? Transform your mindset for marketing your book Shelley: I’ve been mentoring authors now for 13 years, and one of the things that keep coming up is I don’t wanna appear prideful or greedy. I think sometimes we see worldly ambition or worldly gain, and making money as bad, right? We have this mindset that if I take these gifts and this calling and these desires that I have, and I just start going for it, people are going say, whoa, this woman is greedy, she is prideful. This is a gifting and a calling He’s given to me and to whom much is given much is required, right? What I do and the actions I take are between me and God. God knows my heart. He knows my motives, and yes, sometimes I get off course. Sometimes he has to course correct but I believe that we are to let our light shine. Matthew five says, and be not for our own glory, not for our own gain. Although we are to earn money, and it is good to earn money, ultimately it is so that people can glorify God in heaven. You don’t have to explain your calling to everybody Ruthie: Amen. You do have to sell some books, but it’s okay to promote yourself in the name of the Lord if you feel like you have been called to do this and it’s good. I saw a quote, I think it was last week, that said, “You don’t have to explain your calling to everybody.” Shelley: That’s exactly what I’m saying. I think we live in a culture where everyone knows everyone else’s business, right? Because of social media, because of all the things, and even when you think you know someone, you don’t know everything that’s going on behind the scenes. Follow God’s calling on your life You know those people that are judging me, they don’t know. They don’t know the blood, sweat, and tears. They don’t know how many hours I spend in prayer with God. I don’t need to explain it to them, but I do have a calling. I do have gifting. When I stand before God one day, I want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” You took a little and you multiplied it with My presence, with My power, with My spirit, and many lives were impacted as a result. Ruthie: Yet another powerful statement and I was just reading this morning about the servants, the ones who hid his talent. Shelley: The parable of the talents… Ruthie: This is definitely a God-ordained conversation today. I’m just seeing so many signs that this is something that was supposed to happen, a conversation that our listeners and the authors and potential authors out there need to hear. So what are your top three tips, Shelley, for running your own business? Let’s talk about your business and how can these tips relate to book marketing. 3 tips to transform your book marketing 1. Don’t give up We get discouraged, we don’t see the results we want when we want them, and I get it. I’m in it right now too, of some of the things I’m doing. And it’s “Lord, I wanna see the results faster.” And he’s like “Patience, my daughter. Patience.” And I think if I could say anything to any one of you, stay connected to the vine, stay connected to God. We recommend doing business meetings with God, which is having him lead and guide you in your business. 2. Engage & Invite T ypically, that’s going to be through our email list. We’re engaging them, and then we nurture them. Then you have Invite. This is another step I find my audience has a hard time doing. The call to action to actually buy something from you. We need to actually share with them what are the benefits of working with me or reading this book, or that you even have a book. 3. Delight & Attract Y ou’re delighting your readers to the point where they want to share word of mouth. The thing I really wanted to share is that this is a part of the Attract stage. Using SEO – Search Engine Optimization and collabs are an important part of this. I think there are some of you that just simply need to move back a couple of steps to the Attract Phase and say, okay, what am I doing to attract new readers, new people to my business? Ruthie: For sure. I think that a lot of times writers, we’re a little hesitant. We want to get our book out there. We’re afraid that if we collaborate, it’s going to take away from the time that we need to promote our own book, or maybe our audience is going to go for somebody else with their book, but that is a scarcity mindset. Marketing is all about relationships Shelley: Oh yeah. Yeah, it’s amazing, and the thing is, marketing is all about relationships anyway. For someone to grow to know, like, and trust you. Honestly though, if I recommend other books or other marketing books, people are going to typically buy more than one book on a topic. If they’re really interested in it, they’re going to be devouring it. In fiction novels, you think, oh my goodness, they can’t keep up with the demand. We know the collabs that are right, and that’s one of the prayer requests that we pray for almost every week. The right person at the right time buys the right book or joins our academy, but that it’s the right person at the right time. Ruthie: It is all in God’s hands. He has it, he’s orchestrated it. I wanna talk about your Kingdom Writer’s conference in just a second, but briefly, can you sum up your best three tips? The core foundation for how to transform your book marketing Shelley: It’s good to remind ourselves of the five-step marketing process, which is, attract: how are you attracting new people through SEO ads or collaborations, engage: having a way for them to sign up for your email list. Then to be able to nurture. To attract, engage, and nurture. There’s some sort of regular content, Then to invite. Lastly, is to actually invite people to buy your book, to work with you. Ruthie: I just wanted to thank you for reiterating all of that because it was so good. I know that I needed to hear it again. Evaluate your marketing Shelley: This is a core foundation for how to transform book marketing. I think we all need to reevaluate on a quarterly level. How is my marketing going? And on these five steps, how is it going? Maybe you’re really strong in the nurture phase, but you’re not as good with the invite stage. The call to action of I want to invite you to buy my book, however, you wanna say that. It’s such a good thing and it’s just a basic foundational structure that you can refer back to again and again. Ruthie: That’s so good and we’re not going to be good at all five of those, but the goal is to work on the weak spots so that we get better. Like especially when you said the promotion part and the copywriting. That works our writing muscles. Marketing is not taking away from what we’re trying to do. It’s actually enhancing it. It’s growing us and it’s growing our writing. That’s exciting. Shelley: Yeah, and for those of you that love to write, there are many ways you can use your writing to market your books. You can write a short ebook that you run on free promotions that’s just 99 cents and it’s an impulse buy. It introduces people to your other books. You can write blog posts, you can guest blog posts. There are many ways that you can use your writing. Email marketing is a great way you can use your writing for your marketing. Test, track, and tweak. Ruthie: Yes, kind of like the superpower that we talk about a lot. Test, track, and tweak. I like that, and then you said a magic word, a keyword that is going to segue us into your Kingdom Writer’s Conference, and that is “email”. I’m excited about this conference because I get to be one of the speakers and talk about getting your followers on your email list, but why don’t you tell us a little bit more about it and what our listeners can receive from it? Email marketing for authors Shelley: This will be our fourth Kingdom Writer’s conference, and this one is the email marketing edition. I have been working with authors for a long time, and this is something I see them resist, and I even resisted for a while in my own business. It’s been the number one way that we’ve sold products, books, and programs. It’s sustainable, it works for introverts and extroverts, and you can use your writing to nurture people. We are going to be hosting a free, one-day conference to help writers unlock the power of email marketing to effectively grow their audience, consistently sell more books, and free up valuable time for writing. Email marketing will transform your book marketing. Social media is rented space. Email marketing is your own. Ruthie: Yes, me too. When you asked me, I was like, “Yes! Email!” Everybody thinks that I love Instagram the most. I study Instagram and I teach it, and I do like it. But what I love is email and I also teach that. As you said, social media is rented space, email is your own. There are so many fun ways to connect with your audience through email. Those are your purchasers. Those are your people. Shelley: Yes, and there’s this concept of a thousand fans. They say, if you can have a thousand true fans that will buy everything that you offer or that are excited about what you’re doing, you can make a full-time living. You can grow your email list to a place where you’re gathering those people and then you have a way to reach them when you have something new to offer. Not dependent on algorithms, not dependent on if you have the ad spend. You don’t have to spend money to send your email unless you’ve reached a certain number of subscribers and then you’re just paying a monthly fee, but it’s mind-blowing what you can do with email if you will just give it a chance. Ruthie: Amen, so true. This has been amazing. Y’all follow Shelley. Shelley, where can they find you? Kingdom Writers Podcast and Social Media Shelley: Yeah, so you’re here, so you’re a podcast listener, so come over to our Kingdom Writers podcast and get connected there. We have a ton of free training for you, and we really try to keep our pieces of training Kingdom-minded. You can find that here. One of those is how to have business meetings with God. You can check that out here . Listen to what God is calling you to do Ruthie: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our audience before we close? Shelley: Yeah, I just wanna say there are so many voices out there shouting at you. What if you just decided to turn it off and tune into the Lord, what do you have for me right now? It’s still work, but that work is based upon what God is giving you to do, what he’s leading you to do. Hearing his voice, hearing his promptings, and these things are going to produce eternal results. Yes, you can make some things happen in your own strength (and I’ve done that too), but when you follow the Lord and you’re doing the things he’s leading you to do… mind-blowing. Shelley Hitz has mentored writers since 2010 from her experience writing 58 books and selling almost 700 million copies. She and her husband CJ are the hosts of the Kingdom Writers podcast and together they create a powerful team to help you accomplish your goals inside their membership Christian Book Academy. They have often been called “pastors for writers.” Find out more at TrainingAuthors.com . The post Ep. 71: Transform Book Marketing with Shelley Hitz⁠ appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep 70: 5 Tips for Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith 20:17

منذ 2 years20:17

20:17

Welcome back to our entrepreneurial series running all month of February 2023. I’m your host, Ruthie Gray and this is The Authentic Online Marketing Podcast. Today, I’m going to get candid with you about my 5 Tips for Taking The Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith. *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Resources Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) @authenticonlinemarketingpod on Instagram The Entrepreneurial Retreat at Trinity 5 Ways Writers Can Make Money with Kent Sanders Welcome Heart Podcast with Sue Moore Donaldson Listen to Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 A little bit of the background of my entrepreneurial journey. As some of you may know, I am writing a book this year. I’m telling you this so that I will remain accountable. Some of the ideas and background that I’m going to share with you today is from bare-bones sketches, the very beginnings of my book. If you read the book, when it comes out, some of this may sound familiar. This is a whole new entrepreneurial journey for me. If you’re a writer and you’ve written a book, you’re trying to build your platform online, like Instagram . I work with a lot of writers. This is where my expertise comes in. I am both a marketing expert and an author. I have written a couple of eBooks before but this is my first real-life, hold it in your hand…book. It’s not just going to be just an ebook rather it’s going to be a real hard copy. Full-blown launch and all that. I am thankful I know how to market a book. Authors need social media platforms I’m excited because I already have that foundation laid as far as my platform. This is something that I advise you to have in place if you are at the beginning of writing a book and don’t have a platform yet. If you have already released a book and your platform is a little weak. Do it now. Grow that platform. Here is why…the day that I announced on Facebook, on Instagram that I was going to release a book. I got lots of positive feedback and people saying they want to read the book. That’s because I’ve spent so many years building online communities and developing my platforms. Start now building that community. Entrepreneurial Leap Now back to today’s topic at hand. In my own entrepreneurial journey, I have had to battle the fear of the unknown. Fearful of what people think of me and fearful of the future. Have even been known to be fearful of what my children think and say about me. In my mind, fear is a kind of force that holds me back from achieving my goals and living my best life. I want to overcome this fear, want to be free. If you do too, come along with me. You may think that I’ve already arrived and that I’ve already conquered my fears. But the truth is. I’ve just faced them and powered through. How am I able to do this? Because I believe this Is where God called me to be. Not because I am a fearless person. Recently I was interviewed by the lovely Sue Moore Donaldson for her WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life Podcast . Which by the way, is a lovely podcast and very encouraging. Sue’s question was this: what do you want your legacy to be? And I said I do not want to leave a legacy of fearfulness. I am fearful at my core. My dad was fearful at his core and my grandmother was fearful at her core. Can you see the pattern here? All three of us are basically the same personality type. We are scared. However, we are witty and we love a good laugh. We defer to the louder people and are afraid to express our opinions. Scared to draw a line in the sand. We’re afraid of confrontation. afraid to speak up, to go out, and also afraid of heights. Breaking the legacy of “scared” Here’s a little bit of background: My dad took a failing grade in his high school speech class because he refused to do a speech. He later became a pastor, preacher, and speaker that was only through the work of the Holy Spirit. My grandmother, in mid-life, decided to shut down and not go out of the house. No church, no grocery store, no Christmas pageant, even starring her only grandchild yours truly. Grandma didn’t give me the legacy of confidence to take an entrepreneurial leap. She left me with lots of things. Two of which I own proudly. One is I’m short, just like her. I used to call her grandma tippy toes because one day I came in and she was standing on a chair trying to get into a cabinet in the kitchen and so I called her grandma’s tippy toes. My own grandkids could call me that and the second is a legacy of a great sense of humor. She also left a legacy of fear. My dad turned the tables and left a legacy of not really being confident, but overcoming fear. Fighting it back with faith. God’s confidence and Holy Spirit infusion, because this is what God asked of him. Faith Over Fear What if in the second half of life, we don’t give in to our fear? What if we dare to do something we’ve always wanted to do? Learn to knit, try Zumba, go skydiving, or try taking an entrepreneurial leap and build a business. And not just any business, but a business you love. This is what I set out to do, build a business. In the search for legacy because I’d already raised my kids, I started to grow my dreams. My dare, if you will. I dared! When I answered Sue Moore Donaldson’s question about legacy, I realized so much more. I realized my dreams were rooted in God’s reality. I love my job. Engaging in marketing is basically the opposite of fear. I’m a marketing coach. Most people are afraid to promote themselves. I teach them how to do it in a way that doesn’t feel icky. Doing my own marketing in a way that doesn’t feel icky and I love it. Marketing is showing, not telling I know what you’re thinking. You’re asking, “Ruthie, do you really mean you love self-promo?” No, not necessarily. What I love is filling a need that people want, and speaking to their pain points. I am providing a service that they are asking for, whether they know it or not. I’m filling a need. You see, marketing is all about sharing your solution with people and getting them to invest. And by investing, even if you don’t have a product or service. Do you want them to go somewhere and do something? Click a link to a website, read a blog post, and listen to your podcasts. Marketing is much more than that. It’s showing not telling. Building confidence, not fear. Earning trust by being good to humans because you are a human. You want others treated as you want to be treated. Marketing doesn’t have to be a hard sell, marketing can be fun. Even the copy, even the sales pages. My mantra is… Authentic Online Marketing is so easy, your mom or Carol Brady can do it. Now that’s funny! (At least the seventies children will think it is.) Marketing can be fun. The fun comes when others realize you have the thing they’ve been searching for. Taking an entrepreneurial leap is easier when it’s fun! My Story A little bit more background about my legacy in regard to this community and why I’m so passionate about building communities. Believe it or not this did not come easy for me. My dad was a pastor. Our home surrounded Christ on a daily basis. My parents ministered to others through house calls, prayers, and hospitality. Mom taught me the ABCs of Scripture when I was four. Be kind one to another. My parents were the epitome of what it means to have a church welcome committee. All two of them. They knew how to build community. Although dad pastored several churches in his lifetime and held special meetings at other churches (see the one about me snoring in the front pew while accompanying him), his longest tenure was at a little country church in the heart of Southern West Virginia. This is where I learned the importance of cultivating community. Dad would stand at the door to grasp a hand and speak encouraging and sometimes witty words as folks mounted the concrete steps and entered the church doors. Meanwhile, mom worked the inside crowd bouncing from pew to pew exclaiming, “We missed you last week!” and connecting with people. During all those interactions, I was the one sitting on the second row, clipping my nails or reading a book. Talk to people? No, thanks. Sit inside my little corner and answer when spoken to? Yes, please. Only thinking, don’t speak to me unless I like you. As I said before, My dad was not an extrovert. Remember the failing grade he took in high school speech class? Mom on the other hand was born with a purse on her arm and a phone in her hand. The woman loves people. In fact, her first love is others. Her second love is connecting with others. She is the ultimate community cultivator. I cringed every time she said, Ruthie, come meet. So-and-so. (“Seriously, I don’t need another person in my life. I have you and dad. And my best friend Mich, that’s enough.”) Battling introversion Being an only child didn’t do me any favors in this area for years. Mom battled my introversion like the plague. When I was nine. Mom sent me to summer camp for a week. I did not want to go. I cried I pleaded, and I threw a fit, but I went camping and I hated it. However, she sent me right back to camp the next year and it went a little better. In fact, the year after that I was ready to go and have a good time. I had built a community. From then on, I looked forward to seeing my friends at camp. Thankfully my mom kept pushing me out of my shell. Some will argue that you shouldn’t push your child to do things that don’t come naturally. I would argue it’s with a larger view in mind that the child’s future potential and legacy are at stake. Years later, I see the value in what she did for me that summer of my ninth year of life. It had a lasting legacy. The secret sauce to my entrepreneurial leap Now I build communities. Turns out, it’s the secret sauce to my business. Over the past five years, I built a business that started out with an experiment. The experiment was a success that landed me several contracts until I transitioned into Instagram coaching. Then I transitioned into group coaching. How did I get the guts to make that entrepreneurial leap? The coach of the mastermind saw my potential And suggested it. So I went for it. I opened a full-fledged, high-level group coaching community. How did I get the guts? By testing new ideas out within the community. Seeing what worked and hiring a long-term coach. Are you seeing a pattern here? Investment is key to advancement in business. When you invest, you commit. And if you don’t use that commitment, it hurts the pocketbook. If you do. It also hurts because it pushes you out of your comfort zone. So, where do you want to be? Stuck floundering on your own? Or, advancing out of your comfort zone. Walking by faith Remember when God called Abraham to get out of his country, but Abraham had no clue where he was going? That’s the 21st-century walk of faith for the Christian online business owner. Face your fear. And fight back with faith. Cultivate community. Take action and pray. My book is going to be about how to tie together the various experiences life throws your way. There’ll be some self-help tips in there. It’s going to highlight my story. I know that it will help the midlife mom, the parent, the entrepreneur, or potential entrepreneur, or the marketer. Most definitely the believer that wants to make a difference. Leave a legacy. Take an entrepreneurial leap. Someone who may not want community, or may not even realize she needs community. I want to enlighten her that she does. She may be an introvert, just like me. In summary. I just want to encourage you. If you are wondering what the second half of life is supposed to look like for you. If you’re a little bit lost, a little bit stuck. Thinking about daring to dream, you’re toying with different ideas. Here are five tips from someone who’s been there right in your place. 5 Tips for Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith 1. Faith over fear. Are you in midlife? You can’t go backward. And now you don’t know what to do to go forward. My favorite verse is when Moses took the Israelites out of Egypt and they were being chased by the Egyptians. God had led them to the Red Sea. Exodus 14: 13-14 says, Moses said to the people, fear not. Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent. God has a way for you. He will fight for you. But you’ve got to trust him. 2. Cultivate community Join a community, just get into some community. 3. Weave the threads of your legacy Reflect on your past experiences. That will help point you to the next step. 4. Take the next step Take action. Move. What is right in front of you that you could do next? I guarantee you there’s something, it might not be the option you want. But it’s there. Do it. 5. Invest What does that look like? It may mean buying yarn materials for your new crochet class that you’re going to take. Maybe, you don’t know anyone in the class, but you know you want to start crocheting. It may mean buying a course or investing in a mastermind or coach. I certainly hope you will consider mine. Authentic Online Marketing School , the perfect blend of Instagram and email marketing. I cultivate community. It’s beautiful. And you’ll get. so much support so you can take your entrepreneurial leap of faith! Please Leave A Review If you enjoy this podcast. We would really love a review. It gives proof that we are really offering value and it gives us a boost to keep going. When we hear from our listeners, it shows the world that, yes, this is really a valuable show. So, if you wouldn’t mind, just take a minute, tap the five stars, and write a short review. If you sign your name, I will give you a shout-out on Instagram. We would really appreciate it. Stay tuned for next week’s episode in the entrepreneurial series. It’s the last one called unlocking business growth with book marketing tips with Shelley Hitz. It’s going to be great. Until then be sure to share your message your way. Consistently. In your own authentic voice and don’t give in to fear. The post Ep 70: 5 Tips for Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 69: 10 Ways Writers Can Make Money with Kent Sanders 32:03

منذ 2 years32:03

32:03

Welcome back to the Authentic Online Marketing podcast, I’m your host, Ruthie Gray, and all month long we’re covering Entrepreneurial highlights that go with running an online business. Many of our listeners are writers and authors so I know you’re going to especially love listening to 10 Ways Writers Can Make Money with my guest, Kent Sanders. You’ll learn why he feels so strongly that writers are entrepreneurs, a different mindset about generating funds, and how to develop your writing passion as a way to pay the bills! Kent Sanders is the founder of Inkwell Ghostwriting, which helps leaders grow their businesses through books and other content. He is also the author and co-author of numerous books, including 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on What Matters Most and co-author of The Faith of Elvis: A Story Only a Brother Can Tell with Billy Stanley, Elvis Presley’s stepbrother. Kent is the host of the Daily Writer podcast and the founder of the Daily Writer Club, a membership in the community that helps writers build a business with their skills. Resources dailywriterlife.com https://dailywriterlife.com/ Download your free Instagram growth kit here . Listen to Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content Listen to Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing Ruthie: Welcome to the show, Kent. Tell us a little bit about what you do, your podcast writing, and all the things so our listeners can get to know you. Kent: Basically, my whole life revolves around writing and books, and there are a few different ways that happen. My main thing and I would say my bread and butter, so to speak, or my day job is that I’m a ghostwriter and I write memoirs. Business books and personal growth books for people. Kent: I run a membership community called the Daily Writer Club, which is for authors who want to write books, build their writing business, show them that writers can make money and make a bigger impact in the world. Then I also am actually just now launching an upper level mastermind called the Daily Writer Elite Mastermind. That’s for authors and writers who are already making some income from their business but want to increase it and make a greater impact in the world. Also, I do live retreats as well, so I have a host of things around this daily writer concept. Ruthie: When did you develop this passion? Or did you al always have a writing passion? Kent: Yeah, I’ve always loved writing, and even from the time that I was back in junior high school, I loved writing and creating. My favorite teacher’s name was Mrs. Tull, and she was amazing because she was not only a great teacher, but she was also really inspiring. One of the seminal moments in my life. She said, “Kent, I want you to dedicate your first book to me.” I was, what, 11 or 12 at the time or something. That was such a key moment because I was like, oh wow, somebody implanted the idea in my brain that I could write books and be an author. And I thought about that for about 25 or 30 years. Ruthie: It’s that mindset thing. That you can actually do this. How did you get all this knowledge? Kent: In terms of where I am now and how I got here, I would say it’s been a process. Stumbling forward. Started off with blogging and podcasting almost 10 years ago. I think my first podcast was in 2013, which is hard to believe it’s been that long ago. But I wrote my first book and nobody read it or bought it. Maybe 10 people read it if that but it gave me the experience of having written a book and it gave me the joy of seeing a finished product, which was a lot of fun. I went on from there. Began writing more, doing more podcasting, and more freelance work. Over the years, that built into what I have now, which is The Daily Writer stuff, as well as a ghostwriting agency. The hostwriting aspect and the daily writer are currently my containers for my passions and the way that I feel like I can serve people. Ruthie: Isn’t it fun to be able to do your passion for your work? Kent: Yeah, I think that’s important. I know there are people who just feel like life is too short to be involved in work that you don’t really like. So many times we get into different types of work, or we take these jobs that we don’t really like because we feel like other people expect us to, or because it’s socially acceptable, or for whatever reasons that we do things that we actually do. However, I think there comes a point in your life where you have to take an honest assessment of yourself and go do what you really enjoy doing. Ruthie: When Christian writers come to you, what is their biggest hang-up about marketing? Kent: I would say the number one thing is Christian people, struggle with time and again(I’m painting with a very broad brush stroke here). As a whole, people of faith tend to be very uncomfortable talking about money, and I think the reason is that we have been taught that money’s bad. It’s not good to want money, that wealthy people are bad or they’re evil, or they’re greedy or whatever. I thought that way for a long time because I came from the world of church ministry and I worked at a Christian college. There was really an ethos that the more that you’re struggling financially, the more spiritually beneficial that is. Oftentimes I share something that really impacted me. This has been a few years ago when I still worked at our college. We were doing this big event where we would have all these guys from area churches come in and they would have speakers, take a big offering for the school and things like that. I was standing in our gymnasium and the president of our school at that time was talking about a donor who promised to give a matching gift to the school of up to 40,000, in my mind, I was like that’s a lot of money! The realization came that if I could be a business person and grow my business to the the point, where I could be the guy who writes a $40,000 check, wouldn’t that be something that was really cool? Many times there’s a small handful of people who do have money who keep the lights on in those places. And I was like, man, it is good to have funds. It is good to make money and to be generous. Because when you are able to do that then you can really help. There are a lot of good causes. You can give a lot, can establish scholarships for students, or do whatever it is that you want to do. I try to help people of faith see that perspective on things. Ruthie: Let’s talk about tips for generating funds As a writer, what would your top three tips Three Writers Can Make Money Fast Freelance Work Kent: Number one is just to do some freelance work. I know that sounds really simple, but for me, the number one way that I generated money at the beginning of building a business was just doing freelance work. The very first thing that I did is I wrote podcast show notes for this is a very successful guy in the business world. Probably everybody knows who this guy is. He’s written tons of books. So that’s what I did at the beginning and I loved it and learned a ton from this gentleman because I was listening to his podcast every week and I was like, That’s cool. His guest would be talking about generosity and business and success and all these things. I found that doing freelance work with the right person actually made me a better business person. The value for me wasn’t just in getting paid for it. Sell Stuff You Have In Your Home Another great way that writers can make money is just to sell some stuff because we all have junk in our houses. You can just go ahead and sell some stuff if you need to hire an editor for your book or a graphic designer or whatever. Just go through your house and sell some stuff. That’s actually how I funded the editing of my second book. I didn’t have the extra money to paint an editor, so I sold a bunch of my books and raised a few hundred dollars and was able to pay for editing that way. That’s so practical. Stop Spending and Cancel Subscriptions I think the third tip would be just to stop spending money on some stuff, like eating out or canceling some subscriptions that you have. Cancel Netflix for a little while or whatever it is. There are all kinds of ways to generate a few extra dollars. It doesn’t have to be really complex. Ruthie: Super practical. and probably most people have not thought about just selling their stuff. That brings me to my next question for you. You have, obviously these different hats that you wear. You have the ghostwriting, and then you have your daily writer umbrella of services. How do you market your own writing services? Kent’s Secret Marketing Tips Kent: That’s a really good question, and I would say that. I don’t do any traditional marketing at all for it. It’s all referral and word of mouth. So I have a little strategy, which seems silly on the surface, but it’s very effective in terms of building a relationship. There’s some cross-pollination between my author coaching and The Daily Writer podcast and the membership group and ghostwriting. But really they’re separate. In terms of the ghostwriting side of things, my secret strategy is I try to find an excuse to get into people’s mailboxes. What I mean is that I try to find a reason to send a thank you note or to send one of my books. Something in the mail because it’s a really inexpensive way to make a good impression on somebody. It costs what, a couple, two, or $3 for an Amazon author copy of your book, which is really cheap. Costs a few bucks to mail something, and I make my own stationery. This is like super simple. I made this myself. This is my daily writer logo, but it’s just a typewriter. So this works for ghostwriting stuff too. It just says, from the desk of Kent Sanders, I literally printed this out on my printer. I fold them myself. It’s good to try and find a reason to send people stuff in the mail. When I have somebody on my podcast I typically send something in the mail to them. A note or a book or something. If I met somebody at a conference, I’ll send ’em a note, or if they’re a client I’ll send them a really nice gift and a note. I just try to find reasons to do some act of kindness. I think that’s effective because most people don’t want to go through the hassle of sending stuff in the mail. Buy mailers from Amazon in bulk. I keep a bunch of stamps. And actually have an account with stamps.com where I post stuff. Get a postage meter, I know how much it weighs. Print out the postage and I put it in my mailbox and it’s really simple. Ruthie: Yeah, that’s a great tip. I have a big mailing that is supposed to go out, so I’m gonna use that. So you recently got on Instagram . There was a graphic that caught my eye and it was 10 ways to make more money as a writer. Can you briefly speak to those 10 ways? 10 Ways Writers Can Make Money Kent: I think they’re things that are doable for every author and they’re definitely within reach. Some of them are simpler than others. Book Sales Freelance Ghostwriting Editing and Publishing Services Speaking Coaching Courses Products Memberships & Masterminds Affiliate Marketing Ruthie: So you have a membership. Tell us a little bit more about that and how the folks could access that or be involved in that if they wanted. Kent: It’s called The Daily Writer Club, and this is a membership community that helps non-fiction authors write books and build their platform so they can grow their income and increase their influence and impact. Essentially, if you’re non-fiction, This community will help you. Number one, it gets around other people who are on the same journey. And that’s half the battle, honestly. It’s not just about knowledge or skills, it’s also about being around a supportive group of people who are running the same race that you’re running and who are going to support you. That’s huge. We also do weekly life calls. I do teaching almost every week. Sometimes we have guest experts come in. Like yesterday I talked about the power of anti-goals. So not just have goals that you want to accomplish, but what are some things that you need to stop doing to help you become more successful? Stop doing things you don’t want to do, stop committing to extra things, and stop comparing yourself to other people. Those are all things that hinder our success. We also do a two-hour writing sprint as part of the club. Not everybody does this, but a pretty good chunk of people do. We get on Zoom for a few minutes, then we shut Zoom off, and then we write. Then we check in at the top of the hour, to see how our progress was. We get off Zoom for the next hour. Yeah, it’s really simple. It’s the dailywriterclub.com Ruthie: Okay. This has all been amazing, Kent. I’m thrilled to share you with our listeners. So tell us, tell the folks where they can connect with you. Kent: The best place is to go to my website, which is dailywriterlife.com . Now, if they go to dailywriterclub.com , it really just redirects to dailywriterlife.com to a specific page for the club. Then they can email me at kent@dailywriterlife.com if anybody would like to have to chat or has questions about how to make money writing. Then I do a podcast called The Daily Writer Podcast as well. So as you can see, pretty much it’s all daily writing. Kent Sanders is the founder of Inkwell Ghostwriting, which helps leaders grow their businesses through books and other content. He is also the author and co-author of numerous books, including 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on What Matters Most and co-author of The Faith of Elvis: A Story Only a Brother Can Tell with Billy Stanley, Elvis Presley’s stepbrother. In addition to writing books for himself and his clients, Kent loves to help other writers. He is the host of the Daily Writer podcast and the founder of the Daily Writer Club, a membership community that helps writers build a business with their skills. He lives just outside of St. Louis and enjoys spending time with his wife, Melanie, and their son, Ben. You can connect with Kent at kentsanders.net and dailywriterlife.com . The post Ep. 69: 10 Ways Writers Can Make Money with Kent Sanders appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 68: Wisdom Proof your Entrepreneurial Ideas with Dawn Barton 28:36

منذ 2 years28:36

28:36

For Christian female business owners, the prospects of starting a successful venture can be both exciting and intimidating. And while marketing is a huge part of growing a business, it’s much more than just building a social media presence and email list. The key is finding entrepreneurial ideas that are creative, purposeful, and cost-effective. As you know, entrepreneurial ideas abound for the creative Christian female business owner. *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Resources The Retreat at Trinity for Entrepreneurs website: https://dawnbarton.com/entrepreneurship-retreats Dawn Barton https://dawnbarton.com/ Download your free Instagram growth kit here . Listen to Ep. 70: 5 Tips for Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Online business owners wear many hats and it’s hard to discern which one to wear for the day. But even more difficult is choosing a path and sticking to it. Business decisions are hard, and we want to succeed, not throw money down the drain. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or have been around the block a while, you will enjoy hearing from our special guests and also get a little peek into my own entrepreneurial world. With an open mind and a willingness to consider new options, Christian female business owners can discover unique opportunities to thrive in their own authentic way. Are you a Christian female entrepreneur? You’re gonna love our series on entrepreneurship running the whole month of February. Dawn Barton left a thirty-year career in sales marketing, including #7 Sales Director in Mary Kay Cosmetics to follow her calling and write. Her first book, Laughing Through the Ugly Cry, became a best-seller, garnering the prestigious ECPA Christian Book Award for New Author of the Year. Meet Dawn Barton Stunned to be entering her fifties as a successful author, she was inspired to write her second book, My Midlife Battle Cry, urging women to resist the pull of streaming television algorithms and get excited about redefining the mighty second half. When she’s not smiling at blank pages pretending to write, Dawn is a speaker giving talks about cancer, joy, female empowerment and direct sales She is the podcast host of Porch Ramblings with Dawn Barton, founder of the Retreats at Trinity. She’s living the sandwich-generation dream with her husband, daughter, parents, mother-in-law, and too many animals to count in Cantonment, FL. Retreat at Trinity https://ruthiegray123–dawnbarton.thrivecart.com/retreat-at-trinity-april-21-23/ Ruthie: Tell us a little bit about what you do, Dawn. Your business retreats, books, there are many facets to your life. Dawn: There are so many facets to what I do today. If you look on Instagram, says I’m an author but being an author is actually not where my heart is. I love it and I acknowledge that it’s a good piece of work. But my love, my passion this season of my life is hosting retreats and working with women and entrepreneurs. I come from 30-plus years of sales and marketing, and then I pivoted on a fluke into the world of direct sales. And when I left I was the number seven producer out of 600,000 women. I left that to follow God’s calling, to write a book. Everybody, I thought I had lost my ever-loving mind. Just left and I wrote a book. That book became a bestseller and it worked out okay. But I’m somebody who’s taken huge leaps of faith, I think again and again. Isn’t that what life’s about? Today, I would say I’m an author, a retreat host, and just a a lover of women, just empowering them to be everything that can possibly be. Ruthie: Isn’t it interesting how one step builds on another? We were talking a little bit beforehand about this very thing, how you can connect the dots and the threads in your life and you’ve had lots of interesting experiences and then some. You would have a pivot and would decide to write a best-selling book, et al. So speak to that for just a minute. Building Entrepreneurial Skills Dawn: I think sometimes as we go through life, we believe, I know I certainly did when I was in direct sales, and I would be in it until I retired. That is what I was 100% called to do. Then I heard Steven Feick who was interviewing TD Jakes, and he said, sometimes the thing you think you were created to do for the rest of your life is actually what you needed to do for the next season of your life. Entrepreneurial ideas are important. I needed to do all of those things I have done in the past. The sales, marketing, the failures, all of the things in Mary Kay Cosmetics. Those things came together when launching my book and putting together launch teams for books. I had so much knowledge and expertise in certain areas that I never thought would’ve played into this world of becoming an author. However, it certainly did. I want women to know that. The thing you’re doing right now, I promise you, God’s gonna use it as you go further in your business. And even if that’s a failure, he’s gonna use it. Ruthie: I’ve done a lot of similar things. I was in direct sales with Mary Kay too. I didn’t take it quite to the extent that you did, but I was successful at it. I feel like that is one reason why I do what I do today as far as marketing. So those little dots, add up, don’t they? Dawn: I do think that’s one of the best training grounds. I believe any top-producing person in any direct sales company could be successful in anything. The training and working with people are phenomenal. Ruthie: So let’s talk about when you first became passionate about entrepreneurship. How did you realize this passion and how did you gain experience? Dawn : Part of me was born that way, I didn’t realize it until I worked for other people and I realized I would rather work the old saying, “80 hours a week for me than 40 hours a week for somebody else”. I just liked to work for myself. I really prefer to build something myself and to do something myself versus working for a company. It’s just how I was wired, and then some of that is going to work for other people and realizing you’re just not good at working for people. I think I really got passionate and really fine-tuned the entrepreneurship thing when I worked with women. That was through Mary Kay, but also through things like leading Life Groups. Testing Leadership Entrepreneurial Ideas I figured out that I’m a really good leader. Figured out that I’m really bad in the kitchen, but I’m a good leader. I started being able to define what my giftings were as I did that. But working with women definitely came later in life after I figured that one out. Ruthie: Yeah, you learn as you go. If you take a step and do that thing, then you learn more about yourself than if you just sit around and think maybe I should do this, or maybe I should do that. Dawn: You go, don’t you? Yeah, absolutely. I think if you can really define the things that you’re good at and embrace that. As women, we’re really bad about acknowledging what we’re good at. Acknowledging where our giftings aren’t is hard too. Ruthie: Yes. This leads to my next question, which is whether you have to be able to use these entrepreneurial ideas in order to market your business and market yourself. Where did you learn to market? Dawn: Some of that came from being in the world of sales and marketing, actually doing courses and going through classes and truly educating myself. I don’t think you can ever stop doing that. So first, truly understanding that is a skill and we’re enhancing that skill continually. Pay Attention to What Works The second thing is paying attention to what works. For me, what makes me move? Meaning, if I am online and I am shopping and I am doing things, what are the things that make me move? And I pay attention to that. What did they just show me? What did they talk about that made me move? And then also to listen to my own audience on what makes them move. If you can really focus on what moves the needle for your own audience, it took me a long time to figure out that. One of my greater gifts in marketing is authenticity. As someone who speaks and talks, every time I tried to become like somebody else and tried to do the way they did, it was really bad. When I would go back to being truly me and authentic when marketing, it really worked. I would say the greatest skills I have in marketing came from, honestly, training retreats. That was not a plug, but that really worked. Doing Sales and Marketing classes like that worked, Companies would send us away to connect and learn. I also read, and I try to look at things. We’re never done learning. The Entrepreneurial Journey Continues Ruthie: We’re never done. I was going to say that too. So it’s a combination of you need to know what’s out there. You need to know the current trends, what’s working with marketing and what isn’t, but also parrot with your own authenticity. Here at Authentic Online Marketing, we are all about being authentic, leaning into our own unique voice , because that’s how you earn people’s trust, right? Is right through just being you, not being someone else or trying to mimic their own patterns. When Christian female entrepreneurs come to you, what is their biggest hangup about running their own business? Dawn: I would say marketing’s a huge one. When I think about when I left the world of direct sales and jumped into this world of being an author and not just being an author, but becoming someone who needed to develop a personal brand and the the publisher wanted me to get all of these followers. I didn’t know what I was doing and I felt so unbelievably alone. I was 49 or 50 years old when this happened. I felt like I was too old. I felt like a racehorse that had been put out to pasture a little bit. And I wish that I had plugged into communities and I didn’t. And so I felt alone for a long time. I think one of the biggest things for entrepreneurial women is that you have to plug in somewhere. To a community of like-minded women because we talk about this thing of being a solopreneur, but I don’t think anybody really needs to be solo. I think you have to have a community of people that you can be frustrated with and talk with, bounce ideas off of when you collectively come together with ideas and frustrations, and cheer each other on beautiful things happen. Dawn: So that is my number one thing for female entrepreneurs to find a gang of women. And I think that can be coming from being a part of a marketing group or when you join, stuff like that. But it also can be something, this sounds silly, but there are groups and churches that are like entrepreneurs. Just get creative, and fight for yourself really hard because your business depends on it. Ruthie: We think we don’t really have time in the online world because we have so many tasks. There’s email marketing. There is building a platform, and there are promos but all of that goes so much better when you have community. Community Sparks Entrepreneurial Ideas Dawn: I think my business would’ve built probably six months faster. Had I not been so determined to do every stinking thing on my own and actually just reached out to other women who were in the same position. Ruthie: I feel like a lot of times writers especially have this hangup because they are so passionate about their words and their books that they know that they need time to really work on it and cultivate their craft so they think they really don’t have time to develop the community or the social aspect Really, it really works to your advantage because if you network, then that’s like your launch team there. Those are your people, and it’s just a whole other facet that is super important. The whole point of social media is to be social. And I hear a lot of writers say, I don’t have time to be social because I need to write my book. In other words, you got to have some balance. Dawn: Which I need. It’s nice to have a BU publisher breathing down your neck saying, “You gotta build a following”. Ruthie: What would you say, Dawn, are your top three tips for running your own business? 3 Wisdom Proof Entrepreneurial Ideas Dawn: The tips usually come from where we failed, right? 1. Listen to your gut Some of my biggest failures went against what my gut was telling me to do, and I did the thing because I thought it was what I was supposed to do versus what my gut was telling me to do, and I knew in my heart. 2. Hire help You cannot be and do all things. And I don’t mean you need a full-time employee. You can hire someone to do the small things. If you wanna focus on your business more and let some of the house stuff go, I’m a big advocate of it. 3. Community The third thing is that you need to have a community. You can go a lot further with other people that you’ve linked arms with than you can a lot of times on your own. Ruthie: Amen to that. There are so many varying tasks aren’t there, that someone else could do. Dawn: I happen to be in a season, in my life where I am taking care of my mother a great deal. I just don’t have the bandwidth to be able to do both well. So I have hired someone to come pick up the social media piece because I just can’t do it all. I know that it’s for a season and for a little bit, but my business cannot handle me dropping the ball right now. Ruthie: Let’s talk a little bit about your retreats. You run retreats at your home, and I just want to hear a little bit more about that. How did that come about and what does that entail? Dawn: The original retreats came out of a season of completely, totally, and utterly flailing for me. I was 50 years old. My world had dramatically changed from running at 90 miles an hour within Mary Kay cosmetics to a complete halt. I went into this caretaking role and I felt a little invisible. I felt like the world had forgotten me. I was a little unclear about who I was anymore. All of the things that happened during our midlife come apart, shall we say? That’s how the retreat was born. Equipping Women with Entrepreneurial Ideas The most requested thing became entrepreneurial retreats. That was what people wanted for entrepreneurs because that was my background. I decided to launch it! I’m excited for our next retreat In April, Ruthie, where you will be one of our incredible mentors. The retreat will focus on the whole of the woman, with the foundation on Christianity. How do we come together? I only allow 15 people at a time, and we have seven mentors, so we have seven experts in their fields. I wanted to bring women together in a place where they can learn from the frustrations I have had over the years in my business. I wanted to bring together women in an intimate space and introduce somebody from branding, marketing, and sales. I have somebody who, she’s an unbelievable life coach. She’ll just rock your world. There will be e-commerce and so much more! talking about all those different facets of entrepreneurship but in a really tight, intimate setting. Ruthie: And really, if you are starting your business, if you’re making it legal or if you’re in the beginning, exploratory stages even. This is a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of Dawn. And I think it’s even for the person who’s maybe had their business for a couple of years, and they know that they’re missing those pieces. Dawn: They have a few of the things going, but they can’t seem to bring it all together in a really solid way. I think that’s what we’ll be able to offer. Dawn: When I was choosing mentors, I was so convicted about having women that I know are brilliant at what they do but who also are incredible teachers. They know they have the ability to love a woman. There’s a quality needed, they have the ability to love another woman, and God is at the foundation of their business. It will be an incredible time. It’ll be on April 21–23, 2023. Participants will have access to pristine, gorgeous, crystal-clear beaches. We happen to live on 23 acres and the property is called Trinity. Everything for the retreat is at Trinity. We have horses. We’re very blessed to have a beautiful property, and then everyone spends the night in a hotel. Everything is included in the tickets. So it’s three days of getting away, recharging, pivoting from the place that you are and just leaving passionately on fire and clear on the next step steps of your business. The Retreats at Trinity for entrepreneurs Ruthie: Go look at the website and what Dawn has to offer because it’s amazing! It’s an intimate setting where you can get personal feedback. You’re not just going to listen to all of us talk, there is a connection and then you go do your thing. We’re having an intimate time together. Dawn: You go home to sleep and then you’re back with me to boost your entrepreneurial ideas. We have it catered the entire time. I believe it’s unique. I’ve gone to 50 million retreats and conferences and all that. One of the things that I always wanted and needed was margin throughout the day to process, but also to sit with the experts and talk things through, “Here are my pain points, please help.” Ruthie: I can’t wait to read it. Dawn, tell the folks where they can connect with you online. Absolutely. Online. The website is dawnbarton.com https://dawnbarton.com/ And then on Facebook and on Instagram, it’s @DawnRBarton. Okay. And I am the one that answers everything. I would love to hear from you. So just reach out and connect with me. Dawn is such a joy-filled personality. Y’all are gonna love getting to know her. I know I have. Can’t wait for this retreat. Now, go to the website. And Dawn, thank you so much for being with us today. DAWNBARTON AUTHOR | SPEAKER | JOYOLOGIST online: www.dawnbarton.com Facebook: @dawnrbarton https://www.facebook.com/dawnrbarton Instagram: @dawnrbarton https://www.instagram.com/dawnrbarton/?hl=en phone: 850.525.9595 The post Ep. 68: Wisdom Proof your Entrepreneurial Ideas with Dawn Barton appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram features for marketers in 2023 8:13

منذ 2 years8:13

8:13

While it’s no secret Instagram LOVES to throw us all the curveballs, I do love a handful of the features they’ve rolled out. Here they are, from Marsha groovy to…well…Farrah’s hair. (And let’s be honest, we all wanted Farrah’s hair, am I right?) Let’s get started with the top 5 Instagram Features! *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Download your free Instagram growth kit here . Top 5 Instagram Features for Marketers in 2023 Resources Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends Ep 58: Tips for Repurposing stories Pinned Posts By far, my most “Marsha” type feature, pinned posts make it easier to showcase our recent, best, or time-sensitive content. You may recall we used this feature extensively during our Instagram Story Challenge. Use it like a gallery if you’re taking a break, however, if you’re still hanging out and you’d like to learn more about pinned posts, listen to Episode 53: “What to do with Pinned Posts on Instagram” . If you’re thinking of taking an Instagram break, listen to Episode 38 : “When to take a break from Instagram” . Even though the Instagram story challenge is over, we’ll host one again in 2023, in the meantime for more Instagram story ideas, listen to Episode 56 for Easy Instagram story ideas . Stories to Market Workshop: https://ruthiegray.lpages.co/stories-to-market/ Pinned Comments Accolades of your service, product, book, or podcast go here! People notice that first comment and oftentimes it sets the pace for more positive vibes. After all, who doesn’t like being featured? It’s a great way to show appreciation for your followers and build your (groovy) community! To pin a comment, simply slide the comment to the left (gently – so you don’t delete it), and click on the grey pin icon (NOT the delete icon). Repurposing Stories to Reels This feature rolled out right at the end of October which was very convenient for our story challenge participants! We were able to repurpose many of those 30-day stories into Reels and y’all know I’m all about repurposing! Once you post a story, you’ll notice the Reel icon at the bottom. And as you know, stories are archived after 24 hours, but you can head to your archived stories and still hit that Reels icon to repurpose at any time! Episode 58: 7 tips for repurposing stories, will help you with this, and for further help, worksheets, and a walkthrough of decoding story analytics, you can grab our Stories to Market self-paced Workshop . Story Links Still relatively new, this feature by far is the best thing Instagram has done for users in a long while. Many followers may not take the time to tap over to your bio, click the link, and find the certain information they’re looking for (hat tip to creating EASY to-access links). They’re much more prone to tap into the link in your stories. However, I’ve had great success with story links. Use them for your podcast, newsletter, events, and products. Story and Reels Captions Most importantly, one of the first things I learned about Instagram videos is that most people don’t watch with the sound on. Marketers compensated by typing in the text, but then Instagram added the captions sticker in stories which was a huge time saver. Later, they added caption options to Reels. If you’re not using captions in your Instagram video, start doing it, so you can maximize your follower traffic. There you have it, the rundown of my top 5 favorite 2023 Instagram Features. In conclusion, remember that Pinned posts are for showcasing your best work, pinned comments for social proof, repurposing stories to Reels for less headache with the creation process, links in stories for easy access for followers, and video captions for those who keep the sound on mute. Which one is your favorite? Or do you have another feature you love? Head over to my Instagram @authenticonlinemarketingpod and message me with your favorite feature and I’ll add it and tag you in my stories! Thanks for listening today, be sure to tap into the show notes so you can take advantage of the episodes and resources I mentioned today, including our Stories to Market Workshop which you can access right away! Until next week, remember to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice! The post Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram features for marketers in 2023 appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 66: Gain Organic followers with Live Video 9:41

منذ 3 years9:41

9:41

Today’s topic is How To Gain Organic Followers. One overlooked and undervalued Instagram tool for gaining organic followers is live video. Live video may scare you, and I get it! But the more you practice, the better you get, and live video establishes you as an authority in your area of expertise. Today’s short masterclass training tip shares how to get more people watching your lives, and stay tuned for my wrap-up at the end to get some juicy hooks that will keep people sticking around for your Instagram Live! Resources Get your Instagram Growth Kit plus 30 HOOKS for going live https://creative-creator-6398.ck.page/d8f0b6574a Fear of Reels Podcast episode #29 https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/fear-of-reels/ Download your free Instagram growth kit here . Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Don’t let fear hold you back You can practice going Live with a friend if you really want to expand your reach . Go Live with a colleague, a client, or a friend who compliments your brand or enjoys your message. A client could be doing testimonies. We have a gal in our mentorship program, who is also my podcast coach. Wren Robbins goes Live once a week. It is on the same day every week. She answers questions about podcasting. Brilliant, right? So gather questions on Instagram or in your email and go Live, maybe it is a Tip Tuesday. Tips For Using Instagram Live There is an excellent feature right now, called Add Reminder. Use this reminder feature. When you are going Live on Instagram, remember to acknowledge those who show up. Don’t just plow on through and say everything you have to say and get all nervous. It does take time and you have to practice. Many of you are freaking out in the Facebook group because we have a challenge one day to go Live. But a lot of you took our challenge and that’s how you learn. You learn by doing. Acknowledge those that show up to gain organic followers. Tap the hand wave emoji or speak their name. People like to be spoken to. Teach something valuable like a weekly tip. Publicize your Live event, publicize it in stories. Use the countdown feature. Send it in your newsletter, you can even make a feed post about it. Make it a Reel about it. But let people know you are going Live so they will show up and then share it in the feed because a lot of people won’t show up, but they’ll watch the replay later. Here’s how to set a reminder before you share your post: Under Tag People, it says Add reminder, and then title. Mine was Live with Ruthie. It might be better to title it something that’s very succinct like what you’re going to teach about. For example, “How to Keep Plants Alive” and then you give the start time. Once you do this and click done, then Instagram gives a button that people can click on to view the event details from that post. It’s an excellent, excellent tool. Fear of Going live I feel like the biggest thing holding people back from going live is fear. Fear of how I look, fear that no one will watch, fear that I’ll say the wrong thing. It’s scary to go Live if you’re not used to it. Honestly, what are we afraid of? Other humans? What are they going to do? Throw tomatoes? Often, we let our fear hold us back. If fear is your issue, let me encourage you to go listen to episode 29, how to overcome your fear of Reels. https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/fear-of-reels/ I gave solid tips for how to practice Reels – which applies to Live videos too. Like Moses and Joshua’s exhibited fear but they stood strong in God’s calling. Now is the time to stand strong in your calling. We get better by doing the things we don’t like. Not by reading about them or watching YouTube. You can do this! And guess what – you can practice going Live before actually going Live! You can practice going Live with a friend too! You don’t have to post your Instagram Live to your feed, you have the option to disregard it afterward. But let me just encourage you not to do that. Going Live is hard work, so repurpose that hard work and post it! Remember, Live videos transition into Reels. You’ll need to have a caption and hashtags handy for your Reels post after the Live, often I save this in notes so I can copy and paste. Use this Instagram tool to gain organic followers: -Live video. -Go live once weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly – you choose! -Go live with a friend to share audiences to gain organic followers How To Get A Crowd -Post and “add reminder” -Share in stories (use countdown feature) -Share in your newsletter A marketing hook is a tagline, description, slogan or question that’s both memorable and aligned with your brand . Use a HOOK – DON’T SAY THIS : “I just wanted to come on here today to talk about…” 5 Hooks to Gain Organic Followers 1. Here’s how to get your ________ up and running. 2. Have you seen this? 3. Three things you need to________. 4. Use this the next time you ________. 5. The best way to ________ a ________. Of course, you fill in the blanks with your industry, your arena, and your area of expertise to gain organic followers with your live video. And like I said, if you want 25 more hooks, just click the link in the show notes and they are yours for free. And then that won’t be your excuse for not going Live. Always Use hooks Going Live is a very effective launch tool, especially when you invite former clients or customers to co-host with you. Whenever I have a launch, I always go live several times, and I have former clients and members come on with me. That’s the most powerful. Because it shows social proof and they give testimonies about my training in my communities, and I almost always have purchases afterward. You can go Live! You can do this! If you are struggling, I honestly would love to know what’s holding you back. After you listen to this episode, send me a DM @authenticonlinemarketingpod on Instagram, and let me know your biggest fear about having up to going Live. I’d love to know, maybe I’ll make another podcast episode about this, about addressing those fears. Or maybe I’ll just go Live and address the questions so I can gain organic followers too! Thanks for listening today. Remember, live video is authentic video. Share your message your way, in your own authentic voice and go live. The post Ep. 66: Gain Organic followers with Live Video appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 65: 7 Ways to Reach New Followers 11:20

منذ 3 years11:20

11:20

Today’s masterclass is on how to grow followers and make sure they stick around! I’m sharing 7 ways to reach new followers who want and need your content. (You know – the authentic ones!) Now, here is an important truth. In order to reach new followers you have to get out of your comfort zone. Resources Download your free Instagram growth kit here . Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Ep. 48: 7 Ways to get followers on your email list 7 Ways to Reach New Followers 1. Hashtags Interestingly these are not necessarily hashtags about your industry. For example, I can hashtag content marketing and email marketing all day long, but that is not where my people are. My people are actually caregivers, they’re empty nesters. I use that kind of hashtags, and I also add hashtags to my stories, people get to know you well through your stories, that said, hashtags need to be targeted toward your ideal customer avatar and your industry. Niching down with your hashtags does not exclude other people, they will still come. Just because you’re focused on that one niche doesn’t mean only the empty nesters are going to be attracted. I have plenty of younger women who come to me, They hate social media and they just, want someone authentic that will show them what to do and help them strategize. Know who your target audience is and use their hashtags. What hashtags are they using? Are you trying to teach people how to grow plants? Then those are the kind of hashtags that you need to be using, things about nature. If you are trying to teach young women who are rearing toddlers how to have time in the Word, then you really need to be hashtagging toddler moms. and toddler mom struggles, not just time in the word, not just prayer time, because chances are the toddler mom and the mom with the struggles. She is not hashtagging your hashtags. Make sure to search hashtags in explorer. You can Tab too to find new ones. Just make if you have a smaller account, just keep them under 10,000. Five to 10,000 is probably best for you. 2. Friends of Friends Find new audience members by looking at your friends on Instagram, friends (Her audience members). If you have a good friend that you follow and, you really like her on Instagram, then go check out her followers. The next step is to regularly comment on her posts. Go check them out. If they seem like your target audience or someone that you feel would be a good colleague or someone that you wanna get to know better, follow them, and leave some valuable comments on their posts. 3. Facebook Groups Facebook groups are another place to find new people. There are tons of social media Facebook groups, there are even Facebook groups for Christian bloggers . Facebook groups, often have share threads once a week. That’s a good opportunity to make those new connections. This is about finding new people. Just pick one group so if you’re doing the share threads you have time to do these other suggestions that I talked about. 4. Search Bar Search bar topics that are pain points of your customer avatar. Find those topics and look for people who are posting about those things. They are not the answer people. They’re the question people. Go check them out to see if they’d be your ideal avatar. You absolutely must engage and you must be social in order to gain Followers. 5. Read Comments And here’s a pro tip on your friend’s post or an Instagram follower’s post, read down through the comments. Every once in a while I’ll do this and see if there’s somebody there that you seem like would be a good potential follower or colleague. I start a conversation with her and say: “Say, me too. I can’t stand my dog barking all night”, or whatever the conversation is about. I’ve made some new friends and followers through doing that. Be authentic. You’re not trying to monopolize that person in the comment thread. You’re not trying to take away from the original post. If you do this, please like and comment on the original post before you go talking to other people. 6. Collabs Collaborations are all the rage! Reels and collaborations are ways you can collaborate with one another. Friend on Instagram and the reel will go in her feed and it will also go in your feed and you’re both. Your names will be at the bottom. Fantastic, right? Live collabs, same thing. You will be able to see collab on her account and your account. A joint Instagram live session is another idea. You can also collab on a static post or a carousel. Here’s another simple thing. Share others’ posts, that compliment your brand or that really resonate with you. The way you do that is to hit the arrow right down there at the bottom of the reel or post and share your stories. The more you give, the more you get. 7. Comments Answer all your comments on a post or reel. Oh my goodness, don’t just like the comment. People want to be seen. They need to feel like their comment Is important. If they took the time to make a comment on your Instagram, please comment back. and validate that person. Any comments count, no matter the number of characters. It used to be you needed to write more than seven characters. Now they all count including emojis. This can make your engagement time go faster. However, you still want to present yourself as authentic. Maybe you’re not into small talk. I’m not usually, if it’s someone that I engage with regularly, I might make the comments shorter, but not always. Take time for at least two value comments when you are engaging, even if you’re engaging for 15 or 20 minutes that day. Multiply New Authentic Followers If you want to reach new “real”, authentic followers who want your content and are going to stick around this is how you do it, my friend. This is the long game. The one that builds, one friend at a time. There are other ways to build followers quickly, but they also oftentimes don’t bring the right followers, the dedicated ones you need. You can use a combination of quick followers and long-game followers, I’m not saying don’t try that route. But do treat your followers and potential followers as people and not just a number. Bonus Tip of the Week Join our Facebook Community because that’s the very first way you’re going to start building real followers that stick around in 2023. If you’re already part of the group, please share it with a friend and tag me @authenticonlinemarketingpod on Instagram so we can get more quality community members which will turn into more quality followers for you! Until next week, remember to share your message your unique way in your own authentic voice! The post Ep. 65: 7 Ways to Reach New Followers appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 64: Building a YouTube channel from Repurposed Content 35:29

منذ 3 years35:29

35:29

YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google . Many of our listeners and followers are growing their own podcasts or Instagram platforms which largely involve video marketing. And I’m all about repurposing video content to grow an audience. That’s why I’m excited to share my guest today Travis Albritton, host of the Honest Marketing Podcast . Travis has launched more than a dozen podcasts. He has spent almost 4 years as the Head of Content at Buzzsprout producing their YouTube channel. He is the founder of Honest Podcasts , a full-service podcast production agency serving Christian-owned businesses and specializing in high quality video podcasts. We are going to chat about building a strong YouTube presence! Resources Honest Marketing YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@honestmarketingpodcast Download your free Instagram growth kit here . Ep. 66: Gain Organic followers with Live Video Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing Ruthie: Let’s talk about YouTube. When did you first realize you had a knack for video production and specific? Travis: So it’s funny, most creators that I know are like overnight successes, seven years in the making. And I would say that’s probably true for me. It took a while to even figure out I was good at it or enjoyed it. Starting a podcast is relatively easy. You just need a microphone, no way to record things and you can post it. So video, you add the extra layer of, I need to also look good while I’m saying things. Whereas if it’s just audio only, you could be in your PJs and nobody even knows. Repurposing Video Content from Podcast Recordings for YouTube Travis: I worked at a company called BuzzSprout, which does podcast hosting. If you’ve ever searched for “how to start a podcast”, you may have seen my face on the internet already. I did that for four years, but we noticed that there weren’t a lot of companies teaching podcasting on YouTube. We saw an opportunity since there really wasn’t a lot of competition yet. We got ahead of the curve and positioned Buzz Sprout as the educator of the world for free podcast content. The very first video I did was a microphone review. It’s a proof of concept to see how would we actually make this video using the resources we have. That was enough to commit to a short period of six months to see what else could we create on YouTube. We started by taking an audio podcast and simply setting up a camera in the corner. Then we recorded me recording the audio podcast. We had some strategies behind that and over time started trying different techniques. My team and I learned things about editing and picked up skills over time. Eventually, Buzz Sprout had built one of the largest YouTube channels on podcasting. Any kind of platform you build is very slow going in the beginning. Not many people know what you’re doing. The strategy is a little bit different when you’re first getting started versus when you have an established audience. But you stick with it and outlast people, which the biggest metric of success is how long have you’ve been doing it. Then you can create something really meaningful. How to start a YouTube channel Ruthie: If I wanted to start a YouTube channel and transition my podcast content there, what would be some of the first simple things that I would need to do to set up to maximize my reach and time? Travis: When you’re first getting started, it’s really thinking video by video. What is something that people are looking for? That’s where search engine optimization and search traffic and traffic volume become important. Because if 5 million people a month are looking for how to grow an Instagram account. That’s a lot of people that you can get in front of versus how many captions do I use? Maybe that’s 5,000 people a month searching for that. And maybe that’s a video worth making. But after I make this other one where more people have an intent to find this information. YouTube is where people go for tutorials YouTube is still very much a search engine. It’s the number two search engine in the world behind Google.com. When anyone wants to look for a tutorial or a step-by-step guide, YouTube is where they go. I would first think through what is the goal of the channel? Is it to grow your business? Maybe to shift people over to your podcast or your email newsletter? Perhaps to sell them products and really identify like what are the core problems you solve for? Not what products do you sell, but what are the problems that you’re fixing in people’s lives? That’s all a business is, you’re giving me money to fix something for you. And the value of that thing getting fixed is more than what you’re giving me in exchange. Think about what problems you solve for people. And then what are the kinds of questions that people ask around those problems? Start with the problem you solve In my business, it’s how do I start a podcast for my business? Or how do I start a branded podcast? Or how do I do content marketing for my business? With my YouTube channel and the content I create, those are all videos that I want to make. Because those are the things that people are looking for. I can throw my name out there and say, I have an answer for you, that’s how people find me. Now, the YouTube algorithm is the other piece where they’re suggesting your video based on what other people have watched. And that’s not necessarily something you have control over. When I look at my own stats the videos that have done exceptionally well are not the ones I would’ve picked. Show viewers you have the answers to their problem That’s the first thing to think about is what problems can you solve for people. Questions that they have that can give them confidence that you can help them with other problems that they have. YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels Ruthie: Something that is really easy to do is make a short reel on Instgram, or a story then transition that over into a YouTube short. Do you feel like those are pretty valuable? Is that a smart strategy? Travis: Absolutely. Instagram and YouTube and TikTok all have they all have the same form factor. It’s a vertical video, typically 16:9 aspect ratio. And they have various limitations on the length of the video but typically shorter is better. Because what matters to those platforms is percent consumed, average percentage consumed. For YouTube, if you have a one minute YouTube Short and somebody watches 30 seconds, to YouTube that’s 50%. That’s the number they’re looking at. If you have a 22 second video and someone watches 21 seconds their percentage is 95% . YouTube says that’s a winning video because somebody watched it almost all the way through on average. Shorter ends up being better on YouTube. And in the same way that Instagram is really leaning into Reels, YouTube is certainly leaning into shorts. There is an opportunity to have a short go viral related to the other content that you have. But you do want to have both YouTube shorts and long form content that goes more in depth. What to include in a YouTube Short Ruthie: When you post a short, let’s say you are repurposing, what’s the most important thing to include with that? A title and maybe a description? Do we use hashtags? Travis: Make the title a hook. Because whatever the hook is, that’s going to get someone interested in watching the video. Most shorts are watched on mobile devices, so it’s going to take up the whole screen. It’s not going to be a traditional YouTube experience on a desktop and you see all this information around it. It’s just going to be the video itself and then a little title at the bottom. Those are the things that matter, the hook of the title and the hook of the video. The description? Not as important. Hashtags, not as important for shorts. YouTube is just looking at what percentage of this video was consumed on average by this initial audience. And then who are other people that share those qualities that may be interested in this video as well. That’s really where YouTube shorts optimization kicks in. So it’s not search based, it’s not based on your subscribers. YouTube is really using this as a TikTok copy. Creators that are in the know encourage you to do both kinds of content. YouTube for Community Ruthie: One of my mantras here at Authentic Online Marketing is Community grows opportunity. Is it possible to grow community with a YouTube channel? Travis: Absolutely. The YouTube comment section is a really great place to build community on the internet. Use calls to action in your videos. Tell people to leave comments, asking specific questions, and then reply to those comments. You also want to convert it into a community that you own. In the same way you encourage people on Instagram to join your email list, do the same for YouTube. You want the call to action to be, “Let’s go from YouTube to somewhere where we can have a more intimate conversation without having to fight with an algorithm in the middle”. Encourage engagement on your YouTube channel YouTube loves to see lots of likes, lots of comments on videos. That tells them, Oh, this is not just a video. People are actually engaging and interacting here. Reply to people’s comments on your video within 24 hours. That shows them you’re actually there and you actually heard what they said. But on a practical note, it doubles in number of comments you have on your video . And so if 20 people leave comments and you leave 20 replies, that’s 40 comments. Yeah. That’s one metric that YouTube uses to decide if is this a cool a video worth sharing outside of your current audience. What to Include with a Repurposed Podcast onto your YouTube channel Ruthie: We have several podcasters listening. I know there is a big wave towards repurposing Zooms over onto a YouTube channel. If I did that, what would be the important things for me to include? Travis: A mistake people make starting a video podcasts is: How do I make my video podcast less podcasty ? How do I make it more like a talking head YouTube’s tutorial with a vlog of me walking my dog? You are basically video recording a talk show like a Joe Rogan style podcast. It’s not edited in any particular way. Just him talking to a person and there happens to be video cameras in the room Often people will actually start the podcast and then put it over on the side. They’ll listen to it while they do other things. How it looks is not as important as if you were trying to build a YouTube channel just for YouTube and you’re not trying to repurpose it. Okay. Posting that to YouTube is a great way to start repurposing your content. You’re not trying to create a whole other system of processes and extra hoops to jump through to create content. That just discourages you for making things. Repurposing to your YouTube Channel from Other Platforms Travis: So that’s, that’d be the first piece of advice is just turn on a webcam. Use the camera on your phone and capture some video as you’re recording your podcast the way you normally do. And then just upload it to YouTube and see what happens. Cause it’s just exposure that you weren’t getting before. Like it’s right. Let’s say you get 100 downloads an episode. Then put it on YouTube and get 10 views. That’s 10 more people than you had before. All you’re doing is putting it on one more platform. YouTube is another platform to place your Podcast So I see it more as instead of just being an Apple podcast, Spotify and Google Podcast. Now you discover this place called Overcast and you get it in there as well. YouTube is just one more distribution platform. For your content. Turn your camera on so it’s not just a still image with audio in the background. That will perform better on YouTube. For my podcast and for my clients, we just record online and use one camera. Whether that’s a web camera or a professional camera. We upload it, and we publish it. Because when people are listening to a podcast on YouTube, it’s for the content. They’re there to get information. They want to take part in the conversation. And there are some really big podcasts on YouTube have a hundred thousand subscribers. Using Zoom for your YouTube videos And it’s just like Google Hangouts. For Zoom. It’s not even a really professional setup. It’s just them recording their Zoom meeting and uploading it, but people listen to it. People watch it because the content is valuable. So you’re not competing with content that’s YouTube specific. It’s offering. YouTube can share your podcast to any device The beautiful thing about YouTube is that it works on every single device. Which is always the hard thing with sharing a podcast episode. Instead of, “Do you use Spotify?”, “Do you use Google Podcast?”. Let me find the very specific app you actually use and send you that one. It’ll work for every device that’s connected to the internet can get to YouTube. So that also becomes a really easy link to share that will work for everybody. Ruthie: My very first podcast that I listened to was on YouTube. It wasn’t even video. It was just a picture of the host and I could listen to her. Travis’s Tip 3 Tips for marketing on your YouTube Channel Ruthie: What are your top three tips for the entrepreneur who wants to market on YouTube? 1. Growing on YouTube takes time. Be patient. Travis: Tip one is be patient. It takes time to grow a YouTube channel, it usually takes quite a while to build momentum. That’s just because you’re planting a new flag in the soil. I would look at YouTube as a one-year experiment. If you haven’t done it before, commit to one year of content. Ride the highs and the lows. You’re going to have some videos that do really well. You’re going to have months where like nothing good happens, and you’re like, Why am I even doing this? But look at it a year at a time. Because then you’ll notice you spent this much time this year making content for YouTube. Ask not only if the YouTube channel has grown. Also ask how has it impacted you and your skills. Has it improved the way you deliver content, communicate effectively, basically practice public speak. Every single video you make for YouTube is really valuable as a business owner. Being able to engage with people and explain your ideas in ways that people can understand them. And then you’ll start to see some larger trends, right? So how is YouTube performing versus your podcast or versus your Instagram? Have a long term vision for your YouTube channel If if you’re looking at this from a long term view, then that gives you the ability to be patient and to not compare yourself to creators that have been doing it for several years. Cause that’s the other thing too, is you start to compare yourself with your competition or other YouTube creators and you think, Man, they’ve got 250,000 subscribers. I’ll never get there. It’s like, yeah, but they started with zero one time too. If you publish consistency consistently, you still don’t have a thousand subscribers at the end of that, but you’ll have a couple of videos that pop off and do well where you’re getting 5,000, 10,000 views. And once that video is there, it continues to work for you. So I think the other thing about YouTube is you’ll still have people watching videos that are 5, 6, 7, 8 years. Whereas you don’t necessarily get that with social media, you definitely don’t get that where everything lives for 24 hours and then it’s basically irrelevant. Those are all benefits that you get by starting YouTube and then sticking with YouTube long enough to see if it’s going to move the needle for your business. 2. Start creating YouTube videos with the gear you have Travis: The second thing I would say is, don’t get too wrapped up in the gear. That can be very overwhelming thinking like, I need to be a videographer, I need to be a video editor, need to learn how to use like these professional software, I need to become a graphic designer so I can make thumbnails, I need to become a copywriter so I can create engaging headlines. And now you’re wearing the hats of five people all at once and giving yourself no slack for being in the beginning stage of this process. And so just use what you have. If you have a phone, those cameras are actually pretty good nowadays. And so you can use that to record video. If you have a webcam, you can pop open Zoom. If you have a MacBook, you can use QuickTime, which is an app that’s already installed, and to record video that way. And post that to YouTube. You can also live stream into YouTube, either on YouTube or using a platform like Riverside or StreamYard. If you wanna do webinars for your students and you live stream it. That’s another way to create content so don’t get so wrapped up in the gear. Just start with what you have, and then over time, add one piece here and there. 3. Do YouTube shorts Travis: And then the third piece of advice that I would say is make sure you do YouTube shorts, just on a very practical level. Most of my top performing videos are shorts. Now the engagement’s different, right? So someone might watch 20 or 30 seconds of a short versus four to five minutes of a long form video, but they’ll get 10 to 20 times as many views. If you’re wanting to capitalize on what’s working on YouTube right now, they’re pushing shorts really hard and they’re in talks of making podcasts. And audio content more a central part of the platform. And so everyone in the industry is waiting for them to announce what the final version of that looks like. But if you go on the YouTube explore page, you’re going to see a tab for podcasts and that’s relatively new. Stay on top of what new thing YouTube is doing. Cause typically that’s the thing they’ll want to lean into as far as just here’s some extra impressions. And right now that’s shorts and very soon podcasts will be a new part of the platform as well. YouTube for Monetization Ruthie: Do you think that YouTube is a substantial platform for generating funds? Travis: Most creators do not become rich with ad sense. When people think about monetizing a YouTube video, they think I get the channel large enough that brands and companies will spend money to show a video in front of my video or show a banner under the video. But typically it’s how do you build an audience and then point them to other products, other services that you offer? My monetization strategy with YouTube is not YouTube ads. It’s how do I create content that resonates with my ideal client, so then they give me money to provide a service. That’s how I monetize. My YouTube channel has nothing to do with YouTube at all. YouTube is just a platform I’m using to get the content out there. It’s not zero, but it’s not going to make you rich is the answer. Ruthie: But it can be a good avenue to push more potential audience. A larger audience towards your product or your service, or your book, or your platform, whatever it is that you’re trying to grow. Travis: Think about it more like a megaphone on the internet you can use to tell people what you do, and then a certain percentage will become customers or clients of yours. That’s the best way to monetize YouTube. So see it as a benefit, as a bonus if you get some money from YouTube ads, but I would not make that the focus. The Honest Marketing Podcast and Honest Podcasting Ruthie: Tell us a little bit about your podcast and about your company. Travis: Honest Marketing is the podcast that I launched that is mainly focused on business owners and entrepreneurs that want to learn proven strategies to grow their business without selling their souls so you don’t have to grow at the expense of your values. You can make a really great business that serves people and that service-oriented nature comes through, not just in the products that you sell, but how you sell them. That’s the tension that as Christian entrepreneurs, we have to hold, and that’s what the podcast is about, what are the things working that you can implement and feel really great about them? And that’s really the focus. We talk about content marketing, podcasts, YouTube, Copywriting, how to create a profitable Facebook ads campaign and really bringing in experts from all different facets. So no matter where you are in your business, you’ll get something valuable out of it. How Honest Podcasts can help your business’ podcast My company, Honest Podcasts, is a service to businesses that want a branded podcast. They want a podcast that represents them and connects with their listeners. Or they use it as a networking tool to interact with clients if they’re B2B focused. I do basically do all the production for them. We do audio video, repurposing blog content, social media, content, all the things that you would want to create a podcast that is building momentum and using that content in different ways. So that’s the company piece that pays for the podcast. If you are a business owner and you’re thinking, “I think I want to start a podcast,” I want to do a video podcast of you more than happy to help you out. And even if you don’t become a client of mine, I’m more than happy to point you in the right direction so you can at least get the next steps for you to start. Ruthie: Cause you’re an honest marketer. Travis: And so part of it is just having that kind of abundance mindset that I’m more than happy to turn people away from my business if it’s going to be in their best interests as opposed to mine. It’s about how can I use my business as a way to serve people and serve business owners? And sometimes that means not doing business with me, and I feel really good about that. Connect with Travis Ruthie: Where do you want people to connect with you? Travis: Go to the Honest Marketing YouTube channel . I’ll give you a link that you can put in the show notes. They can click over there and leave a comment on one of the videos. And I’d love to interact and answer any questions that you have. You’ll see Ruthie’s episode up there soon too. Maybe comment on that one. Give that one a little extra boost so I can get some more. Ruthie: Thank you so much for spending time with us today, Travis. We sure do appreciate you being here and sharing all of your knowledge about YouTube with the folks. Honest Podcasts: honestpodcasts.com Honest Marketing (audio podcast): https://www.buzzsprout.com/1907341 Honest Marketing YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@honestmarketingpodcast The post Ep. 64: Building a YouTube channel from Repurposed Content appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends 32:10

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Our guest today is Sara Motes. She’s been on the show before to talk about all things Pinterest. Listen here: https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/pinterest-search-engine/ Ruthie: We’re chatting about some 2023 Instagram trends to watch for. Things that you can practically use with your content this year. My special guest is Sara Motes and she’s going to talk us through some of the research, based on the recent Instagram trend report. Resources On this episode our discussion and data for 2023 Instagram trends was pulled from the 2023 Instagram Trends Report & Arisen . Get your free Instagram growth kit here . Ep. 79: Strategies for Maximizing Your Instagram Live Views Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Gen Z preferences dictate 2023 Instagram trends It’s no secret that Gen Z dictates 2023 Instagram trends because that’s who Instagram is targeting. If your core audience isn’t Gen Z ( especially if that’s not your core audience) you are going to want to pay attention to this information. It’s the key to how Instagram will share your content. Just know upfront that we are not saying you have to cater to Gen Z. We’re saying it’s going to go better for your content if you can sift through the information and use what’s available and comfortable for you to use. And here’s the good news, Instagram is heavily pushing community and connection. And here at Authentic Online Marketing, we’re all about community. Why? Sara: Community grows Opportunity. Ruthie: Without further ado, we give you the 2023 Instagram trends to leverage for building your following. Sara, take it away. Sara: We got a lot of juicy things here as far as trends go. As Ruthie already mentioned, a lot of the 2023 Instagram trends are really targeted toward Gen Z . Reason being, they need to get younger people onto the app in order for the app to continue to thrive. That just makes sense. Also, let’s define Gen Z real quick. Gen Z is anyone born from 1997 through 2012. Think about that generation in this report. We’re not really talking about new features coming up on Instagram, just trends. There’s not really a lot of life-changing, new features coming up. You already know how to do reels. C ontinue making Reels, but your content is going to need to be tweaked or shifted a little bit to go with these 2023 Instagram trends, specifically targeted toward Gen Z now. For most of y’all listening to the podcast, Gen Z is not your target audience. However, if you want to continue to get more eyeballs on your content, you’re going to need to shift a few things. What does Gen Z like even if you don’t have a Gen Z-er in your life? Here’s a quick insight into the way their brains work. 2023 Instagram Trends: DIY & Thrifting They are very into DIY and thrifting (think clothing, recycling, building something themselves versus going out and buying it). A lot of these kids were growing up in the 2008 recession. It’s what they know. They only know a post 9-11 world. Anything DIY related, even if you’re not into furniture or clothing, think like, how did DIY your own podcast set up? or just something along those lines, hashtag, All of that could possibly get you more traction if you do that. I would love to know the results. If you start doing some DIY content, and notice an uptick in your numbers, send us a DM on Instagram. I think that’d be super interesting. Ruthie: I do too. I like that. Like that Focus Sara: number two, they’re activists. They are using their social media platforms to support causes and communities, especially as more and more of them are becoming more socially aware. Sara: They are. Very open to diversity. They they were very young when big, major issues became legal. They were very young when we had our first black president. So they are very familiar with diversity and they’re willing to fight for even more diversity. They’re also very climate conscious, hence other DIY and thrifting options. But if you’re in like skincare or beauty products, they want good stuff like that to protect them from extreme weather and sun, like 2 out of 3 Gen Z-ers. That was the stat. They’re very aware of stuff like that. Ruthie: I’m going to say Gen Z is very different from the era that I grew up in. We didn’t, we were like, We baked in the sun all the time. And we went to the tanning beds and we bought all new clothes and like a frugal and thrifty, that’s what our moms did. We didn’t want to do that and climate conscious, who cares. Some of these things are very, they’re good things. That they’re becoming conscious of. And if we can take some of our content and leverage some of that think it’ll be great. Yeah. What else have you got for us? Sara: They are into the metaverse. I have never done anything Metaverse. Have you created your avatar? Ruthie: No, I do not. I’m not even sure what it is. Yeah. So please help. Using Avatars according to the 2023 Instagram trends Sara: I just don’t feel like I have time for a metaverse. You know what I mean? I don’t need to make a cartoon out of myself. Is that what we’re talking about here? But over half of Gen Z social media users plan to get fashion or beauty inspiration from digital avatars or influencers in 2023. Sara: So if you’re like an influencer, especially in fashion or anything, wow. The metaverse is what YouTube would’ve been in 2005. Get on there early and start now, because that’s the future. And if you think about it, Gen Z crave community. However, they’ve been in a pandemic, like they’re teenagers who have gone through a pandemic. So they’re still trying to get together in a metaverse and social media is how they’re like building community. They’re also craving financial literacy. Side hustles are important to them. They’re really wanting to know about investing and crypto has been so huge over the last few years, whether you agree that crypto’s a good thing to invest in or not. They still want to know about it. And I don’t think I was super financially literate when I was a teenager. I didn’t know how to buy a stock. What the heck? SE 401k, I don’t know. But they’re actually wanting to learn about that and Instagram is a great way to inform people of financial things. So if you’re a CPA, if you’re into finance, financial counseling or whatever this is a great way to reach ayounger audience for sure. They’re into cultural cuisine, which is so cool. 68% a Gen Z social media users will either continue or would like to try food from another culture after discovering it online. Earlier I was mentioning diversity. They’re also diverse in their pallets too. Like they have friends from all over the world, whether they’ve met them on Instagram or in real life, and they want to try all these different foods. So good for them for not being picky eaters and sticking with their chicken nuggets. They want to try different things. Ruthie: The moms of the Gen Zs like me are like, why couldn’t you have had this? Change in your palette back when I was trying to just feed you spaghetti. And have fast meals. , . But because I know my own kids, they are like that. They’re very exploratory in their palette. Sara: If you’re a travel blogger or anything, maybe don’t just focus on the sight and the sounds. Also focus on the food. They would probably love that. I would love that. I would love to see international foods too. The final thing is Gen Z expects they expect, and I maybe you’ve done this too, I have started to expect this as well. I expect my favorite influencers to branch out into other forms of media. Like if I follow someone on Instagram, I just don’t want to follow them on Instagram. I want to get more of their content via YouTube or a podcast or something like that. Yes. So branching out. It’s going to be huge. Ruthie: It’s already huge. Which is why I made the leap back in 2020 to podcast. And I know a lot of our people in our insider community, in our mentorship, in our authentic online marketing school have seen that is the wave of the future is to get on the air or on YouTube. And a lot of them are repurposing podcasts to YouTube. So it’s good to diversify. Please don’t freak out about it if you’re just now getting a hang of Instagram. Don’t freak out, but keep it in mind that it is a good move to make going forward. Top 5 Instagram trends in 2023 The information in this section comes from a report from Arisen . Sara: Over the next 12 months, There’s going to be a lot of stuff happening on Instagram as far as ways that you can get more reach and get your content in front of more people. 1. Content is king According to this 2023 Instagram trends report published by Arisen, Content is still king. Creators are creating more true and unfiltered material. Raw, honest posting, like posting in real time and showcasing less curated streams. I am so happy about that. Ruthie: Yay. Yes. If I had a clapping thing like a button right now. Oh yeah, let’s clap. I would be doing that. Absolutely. Embrace Reels Sara: I understand creating Reels takes a lot of time. But if you think about 2018, 2017 Instagram. You had to pay a photographer hundreds of dollars to get beautiful custom stock photos for your business,. Sara: You can just make a reel. It doesn’t have to be picture perfect and fancy. And that’s what your audience wants. Reels are saving you money and time. Ruthie: That’s what we’re trying to teach you over here at Authentic Online Marketing is just start. You don’t have to have a great big giant studio. You don’t have to have all the ring lights. You don’t have to have a perfect background to start with what you have. IGTV is gone Sara: Let’s say goodbye to IGTV. Regardless of how you feel about Reels, they are still the way to go. Thanks to an aggressive algorithm push reels have become the cornerstone of the modern Instagram experience. Ruthie: They are. That’s just how it is, folks. Yep. We got to accept it. Jump on that reel’s bandwagon. 2. Augmented Reality Effects Sara: So what are those? Augmented reality is just like a filter that just changes the way reality looks on your screen. You all have been using filters for years, but I don’t know if you’ve noticed they’ve just gotten a little weirder over time it seems. Like you can have a filter that makes it look like your eyes are closed. Like, why would you do that? But they’re a thing. So according to this report, utilizing filters like that in your stories makes them more engaging for users probably because people are looking at them longer. And it encouraged them to try them out on their own accounts. Use interactive elements in your Instagram stories Sara: And then also using things that you’ve probably already been using, such as interactive elements like polls, quizzes, emoji sliders are comparable to using the AR effects as well. Ruthie: I’m going to get me some giant eyelashes, see how that goes. . Yeah. Sara: I’m wondering if you can still like use just the more natural looking AR effects they just kind of make it look like you have a nice layer of makeup on. I’m sure it would probably still work and it depends on who your target audience is. 3. Personalized Hashtags If you have been with Ruthie for any amount of time, you know that hashtags are important and relevant. I’m just preaching what she’s already been telling you. Do some research into what hashtags are the most relevant for your brand that can change your engagement rate drastically. I think what they mean by personalized hashtags isn’t like hashtag Ruthie gray, cuz that’s super niche. I think they mean more of hashtag Instagram hacks or whatever your industry may be. Ruthie: right or even hashtag your location, your city or your state. And things like that. Use hashtags in your Reel captions Hashtags do not get that much reach on a regular photo post. Therefore, I wouldn’t spend a lot of time Researching those maybe two or three or five. Use hashtags in your Reel captions. That’s how you rise to the top of the hashtag hub in reels. If you research a hashtag, and you tap on that hashtag, you’ll see that there is somebody at the front. Their reel is longer than everyone else’s. That’s because they have risen to the hop top. They have risen to the top of that hashtag hub. So that’s why they’re still relevant. Sara: Hashtags, they’re important guys. Use ‘EM wisely. 4. Influencers Number four is influencers. According to Arisen, more people are following genuine and real influencers who live the average everyday lifestyles in contrast to the picture perfect lifestyles led by celebrity influencers. I love this so much too. I guess like when I think of a big influencer, I’m thinking like 50K or more followers. Like that’s what I think of a big-ish influencer, and they’re all like normal people who happen to just repeat their message and help people. It’s great. Ruthie: So authentic online marketing. People want to follow relatable influencers Sara: Yes. And they’re average moms like, “I’m cleaning my house, here’s the cleaning product I’m using.” Or, “Hey, I review cars. This is the type of car I bought.” Ruthie, have you bought anything from an influencer, like using their links or anything? Have you ever been influenced, Ruthie? I gotta know. Ruthie: You know what, I have not done it yet, but I’ve come really close. Now I will say this, there are two people that have been in our mentorship community in our trainings that sell items. One of them sells clothing online and the other sells hair products. And I have bought from both of them. I have researched makeup on Instagram as well. So I take that back and that is where Instagram wants to go, obviously. They wanna be a big market that you come to for your purchases. Sara: Have you ever purchased something from Amazon from an influencer? Ruthie: No, I haven’t yet. I have watched a few of them though. I will say I have dabbled . Sara: I’m a millennial. I’m a ’94 baby and I love it when people are like, “Here’s this new vacuum I have. It works great. We tested 15 of them. Buy this one.” I’m like, great, thank you. You did all the hard work for me because I’m a researcher and they did all the reasearch for me. Yes. I’m buying that vacuum with your affiliate link. Sold. I love influencer marketing. Ruthie: If you can show quickly why your product works very quickly and succinctly and simply like that it takes the headache out of it for the rest of us researchers. Not trying to decide if we’re gonna buy this or not. A nd people will pay for convenience. So keep that in mind. Sara: Absolutely. Users are finding more value in content from people that have similar life experiences to them. Be a micro-influencer So while you are developing a long-term relationships in the DM’s that aids in the development of trust, reaching the target audience, driving conversions and connecting to a larger market is also important as well. So you’re just building relationships, even if you’re not like a 50K+ influencer, be a micro influencer. That’s what I always strived to be when I was doing business on Instagram. I wanted to be a micro influencer. So it’s just building that know, like, and trust factor. I know you, therefore… I’ve come to like you. Therefore, I trust you. And… I’m sold. Whatever product you say is good, is likely great. That’s what we’re trying to do on, Instagram Ruthie: Let’s say a clothing store and the people there that work there immediately start hounding you. That’s not really what you want at the time. You just want to browse first. That’s how it is when people land on your Instagram account. They don’t want you immediately asking them, “Hey, do you want my product?” They don’t need that. They need to get to know you first. What’s this person like? And oh, she’s got a poodle. I have a poodle too. I might have to vet her a little bit. And, oh, she sells makeup. And she’s my age, that kind of thing. That’s what people are looking for. Sara: And maybe this is a millennial thing, but let me know, Ruthie. Do not send me a DM in Instagram selling me your product. If I just met you and if I don’t know you. Don’t do it. I will ignore you. I’ve actually blocked people too. There’s no and trust factor to me. You’re not an influencer. That’s intrusion. Ruthie: You’re not going for the jugular right off the bat. Don’t go there. Don’t do that. Sara: So influencers are very important. Even if you don’t have a lot of followers, be a micro influencer. Just influence the people that you have. Build that know like trust factor over time. 5. User Generated Content The best of the 2023 Instagram trends Number five is user generated content. We have so much we could have a whole episode about this, but we won’t. At least not yet. So user generated content is consumer generated content is original and brand specific. It’s content created by your customers that they publish it on their social media or on their channels. So it’s like your fans, your customers, and your clients are creating content for you. That’s the dream. It can come from customers brand loyalists. You could even think of unboxing videos on TikTok, praise filled posts on Instagram. Your customers are usually the most prominent cohort you’ll look to gain UGC. You can either ask for it or they could organically decide to do it too. There is no other content type that is more authentic than that. Ruthie: Yes. Or powerful. It’s just a proven fact. It works for me every time I launch. My people come on live with me and talk about Authentic Online Marketing School and how much it’s helped them to grow their following, grow their email list grow their communities, pivot into a business or better decisions. There are many formats that we can use for user generated content. What are some of those, Sara? Types of User Generated Content Sara: It could be as basic as like just an image, social media content, like a tweet or someone shouts, gives you a shout out in stories, videos, testimonials, live streams, blog posts, YouTube content, like anything that anyone creates for you is user generated content. Ruthie: Simple. It’s such great social proof. Sara: People ultimately trust the opinions of other people versus a sales person. People trust each other. So it’s like the modern day word of mouth. User generated content is the modern day word of mouth . Ruthie: what are some user-generated content tips that you would give us then? User Generated Content Tips Always ask permission to share content Sara: Number one, always ask permission to share their post or story . If they did a story, given you a shout out, or they created a Reel using a product you sell, always ask permission. Don’t just presume you can share it to your feed. Always give credit to the original creator Number 2, always give credit to the original content creator. I don’t think you necessarily need to do this in an Instagram story because their name is already in there. We’ve all seen people take a post from someone else and share it to their feed so that their feed looks beautiful and curated. Then they barely give credit or they don’t give credit at all. Ruthie: I’ve had that happen. That is so rude. At least tag the person at least. And I do want to give a caveat here if if they have tagged you in their story or in their post it’s going to be okay to re-share that. But you can ask just to be sure. If they’ve tag you probably it’s going to be okay. Millennials love user generated content Sara: According to Arisen , 50% of millennials base their decision to buy a product on recommendations from their family and friends. This is where users user generated content can shine because it’s a personal recommendation. Ruthie: And something that I do constantly with my podcast is I give a call to action to take a screenshot and share the episode on Insta and tag me. And then I will oftentimes re-share and tag them back. That gets us more downloads than anything else because that is showing that people love our podcast. And they’re gaining value from it. They’re growing from it. That’s what you want to do is give the value so that people are like, “Hey, this person is worthy of me sharing this. I love this person. I’m going to, or I love her content, or I love her product, or her podcast, or whatever.” And that’s the whole thing about marketing you guys is not yelling, “buy my thing!” It is taking the time to connect on Instagram. And to share value content and take the time to explain. What you do and what, how this can help someone. And share your user generated content. If you don’t have user generated content, this might be the biggest 2023 Instagram trend that you need to focus on. User Generated Content for Service-based Businesses Sara: For those of you with service-based businesses, it’s so good to get testimonials from your clients. I have a set of questions that I use every time to get awesome testimonials because if you just ask for a testimonial, “Hey Ruthie, can you give me a testimonial? You’d be like, okay. And then, you’d have to come up content. But you can pull it out of them by asking strategic questions. Then ask for permission to use that testimonial on social media. So even though you’re creating the post, they created the content for you. That’s another way to promote service-based businesses. Sometimes as service-based businesses we don’t have reviews because we don’t have a product. You can still have testimonials. Another easy thing you could do is just create a survey with those strategic questions. Ruthie: Just a quick one. At the end of our survey for Authentic Online Marketing School, I say something like, would you be willing to leave a review. And then I will have a fill in the blank form. If you’ve been around for a while and sharing your content, it’s likely that you have affirmative testimonies. You just don’t realize it. They’re probably in Facebook groups, Dm’s, or reviews. Look closely. Look right in your yard. You might have some things there. Sara, this has been great for us to have a little run down of the 2023 Instagram trends. Ruthie: And I still don’t know about that Metaverse thing, but we’re gonna float with it. And if y’all have avatars, I guess you can use those even more now. I’ve noticed that on Instagram. That they’re pushing that little sticker selfie there. Sara: I’ve seen avatars on Facebook a lot, but it seems like only boomers use them. Ruthie: Isn’t that funny? I think that too, and I just, I don’t like it. Sara: No. I don’t. Ruthie: I guess that’s what they’re trying to get us to do over there. Sara: I don’t know. If you are listening to this and you are active in the Metaverse and you know what’s going on there, send us a DM on Instagram. Ruthie: @AuthenticOnlineMarketingPod S ara: Yes, please. We want to know what’s going on there. We might have FOMO if there’s actually some cool stuff going on over there. Send us a screenshot of your avatar. I’d love to know what you look like. Ruthie: Share your avatar to your stories and tag us. That’s your call to action. If you really gleaned something from this show today would help us out with user-generated content? Take a screenshot of the podcast and share it, we would love that. We’d love to see how you’re using 2023 Instagram trends. Remember to share your own message, in your own authentic voice (or avatar). Sara Motes is a UX/UI website designer for coaches and service-based businesses. She creates websites that convert dream clients into real clients by making websites that are specifically designed for your target market (no cookie cutter website templates here, folks). The post Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 62: 10 Superpower Case Studies 14:29

منذ 3 years14:29

14:29

Today we’re sharing 10 superpower case studies who came straight from our trainings. Our recent podcast, episode 59 called 10 Tips to Discover Your Superpower sparked a lot of interest. I’ve had the privilege of helping others pinpoint their superpower by guiding them through either coaching or in my training communities. And finding your superpower involves not only experimenting, but getting feedback. And today I’m sharing 10 ladies who either discovered or honed their superpowers by putting these tactics to use. Resources Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing Authentic Online Marketing School If you’re listening during the week of November 25th, 2022, we’re deep in the midst of our Black Friday Bonanza, which means doors just opened for the 2023 Authentic Online Marketing School , and you can save your spot for this eight-week content marketing community based training right now. Here’s the definition of “bonanza”: it’s a situation which creates a sudden increase in wealth, good fortune or profits. It’s an opportunity to make money. It is a sudden rush of wealth or good fortune. In a more scientific sense, it means a rich source of precious metals. So if you strike gold in your backyard, it is a bonanza. Now, I’m not promising you’re going to strike gold with authentic online marketing. However, our goal at Authentic Online Marketing is to cultivate your superpower by giving you the tools to find it and make it shine in your online presence, creating the opportunity to make money in your business, and that’s why it’s the Black Friday Bonanza. The link is in the show notes, so don’t wait. Check it out if you’re ready to hone your superpower and own your marketing in 2023, and I’ll share more about it at the end of the podcast. 1. Alison Simmons: VA Social Media Management The first of our superpower case studies is Alison Simmons. She is an entrepreneur who recently launched her own business due to a job loss. She was forced into a corner. But by the time she got there, she realized she had all the tools she needed to run her VA business because she had invested in coaches who helped her find her superpowers. Because of starting a new business, she needed to build a new Instagram account to draw in clients. Alison says, “I felt completely confident starting an entirely new account because I knew how to set it up, what content I needed to post, and that it was better to grow slowly with the right audience rather than gain followers for follower’s sake. I learned a lot about implementing an Instagram marketing strategy, which I now use to help clients for whom I’m creating content. I didn’t realize how much I learned from your trainings until I started doing VA social media management, and it’s become second nature.” Isn’t that great? She knew where to go with her superpower, largely due to trainings. Different coaches in different niches, and the Instagram focus was from our training. 2. Suzanne Joffrion: Hair & Skin Specialist Our second woman who found her superpower is Suzanne Joffrion. She’s a hair and skin specialist who came to me two years ago. First she invested in Authentic Online Marketing School and then joined our Insider Mentorship, and she is killing the Reels and generating funds right on Instagram from her hair products. Suzanne says, “First of all, going live or showing my face isn’t nearly as awkward or scary as it seemed. I’ve learned through community that we can all offer support to one another and help each other with our own set of strengths. I’ve learned that I have lots of creative ideas and I love having the brains, which is you and the others in the community to help me implement them.” 3. Wren Robbins: Podcast Coach Our number three superpower woman is Wren Robbins. She owns a successful podcast coaching business and helped me launch my podcast at the same time that she invested in Authentic Online Marketing trainings nearly three years ago. Wren says, “The superpower I discovered through Ruthie’s trainings is I’ve become my own authentic self, not someone I’m not, or wish to be or was in the past, but truly online, authentically me.” “My followers even know my terminology because I share everyday terms that are just part of my personality, and people recognize those terms and actions as indicative to that. That’s what attracts clients. I might be teaching the same thing as someone else, but people hire me because of who I am and my authentic self sets me apart for the people who want to work with me because they’re drawn to me.” 4. Naomi Fata: Professional Seamstress Our next woman from the superpower case studies is Naomi Fata, a professional seamstress growing her online business through coaching classes and courses. She joined Authentic Online Marketing School and our Insider Mentorship last spring, and already she has grown leaps and bounds. Here’s what she had to say, “I don’t always see my progress, but I’ve had a few people comment that my online presence now looks branded. Developing a branded voice and message is totally a superpower from both the community and authentic online marketing school. The community itself is a superpower because there is so much collective encouraging feedback.” 5. Michele Bowen: Christian Women’s Discipleship Next up is Michele Bowen, who launched the Woman Where Is Your Confidence Podcast in 2021, and has learned the ins and outs of marketing while running a side hustle. Her biggest passion is encouraging women to make disciples right where they. Michele says, “I have learned how to create Reels quickly with ease, and the insider mentorship helps me create content I may not have thought of on my own. A Mastermind is priceless, and I have truly learned how to be authentic and fun while creating content that has substance.” 6. Pat Fenner: VA & Video Production Up next, number six, Pat Fenner. Pat launched a thriving VA and video production business last year, and I just want to say that she and I have known each other and worked together for several years now, and I’ve witnessed her growing pains and seeing her pioneer her own trail through employing not only my advice, but other coaches and trainings. Pat says, “Authentic Online Marketing School has provided me with a safe place to try collaborations, get feedback, share challenges, and prayer requests with a group of like-minded and like-hearted ladies. It’s been a great place to grow as a budding entrepreneur.” 7. Belinda Letchford: Christian Parenting Coach Next up, Belinda Letchford is a parenting coach, podcaster and blogger. If there is anyone who’s passionate about being true to her authentic self online, it’s this lady. I’ve watched her develop her own sense of style with Reels and strategic posts, all while accomplishing her main goal of teaching heart focused parenting. Belinda says, “My superpower is breaking things down to principal level, teaching them, and then coaching with practical skills of helping them apply. It really is freeing to pinpoint your superpower. It gives confidence to keep going, even to overcome the icky things like marketing.” Amen to that one. 8. Sarah Frazier: Writer & Author Number eight on the docket is Sarah Frazier, writer, author, and young mom of five. She helps weary moms who need peace in their messy, uncertain, and overwhelmed lives, and has been building her online platform for nearly three years with me. Sarah says, “I’ve found that I can organize and plan my posts to help me be consistent. I’ve realized I also love doing stories. Using my superpower to organize and plan my posts helps keep me focused on my main message, which is encouraging moms to read the Bible.” 9. Dalene Bickel: Christian Writing Coach Dalene Bickel is a book coach, ghostwriter, and podcaster, helping Christian writers achieve their publishing goals without compromising their faith, and she provides free writing sessions at The Inkwell. Her business has blown up since joining Authentic Online Marketing School and our Insider Mentorship. Dalene says, “My superpower of encouraging fellow writers to follow through on their dreams has definitely been cultivated through our community. Authentic Online Marketing School helped hone my email messages to my audience.” 10. Melinda Patrick: Speaker And last, but not least, number 10 from our superpower case studies. Melinda Patrick. Melinda’s superpower is using her speaker platform to speak truth on hard topics. She uses branded reels to broadcast her unique message and to reach her target audience. I’ve watched her gain confidence in her messaging, grow her platform, grow her email list, and even pivot during our time together. These are just a few of the ladies that I’ve worked with. There are more success stories with Authentic Online Marketing School. These Superpower case studies were from Authentic Online Marketing School With finding your superpower, the first step is always to get moving. That’s what we do with our free challenges. We recently held a 30-day Instagram story challenge that got a lot of people moving in the right direction of stories. So our free challenges are to show you that you indeed can get started because this is an important step. But here’s the thing: physics says an object in motion stays in motion, but if you don’t move in the right direction, what does it matter? So your next step is uncovering your business superpower and figuring out how in the world to use it to market authentically to your people. And that is what we’re getting you to do in Authentic Online Marketing School . It’s not just how to market, but it’s how to discover your superpower. And learn where it fits in your business and then infuse it into every part of your marketing so that you stand out from the sea of other emails and posts on Instagram that show up in people’s feeds and inboxes. We focus on honing your authentic voice and letting that drive things, and the freedom that knowing who you are and knowing what you’ll do and not do in business, that gives you your superpower. Because your people feel spoken to, your emails are scheduled, your podcasts are scheduled because you know your voice and you’re speaking in it, and your people are still hearing it. And that’s the beauty of the systems that we’re teaching inside Authentic Online Marketing School and what we built our superpower case studies report on. Your business may already be underway, but you’re struggling with the marketing side of it, and part of that is knowing what you do well and what to let go. Or you may just be starting in the world of online business. Maybe there is the dream of entrepreneurship, but you’re not exactly sure what that is or what it looks like. Sitting around in your own head isn’t going to help you find it, but you’ll discover your potential in our training. Check out the Black Friday Bonanza while it’s going on. And if you’re listening to this episode later or in 2023, know that Authentic Online Marketing School has a wait list and we open twice a year. So get on that wait list so you can be ready for the next round and in the loop. You have a superpower. And just like these 10 ladies from our superpower case studies, you can find it and use it to grow your book, podcast, business, your message, your platform, whatever your goal is. Thanks for listening today, and remember to share your message your way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 62: 10 Superpower Case Studies appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways 11:49

منذ 3 years11:49

11:49

Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways. You may know that I started my business coaching clients on how to build a platform on Instagram and market to their ideal audience. Over time, my business has shifted to include email marketing because I realized that often times Instagrammers forget that they don’t actually own the platform (it’s free) which means Instagram calls the shots on whether folks see their Reels or go viral or grow at a snail’s pace. When I first opened my mentorship, I focused largely on Instagram but what I realized was, many of my members hadn’t thought too far into the email marketing stage. This was something I’d been working on for years and understood the importance of it, but for many marketers trying to build a platform, that is the last thing on their minds. I used to feel that way too. But once I got into the rhythm of sending emails and getting replies, I discovered a whole new inside track to my followers and would-be clients. Because I own my list, I can email them whenever I want (within reason). And by “owning my list” I mean that is my own real estate that I have built. I’m paying for an email service. It’s not like social media where you sometimes hop on and the refresh button spins around 50 times and you realize Facebook and Instagram are down for 6 hours because of a glitch. So now you may be wondering “why are you still on Instagram, with all it’s changes and randomness?” Simply put: because I love it. Not all of it, but that is my platform of choice. I chose it about 8 years ago as my main platform after trying to work all the platforms and running myself ragged. I built a business around Instagram, and I enjoy studying and keeping up with the changes and then explaining to my clients and members what to do with these changes. So today’s podcast is just a quick recap on how to combine the two into a sales generating machine. Ready? Listen in. Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works The first thing to do when combining Instagram and email is to 1. Align your bio with your opt in. What is your message, your product, and the reason you’re on Instagram? Make that relate to your email opt in or lead magnet. Here are some examples from AOMS school graduates: Aimee smith from @ameesmith.restinthetrench is a homeschool mom – her username reflects her message – resting while in the trenches. Her bio says Helping homeschool mommas cultivate REST and JOY! And her Opt in is Simple tips for Rest on Busy days. @Naomifata is the The Thrifty Sewing Coach Inspiring you to dust off your old sewing machine Free thrifter’s survivor Kit @dalenebickel is a biographer who helps Christian writers achieve their publishing goals without compromising their faith, and her opt in is The Inkwell where she provides free group writing sessions. Suzette Katapodes from @my concretedove is a family caregiver helping other caregivers manage the overwhelm and keep smiling. She has a free caregiver Survival guide. These are just a few of our Authentic Online Marketing School students who have refined their bio and their opt-ins to reflect their core message. This creates a seamless flow by introducing followers to your message and how you can help them, and extending the conversation into their inbox with your very first offering – a free checklist, download, video, or something that will alleviate a pain point and give a quick win. 2. Be consistent in both areas. Many people cite the number one struggle with Instagram being inconsistency. Nailing down the type of content you’ll provide into categories based on your message and emails will help. Then, determining set days and times to post, based on the amount of time you have is the second key. But thirdly, mindset – does anyone really care? My answer to that is, YOU have to care. You are the one who believes in your message. Do you? If you don’t, it is reflected in your inconsistency to post. And really, if you are overloaded, pick one platform, not all the platforms. Pick Instagram! (I’m biased, but that’s really up to you. Determine where you’re going to spend your time and then spend your time there. Be consistent. And also determine how often you’re going to send your newsletter. Once, twice monthly or weekly? Don’t doubt yourself, just send the email! 3. Share about your Instagram in your email. Drive traffic to Instagram, because not everyone sees your posts or Reels. If you have a cool tip you made in Reels, share it so they can learn and ask them to comment or share. If you create a quote, send them the graphic and ask them to post or share in stories and tag you. Direct them to older posts that are still relevant. You can even do that and then expound on that topic in your newsletter. 4. Share about your newsletter on Instagram. Talk about your opt-in in your stories and what it contains, and leave the link. Share it in a Reel, or a post. Create a highlight that says newsletter or freebie. Name it in your bio (as we already said). 5. Use in conjunction with your launches. Schedule a live and send the reminder link to your list to join you for your big announcement. After the live is turned into a Reel, email your list with the link. Tell your followers to sign up for your launch wait list to get early access or a special download for subscribing. I do this for every launch of authentic Online Marketing School. Right now you can get our Reels personality mini course plus access to early bird bonuses just by signing up for the waitlist. If you want to make Instagram work but you need to grow your email list, Authentic Online Marketing School doors open Black Friday, November 25, 2022, and the class will start in January 2023 and go for 8 weeks. You will get feedback on your bio, nail down your content, learn how to get followers the right way, and how to drive traffic to sign up for your newsletter. You will walk away with an email welcome series you can be proud of, and a newsletter template with ongoing content so you can work smart, not hard. “Work smart, not hard.” Recent graduate, Jennifer Sakata said, Before AOM School, I had a vague idea of how to communicate with. My audience. I struggled with clarity and focus, as well as over-thinking the process. AOM School provided me both tools and motivation for connecting well with my peeps! The link is in the show notes, I’d love to have you join me, read about it and pray about it and see if it’s for you. We’ve got some great secret bonuses lined up and special perks you can receive right away before the class even starts. Instagram and email marketing for authentic followers who turn into subscribers and eventual clients? Yes please! Head to our link in the show notes to get on the waitlist to be notified when the launch goes live. You can cross pollinate Instagram and email for an effective online marketing strategy. Let us show you how! Until next week, remember to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 60: Shifting from blogging to monetization 17:02

منذ 3 years17:02

17:02

Would you like to learn how to generate funds in the online world and shift into monetization? Many of us enter the blogging and writing arena with starry eyes, loving this new creative outlet, but then later on we realize that we actually have to pay for our newfound hobby! Uh oh! (Newsflash: this happens to podcasters too). Website hosting, email providers, video software, marketing fees and promo, apps and systems to make it all flow. Editors, book coaches, travel expenses and education. Pretty soon you realize you’re in the hole and all you wanted to do was write! Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) 5 Truths to overcome Imposter Syndrome Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing Ep. 72: Grow Your Author Presence On Instagram A word on the Authentic Online Marketing School If you’re thinking about turning blogging to monetization right now or have been there, today’s episode will get your gears turning and ideas flowing for how to shift. It truly is possible, so I’m sharing the beginning stages of some of our Authentic Online Marketing School students – their questions and observations as they enter the world of monetization. Students enter Authentic Online Marketing School knowing they need help marketing their book, speaking platform, or product. They’re searching for clarity on how to promote and sell without feeling sleazy. They need guidance for building an authentic Instagram platform and newsletter list of followers and subscribers who want their offerings. The goal may be blogging to monetization. They need an email launch sequence for when they are ready show the world, and we provide all of this. But SOMETIMES there is an in-between spot – we’ll call it the black hole – consisting of WHAT exactly could I sell, services, products, or something in conjunction with my main reason for being here to fund my project? Sometimes writers enter our school just wanting to know how to write better emails but come away with a whole new perspective and a toolbox full of ideas for monetization and future projects. You (and your small biz) are worth it But as they enter this journey sometimes doubt creeps in saying, “Who do I think I am to charge for this service or product?” It’s easy to discredit ourselves as not having enough experience or needing to know more or just feeling like we’re not authentic. And since that’s what this podcast is all about – authentic marketing, I felt this conversation needed to be shared with you, because if I as a professional still feel this way at times and these ladies just entering the world of online monetization are too, then probably, so are our listeners. So here’s a candid conversation with two members, Jennifer Sakata and Naomi Fata, as they share their realizations and discuss monetization possibilities and I weigh in on my own journey from blogging to monetization over on blogspot to releasing a book and eventually shifting into a marketing career (which I adore)! To the wrestling of my spirit asking – am I good enough to charge for this?” Honing in Jennifer: I’m thinking of another way that AOMS has equipped me coming to this space. I didn’t think of myself much as a seller. Not only was this a confidence booster in what I’m writing and what I’m offering, but the blogging to monetization aspect of what I’m writing and offering isn’t something that I’ve had much head space for yet. I’ve been published in three compilation books. But that is not a persona that I’ve worn very much yet, but our conversations are continually leading to that, and that is ultimately that’s what I want to be able to do if I want to continue ministering and speaking, it costs money to be able to do that, and God has given me an ability to create income that will allow me to continue doing that. Growing and reaching And that’s a whole part of a head space that has grown for me as a result of this school. Thinking about how could I offer these to people in a way that further supports my ministry and calling to speak to an audience that really wants to hear what I have to offer. Ruthie: There is potential there, and I think that people, especially writers, don’t realize they are marketing whether they want to realize better or not, because they want to sell a book, they want to sell their speaking. Engagements is all marketing with blogging to monetization. So learn how to do it and learn how to cultivate those relationships. And then be with an open mind, because you never know. When I started all of this, the blogging years ago, I was like, I just want to write. Be prepared for change But the Lord took me down a completely different path. And one day my mentor said, You’re not going to make any money by doing this, but you will if you do this. And it was a little subtle shift and I thought about it for a long time I don’t really want to mark it. But then I realized there’s actually energy in it. It’s actually fun. Once I figured out what my niche was to market. So always keeping your mind open to the possibilities be paying attention to who God puts in your path. And being wise, of course about who you’re going to follow and how many voices you’re going to listen to. I tell my people don’t follow all the Instagram gurus. Choose one, choose wisely Just listen to one. Don’t follow all the email marketing gurus. Listen to one or two. Just there’s no way you can possibly process all of that. And you’re going to get conflicting information that makes you doubt what you’re doing. And when you doubt what you’re doing, even if it might not be the exact very best thing, you undo everything. You’re just unsure about everything. Jennifer: The gal who does all of my image at my graphic images for my blogs, I’m rebranding, as and doing different colors and all of that. I had asked if she would be willing to come up with a new logo for me and color design and all of that, and she sent me some samples. So the second sample she sent me was stunning and amazing, and I kept thinking, “Why am I so reserved about what she’s just sent me?” Here’s where blogging to monetization comes in. Here’s what I figured out this morning. What she sent is so incredibly beautiful and professional that I was struggling with whether I see myself as that professional. And I just sent her a message. Explaining that has been part of my struggle. It has nothing to do with what she designed. It’s stunning. When you see it, because I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m going to land with. It’s incredible. But that is not a mantle that I’ve held for very long in that way. Professional struggles I’m moving into it. It is fitting me a lot better than it used to, but that’s what I was struggling with because I looked at that and I thought, Wow, that is incredibly professional. Is that really me? Jennifer: I am a professional person and I am a professional speaker and writer, and what she designed is a reflection of where I’m going. And so anyway, I didn’t even realize until this morning that I was wrestling with that. Ruthie: We all wrestle with imposter syndrome. When you’re struggling with imposter syndrome, it talks about those very things and how you don’t really believe yourself and you don’t really know if anyone else will believe you, and you don’t really know if you’re worthy of that. It’s all a process that you step into, but when you’re following the leadership of what you believe, God is leading you in. “Then it’s not wrong to accept that God confidence and walk in that.” Naomi: I was going to just say that as far as imposter syndrome sounds funny, even. I joined a seamstress group online, and up until then, I didn’t even realize it, but I had I’ve been sewing for people for 15 years and I have people tell me all the time that’s amazing. And I still had imposter syndrome because I didn’t go to fashion school. And I was like, What do you mean? I finally feel like I’m starting to charge what I’m worth. I think it’s a lie of the enemy. Like to make us feel defeated and like it’s not something that we can offer the world. Ruthie: Yes, when I created my first high ticket. I had just come off of I was coaching one on one and I had a course that was $47.00 And so to go and charge $497.00 for my first high ticket offer, I was really nervous and scared. And nobody’s going to buy this. But because I had spent so much time growing my platform and sewing the seeds and sending the emails and working one on one with people, I think I had 16 in that very first class, because they were waiting for me to offer something like that. Beta testing But I beta tested three times. So then my coach said, “You have no idea how much value you offer and how much expertise you already have. You just need to step into it.” There’s a lot of guts and it still takes guts for me to launch. It really does. And just knowing and realizing your value with blogging to monetization and what you’re worth and then deciding you’re going to put a price on it. Naomi: I finished shooting my video today. So I have it ready to load into Teachable. It’s 40 minutes for the first class and then I was going to have a free download and a transcript. So trust me, I’ve been thinking about this for four years. So the fact that I’m actually doing it is good. Ruthie: So this class was probably impetus you needed. Naomi: Yeah, it was, it’s been a slow journey. Like I had people starting to ask me to teach in person classes in the spring, and it was like this thing that just kept punching me, the Holy Spirit kept nudging. And I either have to do this or I have to do something else. I have to turn my back on sewing and everything else and do something else. Ruthie: One suggestion I have for you, you might beta test this with a few of your clients. People that really love your stuff so that you can get some testimonies and put those testimonies on your sales page and everywhere. It would be helpful if you could. Because that could catch some mistakes, but it is not completely necessary. However you want to go about it. Just whatever’s the easiest way to get somebody to go through that for you. Giving yourself courage for confidence I found it so interesting that Naomi discredited her years of being a professional seamstress because she didn’t go to fashion school. But she is good at her craft! What are you discrediting in your life? What experiences do you have under your belt that could help someone else? This is how to market – discover a need and fill that need. So let me just wrap up some thoughts here to help you process this concept. Allow yourself to dream. You have lots of possibilities, many of which are yet to be discovered, so open your mind and explore them. You are the expert at something. Own it. Don’t give in to impostor syndrome by the way, you can listen to one of my earliest episodes, called 5 truths for overcoming impostor syndrome, which I’ll link in the shownotes. Test drive your product and don’t give up. Thomas Edison failed many times on the way to his successful inventions. In fact, he said, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work. Marketing possibilities are endless in our age of technology, and I will readily admit to failing at least 10,000 times just in technology alone since the start of my journey! Blogging to monetization: Is there a dream in your heart to fund your hobby? Don’t discredit that dream. One way I can help you do this is in Authentic Online Marketing School. Doors open Black Friday where you can immediately reserve your spot for our 8-week class starting next year, January 9, but while you’re waiting, you can receive our bonuses, one of which is our behind the scenes training, how to discover your super power through beta testing. We’re offering even more bonuses to get you started and ready for the class, so be sure to join our waitlist by clicking the url in the shownotes. You’ll immediately receive our Reels Creation Mini Course to help you focus on the creation aspect according to your unique personality, based on research we’ve done within our mentorship. One of the things we capitalize on in our trainings is leveraging your own unique personality to market effectively, so if this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, check out Authentic Online Marketing School in the shownotes and get on the waitlist. Thanks for listening today, I hope you were encouraged to dream a little and take the next steps to monetization. Until next week be sure to keep sharing your unique message your way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 60: Shifting from blogging to monetization appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 59: What’s your superpower? 10 Tips to find it 15:59

منذ 3 years15:59

15:59

What’s your superpower? Do you know? In Ep. 51: 7 Tips to up-level your productivity , I shared how to tap into your superpower to know what tasks to offload so that you can be productive and stay busy doing what you do best. tap into your superpower for main tasks and offload tasks that either suck your brain or could be done by someone else. Your superpower is the thing only you can do and you’re really good at it . For instance, my superpower is teaching and giving advice on group coaching calls. When people ask me questions that have to do with online marketing and business. I usually know the answers because I’m a few steps ahead of the people that I teach. I’ve become well versed in my field of Instagram and email marketing. I’ve been an entrepreneur for several years now. I run my own business. I have software that I use, I have people, uh, that do tasks for me, like podcast editing and VA services. I offload some of those tasks so that I can stay focused on my superpower or the tasks that only I can do in my business that move the needle forward. At the end of that episode, I asked, “If you want more suggestions about superpowers and how to know it, let me know and I’ll do an episode on that.” Well, overwhelmingly everyone wants to know what their superpower is or how to find it. So that is what this episode is about! What’s your superpower? Listen in. Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Ep. 51: 7 Tips to up-level your productivity Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize Ep 70: 5 Tips for Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith There are things that give me energy and things that don’t. A lot of it has to do with spiritual gifts. My spiritual gift is teaching. But you’re listening to an introvert who gets energized by speaking and advising groups. That charges me up. When I went to SpeakUP, the conference in Grand Rapids in July, I was with women for three solid days and nights. Before I left, I was just overwhelmed with having to leave. I didn’t want to leave my house, but I knew that it was something I needed to do. I needed to network and let writers and speakers know of my services and that I know how to help them, and I know that they need to learn how to market their books or their services or their speaking, and I can help them. I went and I couldn’t believe how energized I was by talking to those women, Christian entrepreneurs just like me, and speakers and writers who knew that they needed my help and who I adored. I was able to just really connect with them and hear what they had to say, and that energized me. Tip 1: Attend a conference So here’s a little tip, if you’re having trouble wondering what your superpower is, go to a networking conference. It will help you with your elevator pitch. Trust me, if you don’t know it going in, you’ll know it when you leave. It helps you to gain more understanding about yourself when you rub shoulders and link arms with Christian women of like faith who are supportive and are willing to pour into. So really that’s number one, is to be willing to be a part of something. Preferably live like a live conference or at least network online. It’s not the same, I will tell you that, but it will help. 2. What energizes you? Number two, think about what energizes you. Small talk sucks the life right out of me. I do not like the small talk. Let’s get to the meat, let’s get into the heart issues. Get down and dirty. What can we talk about that we have in common? That energizes me, and my passions energize me. So then I know I can help someone with my spiritual gift, which is teaching, then I am all in teaching and teaching my passions. That’s what energizes me. Know what energizes you. 3. Name your expertise Number three, what’s your expertise? So my expertise obviously is online marketing, specifically Instagram and email marketing. But it’s, there are outer fringes too, like blogging and podcasting and all the different little. Avenues that you can go in. Another thing that I’m an expert at is community and building communities. When I teach my classes, I teach them in community settings because so many women, especially women my age, but a lot of women realize they just need the input and they don’t need another self-paced course. They need someone to tell them, Go here, do this, or maybe you should tweak this line, or maybe you should space out your paragraphs in your emails. So think about what your expertise is. It could be writing, but is it teaching, writing? You know, what is it really? What is the expertise? And you need to look at the threads of your life. If you listen to the episode on October 10th I interviewed Mindy Kiker, she referenced that. Taking the threads of your background and learning from those things and realizing what it is that you can really write about. So maybe you’re not a writer, but maybe you’re a speaker. You can do the same thing, or maybe you love sewing. We have a seamstress in our insider mentorship, and she has a business and she continues to grow. Online and on Instagram. She is crafting emails now that are going out to her people and she is starting to really break ground in the online arena. 4. How can you make money? And then number four. So what can you make money merging these things that I just spoke of, what can you do to generate funds using your passions, using your expertise, using your spiritual gifts? It’s not wrong to make money at something that you are good at. I know I’ve referenced this before. My husband sat me down one day and said, you’re spending hours and hours online. Why don’t you, you know, open a legit business? Why don’t you be paid for what you have a passion for, what you’d love for. So, so merge those and see what it is you could offer for. Step out and offer it. After my husband gave me that pep talk, then I tried to think, what is it? Because I do love writing well. I also realized that the thing that I was good at at the time was Instagram and other bloggers were asking me how to do Instagram, so I decided to do a little mini course. It was just a Facebook group and I taught as I went and it was free Now it’s a paid course. But that’s how I started. 5. Step up to opportunities And then the other really big thing I did that took a lot of guts on my part was I saw in a group. So notice your opportunities, you guys in Facebook groups. Notice the opportunities that you can interject your expertise or something that your. Good at, because you’ll find out a lot about yourself that way. Try to help others. So I saw that my blogging mentor, the lady that had taught me everything from the ground up about blogging in Christian blogger’s Bootcamp, Arabah Joy, said, I need someone to run my Instagram account. Let me know. Send me a message if you know well. Arab Joy and I are friends. We’re friends in real life, and so I got this big, like my heart was doing palpitations and I thought, I’ve got to do this. I’m just going to take a chance on it and do it. So I reached out to her and I said, I can run your, Instagram. She said really, you can? What do you know about Instagram? Have you had training? I said, I’ve had some training, yes. I’ve been taking a course, but that question that she asked me spurred me to take just a little bit more. “I could probably coach people on how to do this…” So did be sure that I was well versed, but at the same time as running her account, I said, Just give me 30 days or give me three months. We decided on 90 days. And we doubled her views. Almost tripled it in that first three months, and that ended up being a job for me for the next two years. Then I went on to run other people’s accounts. At one time I was running I think nine accounts at once, and after I did this, I was like you know what? I could probably coach people on how to do this and it would be much easier on me. And so that was my next. Number five was… Step out. Like I stepped out and approached my blogging mentor because I felt like it was something I could do. 6. Take action on the opportunities Number six is move. Do the thing kind of goes with number five, only you are actually doing it. I could have stepped out to her and then said, I’m not going to do this. But the thing with me is if I say I’m going to do something, then I do it. So stepping out is saying it and then moving is doing it. 7. Assess what works Assess what’s working and what’s not. This has to do back in the land of where you are with your superpower. Maybe you haven’t done numbers five and six yet. Maybe you haven’t stepped out yet. Go backwards then and look at what you’re doing right now and assess what is working, what’s not working, what are you super slow at? That is just eating up hours of your time. I guarantee you it’s probably tech, its probably technology, and it is worth the time and effort to go into a VA group and. Or ask your friends, collaborators, colleagues, who do you use as a VA? Just spend the money. Teens are so fast at technology and Instagram and all the things. I just talked about what’s not working, but there are things you’re doing that I guarantee you’re good at. Maybe it’s running Zoom calls… Or maybe you’re really good at answering questions like I am. Maybe you’re better at editing or ghost writing. Or maybe you’re really good at connecting with people or connecting people with people. Maybe you’re a great speaker. Or, maybe you should have a podcast as the top of your funnel. I know a girl. If you need somebody, my podcast coach Wren Robbins, has free resources and she can also coach you to start your podcast. So we just hit 45,000 downloads. We’re starting to get 3000 downloads a month. That’s a big deal for us. We started out pretty meager two years ago in the spring of 2020 when Covid was breaking. 8. Pray Spend some time on your knees. Get down with the Lord, pray scripture. Ask for wisdom. Allow him to move you and move in you because he will do. if you’re open to it, but you must be open to it. My verse for 2022 is Isaiah 58:11. The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought and strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters do not. I claim that verse for 2022 because I need guidance and I need strength from the Lord. 9. Refine You can’t do everything obviously. So sift through all the data from one through eight and think about, what can I refine? What can I let go and what can I keep and sustain ongoing without like driving myself crazy or running myself into a rut? You got to sift, You got to let go of the chaff and you’ve got to refine. 10. Beta Test Remember when I said that I taught that class, that very first Instagram class in a Facebook group? That was a beta test, It was free. And then I turned that information into a course on Teachable I started with that one course I still sell it, and then I added more courses to it. And then I worked my way up to where I started offering higher ticket items and live trainings, which are higher ticket, but so, so valuable for getting my clients. Past and over overcoming the hump and the overwhelm of what to do next and instead of staying in their heads. So this is how I figured out my superpower. Do you recognize yourself in some of these 10 points or any of them? Does this resonate? Does this make sense to you? Send me a message on Instagram letting me know if it helped you figure something out. Or if you’re still confused about one of the points, God will lead you. You have a superpower, but you have to spend some time figuring out what it is! Until next time, be sure to share your own message your unique way in your authentic voice. The post Ep. 59: What’s your superpower? 10 Tips to find it appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories 10:37

منذ 3 years10:37

10:37

If there’s one thing I love doing in my business, it’s repurposing Instagram stories. And over the past 3 years I’ve made it my goal to work smart and not hard. Once you hone your niche, message, and brand voice, this becomes easier! Why? Because over time you find you’ve created enough content to repurpose so you just need to be smart about how. We just wrapped up our 30-Day Simply Stories Challenge and I for one learned some things I want to pass on to you! Now maybe you didn’t do all 30-Days, but if you’re using stories at all and not repurposing, you’re missing out! Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Check out Stories to Market Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Repurpose Instagram stories One often overlooked repurposing tip is to repeat yourself! We think we need to come up with new content when in fact, not everyone sees our content! Even if people watched your stories for 30 days, I guarantee they missed some, got distracted while watching, didn’t have sound on, or forgot what you said. Our society is on information overload. You can say the same thing more than once (and you should!). What you don’t want to do is say the same thing the same way each time. This is what’s so great about repurposing stories. You can break them down into several different pieces of content to last for the rest of 2022! Now that we’ve overcome that hurtle (the one that says you have to continually crank out new content), let me break down how to do this effectively. Go to your archives and view your stories. There they all are! Stories disappear after 24 hours but guess what – they’re saved in archives. Oh boy, do you have tons of content now! Now we’re cookin’. Study your analytics You can do this by going to your profile clicking the 3 horizontal lines at top right, and insights. Change the days to view last 30 days, and hit “update.” Your stories are shown to your audience for 24 hours, after that, they appear here so you can view insights. You’ll be able to see which stories got the most views and that’s a clue to do more of the same kind! Remember stories are about cultivating community with your audience. You can tap into an archived story and discover important data like Profile activity, engagement, shares, replies, and how many non-followers viewed your story. What did people respond to? Polls? Graphics? Quotes? Video? What kind of questions did you ask? What evoked response? This is the content you want to repurpose. Repurpose into Reels Of course, this is the obvious choice, because you’ve got 30 days of video! Click the Reels icon at bottom of your archived story and bam! All the content from that 24-hour story is there. You can delete frames, shorten video, and even add to it. 30 Days of 3 stories per day equals 90 frames of stories – more if you did more! Repurpose into Graphics – didn’t like how that story looked as a Reel? Create an info graphic or quote of that content and share it in your feed. Use the text you added or even expound on that text. Repurpose into Captions – select a photo and use your story text as caption fodder. Instagram loves it when our captions are keyword rich, so make sure to add keywords from your bio and overall message in your captions. Here’s a tip – the longer your caption, the longer someone stays on your posts to read it, and the algorithm reads that as engagement and will push that post out to more people! Repurpose into a carousel. A carousel is simply a collection of 2-10 graphics or video in one post. You can do videos, graphics, photos, or mix and match. Use a combination of points 4 & 5 above to make this an effective post people respond to! Another engagement tip – when people scroll through your carousel, this also signals the algorithm that they are spending time there. Repurpose to other social media platforms – YouTube Shorts are extremely popular if you have a channel or are working on one. Pinterest idea pins and stories are also working well these days to drive traffic. Of course, Facebook offers Reels, and Tik Tok is basically dominating on the social media video front. These are just a few ways repurposing Instagram stories can help and it’s certainly not exhaustive! Using what worked is the most effective way to repurpose content. To wrap up, first head to archives and view the data, taking notes of what you want to use when repurposing Instagram stories. Break your stories into Reels, graphics, captions, and carousels. And then consider how to share to other platforms using short form video! By now you should have plenty of ongoing content, plus ideas for even more! Learn by doing We learn by doing, and whether you did a week or a whole month of stories, you’ve undoubtedly learned what to do more of, less of, who’s responding to what content, and maybe even a few areas you can improve on. Thanks for joining me for the 30-Day Simply Stories Challenge and for this podcast. Until next week, be sure and sign up for the Authentically Repurposed Webinar and… remember to share your unique message your way in your own Authentic voice (in stories)! The post Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 57: 5 Tips to boost email reader response 14:04

منذ 3 years14:04

14:04

5 Tips to boost email reader response. Do you ever wonder why your email subscribers don’t reply when you ask them to? Or maybe they’re not clicking your links It can be frustrating when you feel as if no one cares about your newsletter. But, you can turn that around with just a few tweaks! You may know that I teach email marketing inside Authentic Online Marketing School, and students learn to seamlessly coordinate Instagram with email with different techniques, one of which is turning followers into subscribers. But once they become subscribers, how do you get them to respond? Today’s short podcast contains a discussion with Authentic Online Marketing school students asking the same question. In this episode you’ll hear how I received replies flooding my inbox from a recent newsletter, the strategy behind it, how to know what to send to get readers responding, a great repurposing tip, and more! By the way, doors are opening soon for our early Black Friday offering on Authentic Online Marketing School, so be sure to join our newsletter either by subscribing to the 30-Day Simply Stories challenge or our AOM Waitlist! We’ve got some never before offered bonuses you won’t want to miss, and if you’re ready to solidify your Instagram and Email marketing strategy so you can market effectively and get those subscribers responding, you’ll want to get in on the Black Friday Bonanza! Ready to hear how to Boost email reader response? Listen in! Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Sign up for Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content Listen to Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Listen to Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors Your email reader response to pain points Aimee: The interesting thing about pain points in life is we have the same ones, way more than we realize to think is what’s powerful about these is if we can pull out that pain. It breaks the isolation Ruthie: . Yes. That’s how you have that power of the one on one with that reader. And she knows that you really get her. You guys should have received an email last week from m. And it was all about how I thought I wrote “Let it Be” on my toy box. Aimee: Yeah, that was a great story. I love that one. Ruthie: thank you. So here’s the thing, and I want y’all to remember this. One call to action is always the best but this week I told that story and I really hit a pain point. Everybody’s feeling the Reels have dived. The views are down. Everybody’s like, why do they keep changing the rules? Honestly, you guys I’m there myself and I didn’t leave a call to action, except in the PS. I said, if you’re feeling like this too, if you think you want to join me, hit reply so I can judge interest. I got so many replies. So that’s how if you ever want replies, then you don’t do any other call to action. A CTA for your email reader response And that is your call to action. Because I hit that pain point so hard. The thought is, I might do a couple Reels here or there, but really I am interested in this or I need to work on my stories. Anyway, this is a great time to step in or I just don’t even know what to do with stories. So I’m going to do this or they would ask me questions, which was great market research, because for my signup page, then I have a few FAQ’s about won’t I lose followers, or what am I going to do about regular posts or things like that. That email I wrote last week was close to my heart, but it was something that I repurposed from an Instagram post I did several months back. And I got all kinds of comments on that post, people loved it. Do you think they remembered that when they got that email? Testing, 1 2 3 You can also test, look at your open rates and how the headline did and and see, how did they respond to this and use your best work and just rework it. So that email that I wrote was repurposed, but with a new twist and a new idea. So once you do the work, then you don’t have to work so hard later so go back and look, Jennifer, some of the things you’ve written in your for Instagram elsewhere in your blog and things like that. And look at the things that are a little bit further back and see if you can repurpose some of those for your emails. Or go deeper, like you said. Jennifer: I love that. That is so smart. Ugh. Another thing you had said was about Aimee’s sequence to check and see what people’s response is. I have I am celebrating, but I have 91 subscribers now I had 30 start of summer, so woo. I’m very excited. Pay attention to engagement Yeah, that’s good. But I that’s not the same thing as say having 500 subscribers. So for me, when I look at, if I’ve got a hundred subscribers, my perspective of engagement or response is obviously gonna be different than a person who’s got 500 subscribers But what would you say are some of the indicators that this really resonated with people. ‘Cause I don’t get a ton of responses to begin with, but does that mean that nothing I’ve written resonates or so I’m not quite sure how to judge that yet Ruthie: . So my question is this, have you been get, do you give a call to action every time you send an email, have you been prior to the class Jennifer: It was always go to my blog because my newsletter was always an introduction to whatever blog I wrote. And sometimes people would go and sometimes they wouldn’t, but now I’ve just started. So maybe I don’t have any. Email reader response: are they opening them? Ruthie: The way you judge is if they take action, first of all, do they open the email? Secondly, are they clicking on anything at all? If there is whatever the call to action is, are they doing it? Are they clicking? Are you getting any clicks? And thirdly, if the call to action is reply, are you getting in any reply? So going forward, you’ll be able to know. Here’s something I want to put in perspective for you. With email, let’s say you have a hundred people on your email. The average is 30% open rate. That means if you have hundred people, you’re going to have 30 people that actually respond open and then probably like a fraction of those people will respond. So you have to keep that in mind, but the email response return rate is way better than social media, where you’re competing with a whole bunch of other people. So, what now? If you have a hundred followers on social media your return rate is actually gonna be 3%. So it’s gonna be three people. Let’s break down today’s discussion into 5 simple steps to get email readers responding. Know your audience’s pain point. Aimee Smith is a homeschool mom who knows her audience well – other homeschool moms who are exhausted from all the things (and if you’re a homeschool mom, you totally get this, I know I do from back in the day)! In our class training, she submitted her welcome series for feedback during our class coaching session, using a beautiful blend of our CAFÉ method – cue, aim, fire, and edge. The cue targeted the homeschool mom’s pain point. The aim made her see that she could overcome through a few simple steps. The fire contained her call to action – draw from one of the suggestions in the download the subscriber signed up for, and the edge was Aimee’s spin on her brand voice throughout the email. When you know your audience’s pain point, sympathize, and provide a solution, you get their attention. Use the power of story to bridge the gap. Your reader likely has a to-do list a mile long and hundreds of emails flooding her inbox every week. But everyone likes a good story (that’s why we’ve been holding the story challenge all month), so if your readers know they’re going to get that relief from you (think: why do we get sucked into historical fiction or movie comedy when we don’t really need it?), you can alleviate some pressure and make her day better! Do market research and use what followers respond to on Instagram or other social media platforms you’re on! I turned an old Instagram post my followers loved into an email. It was the story of my so called 7-year-old composer fame. But I found a way to bridge the gap from that story to my reader’s pain point (see number one)! Use what works! What posts or other content have you written or spoken that generated response? Make more content like that! The obvious undertow to this whole episode is to leave a call to action. This is what we term the “Fire”, and you should have one in every email. What do you want the reader to do next? Reply? Click a link? Share on Instagram? Don’t forget to tell her what to do! The not-so-obvious step to getting reader’s response is this: Believe in your message. Do you think I got all my subscribers on day one? Nope. I’ve been list building for years. In the early days, I wasn’t sure what to write or even how to get it across or even what my message was. But over time, through training and execution, I found my own voice and writing style, and began attracting my people. Many times I didn’t want to send an email and didn’t believe they’d notice. But because I knew email list building was important, I took the time to do it. And pretty soon, they did notice when I didn’t email. Remember the percentage I gave in the training? You have way more change of your email list responding than you do your social media followers. Believe in your message and stay consistent, because if you don’t believe in your message, your readers will be confused and unsure about responding. Two things I love the most that I do is Instagram stories and writing my newsletter. It makes sense, because I weave stories throughout my newsletter, and Instagram stories are…well, just exactly that. The behind the scenes threads that compile the you behind your account, as well as your biz, book, podcast, or whatever your big message is. If you haven’t joined our 30-day story challenge, there’s still time, because you’ll receive some great tips on how to foster community and create content your audience wants! And guess what – you can use that content to springboard off that content for your newsletters too! Link is in the shownotes for the 30-Day simply stories challenge, so join us! Until next week, remember to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice (and believe in yourself)! The post Ep. 57: 5 Tips to boost email reader response appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 56: Easy Instagram Story Ideas 19:16

منذ 3 years19:16

19:16

Today, we’re talking all about easy Instagram story ideas! But first, I have a question. Have you joined our 30-Day Simply Stories Challenge yet? It’s been going on the month of October but you can still hop in! Here’s what participants are saying… I’d love to use stories for community building, so this idea feels perfect. This feels RIGHT for what I’m feeling lately. Plus, I know I need to use them, but I’m terrible at remembering to show up on stories, so this will be great practice! I’m all for not playing their game. If you’re tired of jumping through all the Insta-Hoops and ready to FALL in love with Instagram again (or at least “like), our story challenge is the perfect fit. And here’s a tip: this challenge is way more than just a story challenge, it will give you content going forward! Tap the link in our shownotes to join and get your immediate download of 5 ways non-followers can find you through stories! And since we’re talking about stories so much this month, This episode is an AOM Rewind from spring of 2021, episode 37, which gives you great insight into not only the mechanics of stories, but how and what to share in them. Easy Instagram story ideas have never been so possible! I have a wrap up for some of the tips I give so stick around til the end to hear my update. And now, listen in. Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Ep. 79: Strategies for Maximizing Your Instagram Live Views Goal: generate engagement and create your own community with stories Thesis: the secret to gaining engaged IG followers is through stories – remember how your mom read you stories as a kid? You got sucked into that story. Same is true for your followers. If you learn to do stories right and regularly, you can get your audience sucked in, which means more podcast downloads and an engaged audience! 3 supporting ideas: what you need for stories (your phone your life) how often to create stories, and how to get engagement from your stories. Q: Is it bad to post something in your stories and also in your feed? A: No, because not everyone who watches your stories sees your feed and vice versa. Cover your bases by posting to both — even if you only share a post to stories. Q: When looking at analytics from a story under navigation there are these words: back, forward, next story and exit. Does a forward mean they skipped you to the next post? Or is that what next means? Does back mean the scrolled back to look again? Just clarifying what is happening A: Forward means they’re going to the next frame of your story, whereas “next story” means they’re going to the next person or account’s stories. Backwards taps are gold because it means you caught their attention somehow and maybe you should do more of that. Exit either means they got bored or ran out of time. Stories are a great way to practice doing video for your audience in 15-second frames. Do behind the scenes Share your life and use engagement stickers Tag people in stories when it makes sense – share other’s posts and tag, geo tag, Use hashtags “podcast” don’t shrink too small, use only 2-3 Share 5 days per week A story is 3 frames Q: How do you post from archives to stories? A:For stories, you can go to your current stories or your archive (go to your profile and in the top right corner you’ll see the button that is three horizontal lines and then select “archive”), tap the story you want then at the bottom right there is the option to highlight. from there you may choose the highlight you want to add it to or create a new highlight from it! Let’s review! I get steady traffic from stories all the time, translating into regular podcast downloads because… A: I share my life! B: I ask about their lives through engagement stickers! C: I share their answers and tag them, and D: I use the different video aspects afforded me in stories. Did I motivate you to brush up on your story skills? I hope so! Some of my favorite followers and clients meet me in stories on the daily! Two things I want to update you on are, don’t spend tons of time on hashtags in stories, because in the past few months we’ve noticed a shift more to where showing up in hashtag hubs in stories isn’t so much a trend but location hubs are. So use the geo tag in your stories when you can, because you can be seen in those story hubs and possibly get new followers and eyes on your content. Another update since this recording is the caption sticker is now available in stories so you don’t have to type out your text like I advised anymore! Easy button! I want you to do one of two things now – either snap a photo of this episode, share it in your story and tag me, or join the 30-day story challenge by clicking the link in our shownotes. You’ll get a plan of action for the next 30 days and gratification of knowing you’re working on something that will make a difference in growing your community and generating content going forward! Remember to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice! The post Ep. 56: Easy Instagram Story Ideas appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 55: 3 Steps to improve writing skills with Mindy Kiker 15:08

منذ 3 years15:08

15:08

The fun thing and the not-so-fun thing about writing is it can be a lifelong journey to improve your writing skills. And the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know, but one of our passions that flourished writers is you gotta start! Like you, you don’t become better by waiting to become better. Your writing skills become better by writing. Then growing as you do it. So it’s one of the ways that we have to just enter into the mess and be satisfied with doing the best we can showing up with the best we can, because showing up is the first step to growth. If you’re a writer or dreaming to improve your writing skills, you’re going to love my special guest today, Mindy Kiker. Mindy is co-founder of FlourishGathering and FlourishWriters with ministry partner, Jenny Kochert. For those desiring to write their God Story, she is a guide who helps birth the story from the heart to the page. Each year they hold a 3-week summit which I’ve been privileged to be a part of, including right now, October 6-31 of 2022. The conference mission is for participants to: Translate their message into words on a page. Cultivate their unique voice. Transform rough drafts into polished prose. Create an author brand and marketing plan, and Choose the best publishing route for their project. Resources Follow Mindy on IG ! *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Ep. 77: How to use AI for Content Writing Ep. 20: 3 Copywriting prompts to get followers engaged with Mindy Kiker Ep. 74: Step into Courageous Authorship with Sherry Ward Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content How about a refresher? So true confession, this episode is an AOM rewind from our very first season during the Flourish Writer’s Conference when Mindy joined me, but we’ve picked up many viewers since then. I know I myself could use a refresher on how to write better. So today, here is a shortened version of Mindy’s interview and may I just say she is just as lovely one on one as she is talking to a crowd. In fact, she interviewed me for the Flourish conference this year, talking about the need to write email that connect with the pain points of our readers, so be sure to grab your ticket to the conference through the link in the shownotes. Mindy’s passion for people was energized over a decade in South Africa where she worked in Adult Education, Community Development, and Entrepreneurship. Mindy makes her home in Florida with her husband and four sons. Everyone who’s listening to this to affirm your desire to be a communicator to others, that very desire that you have a message on your heart is your qualification. It’s not your degree and it’s not your training. It’s your, the message that’s on your heart. So the first word I have for you is like a pre-tip, Ruthie. Your writing skills pre-tip The first pre-tip is to accept that call and say yes to it . And then that gets your feet on the path, right? And I was reflecting as I was preparing for today. I was reflecting on, so what qualifies us and I wanted to offer a little challenge to your listeners to think back through their life. It’s super fun to just track back through your life and see how your life circumstances have equipped you. I think that will be a big part of your motivation and encouragement that you are called. 1. Be clear on your purpose for writing My first tip Ruthie is to be clear on your purpose for writing . I recommend that whatever it is, you’re wanting to write. You know, some of you might be writing very short pieces, an Instagram post, a blog post. Slightly longer pieces, maybe a personal essay, a devotional. You might be launching out on a book writing project. If you can capture what it is you want to say in one sentence that is going to set the foundation for you to stay clear. On what it is you’re saying. So the first tip is to be clear on your purpose. And I challenge you to write one sentence that explains in nice, clear language. What is this about? So whether, no matter what your project is, is that what you’re saying? Yes. All right. Yeah. Big, you need to be clear on your purpose because what readers don’t like. Is to be uncertain of where you’re taking them. They’re going to decide to read this or not because they’ve got a vested interest you’re meeting a need that they have, and that leads into point number two is be clear on your value. Okay. So what value are you wanting to give to your reader by writing this? And oftentimes new writers come. Where their purpose and their value is to talk about themselves. Your readers want to find they’re reading what you have to say because they are looking for something for them. 2. Be clear on your value And then number two was how does it bring value to them? Right. Yup. Be clear on your value and it’s not about you. It’s about them. So you gotta be channeling. What is it? My reader needs. What is keeping them up at night? What is eating their lunch? That’s what you’re talking to. And I recommend that you hook them in. You’ve got to have a hook everybody’s trolling and scrolling, and it’s going to catch them. Humor is amazing. Um, a little bit of making fun of yourself that self-deprecation not, you know, not overdo that, but people like to have you show up as an imperfect. Person who is you’re competent and you’re successful in what you’re offering, but you’re also humble, approachable, and just fun. So my first tip is be clear on your purpose. Get that one sentence that becomes your, your guideline so that you, you don’t get off track into bunny trails. I always say banish the bunny trails. Number two is be clear on your value. People want to be able to connect with you. You got to have something to hook them in, to see you as a real person who has something of tremendous value to give them. And you do. That’s my affirmation to you. https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/improve-writing-skills/(opens in a new tab) 3. Use clear language And number three is use clear language. Ooh. For the love of all that is beautiful. Please don’t mess it up with complicated sentences, complicated language. We always talk about being concrete, not abstract. And being specific, not general. So you can make a general statement, but then you better follow it up with, it’s a nice specific concrete example. So that’s what I’m going to do right now with one of my little Instagram posts. You can judge the quality of it. I’m not saying it’s my best one, but it has some examples that I, that I liked because I’m super big on. Analogies and word pictures, people love word pictures. They take your abstract concepts, steps, this big thing. You’re feeling this big thing you want to communicate and it puts it into a relatable. Important for writing skills: relate your experience back. Picture experience something that people can latch onto and they remember your analogies, your, you know, you’re wanting everything you put out, you’re wanting it to be sticky. They’re reading how many thousands of words a day. You want your words to stick that when they go to bed at night and they put their head on the pillow, they’re like, dang, I love what she said today. So, so here’s an example for my son’s 20th birthday. I said, “We celebrate often one way to extend a birthday is the last day of festivities. The day before the big day milestones create rock cairns, making a turn in the trail, calling to others. I paused here on my journey, adding my peace to all who passed before, making the way for others. We paused last night to place a stone on the Kiker family cairn by celebrating our firstborns last day of 19. This mama has swirling sweet and salty feelings. It’s like sailing and strong winds, thrilling and terrifying requiring not only skill, but also submission to the forces of nature. My face drips with saltwater. “Big feelings can make more sense as word pictures.” I laugh. I weep, I grasp the ropes, but not too tight. Harness. The wind respect its strength, saltwater stings. But it also heals if you’ve placed a stone on this cairn or sailed these waters, what words of wisdom can you share? PS: Was that too many metaphors in one small space?” Big feelings make more sense as word pictures. And people love to share their advice. I’m not, I don’t have all the answers, I’m not the expert in all these things. But, I’m where I am in my life journey. I want my community to rally around me and say, Like their journey and my journey fits together so beautifully. I need them and they need me. we have got to figure out the connection between our passion and the person that we’re talking to. And that is by the middle bridge. Accept the call to transform your writing skills. Number two is delivering the value. Yeah you want them to feel like whatever you post, whatever you email, whatever product you come out with. “Oh, I know this is going to be good. I’m going to stop scrolling because whenever Ruthie speaks, whenever Mindy speaks, it’s something that I want to know about, even if it’s just musings on life.” You know, you gotta throw in just that fun value stuff in amongst the kind of teachy stuff, maybe the heavier stuff, but mix it all up just with life in all its dynamism. This is what works, it works. Pre tip: Accept the call 1. Be clear on your purpose 2. Be clear on your value 3. Be clear with your language. You have a message someone needs to hear, but remember, every time you write, be clear on your purpose and deliver value. So many times we complicate the message by too many words. Sometimes we just need to simplify. Most of the time, actually, we need to do this. I hope you’ll join us for the Flourish Writer’s conference, happening October 6 through 31, 2022. Pick up your free ticket and join us. Thanks for listening today, join us next week, and remember to share your clear message in a valuable way, in your own authentic voice. Mindy Kiker grew up making sandcastles by the sea, dancing the hula in Hawaii, and singing Zulu songs in South Africa. Her passion for people is energizing over a decade in Africa where she runs development projects focuses on Adult Education and Entrepreneurship. Mindy holds a B.A. in English and Linguistics from the University of Florida and an M.Sc. in Organizational and Leadership Systems from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. At FlourishWriters, she cultivates an online gathering place for writers to build community, find clarity, and grow in the craft of writing. Mindy makes her home in Florida with her husband and four sons. Connect online @mindykiker and https://flourishgathering.com/ . The post Ep. 55: 3 Steps to improve writing skills with Mindy Kiker appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 54: Join our 30 day Instagram Story challenge and simplify posting 11:11

منذ 3 years11:11

11:11

Our 30 day Instagram story challenge has begun! Are you ready to simplify posting? Join us Monday, October 3, for our 30-Day Instagram story challenge. By doing stories for 30 days just a few things you will learn: How to create engaging (yea, even entertaining) stories that represent your voice, intrigue followers to get to know you, and cultivate community. 5 Proven ways non-followers discover you through stories (you’ll get the checklist instantly). Fall back in love with Instagram (or at least get your story groove on)! Resources Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories When I was a little girl, I fooled myself into thinking I wrote a song by the Beatles. I crouched on my knees in front of my white padded toy box and, using it as a desk, scrolled these words in pencil. “Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.” The whole time, the tune floated through my mind. I was so proud of myself for writing that song. Really, I saved the piece of lined notebook paper with my new song in my diary. I went on my merry way until that fateful day, while riding in the babysitter’s car. And she accused me of lying. The song floated on the radio, Paul McCartney singing “Whisper words of wisdom,” And I sat straight up and realized this was my song. I wrote that song! I gestured towards the radio as this babysitter who will remain nameless, stared sternly through cat-eye glasses, her mouth hanging open in shock. You did not. She huffed. “Yes, I did, I wrote that song!” Persisting in my seven year old ignorance. Not to be put off, the babysitter made a grim threat. Well, I’m telling your mother! I sat back and wondered where I’d gone wrong. I distinctly remembered writing. “Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be…” on my toy box just days earlier and now people were singing it. I should be famous! But it seemed as if the babysitter thought I was lying. Inside the “IG Insider” This week’s episode is from a recent newsletter I sent out to a select few, my peeps it’s called the “IG insider.” And if you want inside scoop on not just online marketing, but specifically Instagram and newsletter, mindset and a boost of confidence behind it, then you’ll want to get on that newsletter list. I’m going to tell you how right now. So, we are hosting a 30 day simply stories challenge. And for 30 days, that’s all you do is post in stories. Now, why would you want to do that? I’m going to tell you from this newsletter, the sign up is at the top of the show notes. If you already know you need to work on your stories, beef them up, get a little bit of strategy behind them, or perhaps you’re lacking in your story game. I want you to know stories are still super valuable. That’s where the real community occurs and community grows opportunity. The opportunity is your story watchers – the faithful ones are also the ones on your newsletter and they become your clients and your best audience members, those are your ideal audience members. How do I know this? Because I’ve been doing this for five to six years now. It never fails. You may have some objections, like, oh, I don’t have very many story watchers. How could I only post in stories? First of all, you don’t have to just post in stories. You can use this as a supplement. I’m simply saying this is a way to simplify, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me continue with the story. The background behind why I’m doing 30 stories in 30 days in October. Listen in. Click below for show notes! https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/story-challenge/ *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Join our 30 day Instagram story challenge and simplify posting Thankfully, I’ve graduated from writing on a toy box to typing at a legit power operated desk. You know, the kind that goes up and down so I can pretend I’m actually going to stand and burn a few extra calories while working. But sometimes I feel like a fake. No, I’m not claiming to be the author of “Let it be”… it’s much more serious than that but simple with our story challenge! I have not been showing up on Instagram of late the way I want {gasp. I know.} Lately I’ve just kind of lost my Insta-rhythm. Now, before you freak out on me, the teacher is not quitting. Let’s just say the teacher has taken a few steps back to assess the situation. And “Let it be.” Let’s talk about the freaking algorithm for a minute. Shall we? You probably know that about mid-August, the algorithm decided to take a vacation on most of us and breeze on by like the six million dollar man in hyper-mode. Reels that previously brought thousands of views dropped in the hundreds and left everyone scratching their heads. When the algorithm fights back One lady who used to get 70,000 views on her cat videos was down to a thousand views. Did you hear that– cat videos? If people aren’t watching cat videos, we may as well forget it. Right? Instagram users are discouraged and with good reason. You’re listening to a podcast from one of them. What are we going to do next in our story challenge, please “Whisper words of wisdom!” Okay. So I’m suggesting a radical change in pace for 30 days. What if we don’t play their game? We could stop the hamster wheel? What if we take a step? What if we pause the creation process, the videos, the texts, the captions, the words, the noise. I’ll lose followers, I’ll miss out, I’ll lose the traction. I already have! Not so fast, if you’re feeling anxious over this situation, like a content mill turned upside down and sideways like most of us… Are you tired of juggling all the Insta balls? Me too. That’s why I’m proposing something radical. It’s against the grain. https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/?p=83526 Our story challenge: think radical, not hard! It’s not the norm. It’s not what the gurus are telling you. It won’t cause millions of views, or even a thousand cat video views, but it just might bring you peace, joy, a way to simplify ongoing content. What do you say? Are you waiting for me to push you on 30 Reels in 30 Days? No way, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I won’t say never, but I have yet to do it. So the idea is, 30 stories in 30 days. No new posts, no Reels, graphics, or carousels, not even one live video, although I won’t say never. No fancy stories made with graphics. We’re talking real life here. True grit, so to speak. I just wrote out a plan that might revolutionize how I create content. It’s all in story strategy. Here’s the basic summary: You have a story theme of the day, a goal of the story, a call to action, rinse and repeat. The end result: strong community (your own). “The end result: Strong community” Increased story views, new followers. (Yep. I said new followers from stories), and less stress. Start date, October 3rd, end date November 1st. What do you think? Are you in? The sign up is in the show notes. There are more details in the sign up, but trust me, I’ve done my research and I do have a plan. If you’re saying to yourself, you go ahead and I’ll watch, that’s completely fine. It may be a flop, but I won’t know if I don’t try! I will let you know that probably a good fourth to a half of my own story watchers, my real core peeps are on board. They’re saying yes, I want to do this too. Take me on the trip. Let’s go, let’s do it, let’s run with it. Anything that will start working and not drive me nuts. Even if you’re simplifying, you’re getting some peace back, knowing that you’re actually creating fodder for content that’s ongoing, that is user generated. That brings peace of mind. For me, it’s not forever. It’s just a test with hopefully content going forward to fuel the rest of my 2022. And maybe yours. If you’re simplifying, you’re getting peace back So obviously I didn’t write, Let it Be, but my family know the story a couple weeks ago, my son texted, “What was that song you thought you wrote again when you were little?” So if you gain nothing else from this podcast episode, just know that you don’t have to jump through all the hoops. You don’t have to do all the things. In fact, you can do something different. You can simplify, remember to whisper words of wisdom, or maybe just let it be again. If you’re interested in hearing more or signing up for the 30-day challenge, or maybe you’re just watching from the sidelines to see what I teach, use the sign up in the show notes. Go follow me at @authenticonlinemarketingpod on Instagram and tap on my Instagram links and bio. You’ll see it there. The story challenge, or go to my website, authenticonlinemarketing.com and you’ll see it there as. It may just be me on this wild and crazy experiment. But if you want in on the plan, let me know, And don’t just “let it be” until next week. Remember to share your own message, your unique way in your own authentic voice. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, whisper words of wisdom. Let it be. The post Ep. 54: Join our 30 day Instagram Story challenge and simplify posting appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

1
Ep. 53: What to do with pinned posts on Instagram? 12:19

منذ 3 years12:19

12:19

Pinned posts on Instagram – have you seen them? Y’all, I LOVE them. And there is a reason why you should use them. On a recent Insider Mentorship group coaching call, the question was asked about Pinned Posts and the most effective way to utilize this new feature. Now if you’re just hearing about Instagram Pinned Posts and don’t know what they are, it just means basically featuring a post at the top of your Instagram feed until you decide to unpin or switch it out with another post. Simply long press on an image and a menu will appear, and you can select to pin a post or Reel. If you ever want to unpin it, simply long press again. At the time of this recording, up to 3 pins are allowed but as we all know, that could change bc we know Instagram loves to change the rules on us. That’s why I’m here with this podcast, to explain simply and briefly what to do next for your Instagram and email marketing. In this episode I gave my best advice on how to use Pinned posts effectively, when you should switch them out, and how many to use (should you use all 3? 2? 1?). You’ll also hear about a strategy I’ve Been using to gain more traction on my posts, plus, how to display your grid so it looks like a portfolio of your services. I’ll also clue you in on a scheduling software I’ve been using that is “fix it and forget it,” to repurpose your content for a whole year. Get all the scoop and then share it on Instagram! And now, listen in. Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Access the Missing Lettr scheduling software ! Ep 39: How to come back to Instagram (after taking a break) Ep. 38: When to take a break from Instagram Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories What do you do with pinned posts on Instagram? Suzanne: I’ve read a couple of differing opinions about whether to have three pinned or just two your current posts always showing on the top. Do you have an opinion about that? Ruthie: I have an opinion after really fooling around with it, you know, trial and error. I noticed that whatever my most recent post is if I really want traction on it, whether it’s a Reel or not, I pin it. It goes first because that’s what I want people to comment on. I always have three, I like that option. The other one is always what the podcast lineup is for the month. You could do that easily. Always do that podcast lineup. Then the other one is usually just something else that’s recent that I want traction for last week was launch week so everything was about that. And the podcast lineup kind of went to the wayside. And then it went right back up to the top. If you want your recent post to gain traction, pin it right away. Choosing your pinned posts Suzanne: I did one carousel post that tells exactly, explicit instructions on, what the method is, how to do it, the whole basic program. Are they pushing pinned posts out? I still get feedback on that. Ruthie: You’re still getting feedback on comments on that post? I think they are, but I also think they’re pushing out recent posts too. It’s interesting and something else I have tried that you guys try is this. I have a scheduling software that I bought a hundred years ago from App Sumo called “Missing Lettr.” And whenever a post of mine goes out, I get an email to approve 12 posts in a year. And they go out at three days, the next month, and then so forth out through the year. I can schedule those out as I want. I can write the captions, select the images and then it just goes, so I hadn’t used that for a couple years and decided to go ahead and start using it again. So every once in a while I get a random post that I just forgot about, I didn’t know it was going to run. Quick data Then I start seeing all these clicks and comments and likes and notifications. And I’m like, what is that? Do I really want people to comment on that today? But what I found is, if I can make that post go live about an hour to 30 minutes before what I really want people to comment on, which is going to be a Reel. Or an important post, a lot of times that real or post will get even more traction because I just posted recently. It’s a trial and error thing, but I do notice that the more you post, the more Instagram pushes your stuff out there, and we can’t just post all the time. But if you have a scheduling app, like Missing Lettr. That is just taking out something that you only entered once for the whole 12 months, it’s worth it. So if anybody has interest in that, I can get you the link to, to sign up for that. I think it was $39 for me. It comes on sale every once in a while. How often to change out pinned posts “How often should we change our pinned post?” You need to keep track of your pinned posts and make sure that when you post a new post or Reel you want people to comment on that you go ahead and make that a pinned post. Because a lot of times I have core people that I almost always comment on their posts or they comment on mine because we go back like a thousand years and we’re trying to support each other. So if she comments on mine and I go to her account and I see the pinned post, and I’m like, wait, I already commented on those. Then I have to hunt for her most recent post. Most people aren’t going to do that if they’re wanting to come and support you and support your most recent post. So that’s why I advise your recent post get pinned. The other two posts need to be just kind of evergreen stuff or it’s a recent sale, a launch, or something that is going on this month or this week, like my podcast line up for August. What if you need a break? I love the pinned posts. Here’s an idea I’ve found, and that is if you decide you want to take a break from Instagram, then you make sure that your last nine posts are targeted towards your own business. Like say you want to take three months off, then you could archive things, move things around and make sure your last nine posts go to your email list, your sales site, your website, and then you wanna make them the three pinned posts, the most important. It kind of makes it a little easier once you have your pinned posts. Then you take your Instagram URL, your profile URL, and share that in places you post to. We recently did an episode on When to take a break from Instagram , actually at the beginning of summer, Episode 38, and arranging your grid as I just described, getting it prepped for that break, would be an ideal way to leave it so if people run across your Instagram account, they can see what you do and it will be helpful to have that kind of as a business portfolio. A One Sheet, if you will, description of your services, products, book, podcast, definitely your newsletter Opt-in, kind of like an expanded business card. Benefit of pinned posts: Having your resources ready Then when people want to know what you do, you can have that account URL ready to give them and they can read a great summary of your offerings. It might be nice to go ahead and experiment with that and even use it as your regular grid layout so if you need to step away or something happens you can’t post, your account is still seamless and sharing the most important parts of your business. And you can use Pinned posts as your top 3 offerings! Cool, huh? So what do you think of Pinned Posts? I want to know your thoughts or questions – slide into my stories today and vote on your opinion! You can post 1-3, pin or unpin, but remember, most people are going to see your pinned posts first in their feed and not your recent post, so if it’s not a pinned post, just know that it may not get the traction you want, and you may want to think about always pinning your most recent post. Important info I’ll include the link to my scheduling software in case you want a quick way to repurpose content throughout the year, which helps when you don’t have a post ready, or may even, like I found, boost your next post due to posting frequency. As things stand right now, Instagram pushes the content of frequent posters, and none of us want to be on the app all day! You’ve got to make it doable, so this is just one easy way to do that. The software is called Missing Lettr, check it out and see if it’s something you might like to use. Be sure to head on over to my Instagram @authenticonlinemarketingpod or you can search my name, Ruthie Gray, and vote on my stories about your Pinned Posts opinions! Until next week, Remember to share your message your way in your own authentic voice! 30 Day Story Challenge If you’re tired of feeling like a content mill and ready to simplify your posting process (without losing followers or your sanity), why not try our 30-Day Simply Stories challenge starting October 3? By doing stories for 30 days you will learn Why Instagram stories are still key to client conversions. How to create engaging (yea, even entertaining) stories that represent your voice, intrigue followers to get to know you, and cultivate community. 5 Proven ways non-followers discover you through stories (you’ll get the checklist instantly). How to be wise on the app (and not lose track of time) in just 10-20 minutes a day. A smart way to get more eyes on your posts even though you’re only using stories! Fall back in love with Instagram (or at least get your story groove on)! I love stories and through the challenge, I think you’ll come to love them too and see the value they deliver! (Plus – here’s an extra tip: you’ll have Reels content going forward!) Check out the 30-Day Simply Stories challenge in our bio link and don’t forget to use your Pinned posts going forward! Until next week, remember to share your message your unique way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 53: What to do with pinned posts on Instagram? appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 52: Public speaking for beginners with Mary Snyder 24:44

منذ 3 years24:44

24:44

Ever wonder how to secure public speaking engagements as a beginner? Or maybe you know you should speak, but you just can’t get over the fear of speaking. We all have to start somewhere is not real helpful advice, even though it may be true. So today my special guest is someone who’s coached some of the most influential speakers of our time. Mary Snyder is a speaker, speaker coach, author, event planner and tour producer with over 20 years in the Christian events industry, And she shares her knowledge and experience with those looking to start or grow their speaking career. Mary’s weekly podcast, Take the Stage , is one of the places you’ll find her sharing insights and tips of speaking. She is also the founder of Activate Your Speaking Career – a digital course that equips speakers to go from overwhelmed and intimidated to confident and equipped. Something else I love about Mary is that she’s real and down to earth. She’s somebody who knows her own unique brand voice, and that’s why I’m excited to share her with y’all today. Get ready for some down home fun and straightforward advice for how to get started taking the stage. And now, listen in. Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Visit Mary’s Podcast, Take the Stage! Click below to join Mary’s Take the Stage Facebook group! Ep. 72: Grow Your Author Presence On Instagram Ep 70: 5 Tips for Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap of Faith Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content Public speaking for beginners Ruthie: Welcome to the show, Mary. Mary: I’m so excited to be here! Ruthie: I admire your stage presence and how you teach people to take the stage. I just wanna ask you right off the bat. When did you first become passionate about public speaking? Mary: I think it was indicated on my conduct grades in sixth grade.I was always got the little note on my report card “she enjoys visiting with her neighbor too much.” But when I got the call, I really felt the call in my life that this is what I want to do. This is where God was calling me. I was in my thirties, which was a minute ago. I know it’s shocking to everyone, but it was more than a year ago. And I literally spent so many years just waiting on God to send somebody to my door, to invite me to speak, but nobody ever came? Ruthie: So how did you gain traction then? How did that start? I think speakers and writers are a lot alike in that. We just think, oh, here’s my website. Everybody come and then they don’t. Mary: This is not the field of dreams, for those of you who need a little reference point. It’s a movie where he says where a voice says to him, if you build it, they will come. And they do, but that is a movie. It does not happen in real life. And this is what I always reference. If God has called you to be an accountant and he calls people to be accountants, our teachers, our doctors, y’all, didn’t go home and sit down by the phone and say I’m now a doctor. Patience is important! God’s gonna bring me some patience. He said, no you’re gonna go get educated author, speaker, doctor accountant, teacher. The difference is there’s no school to go. That says I’m gonna go to this school and I’m gonna walk out and be an accomplished writer or an accomplished speaker. We have to learn to school ourselves. That was the biggest thing for me. It was not waiting by the phone. It was when the Lord said it’s up to you, sis. You’re gonna have to go do something. Ruthie: Yeah. We have to actually get out there and be willing to do the thing. It sounds like this great dream when we’re dreaming it. But then we realized, oh, I have to actually do the work. It’s work. It’s like anything else we do in life. don’t know who decided that you needed 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert, but someone somewhere said, if you do something for 10,000 hours, if you play the violin for 10,000 hours, you will be an expert. Practice to exercise, not to be an expert I feel like I have cleaned my house for 10,000 hours, but I’m still not an expert. Nor do I choose to become one. But as a speaker, it is all about doing it. Exercising the muscle, same thing with writing. If you’re a writer, write a blog post, write a post on Facebook. If you’re a speaker, go live. Record yourself. Watch yourself. Know your listener, right? The end. When I said record yourself and watch yourself, she cringed. So I’m gonna give you an out, just listen the first time. Just listen to what you sound like. And listen to the words coming out of your mouth. You’re gonna be surprised at how much you say. Ruthie: I remember when I started my podcast, I was like, oh, this is terrible. No one is gonna listen to this, but. I knew God had called me to it and guess what they did and here we are. So I am assuming then that’s what you started doing was putting yourself out there. Tell us how you did that. Public speaking tip: Put yourself out there Mary: I did it all wrong. I’m gonna go ahead and tell ya. Because, and that’s one of the things I teach, don’t do it the way Mary did it, do it the way Mary learned to do it. What I did is I would mail out flyers all about what I had to offer the five or six different topics I had. I had a website, none of those topics were developed. I need you to hear me. Not one of them was a developed crafted message. People would call me and say we would love for you to come do this. Or they would have a topic and I would go. I would craft a brand new message, it was not well done. There would be an out of context, verse of scripture. I would try to say something in the Greek or the Hebrew. None of which I was equipped to do, but I went and that’s how people found out about me is I started reaching out to them and I said, I want to come and share with your people. Today, I teach people to craft one message, make it incredible. I still teach you to reach out because even in the day of websites and social media, you’re gonna have to go. The good thing is you have email and you have voicemail and you can send a video. Ruthie: We have so much opportunity now at our fingertips. Mary: Yes. It’s so much more accessible and more affordable. So you want to get booked? Ruthie: Wow. yeah, that’s a while back. Okay, so let’s talk about when new speakers come to you. What’s their biggest hang up about speaking on stage? Mary: I think the very first thing they wanna know is how do I get booked? Everybody wants to know how I get booked. The thing is the getting booked part is not where you wanna start, because you have to know your message before you can get booked and here’s the secret. Your message is for one person. Just one. If you craft a message directly to the person, God has called you to serve, and you help her solve the problem that keeps her up at night. You show her the transformation God did in your life. That can happen in her life. Then you’re gonna be that relatable speaker. That event planner is gonna immediately know that you understand her because she’s not looking for a speaker that is gonna wow people. That’s great, but she’s looking for someone to take care of her women. Someone that is gonna help them in their walk with Jesus. Ruthie: What was their biggest hangup? Which you really answered because they wanna get booked. Mary: They wanna get booked, but they don’t have anything to tell people why to book them. And if you don’t know your message, then no one can book you or they can book you and it’ll be like me and you’ll just be bad at it. Ruthie: I could say the same for a lot of things. At least you did put the foot forward and you went forward so that’s what we have to start doing too. Whether we’re writers or speakers or both. Usually if you’re a writer, you have to be a speaker too. or if you’re a speaker, you’re a lot of times you’re a writer, but, okay. So you’ve already given us a lot to chew on. What would you say your top three tips are for getting better at public speaking? 1. Know Your Audience Mary: My top three tips. Number one, know your audience, understand who you’re speaking to. Case in point, I recently was at an event and I did exactly what I tell people not to do! I didn’t understand my audience. I assumed my audience. And when I got there, it was completely different. I thought it was gonna be all women who were just well established in the church that were my age, or maybe a little younger, but it was women who were unchurched and completely didn’t really know, or have a deep relationship with Jesus. My message was not for them. So know your audience, ask the question who is in. Who will be at this event? Is it women from the church? Is it women from outside the church? How old are they? What kinda walk would Jesus do? They have know your audience? Ruthie: Okay. Know your audience. All right. What about tip two? 2. Know the problem you solve Mary: Tip number two is know the problem that you solve. What’s the problem you solve, maybe you have gone through and overcome an incredible just trauma in your life. And God has walked you through the storms and you can speak to overcoming. Maybe you don’t have that big traumatic story and that’s okay. Maybe you’re someone like one of my speakers, who is someone who loves Jesus and loves hospitality. She teaches women how to be hospitable, how to use their home when maybe that’s not their first calling. Additionally, teaches women who are afraid to open their home. She teaches ’em how to do it and do it with grace and comfort. Know the problem you solve. I solve the problem of women who know they’re called by God, but they don’t know what step to take to step into the speaking arena. That’s the problem I solve. Ruthie, you solve the problem of I need to understand my Instagram, and I’m just trying to figure out what a Reel is. You helped me solve that problem. 3. Know who you serve And then number three is, know who you serve. And that is you serve primarily Christ. You are here as his servant. And he has called you to this. Listen, if you don’t listen to anything else I say in this podcast, I want you to hear this only you can deliver your message. You and I can stand shoulder to shoulder and have the exact same message we can use same Scripture. We can use the same stories in the Bible. We’re gonna have different personal stories because you and I are different. We’ll have different delivery because you and I are different. Your message reaches YOUR audience Your message will resonate with a group of people that mine will never reach and vice-versa because you are the only person that can deliver this message. And God has entrusted this message to you. He’s not just said, Hey, maybe if you have time. You might get around to this one day in this life, short life you have on earth. He has said, this is what I have for you. Now you can choose to walk in it or not. Ruthie: Because then we’ll go back to that. Mary: Those are in no specific order. Actually the order would be 3, 2, 1 , but. You have to, just because you’re gonna doubt. I doubt every day, Ruthie, I get up every day and go are you sure Jesus, I’m gonna, I’m gonna check in. I’m gonna check in. Cause I feel like maybe this call was for someone else. I’m just gonna check in and every day I check in and every day I will and I do this, I’ll say, Lord, I know you it’s mine. I am fully believing and trusting in that, but I, but today I’m feeling like, maybe I need a little affirmation. Could I get a little affirmation today? Yeah, he is faithful every day to show up and remind me. When public speaking, you are serving Sometimes that is a sweet accolade from someone and sometimes it’s a whack upside the head it’s whatever I needed in that day. But it’s, we all doubt. And it’s the verse that God, I believe forgive my unbelief. Just continue to stand in this calling. Ruthie I think one of the biggest problems for speakers and for authors is we’ve been told not to make much of ourselves we’ve been told. We believe that standing up in front of a crowd is a place of honor when it really is a place of service to stand before a crowd of five or 5,000, you are serving those people. They are not there to clap and applaud you. That may happen. It is tiring work, but work that I absolutely love doing. Ruthie: I have another question for you. You have certainly leveraged community well in growing your exposure for your expertise. Through your podcast and also by attending live in person events. In fact, you and I just finally met you at speakUP. That was so fun. And I can see how in person events really will broaden your exposure. I want you to share with us, how did you make all these connections? How did you find these people and how can listeners take that? And reach out and grow their audience by leveraging community. Leveraging community authentically Mary: First of all, know the problem you solve and serve. A lot of the people you see me with is because I served as a volunteer. I volunteered with Lifeway for years and I volunteered with extraordinary women. Eventually, I ended up being on staff with them and did their social media, like way back before we had smartphone y’all it was a whole situation. And we only had Twitter. But I did a lot of volunteering, a lot of showing up in the places I went to these conferences, Ruthie, as an attendee, I just went to a conference as an attendee, just a few weeks. I wasn’t on the platform, but I knew that my people were gonna be there and I wanted to be there and I wanted to meet some of them and spend some FaceTime with them, invest in where your people are. Go where they are. And if your people are in a digital place, go into that digital group and offer to serve. How can I serve in this group? Can I lead a workshop? I do it for several groups that I belong to. And every time I see where I can serve, I am there to serve and you’re right. It’s grown. I give God all the glory, but I will tell you. I work, everyone who comes in, if they make a post in my group, I do my very best to be the person that comments on it. Now it’s getting to the point where that’s getting a little harder, cuz the group is getting larger. But I still want to be very involved. It’s a heart thing. It’s about showing. Being intentional. Networking with truth Ruthie: You have to get out there and be with the people that can not only be your cohorts and colleagues, but your potential clients.And that’s not wrong to go after that kind of thing. Mary: No, you do it with the right heart. You do it with the right heart to serve. I always tell people Ruthie. You and I are liking this. I always tell people, I would love for you to be a part of my course or whatever. I’m if I’m promoting my course at the time, but only if this is the step God has for you. Ruthie: Commit it to prayer. Pray first before you say yes or no. Mary, tell us a little bit about your course and how folks can access that. If they’re interested in having your help to Polish their public speaking. Mary: I do have a course called “Activate your speaking career.” Go from overwhelmed and insecure to confident and equipped. And in that course, I take you from building a message, learning how to reach out to event planners with a really great one sheet and a really great video. I know you just, everybody just gasp video. It’s not hard. I promise it’s painless, but, and not only that Ruthie, we do it in a cohort style. Like you do, where you get feedback from me, we’re in a private Facebook group. I open it twice a year. And if you’re interested, you can go to MaryRSnyder.com. Furthering connections Click on activate. That’s the name of it. There’s a waiting, there’s a waiting list. And just click on that wait list. And the minute it becomes available, you’ll be the first to know. Ruthie: Awesome. And I bet if they get on your wait list, they’ll also be on your newsletter where they can receive tips as well. Mary: Absolutely. Newsletter goes out once a week with a link to the podcast, a fun find something. So where do you want people specifically to go to connect with you online? Mary: You can go to my website, MaryRSnyder.com. But what I would really love for you to do join me in my Facebook group, it’s take the stage speakers, just search for that. It will pop up. (Hayley reference Take the Stage Facebook group in resources at top) Here’s why I want you to come. Number one, you’re gonna get on the email list over there too. But most importantly is this is a place for you to get personalized. Really deep questions. It’s a private group. It’s for people like you that are speakers. And what I love is you build your tribe in there. You build your community. So many of my speakers know each other from that community. I was just at an event speaking and eight or 10 of the women all knew each other from my Facebook group. It was so fun to hang out with them. So yeah, absolutely. Go over there. I’d love to bring you. Ruthie: Yes. And Mary you’re so good at building community and fostering that I always say community grows opportunity. Yes, because it does in so many ways and especially for the kingdom of Christ. Yep. So thank you for taking the time outta your busy schedule and day to be with us and share your knowledge with our listeners. I know they’re gonna just really soak up what you have to say. Go follow Mary! Get on her email list and her wait list and get in that Facebook group. Mary: Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it! Mary Snyder is a speaker, speaker coach, author, event planner and tour producer with over 20 years in the Christian events industry. She has been on the stage, behind the stage and booked & coached some of the most influential speakers of our time. Tapping into her unique combination of speaker skills and event planner experience, Mary shares her knowledge and experience with speakers who are looking to start or grow their speaking career. Mary’s weekly podcast, Take the Stage, is one of the places you’ll find her sharing insights and tips of speaking. She is also the founder of Activate Your Speaking Career – a digital course that equips a speaker to go from overwhelmed and intimidated to confident and equipped. Find out more about Mary at www.maryrsnyder.com . The post Ep. 52: Public speaking for beginners with Mary Snyder appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 51: 7 Tips to up-level your productivity 13:46

منذ 3 years13:46

13:46

Let’s discuss these 7 easy tips to up-level your productivity! As an online marketing coach, I get this question a lot – how can I spend time on Instagram AND email while writing my book, producing a podcast, or serving clients? I get it. As an entrepreneur myself, life gets a little overwhelming a lot of time time! So I put together a list of 7 things I do that up-level my own productivity. And here’s the thing – not all of these tips may work for you but I know at least a will, and perhaps in the overwhelm of your thinking they may not even have occurred to you. I always love hearing how others run their day, so I thought I’d share how I run mine. And if you didn’t get a chance to listen last week to my interview with my podcast coach, be sure to put episode number 50 in your queue, Time Management for the Christian entrepreneur with Wren Robbins. Are you ready to up-level your productivity? Listen in! Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Get your Cultivate Planner ! Listen to the Just One Simple Thing Podcast Join our Insider Mentorship ! 31 Days of Prayer Listen to Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur with Wren Robbins Listen to Ep. 40: How to fit in time for Instagram Listen to Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Plan your year My first suggestion is to plan your year. You need an overarching calendar to work from so you’ll know what your life will look like – vacations, yearly and quarterly goals, affiliate sales or product launches, and actually be honest with yourself about needing time off. Because you do! If you need a suggestion for what type of planner to use, my go-to is the Cultivate Planner, because not only is it practical, with space for brain dumps, yearly. quarterly, and monthly goals, but it’s beautiful and I like working with pretty things (you probably do too)! I’ll link the cultivate planner in the shownotes. Plan your week ahead Plan your week ahead. I do this on Friday, you may do it over the weekend. My suggestion for this is to use a daytimer with hourly blocks – my favorite way to plan, and room for lists when things come up. When you’re planning your week, jot the tasks in the time blocks and add extra for padding (because tasks always take more time than we think they will)! Stop jamming your day Stop jamming your day and focus on 2-3 main tasks for your work time. Studies show 80% of our tasks don’t move the needle. That means only 20% does. Now I know what you’re thinking – how do I kNOW what moves the needle? Sometimes you don’t when you’re first starting out, but you simply can’t do all the things. As my friend Christa Hutchins says, make a plan and stick to it, even if it’s just for 2 weeks. When I new idea comes along, write it down, but stick to the plan until the 2 weeks are up. (I heard this in episode 77 of her podcast, Just One Simple Thing – we’ll link that too if you’re having trouble with all the ideas!) Tap into your superpower Tap into your superpower for main tasks and offload tasks that either suck your brain or could be done by someone else. So let me break this down – your superpower is the thing only you can do and you’re really good at it. For instance, my super power is giving advice during live group coaching calls. People ask the questions and I know the answer, I don’t have to say wait let me research that for you, I just know, because I’m well versed in my field and good at coming up with ideas for implementation on the fly. What I’m not so great at is solving tech issues or smaller tasks that take up my time, like course creation. So I either hire someone to do that, trade hours for a service, or decide to ditch the project until another time. When you know your super power, you can use it to leverage your time and services and often find the other little tasks you do aren’t even necessary. Get a coach or mastermind 5. Get a coach or mastermind. I started really moving the needle on my business when I started a mastermind. We brainstormed ideas and hashed things out and in the meantime I realized some of what the others were doing was ideas I could use as well! A mastermind is great for sparking content and biz ideas, and we do this really well in my Insider Mentorship community, so if you’re looking for content ideas, engagement, and a super supportive community of Christian entrepreneurs, with particular focus on online marketing via Instagram and newsletter writing and you’re tech savvy with 500 followers or more, check out the link to the Insider Mentorship and apply to join. You can free up a lot of brain cells with a mastermind or a coach. I now have a business coach because I have a legit business that needs to generate legit funds, and it does, because I’m not stuck in my head but always getting brilliant ideas because that’s what she does! Send me a message if you’re looking for a coach and I can introduce you. Assess quarterly Assess Quarterly – Remember your yearly goals and plans? Stay on top of them monthly (that’s why I love my cultivate planner, it has a place for me to plan the month and then assess what worked, but it also has a quarterly reset to revisit my yearly goals. Sometimes when a goal isn’t working, maybe it’s time to either tweak or shelve it for a while. Based on the time that you have (and let’s face it, I think the biggest reason we all struggle is because we’re not honest with the amount of time we have), adjust and rethink those goals. Seasons change and so do family dynamics and circumstances, and we need to take that into account and not just keep plowing through or beating a dead horse. Repurpose content Repurpose content – content creators have SO MUCH CONTENT! Break it down everywhere in simple forms. Recent advice is to take a one-minute video from your content that delivers just one simple tip and share it on all social media channels. You can do this easily with your scads of blog posts and podcast episodes. Stop making more content and use what you already have! Pick 3-4 overarching topics and talk about those topics and stop entertaining more ideas or trying to do what others do.I think a lot of times,we content creators are hard on ourselves because it always seems like there’s more to do but if you think about it, much of the time we just have FOMO because we happened to look up and notice someone else doing something that sounds fun. Shiny object syndrome is a real thing, y’all. Curb the rabbit trails! Another thing that goes along with this is, stop tweaking and second-guessing your content, whether it’s written, spoken, or video. Listen, if I waited until I thought my speaking was good enough for a podcast, I’d still not have a podcast, and we’re two years deep. Seriously, you can tweak your Reels to death. Save your time and your sanity and hit publish on the blog, the Instagram post, the podcast, the Reel, the video, the story, the live, just go for it! We’ll never be perfect, but we surely won’t get better by NOT doing the THING! Bonus tip: Bathe your day in prayer Of course I can’t wrap this up without stating the obvious – bathe your day in prayer. Each day I ask God to show me what to do and leave and to accept what I can’t change and distractions in my day. Sometimes those are warning signals to STOP. God still sees what you’re doing! He knows all about what you’re trying to accomplish. If He has called you to it, He will surely guide you through it. And consider this from the book, 31 Days of Prayer by Ruth Myers, “Lord, You alone can give true significance to my work and activities. So I call on You to prosper all that I do. Let Your favor be upon me, and give permanence to what I do. Let’s recap! There you have it 7 ways to design your day and up-level your productivity. Plan your year, vacations, goals, conferences, launches, everything. Plan your week and focus on the 20% plus padding – don’t jam pack the thing. Tap into your superpowers and offload tasks others can do or perhaps just chuck them all together. (Don’t’ forget, there’s probably a teen nearby who could create graphics or manage tech issues). Get a coach or mastermind – studies show that accountability is the key factor to sticking with goals and community leverages the power of moving forward! Assess your goals each quarter and ask God, do I really need to do this right now? Is this still working, or have you changed the dynamics? Are you calling me to this now, or was it only for a season? Is it me or is it YOU? And finally, repurpose content. Work smart, not hard! God doesn’t call us to running ourselves to death, we do. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said “Even Jesus took naps. Take more naps. Be like Jesus.” What’s your takeaway from today’s podcast about how to up-level your productivity? Screenshot this episode, share in your stories and tag me so I can see what you’re going to do next! It’s always nice to know when you’ve hit a nerve and boosted someone in the right direction. Until next week, remember to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice! The post Ep. 51: 7 Tips to up-level your productivity appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur 21:30

منذ 3 years21:30

21:30

Do you have trouble (with time management) – deciding what to do first with your business? If so, you’re not alone, as you’ll see in my conversation with my pal and podcast coach, Wren Robbins. Wren is an award winning podcaster who has interviewed business owners, International Speakers, and New York Times Best Selling author. She helps business owners (like myself) launch their podcasts with a strategy for business growth. Wren has 2 podcasts: Don’t Wing It and Friends of a Feather, and she and I sat down for one of our semi-frequent conversations here on the show to discuss how to determine where to focus time to move the needle on your business. So if you’re wondering how to get the important things done or even how to determine what those things are, you’re gonna love today’s show. And now, listen in. Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Click here to learn the 10x Rule Get the 6 Steps to Starting Your Podcast ! Listen to Ep. 40: How to fit in time for Instagram Listen to Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize Listen to Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Time Management for the Christian entrepreneur with Wren Robbins Ruthie: Hey Wren. Welcome back to the show. We’re so glad you’re here. Wren: I am excited. It’s always a pleasure to come back on your show and talk to you, Ruthie. Ruthie: I feel like we have this vibe that like maybe someday we’re just gonna even have a Wren and Ruthie podcast, who knows? Wren: I’m here for it. Ruthie: I am too. Even if all we get done is laughing and helping other people laugh and it’s fine. Laughing at ourselves. Well, as we wanna talk about how to get down to business and get things done as an entrepreneur. I feel like you do this well as a podcast coach, you have your own business. What I wanna get into is when did you first realize you needed to corral your time management for your business? Wren: That is an excellent question. It’s funny that you say that because at the beginning of my business, I remember I would get on Instagram and I would post and I would put in stories and all the fun things. What is purposeful, intentional work? I thought that was all the work. I was like, okay, I did my work today. And really it’s part of work. Instagram is a part of it, but that’s not all you do. I was just kinda thinking, let’s post on Instagram let’s connect, which I love connecting. But there was not any purpose. It was not very purposeful. It was not intentional. That’s what I did. I was in the beginning of my business. That’s how I started out. Promo is such a large part of what we do because people have to know. Ruthie: How else are they gonna find out? However, there has to be some reigning in of really targeting your business. So how did you learn to corral? Wren: It took a lot of discipline. I’ll say that because I’m a creative and it’s hard to reign that in when I’m having so much fun on Instagram it’s work and fun. When I hired a business coach, that was when I got into a mastermind class. It changed for me because I realized this is not all a business. Social media is a part of it, but that is not it. And it was great to have a coach come alongside me and others in that group. I realized, I need to get down to business. Content Creation Let’s get into this work of having a day for content creation. Let’s start your podcast for your business? I’d already had a podcast, but then I needed to have one for my business. That’s really when it changed. How do you run that through a filter to decide whether or not to spend time on that? I’m always excited to see what questions you throw in my way. Wren: In the beginning of your business I’ve been reading the book or I just finished reading the book by Grant Cardone called the 10 X rule. It’s talking about how most of us go and are doing things one X. Just like typical but few entrepreneurs are going 10 X. They’re going all in. They’re doing 10 times what you should be doing now. I have to have a caveat when I mention books. It’s not that I fully endorse them. It’s just, I am reading a lot of different ones so that I can take what I need. Eat the meat and leave the bones. Avoiding obscurity in business for time management The content is incredible because he talks about obscurity and how a lot of businesses are. That’s the main thing we have to combat against is obscurity. And so I would say in the beginning of your business, that you pretty much need to say yes to everything. I’m just gonna say you need to get that exposure, that visibility, which is the opposite of obscurity. From the perspective of always saying yes, no matter what. The whole time I say in the beginning, you say, yes, you want to have those collaborations with others, those connections you always say, yes. It’s like in the office when Dwight asks Pam, “Do you want to form an alliance with me?” And she says “Absolutely I do.” So it’s like you’re Pam and the person that’s coming to you at the beginning of your business, asking you to do something a summit or a podcast episode or a collaboration on Instagram or whatever you say. Yes, absolutely. I do. So that’s what I would say is at the beginning, say yes, absolutely. I will. And then as it goes on, as your business is building, then look at those monthly goals that you’re setting for yourself, those yearly goals, and say, do these follow through with this? Does this align with the goals that I have, and then sincerely. Taking time for your business Take time and pray about it. And then you’re gonna know, you’re gonna know you’re gonna have a gut feeling the Holy Spirit’s gonna tell you where guide you, where to go. Ruthie: If you go ahead and say, yes it’s because at the beginning we are not really clear. On our business, what direction, but if we move, instead of just staying stuck in our own little corner, then God is gonna show us through the movements and through the opportunities and the networking that we have what to do next. Wren: I’ve heard recently that action brings clarity. So if you take that action, it’s going to bring you clarity of where you need to go and where you need to be and where you need to spend most of your time. Like you said, in the beginning of your business, you don’t really know you might be going into you might be pivoting in something else. Taking action for your small business That’s huge. Take action. Ruthie: Take action. So what would you say your top three tips for planning? What to do each day are for your business? Wren: This was my favorite question that you asked. So number one is you have to plan time block that has really helped me a lot. And it doesn’t mean you have to batch. I know a lot of people talk about batching and time block in the same hand and a lot of people can’t do one or the other, a lot of people can’t batch. I’m one of those people. I have to have a focus on one week one episode that I’m thinking about. I can’t do more than one episode at a time. It’s just too much. That’s me. Other people can batch and do three episodes and knock ’em out and great. So do what works for you. So I would say time block or batch or both but plan beforehand, which is what you teach. and your membership, it’s always your plan beforehand? Start connecting So that’s tip one. Number one, tip number two is to start connecting, this is what I think start, build and nurture. So you start connecting with somebody, you build that relationship, that trust, and then you nurture them. That’s in life too. You start that relationship, you build that, you nurture that relationship. Just like you would a client that we would have in our businesses, but you’re doing it beforehand. You’re doing it on Instagram. You’re doing it. Whatever social media you use, but relationships are key. That is really huge to me of what I’m gonna do every day, because the other day I was interacting with somebody that it’s a follower of mine. So I’m figuring if they’re a follower of mine, they probably are interested in starting a podcast. Intentional interactions I started interacting with them and literally one comment, it wasn’t anything to do with my business. It was on their page and commented about their post. And I know they I know they would benefit so much from a podcast. And so I just commented and the next minute I see in my inbox that they booked a call with me a discovery call. So it’s good that there’s that exposure. There’s that awareness it’s not being obscure. People are seeing your name with podcast coaching or whatever your business is. And relationships are huge. So I build that in my day, every day. And then tip three, is needle moving. What are you gonna do today? What’s going to move that needle in your business? At the beginning of my business, I wasn’t thinking of any of these. Yes. I was doing the relationships that just come a little bit more easier to me than other things. Believe me. I have other things that do not come easy to me. Clarity and planning So let me just clarify that relationships do. But the planning, and then also looking at, what is my needle mover today? What am I gonna do today? That is more it’s more difficult for me personally, to do. So I really have to be intentional and clear about what I wanna do and being a needle mover, it’s gotta be a needle mover in my business. Ruthie: I agree with all three of those things, I think they’re super important. It’s always important to plan, have a game plan and then. In the time for relationships, I think that’s something that especially writers and speakers have trouble with is they’re so focused on creating their content. They stay in their little hole and they don’t I’ve even had writers say, I don’t wanna build relationships. I just wanna write a book, but community grows opportunity, honey! That’s just how it is. You have to network. You do. And then the needle moving part that is hard. That’s a hard concept sometimes for people to realize what is gonna move the needle. Low hanging fruit You have to think about the low hanging fruit. What is the thing that could move you that much closer to making a difference in your business. You don’t know that until you go back to the first thing you said Wren, and that was saying yes to opportunities. So that you can refine that. Wren: Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s really important to look at what is a needle mover? I know you said that it’s hard. For sometimes for us to even say, what is a needle mover in my business? I know I’ve been there. Maybe it’s a reach out. Maybe it’s an email that you need to plan through your email course Ruthie, which has helped me so much. I was so proud when I cranked out my first two. It was like, I need to message Ruthie and say, I got two emails down! I think I did. It was great and freeing, but that’s a needle mover. Do you have an offer in your email or at a PS saying “Book a call with me,” that’s a needle mover offering value, but then what can I do? It’s about helping others! Ruthie: That is a good point that you bring out. It is about helping others. If it’s not, we might need to adjust our vision and our mission. For our business. Let’s talk about it. You just touched on it about you need to be on Instagram and you must be building an email list even more important than Instagram, but you need Instagram to drive the traffic to the email list. But what’s your best tip on how to balance Instagram growth in an email list with running a business? Wren: That’s really good because you have to have both. And I remember in the beginning it was, you need a website. You need an email list. Those are the only two things that you necessarily you own, you don’t own social media, you don’t own any connections that you have there, you’ve gotta take it to your email list. Don’t miss-spend your hours That’s the thing is when you’re on Instagram is mention that in your stories, Hey, I have this download. That’s what you really need. It’s one of the first six steps to start your podcast. This is where you need to start. And so balancing doing the email list, doing the Instagram, all the things, what I have done, you. I used to spend hours on Instagram at the beginning of my business, thinking that was work, we talked about that earlier but now it’s a part of it, but it’s some days it’s not my focus. That is where you have to decide for yourself. What is your needle moving? I’m going to get it done. I am going to interact with people, but it might not be at 9:00 AM. I’ve got to do my most focused work in the morning. Time management tip: Block! I have either interviews or I have clients on one day, and then I just get that done. I look at my planner, I’ve already time blocked. I’ve literally drawn a block around the time block so that I know. Ruthie: I really am appreciative of you spending the time with us today to tell us how you break down your day and really make the needle move in your business. So Wren, tell us a little bit about your podcast coaching and let the folks know how you can help them. Wren: Thank you for the opportunity to share that, because that is truly, my passion is to help Christian business owners who want to explode their exposure when they want to have to get away from the obscurity and really be known and to be known for what they do best, whether it is being a blogger or writing or speaking, or as a business owner. Get your message out It’s getting their message out. And really casting that wider net so that you can work smarter, not harder. And so that’s what I do is I take you from zero to hero. zero to having a podcast. I take you through the steps and I have a six week program that I really enjoy, and it’s all very personalized. Also, I want to say that if you have been thinking nobody’s reading my blog anymore, or I just can’t get my message out, nobody’s watching me on Instagram. A podcast will set you up for success. If you create that content that you have for the podcast, you can repurpose it a lot of places and it can help you with your content so much. I want to take women on that journey with me. I’ve been there, done that. I knew there was a business in me and then God called me to do this. It’s important and yeah, you can book a call with me to, or follow along on Instagram and stalk me all you want. So that’s what I do to help others. Trusting the process Ruthie: Yes. I just wanna testify that what Wren says works. I was her very first client. She helped me get this podcast up and running and two two years. A few months later now we have over 40,000 downloads. People are finding us every day and we are helping many writer, speakers, Christian entrepreneurs. To further the message on Instagram and through newsletter marketing. And it works. Podcasting works. So y’all go follow Wren. Tell us your username, your handle on Instagram. Wren: It’s @wrenrobinscoach. And I wanna say Ruthie, you have taken this and gone way further than I like, even in the beginning, you were my first client, but you have taken this and done amazing things with it. And I love how you say that it works. It does. And so I’m excited for you to be one of those pioneer people to do it in their business. Ruthie: Thank you Wren. Ruthie: What’s the name of your freebie? Wren: Your First Six Steps. And you can find that on my socials as well. Wren gave us 3 clear time management tips: Have a plan and work the plan, build relationships, and target actions that move the needle in your business. She also gave a great tip for when you’re first starting out – say yes, but pray. The book she referenced, the 10 X rule by Grant Cardone is linked in the shownotes, as well as the last time she came on the show sharing how she grew her new account by 100 followers in 15 days. Of course, it’s a given that we BOTH believe podcasting is a huge plus for a business, so go pick up her freebie which is at the top of our shownotes, your first 6 steps to starting a podcast, and be sure to follow her on Instagram as well. As always, thanks for listening, and remember to share your message your unique way in your own authentic voice. Meet Wren! Wren Robbins is a seasoned award winning podcaster who has interviewed business owners, International Speakers, and New York Times Best Selling authors. She has a lovable personality and when she interviews you feel like you are talking to your best friend. For the past three years, Wren has been on the Top 50 Moms in Podcasting by Podcast Magazine, has been featured in the Profitable Podcasting Summit, the Memphis Voyageur magazine and on podcasts such as Dwell Differently, Authentic Online Marketing, the Christian Woman Business Podcast, The Cultivate Legacy Podcast and many more! She loves helping business owners launch their podcast with strategy for business growth with creative and easy to follow coaching. You can find both of her podcasts, Don’t Wing It and Friends of a Feather on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher….or wherever you listen to podcasts. Website https://www.wrenrobbins.com Instagram www.instagram.com/wrenrobbinscoach Facebook: www.facebook.com/friendsofafeatherpodcast Don’t Wing It Podcast: www.wrenrobbins.com/dontwingit Clubhouse: https://clubhousedb.com/user/wrenrobbins Contact: Wren Robbins P.O. Box 135 Eads, TN 38028 Email: wren@wrenrobbins.com Schedule a discovery call: www.wrenrobbins.com/bookacall The post Ep. 50: Time management for the Christian entrepreneur appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 49: Do I need a perfect Instagram grid? 12:51

منذ 3 years12:51

12:51

Ah, the perfect Instagram grid. It’s the age old question of Instagram: Is my grid pretty enough? How much time should I devote to that aspect? The rules have changed over time on Instagram, and I’m going to be frank with you today on where you should be spending your time. Today’s show features a clip from a coaching session with my friend Erica Goode. She asks, How important is the prettiness of my grid? You’ll hear my honest opinion – I don’t mince words, and yet, I do give a couple tips for how to quickly go about it to put your possibly anal mind at ease. Erica said it well – if you’re on Instagram for any other reason than to reach and help people, whether it’s with your book, podcast, blog, or product, then you’d better re-evaluate your priorities and decide where else you can spend your time. Be sure to stay tuned to the end of this episode after my chat with Erica because I want to give you a secret ninja tip I use for making the Instagram posting process faster. And now, listen in! Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Follow Featured guest, Erica Goode (the CPA) on Instagram Listen to Ep. 40: How to fit in time for Instagram Listen to Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Listen to Ep. 58: 7 tips for repurposing Instagram stories Listent to Ep. 81: Achieving Your Best Yes: Learning to Say No and Prioritize Do I need a perfect Instagram grid? Erica: I get hung up and I try not to, but I still do, on prettiness of grid layout. I’m not trying to keep a pattern. I know that. How do you feel about putting a cover photo on your Reels? Ruthie: I don’t like doing it because I don’t think they gain as much exposure. Erica: Why do you think that is? Ruthie: Because I think that if people look at your grid, if they just go to your grid and they see a cover photo,if it just has words on it, I don’t think they’re gonna tap in or they don’t tap in as well as they could if they see your face and they know that you’re talking or it’s something about you. Erica: What I was thinking is I have a post already for why should I be an LLC? And I have a picture, like I have a can of picture and I have copy written. And then I’m like, well, I kind of just rather do a Reel. And so where if you go into that and it, and you see, why should I be an LLC? Like, oh, let me click into that because I wanna know the answer to that. Whereas like, you wouldn’t know the question. If you just saw a picture of me mm-hmm tell me what you think. Show your face Ruthie: I still think the first thing I have tested this, and I have talked to other people about this and we’ve even talked in the membership that the faces do way better. Erica: Yes. even though you may not know that one thing you can do is make sure that you put a title at the top. Like, if you’ll look at my Reels, I always put a title, like a header. It’s like either in capital letters or in a different font so that people know exactly what that’s about in your reel. In my Reel. Ruthie: I just feel like people are nosy about people. And not necessarily about their content until they get lured into their content. Erica: They’re nosy about people and Reels because they’re kind of they’re entertaining. Ruthie: I waffle between being anal and not, but I’m more not than I am anymore. My grid has always been some kind of turquoise or blue in it. Your grid may come together naturally Even if it’s just a picture of a book. I’ve just come to terms with that. I’ve just made peace with it. I think that limits us so much as to what we need to post. And when I just think it’s more freeing and I think you’re making, yeah, like you said, you want more ROI for your time. I think you’re making more time, you know, spending more time on it than you need to. Erica: Yeah, I don’t wanna be anal. Like I’m very capable of being overly anal about it. I know that and I don’t want to be. Ruthie: If you look at some people who have hundreds and thousands of followers, a lot of ’em don’t even have a good grid at all. There’s no rhyme or reason, but they have all kinds of followers because people like their content. It’s not really about the grid. Instagram used to be about beautiful pictures in the grid, but it’s not like that anymore. Erica: That’s the thing is like, I think I had this realization of Instagram is a game. Instagram plays by it’s own rules I can’t make the rules up to the game. I can just choose to play the game. That’s it. Right. So instead of wasting time, trying to make my own rules, like there are already rules why just follow them. I should just do Reels and make good content. It’s just so it’s so freeing to be like, this is a metaphor for life and God, right? You’re actually not in control. When you accept that, then life gets so much easier and you don’t spend your time trying to control thing that you’re actually not in control of. Ruthie: Over-analyzing and redoing and going back. I mean, this can be applied to so many things in life. I recorded a podcast over the weekend. And I was like, that was terrible. I did that in 15 minutes and it’s gonna be awful. Then I went back and listened to it today. Cause yesterday I was flat on my back and I was like, that’s not really that bad at all. Be gentle on yourself I’m just gonna add this one little thing at the end. We’re good. But we’re hard on ourselves. Erica: I think when I came to terms with why do I even want to be on Instagram? Well, it’s to reach people and help people. So if I’m doing anything other than playing the game that Instagram has given me to do that, then I’m wasting my time in my ROI. Ruthie: It’s true. I wish that everyone had that same attitude. Erica: Well, and I think like, for me, it’s so obvious because I have an account where. Like, I don’t have a purpose, you know? So like to have such a clear purpose, I’m like is what I’m doing, achieving that purpose or not, then stop doing it. Or do it a different way. Play by the rules. Honestly, y’all, we may not want to do that, but if we want to grow on their platform, we have to. We have to change with the times. SIDE NOTE; if you have an email list, you don’t have to play by anyone’s rules. You own that list. That’s why you want to be driving that Instagram traffic to your newsletter and if you don’t know how to do that, listen to last week’s episode on how to get new followers on your email list. Back to today’s subject – We don’t have all day to mess around on Instagram and honestly, it’s not ROI worthy to do so (it’s ROI worthy to spend more itme on your email list, again, I tell you!) So, do you need a perfect Instagram grid? Let’s recap! Decide on your main colors – don’t be anal about your grid layout or you can get frozen when it’s time to post. Just pick 3-4 colors, use those in your graphics, and then dress in those colors for the rest or add those color accents to your Reels or photos. I have a sea foam green desk. I use that for photos and Reels. I wear light blue or pink in my Reels, or use my barnwood wall in teals and greens as a backdrop. It’s not a perfect grid, but it blends. Quick tip: Use stories to make your Reel covers – since my session with Erica, I started snappy photos of myself in stories, adding text for the title, and saving to my device. I don’t post the story, I just save, so that when it’s time to post that Reel, my photo is right there ready to go. Be sure to notice the grid view before posting so you don’t lose your title by positioning it too low or too high. This is my quick workaround to making a cover photo and still showing a picture of myself so folks will tap in if they’re viewing my grid. They see me and know, oh, she’s in front of her barnwood wall again, she’s teaching me something here I’d better watch DO put a headline in your caption like I mentioned to Erica. I use all caps to title the caption, sometimes it’s the same title as the cover photo, but it helps to drive the point home. Use what works If you really want to shorten the amount of time you spend on Instagram instead of focusing on the perfect Instagram grid, use what works (ahem, Reels, then carousels, and video). Stop being anal about your grid layout, and concentrate more on giving value and engaging with others. By the way, you should always be engaging. You will get nowhere if you post and ghost, that’s a HUGE waste of time. You can have the most beautiful grid on the Internet but if you don’t answer your comments and go foster community, you’re like that clanging cymbal Paul talked about. Erica is the owner of Erica Goode, CPA, a virtual accounting firm for women-owned businesses. As a former Director of Finance at Walgreens headquarters, she now helps small business owners wrap their brain around all things business-money and plan financial strategies for the future. Traffic Channels: ericagoode.com Instagram – @erica.goode.cpa The post Ep. 49: Do I need a perfect Instagram grid? appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 48: 7 Ways to get followers on your email list 10:59

منذ 3 years10:59

10:59

Let’s talk about how you can get followers on your email list. Welcome back y’all! I hope your summer is going well. We are wrapping up August and as you well know if you’ve been listening during this month, we have been covering newsletters, hot and heavy, but we wanna circle back to a question that I get asked a lot, and that is how do we get new followers on Instagram to come over to our email list? How do I do that? How do I get them to, because it seems like they’re slow to do that. Well, that is the hard thing about Instagram. Is getting followers to click off the app. It just is. But over time you can drive that traffic to your email list. I’m gonna tell you how today! Resources *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Click here for the Interact Quiz © affiliate sign up link! Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Listen to Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors Listen to Ep. 57: 5 Tips to boost email reader response L et’s get right to it. How do you get followers on your email list? Number one, acknowledge their presence. 1. Acknowledge their presence Now this seems like a no brainer, but when you have new followers, you can connect with. many ways. If they start watching your stories, just say hi, say thank you for watching my stories. I’m glad you’re in this space. What’s your message? Go to their account and leave a comment or two follow them if you want, or like their post. Interact with them and engage with them. Let them know you see them! Followers like to be seen, felt and heard. Number two to get followers on your email list, use engagement stickers in your stories, find a way to DM them. So what does that mean? 2. Use engagement stickers In your stories, when you use engagement stickers, if they take your polls, click on your slider, or answer a question. There is a comment bubble beside their name. When you look at, who answered your poll, your question, your slide. You can just comment to them and say, I feel the same way. Incorporating polls Maybe your poll says, do you like poodles or long haired sharpeis? I don’t know. I don’t know my dogs that well, I’ve I have a history in poodles and pugs the end. So you could say do you have a poodle or a pug? And so let’s say they say pug, and you say me too. I love pugs. They shed so much hair, but oh, they are so cute and loving. Or, I really like poodles too. They don’t shed hair. True story on that. 3. Promote your email opt-in every 6-9 posts Number three, promote your email opt in every six to nine posts. Talk about it in stories once a week. This is what I do, and it works. So if you are having a post or Reel, you can say comment below. If you want my free X, Y, Z to riding a skateboard, comment the word skateboard, and they can do that. Or you can say DM for a copy of last week’s newsletter on six ways to fly a kite. Then in stories, when you’re talking about your newsletter, you can even scroll down on your desktop, do a video of that, of you doing. Or a screen record of your last newsletter and share that in stories, or just talk about the three points that you gave or one of those points or why it’s important for whatever it was you talked about. If they want the tip DM the word tip, or just have them ask you for a copy. That’s the thing. If you just make it simple, but keep talking about it and keep circling back to it. You’re going to find that followers will slowly cross over. It’s a long game get followers on your email list. People wanna stay on Instagram. But if you are developing that follower know like, and trust relationship, they’re gonna come over, but you gotta talk about your newsletter. You have to talk about it. So promo it! 4. Have a clear sign up button in your link in bio. if your link bio does not include somewhere for someone to join your email list, then you need to add that link. Or, let’s say you need to revamp. You may use linkt.ree, your own blog links, or you may use Later.com. Whatever you use, your followers need a clear way to opt in. They need a link. So make sure you provide that. Lastly, number five, have an awesome opt in. 5. Have an awesome opt in You need an opt-in that people want. Whatever your message is, your opt-in needs to be closely related to it. For instance, here are some examples of my opt-ins get followers on your email list. I have several , but we have a, a quiz. So quizzes are nice for opt-ins. And I can include the link here in the show notes for the software that I use for quizzes, but our Reels personality quiz generates a lot of engagement. Because people wanna know, am I an encourager? What am I? How can I use reels to tap into that? Because that’s my personality, which by the way, y’all know, we are all about sharing your unique personality. That’s what we wanna do, because that’s how you’re gonna get true followers that transition into email followers. If you’re talking in your true, authentic. That’s one example is the Reel quiz. Another example is we have an Instagram caption blueprint to help people write better captions. 6. Leave a call to action A lot of people leave out the call to action in their captions on Instagram. Don’t do that! In your Reels and in your videos always leave a call to action. If you keep dropping those little breadcrumbs to leaving calls to action on your Instagram, drop a heart emoji, answer this question, watch my stories and in stories, leaving calls to action too, then once you’re ready for them to do the take action on your big ask, which is click your link bio, then they’re gonna do. Dropping those little calls to action. Back to the opt-ins, another one we have is the 2022 follower growth kit. We have that right at the top of our blog, authenticonlinemarketing.com. So whatever your message is. They need something that they can grab a hold of. That’s really going to gain their interest and give them a quick win. Number one, acknowledge their presence, connect with your followers through comments, stories. Two is engagement stickers and stories which will take you farther and help you to establish a deeper relationship. Number three, promote that email opt in every six to nine posts. In your stories weekly, number four, have a clear signup button in your link in bio. Number five. Have an awesome opt in! Number 6, always leave a call to action. Even after you do all those things, if people aren’t opting in, then maybe you just simply need to rename it. 7. Opt in to other’s emails Another tip is to opt into other people’s emails that are in kind of the same niche as yours and see what they offer. Look at their titles. Often, your offering is really good, but your title might need tweaked. So if they’re not opting in, maybe tweak your title. If that doesn’t work, then look at your opt-in. Again, I’ve made so many opt-ins down through the years. It’s not even funny. Once you make more than one, you’ll be able to test and see which one works best. So always be open. I know it’s more content creation, but really you need to be offering whatever it is your followers want. Okay, we’ll talk, we’ll call this a bonus tip. But always be polling your audience in stories to see their pain points in Instagram stories, poll them for their pain points and see what resonates and then talk about those topics. And then if you’re opt-in, isn’t working create an opt-in around that pain point. Boom. There you go. Instant signups for your email newsletter. All right. So let’s get going, building that email list. Super important. Authentic Online Marketing school is starting soon! First week of September. If you miss the sign up, there will be chance later. So be watching for our next promo for the class and continue following this podcast. Be sure to listen every week, we’re giving little tips on Instagram and email and entrepreneurial mindset. What is your biggest entrepreneurial hangup? I would love to know once you listen to this, would you slide into my DM on Instagram and just tell me what it is that keeps you from gaining traction with your email list or Instagram? It could be a disbelief in yourself. Is it that you don’t feel like you can? Or maybe it’s that you feel like you are not really an authority? Do you feel like you’re not qualified enough? You haven’t been doing this long enough? Who am I to tell people what to do? Is it that you lack direction? Possibly you don’t understand which direction you should be going with your business, or you have problems making decisions if that’s the case I’d love to know. So just send me a DM and let’s talk! Y’all thanks for listening this week and be sure to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 48: 7 Ways to get followers on your email list appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

1
Ep 47: The most effective way to build your Instagram following 16:57

منذ 3 years16:57

16:57

Let’s talk Instagram following! Have you watched someone go viral only to see your own Reels dive? Do you wish you could gain more traction but the growth seems painfully slow? I get it. It’s tough gaining 5 followers but losing 10. In episode 6 of season 1 way back in the summer of 2020, we did an episode called, “The most effective way to build your Instagram following.” I made a bold statement: Slow growth is good and necessary! Do I still believe that statement now with the rise of Reels and seemingly overnight successes? I’m going to share my thoughts with you based on current research. But first, we’re going to do an AOM Rewind and play this episode for you again, because honestly it’s REALLY good, and we’ve picked up quite a few followers and downloads since then. It’s still relevant, and even if you listened way back then, trust me, you need to hear this again, especially in light of the ever changing Instagram algorithm and Adam Mossori’s ever confusing updates! This advice is timeless and evergreen, so listen in! Resources Listen to Ep. 67: Top 5 Instagram Features For Marketers In 2023 Listen to Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends Listen to Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Listen to Ep. 66: Gain Organic followers with Live Video Engaged followers are the best kind of followers Engaged followers save, share, and comment on your posts. They look forward to them. The conversation continues in the dm. You build deeper connections. And the more followers connect with your account, the more Instagram shows it to the world You’re sharing encouraging, entertaining, or educational content that brings value With quick growth come follows/unfollows, those aren’t your people. They won’t engage with your content! Why you need engaged followers Algorithm puts you lower You’re left at the bottom of the pile with zero engagement IG won’t show your stuff to anyone Slow growth is good and necessary. Next, I’m going to share best and worst practices for gaining true fans, but before I do {ding}. If you’re enjoying this podcast, would you be open to leaving a review? Simply scroll to leave a 5 star rating, write a title, and then jot a few words about the value you’re receiving from Instagram Insider Hacks. Then, hit submit, and it’ll show up in iTunes a few hours later! I can’t tell you how much this one small action helps! Best practices for gaining true fans: Share encouraging, entertaining, or educational content that delivers value – Serve your followers (it’s not about YOU – it’s about THEM) DON’T post and ghost! Speak to the needs of your avatar – age, likes, dislikes, pain points Worst practices for gaining true fans: Follow for follow threads with no common ground (choose those whose content you’d be happy to share and that delivers value for your fans and compliments your content) Follow Trains Likely you’ve participated in a follow train, and for more info on this check out my IGTV Frozen Episode 1 on Loops and LIkes for likes. Good side: Designed specifically for your niche and you meet some nice folks to collaborate with. Also potential clients. Smaller follow threads are better and you can connect at a deeper level These have their place and time – but only a limited place and time because: Downside: They take up a tremendous amount of time Most are there for the quick follow – and then they unfollow This hurts your engagement When your engagement dips, This gets you frustrated You decide to back off posting Because you’re not active, IG penalizes you and doesn’t show your stuff when you decide to post People aren’t interacting with your stuff because you’re not constant and more unfollow. You quit. And in a moment, I’m going to give you a pro-tip about unfollowers! Remember when I referred to the two types of people on Instagram? The two types of people on Instagram are the speed dialers and the steady pacers. The speed dialers are there to win. They follow a bunch of people one day and unfollow the next to see who’ll stick. They join share threads like they’re going out of style and they drop emojis for comments. You’ll never see a speed dialer leaving a long comment because they’re not on Instagram to build connections, they’re there to get to 10,000 followers and build status. Their posts have little to no captions with several nebulous hashtags, and almost zero comments. If they do have comments, they’re mostly the emoji type – like hearts, fists, or flowers. Speed dialers are there for themselves and no one else. Do you know a speed dialer? If so, don’t be jealous, because they’re not winning. Steady pacers slow their roll. I t’s important to t ake time to leave valid comments (more than two words and 5 emojis). They think about what to say that brings value to others, both in comments and captions. They schedule their posts and create cohesiveness in the feed. A dditionally, they take time to share themselves in stories and share and tag others. These users deliberately visit follower accounts to comment and give love. They spend time on the app and don’t dash off to the next social media platform. Steady pacers are dedicated to the Instagram platform and delivering value to their tribe. Choose authentic growth instead. How to grow your community authentically and organically Nail down your avatar and search for people that fit that description Use hashtags specific to that avatar and research hashtag hubs When you find these people, follow them and leave genuine comments Continue to serve your current audience by engaging on their posts and answering your own comments Keep delivering value in the feed and stories Get on video – you will reach a different audience and gain followers each time Be consistent – post each week And that pro-tip about unfollowers – the ones who follow for follow? You don’t always catch this right away and I don’t advocate 3rd party apps for this because Instagram doesn’t love 3rd party apps. So build this into your schedule: Spend time once per week perusing your followers on Instagram and checking to be sure they’re still following. (See this Instagram Video for more insights.) Let me walk you through this. First, You’ll need to go to their account profile and click “following” and see if your name is there. Then, if it isn’t, check out their bio to make sure she’s your ideal avatar. If she’s not, go ahead and unfollow (if you’re following). And if she IS your ideal avatar, you can do one of two things: Continue to follow and nurture her posts for a period of time (I advise this) or Go ahead and unfollow. To wrap up, remember: Slow growth is good (and necessary!) Engaged followers mean Instagram will show your account to more potential followers To build engaged followers, deliver valuable and useful content, comments, and just be social! Get clear on your Avatar – and if you need more help on that, let me know in the Instagram dm so I can plan another podcast episode around that topic! Don’t waste tons of time on follow loops BE CONSISTENT! Benjamin Franklin said, “He that can have patience can have what he will.” Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t be a speed dialer. Be a steady pacer. The way to get engaged followers is by building community. And that takes time, friend. It takes answering comments, going and dropping comments, and actually being social on social, and then hanging out in your stories and connecting with people. Building relationships. True confession: I have yet to go viral. I’ve had clients and students go viral, I’ve even had staunch podcast listeners go viral just by using my advice. But I still bring in business. How is that so? Because I take time to connect with people. This is of utmost importance for customer relations, social media, your brand, and for getting followers on your email list. If you’re still looking for best ways to get followers, be sure to swing by and snatch up our follower growth kit, for 4 best practices in 2022 for gaining traction. We’ve got a training video, show notes, and 40 quick ideas for growing your Instagram following. And you’ll especially want to listen to point number 2 of the 4 best practices, which will get you sharing consistent, relevant content that your followers will keep coming back for! Thanks for listening to this AOM Rewind, and don’t be discouraged because of slow growth – it brings the best, most dedicated followers! Until next week, be sure to share your message your unique way in your own authentic voice! The post Ep 47: The most effective way to build your Instagram following appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep. 46: 4 Marketing transformations 12:26

منذ 3 years12:26

12:26

Welcome to episode 46, all about marketing transformations. Community grows opportunity, y’all, and if you’ve been around here for any length of time I know you’ve heard me say that. And with every live training I release, we work hard to foster networking opportunities. So I wanted to share transformations our Authentic Online Marketing School graduates have experienced so you can hear for yourself that this training isn’t just a pipe dream for somebody else and won’t work for you! *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Resources Check out Authentic Online Marketing School (Self-Paced) Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 37: Authentic Online Marketing’s top 5 episodes Listen to Ep. 63: Leveraging 2023 Instagram Trends My first guest is Pat Fenner of @Patfenner on Instagram of the Strong Women, Bright Future Podcast. Pat specializes in VA services particularly podcast and YouTube editing and has been a long-time online friend and member of our trainings for several years now. I sat down with Pat and asked how the trainings helped her and I was stunned by what she had to say about how it revolutionized her perspective on marketing. Here’s what she had to say: Pat: First of all, that the networking that you provide. Right off the bat. You have quality people in everybody that I have come across over the years, working with you, like you just attract quality people. Would be non probably person. But the people I’ve met are really outstanding and excuse me. And that’s been helpful. And I think it’s helped open my eyes to what networking is with women of quality and substance. It’s also helped me to know how to market myself or know the channels and the how to’s. Answering the right questions I don’t feel really that I feel actually that. And I can’t think of an example right off the bat, but I know that there’s been times when I’ve asked a question that wasn’t necessarily either in Facebook or I’m doing one of our lot your lives or whatever that wasn’t necessarily directly related. And you just answer everything with grace. You just answer it. You’re amazing. I really feel I don’t know if this ever happens to you, but sometimes I’ll ask a question. I’m like, why did I ask that this isn’t, that’s not really connected, but it just came out. Roll with it. You are such a graceful person. It’s just amazing. So what you’re saying is it’s not necessarily anything to do with what we are teaching, but it’s, but it is in, it’s a business topic, overarching. Real networking Ruthie: Pat’s comment, “It’s helped open my eyes to what networking, non sleazy networking is with women of quality and substance. It’s also helped me to know how to market myself or know the channels and the how to’s.” Really struck me, because this is exactly what we’re about at authentic online marketing. And most of the women interested in our trainings feel the same way – in fact they often comment that they don’t want to use the word “marketing” because it feels dirty. But it doesn’t have to feel that way or be that way. This is why we foster community so much. So you can change your marketing viewpoint from sleazy to quality and reflect that in your messaging. My next guest is Amber Cullum of the Grace Enough Podcast and @graceenoughpodcast_amber on Instagram. Amber really struggled with her newsletter messaging before taking the Authentic Online Marketing School and the transformation has been amazing. First of all, Amber isn’t a writer, she’s a speaker, and quite fluent, she’s one of the best in my opinion. But often speakers struggle with writing, and this was Amber’s roadblock. And by the way, I’m sharing Amber’s email transformation in our workshop today so you’ll be able to see what I mean! Newsletter authenticity for marketing transformations Amber: Your newsletters are very, very good. They’re very engaging. So they kind of sparked some curiosity, which not very many newsletters that are received do. I was like, I know, I know we’re good at this. I say, you’re doing it all the time. That made me want to take the newsletter course, and I’m glad I did. What is like one main thing that you can do now that you weren’t able to do before that? Amber: Connecting my podcast episodes for either that two week period or the month, whenever I’m sending the newsletter with what I’m writing in the box of my newsletter. So being able to use story and something that feels personal to actually draw somebody in to want to listen, which is what my goal is with my notes to get people to listen. So that’s the biggest thing before they were very disjointed. Ruthie: I’m so proud of Amber’s progress! It’s just amazing. She learned to story brand and went from links all over the place and disjointed sentences to a seamless flow from opener to podcast link (because that’s where she’s driving her traffic). My next guest is Allison Simmons of the Grace over Perfection Podcast and @alisonleighsimmons on Instagram. Alison first came to me as a personal coaching client and later realized she needed a community and group training to get her on her feet and accountable. But her background in direct sales was holding her back from authentic marketing in the online space. Stepping stones to marketing transformations Alison: because of my direct sales experience. Was coming, trying to present myself as an expert and therefore, so in my stories, every single day, I had something specific that I was teaching and I was doing it through stories. And you were like, you have got to stop teaching all the time. First, you have to be real. Secondly, you have to interact with people. Finally, you have to share you . You can be an expert, but you can’t be an expert a hundred percent of the time. And so, um, that completely, I completely stopped what I was doing in that realm. Um, and so over time, what I’ve come to is that my feed is where I’m an expert in things. It’s where I share stuff. Whether it’s a funny, real or it’s Bible stuff, but then my story. Are really more about encouraging women sharing my life, um, and just, you know, encouraging interaction that way. And so that was that hot seat session took me from taking what I had known before about social media in my Norwex Facebook group that I was doing that was working excellent because they want you to be an expert when you’re selling the product. No more “buy my thing” Ruthie: Alison’s transformation came when she stopped saying buy my thing and started backing off and presenting herself as an authentic imperfect mom who also has daily struggles and shares what she’s learning, especially in Instagram stories. Lastly, you’ll hear from someone you’ve heard me mention before on the podcast, Brenda McDearmon, author of The Big Hunker Down and adventure seeker of @Texasoverfifty on Instagram. Brenda didn’t realize she had a brand voice already. She had her EDGE figured out, she just wasn’t sure how to make her newsletter content really valuable and honestly needed affirmation that it was, and incentive to send consistently instead of just putting it off. Newsletter course Ruthie: Let’s talk about the newsletter course for a second. When you, uh, have tried in the past before our course, what kind of did you take other newsletter courses or any kind of material there? Brenda: No, you’re just the first newsletter course I’ve taken. And that is still one of those things. That just always winds up at the bottom of my list. However, I know it needs to go right up to the top. So as I’m kind of circling out of, you know, social media. Non-existence at the moment, or, not relaxed on social media, that newsletter is where I’m going to be focusing. Invaluable content I’m sure there are other people who do well with those courses, but I can’t imagine anyone being any better. So I will be reviewing and trying to match up again, my newsletters to the way that you have taught us to do them, that I think it’s invaluable. Ruthie: Why do you think it’s better? Brenda: I think it’s better because it’s very clear and it’s a formula that’s easy to follow. Whereas before, I think it’s important for the newsletter to sound like you’re writing to a friend, of course. Or a pen pal, you know, but sometimes they’re too willy-nilly. If I do it that way, there’s just really not a structure to it. I think it would be more pleasant to read something that is of value, even though it does sound like it’s coming from a friend, it needs to have some sort of a point and, um, some value and a takeaway. So I like what I learned from you and I’m going to be refocusing on. And that what you taught in the course. 4 Marketing Transformations From these four interviews I see 4 marked transformations: A fresh marketing perspective – no longer that sleazy icky feeling but a truly “I have a good offer for you that’s valuable” quality approach Clear, Story-driven newsletter content instead of 500 links and lack of purpose An authentic social presence that earns trust instead of pushing an agenda (because trust builds authority which leads to connection and conversion) Renewed purpose and validation of consistent newsletters and a renewed belief in the core message. CAFE Method Inside my Authentic Online Marketing School, I teach the CAFÉ method – Based on the acronym that stands for Cue, Aim, Fire, and Edge. In today’s free Brand voice workshop, I’ll be specifically zeroing in on the Edge part of the CAFÉ method – that is your own unique Edge and how to find it. So be sure to sign up for that workshop, the link is in the shownotes, or head straight to our website, authentic online marketing.com and you’ll see it at the top. And if you can’t make it to the workshop, at least check out Authentic Online Marketing School to see what we offer and if now is the time to grow and hone your email list. (Here’s a hint – you should be doing this yesterday!) Thanks so much for listening this week! Remember to share your own amazing content your unique way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 46: 4 Marketing transformations appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

1
Ep 45: 3 Newsletter musts for engaged readers 9:01

منذ 3 years9:01

9:01

Let’s talk engaged readers! Recently I took a poll on Instagram asking what’s your biggest hang-up with email, and overwhelmingly the answer was what to write. Honestly, this is a struggle for most content creators because we have so much on our plates, and quite frankly, we tend to muddle the waters with our overthinking tendencies. *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Resources Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 64: Building A YouTube Channel From Repurposed Content Listen to Ep. 76: Convert Instagram Followers into Email Subscribers: How It Works Listen to Ep. 75: Email Subscriber Strategies for Authors 3 Newsletter MUSTS for engaged readers Right off the bat, your newsletter needs to not sound like an email blast from the local Grand Home Furniture store. You know – the type that says, OPEN BEFORE YOUR DEAL EXPIRES, and SALE! SALE! SALE! That is not you. Do not go there. Number one thing your email needs is warmth. Think about it – how do you greet someone when you see them? BUY MY THING!? Nope. How are you? How’s your mom? Did you get to go to the beach? What’s the latest with the fam? Create a connection and weave that warmth throughout your email. Side note: to see how I do this, sign up for my newsletter! Head to my website at authentic online marketing.com to join – I have lots of goodies there for you. But that’s beside the point. Generate a feeling of “I’m here for you” not, “Here’s my thing, go get it.” Number two: Provide value. That’s right. Your newsletter is curated, exclusive content only for subscribers. So give them ideas for how to do what you teach. Also, give them insider tip offs for free summits or special sales before you share with the rest of the world. My subscribers get first dibs when my trainings go live. And they thank me for it. But it’s because most of the time, I’m not asking for anything, I’m providing value and tools for them to grow an Instagram platform and then translate followers to their newsletter. You do realize that the newsletter is the ultimate goal, right? Your followers who opt in have chosen you. That’s their first step towards conversion. Then it’s your job to nurture them and earn their trust by providing value. Number three, lastly, is to provide ONE call to action. Not links everywhere. Multiple links lead to confusion and inaction. Clearly state what you want them to do – reply to this email, forward to a friend, click the link to learn more, join the facebook group, or check out your launch product. One link. One call to action (or cta). Just like with Instagram posts. You can provide that one link in multiple places (and frankly, when I insert near the beginning, it gets more clicks –but just offer a link to one specific thing, not multiple things.) So that’s it in a nutshell – number one, offer warmth and connection with your subscriber. Two – offer value, give them a reason to be glad they signed up and not a reason to unsubscribe! And three, Provide one clear call to action so you can actually see results and clicks over time. Remember that Instagram poll where I asked my followers to vote on their biggest newsletter struggle? Well, There was one other place I asked my audience and I’ll bet you can figure it out – my super number one gold mine that I keep in my back pocket. I asked my My newsletter readers. And they replied with the same answer. Your newsletter subscribers will tell you what they want to read more about in your emails if you ask. Something else I asked was if they had trouble knowing what to post on Instagram and I got the same answer – yes. But did you know that if you nail down your email content, you’ve got your Instagram content? You can repurpose email content onto your Instagram. Isn’t that GREAT news?? Here’s the thing. You need newsletter subscribers because that’s where the real marketing conversions take place. But you have to share your newsletter with Instagram followers so they’ll know you provide that option. And it really helps to lean into your unique edge, your brand voice. Inside my Authentic Online Marketing School, which is launching next week, I teach the CAFÉ method – Based on the acronym that stands for Cue, Aim, Fire, and Edge. In next week’s free Brand voice workshop, I’ll be specifically zeroing in on the Edge part of the CAFÉ method – that is your own unique Edge and how to find it. So be sure to sign up for that workshop, the link is in the shownotes, or head straight to our website, authentic online marketing.com and you’ll see it at the top as well. Email marketing doesn’t have to be this big nebulous hurtle. It can be simplified, and that’s why we’re spending time talking about it in this episodes and inside the Brand voice workshop. So before you run off and get into posting Reels or stories or other content creation, sign up for this awesome workshop while you can take advantage of this free offer. Until next time, Keep sharing your awesome content your unique way in your own authentic voice! The post Ep 45: 3 Newsletter musts for engaged readers appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

1
Ep. 44: What to do before creating your newsletter freebie 10:04

منذ 3 years10:04

10:04

In our episode last week, we discussed what to create for your newsletter freebie and ideas that I started with years ago when first entering the scary world of email marketing. By the way I want to let you know it’s not nearly as scary as you think or as we blow it up in our minds. So today I want to share something I suggest you do before creating your first newsletter opt in or possibly you already have one and it’s time to hit refresh and create a new one – which I’ve mentioned before is an ever evolving process as we grow and define our audience and our own passions for serving in the online world. By the way be sure to check out our free upcoming brand voice workshop, link is in the show notes, and you’re going to want in on this, it will help you to define and pinpoint specific things not only about your target audiences but you yourself and what to tap into that your audience will respond to! And now, I give you 5 ways to narrow your niche. It’s what you need to do before creating that newsletter opt-in. Listen in! *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Click below for show notes! https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/your-newsletter-freebie/ Click below to sign up for the Brand Voice Workshop! https://ruthiegray.lpages.co/brand-voice-workshop/ So we’re talking about 5 things to do before creating your newsletter freebie, specifically relating to niching down, and just know that this list isn’t exhaustive but it’s a good start and is the way I map out where I’m going when creating newsletter opt ins. 1. Notice who’s responding to your content Where are you posting content? Instagram? Facebook? Pinterest? Twitter? Podcast? Blog? Who’s commenting? (or who isn’t)? Sometimes it’s not who you originally set out to reach. Maybe it’s an older crowd, or maybe they’re younger. that when I took my pivot my parenting blog, I expected the same young mom crowd to come after my content for Instagram education, but after posting consistently for a time, I realized it was the baby boomer crowd my age and a little younger. Is your crowd really who you think they are 2. Notice what topics you naturally write or speak about In Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, the author says, “Your main obsessions have power. They are what you will come back to in your writing over and over again. And you’ll create new stories around them. So you might as well give into them. They probably take over your life whether you want them to or not, so you ought to get them to work for you.” Pretty good, huh? You have a natural, gravitational pull towards certain life subjects, passions, thoughts, and opinions. What are they? Do you feel free to share them? Why or why not? What would happen if you did? These are signs to pay attention to, they are pointing the way to your niche. Test them out. See what your audience responds to. It could be a gateway to your target audience! 3. Poll audience on IG The poll sticker in stories is your BFF for market research. Ask followers about their passions, likes, dislikes, opinions. Especially opinions. They will always answer you about those. See if your obsessions we just talked about under number two intersect with theirs. What are key pain points? Ask these in many different ways and not just once. Keep asking and keep the conversation going. Your community will tell you what they want, but you must be willing to invest time in research instead of plowing ahead with what you THINK they want. If you don’t, you could largely be missing the mark and wasting your time! Is there a need for what you’re offering? Are they picking up what you’re putting down? To quote a ‘70’s phrase – Are they hip to your jive? 4. Keep posting (and Reeling) Test, test, test! Consistency will be a factor to point you in the right direction. If you’re consistently posting and followers are responding, even if it’s only to certain posts, that is data. If you’re consistently posting and no one is responding, that is data. You will have zero data without testing, and in this case, testing is posting, and at this moment in summer of 2022, Reels are your best form of posting and gleaning responses. 5. Ask for input from trusted peers It is easy to believe in something that you feel is super important to share when it’s in your own mind. But being willing to open up to receive affirmation and constructive input from other likeminded peers is the true way to get unstuck and get the ideas flowing. If you don’t have a mastermind or trusted posse, reach out and get a group of 4-5 people you admire in the online space and create a Facebook masterminding group. Or join one. There are plenty of free and paid groups on the internet. My own Insider Mentorship is specific to those who are familiar with Instagram, learn tech easily, have 500 or more followers, are Christian female entrepreneurs, authors, podcasters, or bloggers and are committed to regular posting and growing their platform. These women have taken great strides to move forward because they’re willing to embrace community and ask for support and give support. (you can check it out on our website at authentic onlinemarketing.com listed under mentorship. But be open to community, because, community grows opportunity! Don’t be afraid to niche down. Consider this from Hubspot.com: By focusing on a small audience, your business will be able to stretch its resources further and bring in customers who are closely aligned with your offerings. Those are the people who need your product most and are therefore most likely to convert and remain loyal customers. Trying to target everyone will only frustrate your newsletter freebie creation efforts. So before tackling that newsletter freebie or opt in, notice the demographic responding to your content – it may not be who you think it is. Tap into your obsessions – those topics you naturally gravitate towards and see how you can incorporate them into your content by polling your audience in stories and consistently posting in your feed – don’t forget to use Reels because that’s what the Instagram algorithm is pushing right now, and finally, ask for input from trusted peers! And one last thing that’s super important that will help with your newsletter freebie– be sure to sign up for our Brand voice workshop coming soon. Inside this workshop, I’ll teach you how to identify and authenticate your unique brand voice. This will help you to reach that target audience you’ve been searching for, and help you pinpoint your own unique, authentic voice we’re always talking about at the end of every podcast! Trust me, my friend, you have a LOT to offer the world. And most of it is right under your nose. You’re already doing it, because it’s part of who you are. Let me help you figure it out in the Brand voice workshop. Thanks so much for listening today! Now go sign up for that workshop and remember to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice! We’ll see you next week! The post Ep. 44: What to do before creating your newsletter freebie appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

1
Ep. 43: What to create for your newsletter freebie 12:31

منذ 3 years12:31

12:31

Let’s talk about your newsletter freebie. Along the way in the online journey, in our quest for writing a book or building a podcast, a ministry or even just feeling out what in the world we’re trying to accomplish in the online world, somebody mentions email. You should start an email list yesterday, they say. And you sit there thinking, how in the world do I do this? Where do I even begin? So, you slap something up on your blog or website that says, “Sign up for my newsletter”. Sooner or later, you realize that you’re not getting very many sign ups. Why? Because people don’t really know what you have to offer, their inboxes are full of useless information, and they don’t have time to meander through and figure out what they’ll get from your newsletter. So, they click away. But… if you have a savvy resource you can offer in exchange for their email, and it’s something they want, now, you’re cookin’. You’ve got something to start with. Resources Listen to Ep. 61: Combining Instagram and email marketing in 5 smart ways Listen to Ep. 57: 5 Tips to boost email reader response Listen to Ep. 48: 7 Ways to get followers on your email list What to create for your newsletter freebie Even though this podcast episode is geared towards educating you to start an email list, even the most savvy newsletter marketers will benefit, because sooner or later, you need to update your freebies or opt ins. I’ve done this many times over the years, and you’re going to hear a clip from an opt-in workshop about my story of meager beginnings and how I started building my own email list, the freebies I offered, and how that transitioned over time, based on content and products I developed. One key to determining what kind of newsletter freebie or opt in to create is knowing your brand and leaning into your unique spin on your message. Admittedly this evolves over time and frankly, in the beginning, we may not exactly know what that is, so be sure to listen through to the end of this episode because I’m going to tell you about an upcoming free training that will help you with this! For now, what are some opt-in ideas to get your wheels in motion? Listen in! *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Click below for show notes! https://authenticonlinemarketing.com/newsletter-freebie/ Click below for the link to sign up for our Brand Voice Workshop! https://ruthiegray.lpages.co/brand-voice-workshop/ Number one with your opt-in, you want to make it relatable. It needs to be related to your offering, whether that is marketing at the time you have a product or maybe you’re doing an affiliate marketing launch. Meaning, it’s either marketing or it’s creating an awareness for your message, your blog, your podcast, wherever, or your book, wherever you’re trying to drive traffic to grow traffic, to grow an audience for your message. Back in the day, y’all know I was a mom mentor and my message was mentoring moms to capture joy in parenting. My first offerings were to drive traffic to my blog. I didn’t have a product or anything yet. I just wanted to grow my blog. Graphic creation I meandered my way through PicMonkey and was just in the early stages of graphic creation and things like that. At first, I was thinking, I don’t even have anything that people would want to exchange their email for, but I just really dug down deep and wrote top 10 tips to rear a confident young man based on what I had seen happen with my son. People started opting into that. People actually wanted that and started reading my emails and got on my list. And I will as a side note say that I was taking an email course at the time. That was the very first thing I was supposed to do was create an opt-in. But then I was learning how to write these emails that people actually want to read. Within, I think the first three months I had a hundred subscribers, which was big for me. That’s where I started; ground level. Later on, I did some marriage tips like my parents top 10 tips to staying married over 50 plus years which had old pictures of them, their wedding and things like that. People love that too. Then another one that I had that did really well was the C2K challenge and it was a couch to knee challenge. So in other words, I noticed that people were really needing prayer and that was a big topic. And I had started kneeling just as a posture thing to like, get my mind centered so I wrote a blog post about it. People in the Bible cited different times in my own life where I had dropped to my knees by my bed. Concentrate on personal That was usually in times of dire distress. And so I said, what if we really concentrated on this? So the challenge was basically to determine a set amount of time that you’re going to kneel every day for five days a week. And it was actually a month long challenge. They got one email a week. So some people were five minutes. I’m going to kneel for five minutes. And I shared my goal which was 20 minutes and that grew my prayer life so much and it grew so many people’s within my free Facebook group. That one was well-received. It had about 200 signups within the first week. So you want to do something that relates to whatever your messages. So then I had an offering after that. It was my ebook about mom anger. In fact, Haley helped me come up with the title, Count to Nine, nine liberating steps for mom frustration and anger. Quality and Relatable The next opt-in offerings that I had were the five day mommy anger make-overs so they got one email. And the yellow free blueprint. So that was kind of a different spin on it. Those would trickle in information gradually about my book and by the end of those, what they received, a lot of them would purchase the book. I want to note with you, the average email opt-in rate with traffic to your website is 1.95 according to SumoMe. That’s not super great. But then you have to figure in a lot of people that hit on your website. That’s probably about accurate. So you have to really make sure that you make it quality and that it really relates. Creating a newsletter freebie you CARE about Even from the most meager of beginnings in your online marketing adventures, you can have an effective newsletter freebie. I just walked you through my humble start and how that first, simple PDF download of 10 tips to rear a confident young man drew newsletter sign ups! But I will say, I’d already worked through who my target audience was and how I could uniquely offer valid, valuable information. And even though it was early on in my newsletter writing, I had already identified my own brand voice. You see, there is a way to connect with those unique persons you want to help on the internet. Many people call it an avatar, some call it an ideal audience member, or target audience. For your newsletter freebie: tap in to your target audience Once you tap into who your target audience is, you need that edge – the brand voice that is uniquely you, to draw them in. And as I mentioned before, over time this evolves, or even changes, based on your target audience. If you’ll look at my new website, authenticonlinemarketing.com , you’ll notice it is markedly different from my old site and ruthiegray.mom, because my target audience is completely different. Ruthiegray.mom is a parenting site, and authenticonlinemarketing.com is an online marketing site. But even beyond that is the messaging we provide on our new site. When we held our official launch, we had a competition to see who could find the most ‘70’s references. That’s because my target audience is largely women from that groovy, Farrah hair, Marsha Brady, 6 Million Dollar Man era, much like myself. And that’s not to say that I don’t have younger (or older) followers and listeners, but it’s where I’ve landed with my niche. Niching down Oftentimes we’re afraid to draw a line in the sand. We’re afraid to target one demographic for fear the others will leave. I can confidently say that’s not the case, when you’re confident in your brand voice and online presence, because I even have young moms that would rather follow me than some bigger, louder online Instagram or email marketing guru. That is also my edge, because I’m smaller. So what sets you apart? What makes you different that you can offer your readers in exchange for your email? Tap into that, and I’m going to give you a hint – your personality has a LOT to do with it, my friend! Let me help! I’d like to help you figure this out, so I’m super excited to announce our brand voice workshop, coming August 8, and you can sign up to reserve your seat right now. Inside this workshop, I’ll teach you how to identify and authenticate your unique brand voice. This will help you to reach that target audience you’ve been searching for, and help you pinpoint your own unique, authentic voice we’re always talking about at the end of every podcast! The link to this free workshop is in the shownotes , so right now while it’s on your mind, tap in and sign up to reserve your seat before the next beach trip or summer gathering distracts you. Trust me, you have a LOT to offer the world. And most of it is right under your nose. You’re already doing it, because it’s part of who you are. Let me help you figure it out in my Brand voice workshop. Is it time to create your email opt-in? Or perhaps craft a fresh one? remember to make your opt-in relatable to your current offerings. Keep it relevant, spruce it up, possibly even give it new graphics or a new name! We’ll see you next week, and remember to share your unique message your way in your own authentic voice. The post Ep. 43: What to create for your newsletter freebie appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

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Ep 42: What to include in highlights 8:54

منذ 3 years8:54

8:54

Did you realize that knowing what to include in highlights are one of the best ways to feature your work? Recently, I talked about this in my weekly newsletter, the IG Insider, and how to introduce yourself to your audience through highlights, and by the way if you’re not subscribed to my newsletter, you need to, because I always share targeted ways to reach your audience and stay on the pulse of Instagram strategies, newsletter marketing, and entrepreneurial mindset from a Biblical perspective. You can join my newsletter several ways, simply by visiting my site, authentic online marketing {dot} com, and I’ll share more about one of our handy resources that come with newsletter signup at the end. This episode is taken from a mentorship zoom training and you’ll hear member Melissa Pickens of @melissagpickens ask what she should be featuring. You’ll come away with a good sense of what to leave in (and what to remove) for your Instagram highlights so others can learn more about your offerings. And now, listen in. *This episode contains either affiliate links or links to my products. Should you choose to purchase, the show will go on! Woo hoo! Resources Download your Follower Growth Kit Listen to Ep. 80: Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Listen to Ep. 64: Building a YouTube channel from Repurposed Content Listen to Ep. 30: 2 Easy ways to repurpose stories to Reels Listen to Ep. 82: Maximizing Your Online Presence: Strategies to Fit Instagram into Your Busy Schedule Ep 42: What to include in highlights Ruthie: One thing I need to completely redo is highlights. Any helps, suggestions, tips, et cetera, for setting them up previously, mine, I haven’t had any real purpose. So what you want to do, Melissa is look at your categories or buckets, whatever your topics are, that’s what you can rearrange them as. So for instance, you talk about suffering. I know that there are all kinds of sub topics to that, maybe it’s encouragement, or maybe you have a freebie that is connected to that for your newsletter. You name that as one of them, maybe there are a couple of book recommendations that you have. You know all of your content better than I do. Different topics to include in highlights But if you could break it down into different topics that is how you want to arrange your highlights. If you want to see an example, you can look at mine. I just recently cut a bunch of mine and we redid them. Basically for mine, it’s, you know, Instagram tips, podcast, newsletter, growth kit, things like that. Melissa: I’ve been checking out some other authors and writers who are along the same lines and you’re right. Suffering is so general, but even that can be broken down. For example one author has a section that’s just for sexual abuse and she pops in all sorts of things there. And then she has a similar message to just kind of see what the differences are out there. I like the idea of jump-starting my ideas and kind of how I need to shape my content. I didn’t even think about adding freebies and book recommendations and that does definitely help me get thinking! It gets the thoughts rolling and you can look at what you’ve already written on your blog. Ruthie: Exactly. Especially– and this is something I tell everybody — wherever your content is, go there and break it down! Just take one section and break it in two. So you could make a carousel and do points A through D for example. Then you’d take that and put it into different kinds of posts. Breaking it down Maybe you take one point and make it into a Reel then maybe take point number two and you just expand on that and make that just a static post or a video or something like that. You can take one piece of content and repurpose it in many different ways. So you don’t have to think hard, but I would go through if I were you and look at everything that you’ve written and see, like, what are the categories? What are the things that I’ve I have talked about that just came naturally that may help you to create? When considering what to put in highlights, think about your overarching topics or content pillars. Here are some examples of Highlight cover titles you could use in your profile: Tips Topics Podcast Courses Start here Memberships Other offerings Testimonies Cycle through these every so often and clean them up, spruce up the highlight covers. Also make the content within fresh and relevant. If you’ve got content that’s 25 frames back and 134 weeks old, it’s probably time to cut that because most people will not watch all 25 frames. 5-10 frames each is plenty. Remember that highlights come from your stories. Let’s say you have a feed post you want to feature in highlights. Send it to your stories first and then over to that highlight! One of the most effective highlights I’ve done featured me holding a phone for a discover call. I’ve gotten several bookings from that one. But something we often overlook that was mentioned in this zoom call is your newsletter freebie. You should be mentioning that freebie both in your feed and in stories. Otherwise how will people know about it? I get newsletter signups every week simply by talking about my newsletter, and honestly, the newsletter is where the conversions happen. Your time needs to be spent on your newsletter over Instagram. If you go to my highlights at @ authenticonlinemarketingpod, you’ll see my newsletter mentioned. And if you tap into that newsletter, you’ll see the different ways I talk about not only my freebie but the VALUE of my newsletter. You can deliver a great freebie but have a not-so-great newsletter, so in upcoming episodes we’ll be discussing how to do that better. In just a moment you’ll hear more about my newsletter freebie, the Follower Growth Kit, and how you can get it. And here’s a tip – next week we’re talking about ideas for newsletter freebies! A clean highlight look accents your Instagram platform without confusing followers. So go take a look at your highlights now and see what you may need to tweak! Thanks for listening this week and remember to share your message, your way, in your own authentic voice. The post Ep 42: What to include in highlights appeared first on Authentic Online Marketing .…

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