More Than A Few Words

Laura Templeton dropped by for a conversation about using AI to build your brand. , an author and international speaker, discusses using AI to build your brand with Lorraine Ball. At first, the idea might sound a bit out there, but Laura dives into how AI, specifically ChatGPT, can be customized to reflect your brand's voice and values. Laura explains the concept of "custom instructions" in ChatGPT, where you can teach it about your brand, your audience, and your preferred tone. She likens it to teaching a child; it takes patience and guidance to get it right so the tone doesn't feel stiff or overly casual. With practice and clear feedback, ChatGPT can generate valuable content for various purposes, such as website copy, social media posts, blogs, and lead magnets. Laura stresses the importance of reviewing and editing the generated content to ensure it aligns with your brand's message and style. The conversation also touches on SEO concerns, with Laura reassuring that ChatGPT can be beneficial for SEO as it

These days everyone is telling you you need to be a storyteller.  You need to be a storyteller in sales and in marketing. There are some people who are just natural storytellers, with the ability to pull you in with their words and leave you sitting on the edge of the seat. Then there is everyone else.  So maybe you don’t feel like you’re a storyteller and this whole storytelling thing isn’t for you.  Instead when you meet someone you leap right into the facts. “I’ve been in business twenty years, I’ve done this, blah, blah, blah. Don’t do that.    Nobody wants to hear that You don’t have to be a great storyteller to talk about a customer you helped or what it is like to work with you. A great story, isn’t about the teller.  It is about what it is like to work with you, when everything is going right  for you and more importantly for your customers. So go ahead, tell me a story.

Can you still make money on Amazon?  That's the question I asked Lesley Hensell, co-founder of Riverbend Consulting, Amazon, once characterized as the Wild West of online selling, has undergone significant evolution. Success on this platform now necessitates a more strategic and disciplined approach. However, with proper guidance, achieving success is possible. So, you have a product ready to debut on Amazon. An organized is approach is required. Gone are the days of haphazardly listing products; today, approaching Amazon as a bona fide business entity with comprehensive records, invoices, and refined marketing strategies is mandatory.  Lesley had some great tips for marketing your products.  Start with a comprehensive product detail page which  serves as your digital shopfront on Amazon. Craft compelling copy and captivating visuals to attract the shopper. Lifestyle imagery featuring infants, pets, and even models can significantly enhance your product's appeal. But the journey doesn't conclude there! Video

This year I decided to follow my own advice and commit to one social media platform. Sure I still post content in lots of places, but I am spending time every day on only one platform - LinkedIn. And, I am not just showing up, posting an update, liking a few things and leaving. I did some research to find out what the LinkedIn algorithm likes and adjusted my approach accordingly. Comments matter. So I am spending time writing meaningful comments on multiple posts each day. I engage with people who engage with me as well as influential people I follow. Video works. I am incorporating lots of video clips. It means I have fewer people listening to the full episodes, but I am reaching more people with my content, so I will take that as a win. Strategic connection requests. Selectively sending connection requests to people who engage with the same content I am engaging with has helped me to build a more interesting and engaged community. Working Together to Expand Reach Let's face it, one of the most frustrating t

When you are ready to take the next step in your business you will need a marketing partner, but how do you find the right one?   That's what I talked to Behdad Jamshidi, founder of CJAM Marketing about.  In this lively conversation he shared insights into navigating the process of selecting the ideal marketing team. Behdad defines a marketing partner as an agency, freelancer, or contractor who helps businesses execute marketing strategies while allowing them to focus on core operations. He emphasizes the need for alignment between business goals and the capabilities of the marketing partner. One common mistake highlighted is the tendency for businesses to jump on trendy marketing tactics without a long-term strategy. Instead, He advises businesses to establish clear goals and seek partners with proven track records and solid foundations. When evaluating potential marketing partners, Behdad suggests asking key questions about the agency's history, core competencies, and client retention rates. He emphasizes t

Carolyn Patrick dropped by for a conversation about one of my absolute favorite topics—niche marketing. Carolyn’s a seasoned consultant and non-executive director hailing all the way from Australia, bringing a wealth of experience in customer brand and marketing across diverse industries like banking, wealth management, insurance, retail, and government.   To explain why she thinks it’s crucial for businesses to identify their niche Carolyn shared a personal story of working with specific niche markets like the police and emergency services, highlighting the power of understanding your audience to tailor messaging and develop products and services that truly resonate. She emphasizes the importance of connection and the ability to get into the heads of your customers for high retention rates.

I have been talking about marketing for a long time.  And then funny thing? Although it is a big topic, managing marketing boils down to three simple truths. The first is that marketing hasn’t really changed in 50 or 60 years. The basics of marketing are about what they were half a century ago. What has changed are the tools. And that’s the second truth, there are always new tools on the horizon, new ways of doing things. And the third truth is that the most effective marketing is marketing that is authentic and unique to your brand, your business and to you. And so if you want to be successful, remember those three truths. Get very familiar with marketing basics, Learn the fundamentals and the strategies that drive everything. Keep up with what’s new and what’s changing. And finally, to turn inward to discover your voice. Define what’s unique about you, and use that to guide your marketing.

I had a chance to chat with David Ask, an accomplished entrepreneur and product development expert, to discuss the essence of creating a heart-centered business. As the leader of a mastermind group, David believes in the uniqueness of each person's spirit and soul.  He encourages individuals to explore what lights them up and drives their energy. As the conversation unfolds, he reflects on his own journey, revealing his identity as a creative rather than a conventional entrepreneur. He stresses the importance of self-awareness and recommends reading impactful books and engaging with like-minded individuals to gain clarity on one's purpose.

These days your audience wants bite size content. They're not going to sit through twenty or thirty minutes of video or read long blog posts. It's frustrating because you've got this long content, but it doesn't have to be.  With the help of AI you can transform that long long post into a series of short social media posts.  You can take cut that ten, twenty or thirty minute video into little thirty second sound bites.  The little videos are just enough to hook the audience, get their attention and leave them wanting more.  If you've been following me, you probably have noticed there's a lot more video in my feed these days. You may wonder how someone like me who's all by herself has time to do it all. Well it's easy.  I'm using Opus Clip to get it done. It's a simple to use, affordable software product.  Click the link if you're curious to try it for yourself.  Go ahead create that long form content and let AI cut it down for you.

​In this conversation, Bear Newman, a seasoned digital marketer and author with over 15 years in the field joined me for a conversation about SEO. If you’re like many business owners, SEO might be a bit of a mystery, and that’s why I’ve brought Bear in to help us demystify it. We kick off by addressing common fears around SEO and highlighting the importance of taking action rather than striving for perfection right from the start. Bear dives into the conversation, shedding light on the misconceptions surrounding SEO. He urges a shift in mindset, emphasizing that getting started is more crucial than achieving perfection. We discuss practical tips for newcomers to the digital space, stressing the significance of regular content updates, understanding Google Analytics for effective tracking, and optimizing website design for better user engagement. Throughout our chat, he underscores the importance of metrics like bounce rate as key indicators of a website’s health and suggests tailoring websites to guide visito

Have you noticed that the internet is filled with people claiming to have made thousands of dollars online and they're willing to share their secrets to success with you all for the low low price of $199. The problem is the only people who get rich from that slick package solution are the people who create it. Why? because the system they create is right for them or it is generic and not right for you.  Instead what you need to do is invest money spending time with someone who can look at your business and your goals and help you build a strategy that you can execute. Success in 2024 If you're looking for a quick hit the internet is filled with get rich quick schemes.  If you're looking for a strategy for long term, sustainable growth, well that's going to take some time.  SCHEDULE A 1 HOUR WORKING SESSION TO BUILD YOUR STRATEGY. 

In this insightful interview, I had a chance to chat with Anne Carden, about making competitors irrelevant by building a business that stands out. She emphasizes the importance of identifying and leveraging a business’s unique selling proposition or “sweet spot.” Anne  explains every business, regardless of size, possesses a distinctive quality that can set it apart, emphasizing the need to position oneself around that expertise to become untouchable in the market. She provides practical examples of businesses she has worked with, such as a plumbing company and an auto repair shop, showcasing how they differentiated themselves by addressing specific pain points in their industries. She stresses the significance of backing up claims with social proof, such as testimonials and case studies, to build trust with potential clients.  The conversation encourages business owners to think strategically about their unique strengths and how they can use them to make competitors irrelevant in their respective markets.

You're spending a lot of resources to drive traffic. But are you converting traffic to prospects? If you're not getting people to fill out your conversion forms there are a few things you can do to improve the effectiveness of those pages 1. Don't oversell avoid bloated adjectives like awesome and amazing. Just stick to the facts. 2. While we're on the subject of facts, back up what you're saying with real proof. It gives you tremendous credibility 3. Use video to complement the images and text on the page. We are living in a video age 4. Add testimonials. Nothing gives you credibility like someone else saying just how great you are 5. Consider limited time offers create that sense of urgency Want to learn more?  Check out: RANDOM STRANGERS TO RAVING FANS 

Let's face it, one of the challenges faced by most business owners is the absence of a clear rulebook for navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship. To shed light on the essential strategies for success, I invited Scott Ritzheimer, founder of Scale Architects, to share  his tips for entrepreneurs, particularly the struggle to prioritize and manage tasks amidst a multitude of expert advice. Scott emphasizes the importance of understanding that there are seven specific stages of business growth and you need to tailor your  strategies accordingly. Scott gave some great specific examples .  Stage 2 - Startup Entrepreneur: At this stage, the focus is on finding a profitable and sustainable market. The key is to resist the temptation to constantly come up with new ideas and, instead, concentrate on identifying and tapping into a market that aligns with the business's goals. Leadership skills are less critical, and time management and focusing on necessary tasks become paramount. Stage 3 - Reluctant Manager

Chatting with Tina Bakehouse was like unwrapping a gift for anyone who’s ever hesitated to step into the spotlight. We explored the idea that public speaking isn’t just for natural extroverts.  It is about discovering that inner magnetism within all of us. Tina, the author of “Discovering Our Magnetic Speaker Within,” brought her insights to the table, emphasizing that being magnetic involves intentional communication, encompassing words, voice, body language, energy, and overall essence. Tina’s three pillars – the Magnetic Mind, Message, and Mechanics – provided a roadmap for aspiring speakers. We kicked off with the Magnetic Mind, delving into temperament, authentic selves, and the power of introversion in public speaking. Tina shattered the myth that only extroverts make great speakers, highlighting the impact of leaders like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who wielded quiet charisma. The message became our focal point, as Tina shared strategies for crafting compelling content, urging speakers to be audience-ce

Today I want to talk about email. Why email,  when there are so many better ways to get people to pay attention to you? Because year in and year out people open their emails. So if you want to deliver messages to people who are interested in what you have to say email is still a great way to reach them Here are a few things you can do to improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns number Send them on Tuesday. Emails sent on Tuesday actually have the best open rate Keep your emails short. No more than twenty lines of content Make sure you put a call to action right at the top of the email If you've enjoyed these tips and want to find other resources for your email program sign up for our newsletter and we'll show you how it's done.  

In this conversation, I had a chance to chat with Josh Nielsen, the founder behind Zencastr, one of the top podcasting platforms.  As the founder and CEO, he’s focused on the next level of podcasting, providing creators worldwide with an all-in-one platform. We delved into the current podcasting landscape, and Josh pointed out a trend he dubs the “tick-toification of podcasting.” Attention spans are shortening, and people are leaning towards bite-sized, consumable content, especially in the form of clips. It’s all about watching engaging snippets rather than committing to full-length shows. Josh emphasized the rising importance of video in podcasting. While the audio-only format has its charm, the audience is eager to see faces and make genuine connections. Video brings that extra layer of connection, making the audience feel more involved. We also touched on the power of AI in simplifying tasks. Zencastr’s AI, for instance, can analyze content, identify key moments, and generate clips tailored for various pl

Did you miss my conversation with Joe Matz as we unraveled the the concept of business transformation. We chatted about the desire among entrepreneurs to push the limits of their businesses, but recognize the challenges that come with turning that desire into a tangible transformation. We explored the notion that everyone has a unique genius zone, a sweet spot where work becomes easy, fun, and exciting. Joe delves into the significance of identifying this genius zone and aligning it with the problems or solutions you're uniquely equipped to address. The conversation pivots to the client's perspective, highlighting the essence of delivering transformation through your products or services.   As we discuss the marketing implications of this transformation-focused approach, Joe emphasizes the simplicity it brings to crafting effective marketing copy. We touch on the evolving landscape of marketing over the years and the enduring value of creating meaningful transformations for customers. If you're intrigued by t

Today's tip start with a bit of a rant.  I I teach marketing at a local university and was grading papers the other night.  As I read, it occurred to me a number of my students were using CHAT GPT to write their essays. I was annoyed but also stopped to think about why I felt like that was problematic. The answer was pretty simple. Their answers were generic, boring and they didn't really address my specific question. In a way that is the same challenge content marketers have when using AI to create content If you're not starting with good, original content the end result is generic,  a little boring and doesn't really answer the questions your customers have.  So how do you get around that? Well the best way to use AI on the front end is to ask it a question. Then you overlay your own content on top of the generic outline.  Or use AI on the back end, uploading a blog post you've already written and ask AI to transform your content into a series of social media updates. Ask it to rewrite headlines or create t

Today's talk centers around the unavoidable truth: not every employee walks into the office fully equipped for the job's challenges. Enter the world of training, a necessary step for workforce readiness. Joining me is is Vicki Noethling . We explored the hurdles faced by small businesses with fewer than ten employees when it comes to carving out time for training and developing effective plans. Small business owners often find themselves juggling individual tasks, with training sometimes taking a back seat.  We discussed the benefits of having an outside perspective through avenues like lunch and learn sessions, helping uncover gaps in skills and knowledge. Vicki sheds light on her approach to identifying team dynamics, using icebreakers and empathy-building exercises to enhance communication. We delve into the intricacies of leadership and communication struggles within teams, emphasizing the value of external assistance in bridging gaps. Shifting gears, we touch on the current age of remote work, acknowledg