Hewlko News - Cultivating good habits
Cultivating Good Habits to Help Build Your Business
There is no better time to cultivate a new habit than at the start of a new year. It allows you to easily measure annual growth and development. I believe in starting from where you are today, spending what you can afford and building brands consistently over time. With that mindset, I’ve been sustainably building my business by investing in marketing efforts that make sense for my budget. Last year my mentor gave me some valuable advice – “do what you tell your clients to do” which has been my motivation in cultivating the below habits into my business.
Social Media
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest – you don’t necessarily have to do it all. In fact, doing something only half the time can degrade your brand rather than not doing anything at all. Research where your target audience lives, try a couple out, create a posting schedule and track which posts lead to conversions - this can help you target your efforts.
Key Performance Indicator Tracking + Google Analytics
You can’t analyze what you don’t track. Understanding the key performance indicators (KPI’s) that help build your business and tracking them brings focus to what you are doing and why. I’ve researched a few different tracking systems but still use a simple excel document for now. Install Google Analytics today, even if you don’t use it, it will start collecting powerful data for future use. If you want to learn more about how to use Google Analytics there are free courses that will help get you started.
Sales Cycle
Similar to KPI tracking, understanding the process of how you acquire new clients can help with future planning for your business. I just started using HubSpots free CRM but it has limited functionality so I might choose to purchase a subscription sooner than later.
Google Tools + SEO
Adding a Google My Business page or other similar applications like Yelp help search engines find your business and improve your ranking. Spend some time to get your meta tags and page descriptions set up on your website, it can go a long way to getting found organically online. Squarespace has a great article here. If you aren’t launching a new product or in a consumer facing market, you probably don’t have a budget for this item. But don’t fret, your search ranking will increase organically over time. Staying consistent with regular social media posting and having your brand referenced by other people and companies online can also help google find and categorize you as a credible resource.
Photography
Photography is just as important as a logo when it comes to representing your brand. It should show your audience the type of experience they will have with your brand and familiarize them with your services. Hire a professional photographer to gather a set of core images to use on your website and marketing materials. You can supplement these with your own authentic photos for social media. Buy a good camera at the Camera Store and take an introductory course and you’ll be set. Some clients have also tried Canva, a graphic design app that includes a selection of images to use to help you create assets for social posting.
Copywriting
I express the value of copywriting to my clients on a consistent basis. This is always the last item to be budgeted for but is arguably the most important depending on what kind of product you are selling. There are different kinds of writing to consider, is your website a brochure site simply stating the facts? Or do you need your website to act as a converting machine, speaking in your audience’s voice and directly addressing the problems they have so they excitedly press the “purchase now” button.
"Practice what you preach!"
With my mentor’s voice ringing in my ears, coaxing me to “practice what I preach,” I’m currently working on my own website copy with Rebecca Smith of WordPlenty and am very excited about her process. It starts with a series of client interviews and surveys to help understand what my audience is looking for and the type of language they use. This allows her to craft copy that resonates and removes confusing, industry specific mumbo-jumbo. After two years of taking almost everything that comes my way, developing my processes and refining my services, I now have a clear understanding of who my core target audience is and how I can service them best. Now that I know who I really want to talk to, copywriting has become an important investment that I need to make in order to elevate my brand to the next level.
Stay tuned over the next few months to see a transformation on Hewlko.com website! If you have any questions about any of the above, please feel free to reach out!
A Q&A Series with industry experts and entrepreneurs that capture the evolving marketing landscape and provide helpful information for business owners.
Q&A with Lisa and Doug of Big Tree Communications
Early into 2019, I got a chance to sit down with Lisa and Doug to understand how Big Tree Communications uses content and writing to develop credibility through a cohesive brand voice and gets a brand noticed.
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Business, brand and website workshop
In the studio last week we held a business, brand and website workshop with Rebecca from WordPlenty. The workshop captures where the business is at today and provides us with a road map moving forward. We will be starting with a new website coming in March 2019!
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