Tag: creative

5 Ways to Work On Your Business

5 Ways to Work On Your Business

Tonnisha J. English

COVID-19 has impacted so many of us in different ways. We cannot control the current climate, but we can control how we respond. 

Before you ask, no, it will not be easy. If you remember my new mantra, I’ve told you that entrepreneurship is not sexy and I mean that. But I mean it x100 during this pandemic. 

What we’re not going to do, is let COVID think it can steal our visions we have for our businesses. I hope you don’t take this as me being insensitive to what you’re going through. If you’re having a hard time, I want you to know that I am seriously here for you. My goal in all of this is to help other business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs thrive on their journey.

Here are 5 ways you can work on your business during these times…

1. Create designated time for YOUR brand

When I made the decision to go into full-time entrepreneurship, I decided immediately that working 9-5 was not for me. I wanted to create a life that allowed me to be best mom and woman I can possibly be. So, I decided I would work 35 hours per week for clients, and those last 5 hours would be spent working on ME and/or MY business. 

I use a tool called Toggl (it’s free check it out) to manage my time and this allows me to hold myself accountable when it comes to working on my business. If you’re one of those people who claim they don’t have the time, that is not true. The time is there, you just have to demand it for yourself.

2. Work on your content strategy

You know I love me some content marketing! I want you to love it for yourself, too. This is the ultimate way to establish yourself as the industry expert in your field and to position yourself as the go-to person for all things <insert whatever it is that you do>.

Do you know how many times I’ve been called “the email girl” or “the content lady”? More times than I can count! That is because I have put myself in position through these emails, posts on social media, live videos, and speaking engagements to be seen as the go-to person when you want to know more about digital. You can do the same for yourself! 

3. Build your tribe

We’ve talked about the importance of having a tribe a few times in these emails. If you don’t believe I practice what I preach, take a look at the lineup for #RTHCon20! I’m blessed to have such a powerful network of business owners. 

How did I meet such amazing people you may ask? Networking! Putting myself out there. Sparking conversations. Attending other people’s event. Them attending mine. Fostering real relationships. 

Building your tribe is NOT a one way street. It’s going to take work on both sides. Put yourself out there and get to work building your community of bosses!

4. Know your numbers

I have some past traumas that have led me to be very afraid of money. I don’t like thinking about it, but I do all the time and it makes me nervous. Since working with Touche Financial Solutions, I have felt more at ease because I know my numbers. I have a clear understanding of how much money my business needs to make in order to thrive. By knowing this number, it helps me make the right business decisions to continue to grow TJE. 

Spend some time doing a deep dive into your business and personal expenses, and find ways to improve in both of these areas. I’m no expertise in this area. However, I can tell you that doing this has helped me grow tremendously. I highly recommend you reach out to Sierra Thomas of Touche Financial Solutions ASAP!

5. Better tools = better business

Having the right business tools in place is truly amazing. I wish I could explain the feeling of knowing that your business is running properly even when you’re sleeping. 

What are considered business tools? Social media schedulers, email platforms, project management tools, your CRM, etc. I need you to review these tools to make sure they are helping your grow your business. I wrote about this at the beginning of the year, check it out. 

Spend time going through every tool you are using and make some decisions sooner than later. One recent decision I’ve made is to move 6 years work of email marketing into a brand new platform. This task is not easy (still working on it) but it is necessary if I want to continue to grow my business. 

Now that you have 5 different ways to work on your business, it is time to do the work! If you want to chat, I’m here! Schedule a call today. Click here.

3 Things to Do Before Outsourcing Marketing

3 Things to Do Before Outsourcing Marketing

Tonnisha J. English

TJE Communications has officially turn 6 years old and as a company, we have experienced some ups and downs when it comes to business and clients. I say “we” because I’ve had my fair share of interns and strategic partnerships who have helped me move the needle along the way.

I took another look at my target customer as I was preparing to step into full-time entrepreneurship, and I realized some of the clients I had worked with were truly not ready to outsource their marketing services. Which ultimately contributed to some of those partnerships ending; on a good note for the most part.

Before you decide to outsource your marketing efforts, here are three things you should try first:

1. Try to DIY — One (of the many) mistakes I have made in business is not asking a prospective client if they’ve tried to handle their digital marketing on their own or with another marketer in the past. If I were to ask you this question, would you say “yes” – or would you say something like, “I would, but I don’t know how.” If the answer is the latter, you should not outsource marketing. What you should do instead is invest in gaining marketing knowledge through webinars, conferences, seminars, and trainings. Then, try to do it yourself. Once you’ve done this for a minimum of 6-12 months, if you still feel like you need help….check out steps 2 & 3.

I’m sure you’re thinking…”why does it matter if I’ve tried it myself?” What I’ve learned over the last 6 years is that until you have tried it yourself, or had someone else before me, you truly will not understand or value having a marketing consultant on your team.

Digital marketing is more than just posting aesthetically pleasing photos to Instagram. It takes consistency, strategy, and advertising dollars to build real campaigns to drive revenue for your business. On top of that, digital marketing does not equal social media marketing. Digital marketing also encompasses email, content, vlogging, and so much more.

2. Ensure you can pay for marketing services for at least 3 months — If you’re planning to outsource marketing services, make sure you can pay for them even when business is down. Most marketers require a retainer and a contract where you are committing to pay for their services for an agreed upon time. Just because business is down for you, doesn’t mean you get to forgo your contracts.

I get it, if business is down, you can’t take care of your family. But guess what…marketing professionals have a family to take care of, too! When you pay your invoices late, or not at all (both have happen to me), it is a poor reflection of business.

To avoid this issue, make sure your money is in order so that you can be certain you can fulfill your contract before signing on the dotted line.

**Also keep in mind if you do have issues paying your invoices, just communicate! Most people are willing to be somewhat flexible when life happens. 

3. Have a clear understanding of your business goals — You can’t bring someone in to help you promote your business if you don’t understand your business either. When you bring in a marketing professional, we’re there to help you take your brand to the next level. But if you don’t have the foundational pieces in place, then we don’t have a solid ground to stand on.

Yes, the marketing consultant you hire can help you with the foundational aspects of your business. However, you must keep in mind that by doing this, you are taking time away from them doing actual digital marketing strategy. So you can’t fault them if you’re “seeing no results.”

If you’re unsure if you have your business goals and messaging in place, instead of hiring someone to help you with digital marketing, hire someone to help you with business strategy and then try implementing some DIY digital marketing strategies. Or, if you can get your business strategist and marketing professional to work hand-in-hand, that’s even better! Both of these people are equally important and need each other to produce great work!

Now that you’ve read through this, do you still think you’re ready to outsource your marketing efforts? If yes, then go for it! Having a skilled digital marketing professional on your team can help grow your brand tremendously – especially if you’re willing to spend a few dollars on ads.

If you read this and realized you’re not quite ready, that is awesome! It is better to know now than to get yourself caught up.

Need help deciding either way? Schedule a FREE 15-minute call with me today. Click here to schedule.

Here’s Why Tracking Your Time Matters

Here’s Why Tracking Your Time Matters

Tonnisha J. English

It’s easy to believe that since you’re working for yourself, or working from home, that you have to be on at all times. I am so guilty of staying up well past my bed time to finish work (or start work), complete a project, or read blogs or articles to gain new digital marketing insights.

Regardless of your reasoning for feeling like you need to work around the clock, I am here to tell you that is not true.

If you’re not currently tracking your time, here’s why you need to start as soon as possible…

Accepting (or Not Accepting) New Business Opportunities

When I first started my business 6 years old, I accepted every opportunity that came my way. I did not have a great vetting process to decide which opportunities were worthwhile, and which were not aligned with my business or business goals. After two years of this, I decided to get more serious about my prices, packages, and how many hours I wanted to spend on my business.

Today, I use project managements tools and time trackers that help me understand where I am putting my energy on a daily basis.

By understanding how much time is being spent on each client, I’ve been able to:

  1. Ensure I am being properly compensated for my time
  2. Decide if I have enough hours to bring in new clients

Better understanding of which services bring in the most revenue

Since tracking my time, I now know which of my services bring in the most revenue for my business on a monthly basis. With this information I am able to ensure I am marketing this service through all appropriate channels to bring in new business opportunities.

On the other hand, if this is a service I no longer want to offer, I know that I need to pivot my content strategy to avoid speaking to this service too much.

For your own business, take a look at your top products and services and see which items are in your top three. Once you have this list think about…

  1. How much time it takes to products these products or services?
  2. What is your net profit from this product or service?

**Net profit is the actual profit made on a business transaction, sale, etc., or during a specific period of business activity, after deducting all costs from gross receipts.

If the costs don’t add up, then you need to give your business a complete audit to reassess your goals and create a business strategy to meet them.

Need help with your business strategy? Book your 1-hr business strategy session today! Click here to book today.

Don’t Burn Yourself Out

I recognized I was doing the most when my three year old daughter begins to tell me I need stop working and “give [me] attention.” Talk about a reality check!” The whole point of me pushing for full time entrepreneurship was so that I could have more time with her, not make her feel neglected.

Some weeks I would work so much I would get physically ill from the lack of sleep I was getting.

This is NOT normal.

Whether you work in corporate or if you’re a full time entrepreneur, tracking your time is crucial to ensuring you do not burn yourself out. Decide how many hours you want to spend on projects, keep track of how much time you’re spending with clients, make time for your own business, and turn it off when it’s time to turn it off.

**I recently started turning my email and social media notifications off from 5pm to 9am – best decision of my life!

So, now you do understand why you should track your time? Give it a try this week and let me know how it works out!

 

How to Determine KPIs

How to Determine KPIs

Tonnisha J. English

There’s no cookie cutter plan or strategy for your business. Every company model relies on a major key element to keep the brand moving forward.

For social influencers, it may be followers and engagement. For someone who makes candles, it may be conversions and sales. As a business owner, it is up to you to determine what KPIs matter for your business.

What are KPIs?

KPIs = key performance indicators.

According to KPI.org, “Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the critical (key) indicators of progress toward an intended result. KPIs help provide a focus for strategic and operational improvement, create an analytical basis for decision making and help focus attention on what matters most.”

Why do KPIs matter?

When you have a clear understanding of your goals, you’re able to create a real strategy to reach them. You’re also able to better articulate your message to potential partners and customers.

How do I determine KPIs?

First, you need to have a clear intended result. If you’re running a sale and your goal is to make X amount of dollars, there should be an expected revenue or sales goal in place as you’re building your campaign.

Secondly, you need to consider what drives the bottom line for your business. If sales and revenue move the needle for your brand, then focusing on followers and engagement is a waste of time and resources.

Lastly, you need to be realistic with your KPIs. If you’re unsure about what your goals should be, consider performing an audit on your business to understand the trends of your business before putting KPIs in place. Check out out audits here!

What are some common KPIs?

Here are some common KPIs to help you get started:

Likes/Reactions – The amount of times people have interacted with your post on social media. On Facebook, people are able to react with your post with a ‘Like’, ‘Love’, ‘Wow’, ‘Sad’, or ‘Angry’.

Followers/Page Likes – These are the people who  have decided to stay in the know about your brand or business by agreeing to receive updates on their timeline about you.

Reach – The amount of people who have seen your social post or advertisement.

Impressions – The amount of times your post or advertisement has been seen. This is very similar to ‘Reach’. Here’s how it is different: if three people have seen your post, but you have ten impressions, that means between those three people (reach), your post has been seen ten times (impression).

Engagement – This combines the amount of likes/reactions and comments on a social post. Do you know your engagement score? Find out here.

Conversions – Typically this is when someone takes a desired action such as making a purchase or providing you with their email address or contact information.

Need help setting KPIs for your business? Schedule a 15-minute discovery call to walk us through your concerns. We would be happy to help! Click here to schedule today.

Here’s Why You Need Content Calendars

Here’s Why You Need Content Calendars

Tonnisha J. English

By now, you should know that I firmly believe content is the QUEEN and the key to all businesses.

Think about it…

  • Netflix has ENDLESS original content you can consume any time of day
  • If you have cable, you are probably super involved in the lives of more reality tv personalities than you can count
  • Close this browser and head over to YouTube and you will find multiple shows, movies, tutorials, and music than your brain can even handle
  • Social media is full of influencers giving us laughs, cries, and advice about life and business

Everyone is searching for the secret sauce when it’s been right in front of us this whole time. CONTENT!

Here’s why you need a content calendar:

  • Allows for strategic planning
  • Helps track past content
  • Can be used later to understand what’s working, and what is not in your strategy

When I’m talking content, I am NOT only talking about social media. This includes:

  • Social media
  • Email campaigns
  • Podcasts
  • Blogs
  • Videos
  • Whitepapers
  • Case studies

And seriously so much more…

The best part about planning content, is that it removes the anxiety that comes with knowing you have to put content out there. By having a plan, you can focus on other aspects of your business. 

If you never had a content calendar or don’t even know what it entails, it only takes 3 major steps.

1. Know the type of content you want to produce and how long it will take to produce.

2. Pick days/time that work best for your audience.

3. Find a scheduling platform that supports your needs.

Simple enough, right?

My goal for 2020 is to create more content! Join me by grabbing your $5 content calendar today. Click here.

Happy content calendar making!

Networking Tips for Entrepreneurs

Networking Tips for Entrepreneurs

Tonnisha J. English

I attended my first networking event when I was 18 (I’m now 27) and I still cringe at the thought of having to talk to strangers. Most people think of networking as a scary/awkward experience, and it’s true that it can be. However, there are a few tips that can help you feel prepared, and make real connections.

Prep your elevator speech

“So, what do you do?” This is a common question I’ve encountered at networking events. What’s more important than answering this question, is your confidence in the answer. Before your next event, practice your elevator speech until you say it with confidence. Your speech should be short, sweet, and authentic.

Dig deeper

Networking can get old real fast when you’re constantly talking about work. Try to dig deeper and ask questions that will spark real conversation. Learn about their family life, their hobbies, and even the “why” behind their business. This information could help you win this person over as a client or customer.

Collect cards with a purpose

There is no prize for collecting the most business cards. The purpose of attending a networking event is to make real connections. If someone offers you their business card, take it. But before you ask for it, think about if connecting with this person outside of this event is truly beneficial for your business.

Don’t forget your cards

Speaking of cards, don’t forget to take your business cards with you! Your business card at minimum should include your company logo, contact information, your name, and title.

Bring a friend

If you’re more of an introvert, have one of your extroverted business friends join you at the event. I personally find it helpful to attend events with friends, even though I’m more of an extrovert in networking environments. Just having a persona to chat with that you already know can help give you some peace of mind. However, it is important not to use this person as a crutch and only talk to them.

Find the wall flower

I always make it a point to go talk to the person who is not talking to anyone. I do this because most likely, they’re more nervous than me and I’m able to help them open up a little bit, too. If you’re unable to bring a friend, you and this person could tag team the event together and provide one another with support.

Check out the guest list

Take a look at the list of attendees and speakers and decide who you want to meet beforehand. Do your research and come to the event with a game plan to connect with them!

Be your own hype man

EVERYONE is nervous! Listen to your favorite hype song in the car, grab a drink from the bar when you get there, and just be yourself.

Are you ready to use these networking tips at #RTHCon19 on September 20 and 21, 2019? Grab your tickets and join us today – click here.

 

Social Media: How to Stay Consistent

Social Media: How to Stay Consistent

Tonnisha J. English

Social media marketing in 2019 is filled with noise and ever-changing algorithms. The key to success no matter what you do is consistency.

Yes, that means you can’t post once a week to your social media pages and expect to see any traction. You should be posting a minimum of once per day. If that sounds scary, here are a few simple ways you can stay consistent with posting.

  1. Create a plan – Content planning! As you’ve heard me say before, content planning allows you to be strategic and takes away the stress of not knowing what to post. If you’ve never planned your content before, grab my content calendar and get started!
  2. Set expectations with your audience – Every Tuesday my audience knows that I go Facebook Live. And trust me when I don’t, people ask me about it! When you have set the expectations, you have to give the people what they want, right? Create your staple piece of content that people can look forward to and keep them coming back for more.
  3. Schedule your posts – Do you think I’m sitting around posting on social media in real time? Absolutely not! I use a social media management tool that allows me to schedule my content and it even provides me with recommended posting times for the highest engagement.
  4. Find an accountability partner – You’re not in this alone! There are times when I am so busy I get behind on scheduling my content. Find a buddy that you can check in with when you see them lacking in posting and vise vera.

We’re playing the long game here! Try one, or all 4 of these tips and see which works best for you. While you’re at it, sign up for my 7 days to social media series. In this series you will receive 7 days of prompts and tips to help you post on social media everyday.

Why You Need to Know Your Target Audience

Why You Need to Know Your Target Audience

Tonnisha J. English

Can we agree that wasting money is not fun? If you don’t know who your target audience is, that is exactly what you’re doing; wasting money.

There are so many reasons why having a clear understanding of your ideal customer is important. Here are my top 3 reasons that have personally impacted my business.

  1. Attract the right clients – I started by business in 2014 without a clear vision into the services I would offer or who I would offer them to. Once I was able to nail down my offerings, I was able to create a strategy to bring in the right clientele.
  2. Offer the right products and services – When you know who your audience is, you understand what your customer needs. Which is amazing because you’ll know exactly what to offer them! In the beginning I had WAY too many offerings which can be confusing for a customer. Sliming down my offerings and creating sub-categories on an as needed basis has been extremely beneficial for my business.
  3. Intentional marketing – Once you know the customer, you probably know where to find them! This has helped me to be intentional in all of my marketing efforts online and offline. Which has allowed me to make a profit and go into my business full time.

I’m currently in the process of identifying new potential clients and I’m excited to hit my next ‘aha’ moment. If you feel like you’re hitting a brick-wall in your business, it may be time to re-identify your target audience.

Join me for an interactive webinar to learn how to truly understand your customer. Take advantage of the webinar + consult ticket to get the webinar for FREE and a 30-minute business consultation where we can talk more in depth about your business goals.
4 Steps to Prepare for Holiday Emails

4 Steps to Prepare for Holiday Emails

Tonnisha J. English

‘Tis the season for email holiday prep! If you don’t already have a strategic plan in place, it’s time to get the ball rolling. Here are a few ideas to get you ready to spread some cheer through email marketing.

Create Your Content Calendar

You all know I love a good content calendar! The point of having this calendar is so that you can begin to plan your overall marketing strategy throughout the holiday season. Your calendar should include content, graphics, and which channels those pieces of content will live.

If you are planning to do some boosting/promoting or creating advertisements, include your budget and the channels in which your ads will be placed.

See below for an example of what my content calendar looks like.

I would recommend creating a rough idea of content through the beginning of January. We all know how busy things can get around the holidays. This will help you stay on track.

Clean Your Mailing List

It’s the perfect time to clean your mailing list and reengage inactive subscribers. Start scrubbing your list by removing soft bounces. If you’re using a system that does not automatically remove hard bounces (God forbid), then remove those as well.

Side note..

Hard bounce: This happens when you send an email to an address that does not exist.

Soft bounce: This can happen if a subscribers mailbox is too full, their server is busy, or maybe your message is too large for their inbox.

To get subscribers reengaged, try sending them an offer code for a percentage off their next purchase with you. If they still don’t open your email, you may want to consider to removing them from your list to increase your deliverability and open rates.

Segment Your List

Segmenting your list is just as important as cleaning it. By creating segments, you’re able to truly send targeted messages to your subscribers.

For example: Let’s say you’re a candle maker and you have 100 people on your mailing list. 10 of them have only purchased your cinnamon apple scent. You can send those 10 purchasers an offer to try your other cinnamon apple products such as wax melts or essential oils. Or you can try to entice them by giving a coupon to use on a new scent.

Create Your Drip Campaigns/Email Automations

Now that you have your content calendar planned, and a clean-segmented list, begin setting up your holiday drip campaigns and automations. You should have automations in place for new subscribers and current subscribers. Once the funnels are in place, all you should have to do is plug in your content and let the workflow do it’s thing!

I am excited to introduce new products throughout the holiday season! I have currently created a plan through November and currently working on December. Have you started yet? What are some things you are focusing on? Comment below and let me know!