 In the digital age with so many businesses getting hooked up and growing online, learning how to keep your social media safe and secure from cyber-criminals is super important.
Protecting your business information and accounts is often the last thing business owners want to worry about. I get it - as business owners we have enough hats to wear without becoming a cyber-security expert as well. However, it's often only after something happens that many business owners start to take cyber-security seriously. Fortunately, there are some really simple steps you can begin to take right now to keep your social media accounts safe and secure:
Verity xx
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 Hey Business Besties, have you ever felt frustrated by marketing in your business? Like no matter what it never seems to work? That social media is such a headache or a chore? Or maybe you wish you could wave a magic want and it's miraculously done for you. Maintaining a positive marketing mantra is essential for growing your business in the digital age.
First of all I just want to say that get it completely. I get the stress and the overwhelm that comes with digital marketing and having to juggle ALL the things - and for a long time I was just like you. I hated marketing and social media with a passion. A born creative and entrepreneur I just wanted the freedom to do what I liked - I didn't want to worry about serious stuff like marketing or money. Little did I know that I had business blocks that were totally affecting my business (and my personal) growth. Business blocks are sneaky stories, narratives or beliefs that sabotage our success. When we have business blocks it's as if we have mental blinkers that blind us to opportunities for growth. One particular block that many business owners are challenged with are marketing blocks. If you have marketing blocks - you could have beliefs or ideas about marketing that are less than helpful. And if your are unaware of your marketing blocks you could behave in ways that are counter to growing your business. Often times our marketing blocks can be below the level of our conscious awareness. So here are four surefire signs that you have marketing blocks that could be hurting your business: #1. You hate technology with a passion You think technology is the worst - a hindrance at best and at worst something that is going to be the downfall of society. Even since Covid19 you still resist using technology like creating videos, or using video conferencing for your business. #2. You think that marketing is something magical elves do in the middle of the night You don't allocate enough time (if any) to marketing your business. A good rule of thumb is that you need to allocate at least 20% of your time in your small business to sales and marketing. So if you are working five days a week, that means you can expect to spend AT LEAST one day a week on marketing and sales. If you don't have the time to do it, then you may need to consider outsourcing your marketing. #3. You feel icky and gross about marketing your business You hate sleazy sales people and would loathe to be like them. Or your feel like a fraud and fear publishing content because of this. Or any time you post worried about looking stupid or saying the wrong thing. If this describes you to a tee then it is highly likely that your marketing mindset is sabotaging your business. #4. "It was the algorithm" has become your go-to answer for everything Rather than upskilling or seeking out expertise to help with your marketing, you blame the algorithm anytime your social media content is not working. Your ego feels validated because you said a fancy word, so you don't feel the need to change anything you are doing. Thus, the cycle repeats itself and your results from your marketing never improve. The great news is once you become aware of your marketing blocks, then you can begin to change. You can leave the old stories behind and create new ones which are much more helpful to your business growth. So business besties, if you've answered yes to any of these things don't stress. Simply book a mindset coaching session with me. I have lots of cool ideas to help get you and your business back on track and am here to help. Verity xx  Do you ever find in yourself frustrated with clients that show up late, pay you late or not even at all? Or maybe you signed a killer contract only to be lumped with ton of unpaid revisions or extra work that wasn't included in the initial quote. If so it could be that poor boundaries are quickly sending your business go from boom to bust.
Business boundaries are our standards of what we will or won't accept in our business. Becoming uber clear on our business boundaries is super important not only for making a profit but also keeping our sanity. Here are 5 signs that boundary issues may be affecting your business:
If you find yourself nodding and saying OMG yes to any of these things it could be a sign that flimsy business boundaries are costing your business dollars. Becoming aware of and setting solid business boundaries is essential first step in the long term growth and success in your business. If boundary issues are busting your business, I highly recommend you purchase a copy of my Mindset Moguls Business Grow Book. It has a whole section dedicated to business boundaries that will help you get crystal clear on your boundaries and how to set and stick to them in your business. I promise you will thank me later.  5 signs your money mindset is sabotaging your business success.Hello business buddies. Do you ever feel stuck in a rut your business. Like not matter what you can only reach a certain level of income? Make a certain number of sales? Or worse yet, maybe you feel worried that you aren't going to make it?
I get it completely, because for a long time that was me too. A born creative, when I first started out in business I was full of passion and also totally naive. Being a child of the 80's I grew up on a healthy dose of Oprah's "follow your passion" narrative. This follow you dream sentiment was echoed to me through career counsellors in high school. At the age of 17 I began my first hobby business selling upcycled fashion at the local market. Then at 26 I started my own screen printing business. I believed that as long as I worked and "hustled" hard enough, and long enough I would eventually "make it". Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I sacrificed so much in my early career and relationships by my late 20's I found myself completely broke. It wasn't until my early 30's when I first learnt about my money mindset that I actually learnt how to make a profitable business that could sustain me. In fact was as if my whole life I'd had my blinkers on to how to actually make and save money. You see, unbeknown to me I had some serious money blocks. From a young age I had carried with me a set of long held stories and beliefs that deeply and completely impacted the way that I felt about receiving money. Some of these subconscious beliefs were inherited from family others from friends or from the media. First and foremost the belief that rich people are greedy, that money is the root of all evil, and that money isn't everything. Pro Tip: It's not nothing either. Fortunately I learnt how to challenge my beliefs and assumptions and adopted a much healthier money mindset and business behaviours. Nowadays I utilise my skills to help others grow their brand and business online. I also work with business owners on their marketing and money mindset so that they too can master (rather than sabotage) the business growth that comes from having a great online presence. Here are five signs that your money mindset is sabotaging your business success:
It's not that I am perfect now in business. Old habits die hard and I still have to pull myself up every now and again when I find myself undercharging or doing too much. However I am more aware of my beliefs and behaviours around money and my income has improved substantially. If you find yourself doing any of these things it could be a sign that money blocks that are limiting your business growth. To get started transforming your money mindset, I strongly encourage you to invest in Mindset Moguls business growbook. For just $27 it will change your life, or book a mindset coaching session for the opportunity to work with me one-on-one. Verity xx  One question business owners often as and that everyone wants to know is what is the best time to post on social media? What time will get me the most attention for my brand. It's a great question and one to which the answer is constantly changing.
Previously posting times were really important to make sure your content was seen, nowadays with so much content being posted all the time it's more about being relevant useful and engaging, and less about time. However, there are two general comments that can be made in 2020 is that midweek to Friday is generally the best time to post across all platforms - with weekends and in particular Sunday being the quietest. I can't actually comment on for every business without seeing the data. What I can tell you is that, it depends on a number of things, such as:
If you can find this information and compare it against your own business insights - voila it should give you a fairly good story as to when you should post. But in all honesty - the best answer for most small business owners is you post when you have time to post. Verity xx  Marketing may seem like just another task on every small business owners to-do-list - but if you really want a successful small business then you need to fall in love with marketing. Because when it comes to growing your business in 2020, your marketing mindset is everything.
Hey business friends do you ever find yourself putting off marketing, feeling frustrated at the social media or hesitating to post that video of yourself online. I get it totally, as a business owner - wouldn't it be nice if customers would just customers call out of the blue? The reality is far different - in the digital age with so many businesses online, standing out and getting your business noticed can be even harder than before. And if your marketing game is not on point it is likely your business will sink rather than swim. Sometimes marketing doesn't work, because it fails to appeal to the right audience. Sometimes it doesn't work because it is not delivered in time. Sometimes it doesn't work because it's not the right time or the market conditions. However oftentimes marketing campaigns fail, because the business owner is not fully invested in the marketing campaign working...they have a subconscious marketing block. Marketing blocks are sneaky stories we tell ourselves about marketing which can wreak havoc on our business if we remain unaware of them. You see as business owners the way we think about our marketing is super important. For example if we have an subconscious fear of being visible or being seen, or fear of being successful, or even a fear of having too much money, we may act in ways that sabotage our own success. Think you might have a marketing block? Here are some signs you could be sabotaging your marketing:
Fortunately, the great news is working on your mindset is an easy fix which doesn't require a lot of time of resources. If you would like help working on your marketing mindset, you can book an online mindset coaching session. Or contact me Verity for further information.  One question that frequently baffles small business owners and one that so many of my clients ask is what on earth do I post about on social media?
When it comes to social media content creation is a craft unto itself - one that can embolden your brand and bring in a downpour of clients if done right - or one that can be a super big brain drain and massive distraction from your business if you are unsure of what to post. When creating content start from the start is a good saying. Always remember your why, what and who are you posting for... Know your why... Remember why you are posting in the first place. For example, maybe you have an upcoming event that you want to promote, or maybe you just want to keep potential leads warm by nurturing your fan base and making them feel important? Being clear about why you are posting is a great starting point. Know your what... Know what action you want your fans to take. For example, do you want them to go to your website and make a purchase? Or do you simply want them to like and feel good and have fun when they interacting with your brand? Knowing what action you want audience members to take will tell you what sort of post you need to create. Know your who... Know who you are posting for. Your ideal customer, their needs, their pain points and their challenges. What type of material pr content do they like to read and consume? If you are unsure of your ideal customer is stay tuned for my Customer Avatar activity sheet which I will be releasing soon. One final point to make is that people consume social media for one of two main reasons. Either they want to be informed or they want to be entertained. If it's neither of these then consider post something else. If you need help nutting out content creation ideas for your social media I am more than happy to help. Book a 40 minute Social Media Coaching Session with me via Zoom to get started growing your business online.  Social Media is wonderful tool for growing your business but a big business sucker if you don't manage your time on it well. Here are my top five tips getting the most out of your time on social media: #1. Set aside a time each week for posting If you are managing social media in your business, the best way to work is in chunks or batches. Create several months worth of content at once and schedule your posts in advance. There may be times when you want to posts as events unfold or do live feeds which is totally fine - but aiming to batch and schedule most of your content is far more efficient. #2. Check your insights and statistics at the end of the week. Getting likes or comments on our posts can be as addictive as a drug for us humans. And while it's totally tempting to check back and see who's liked or commented on your posts it's neither productive helpful when it comes to growing your business. Instead, try setting aside half an hour at the end of your week on a Friday afternoon to view comments and insights. The end of week is a great time to do this, this way your avoid getting caught up in an addiction loop. #3. Resist the urge to pick up your smart phone Start becoming aware of any time you feel the urge to scroll through you your social media. Simply, notice and resist the urge to pick up your phone allowing for time in between. Simply notice what the urge feels like in your body and let it go. By doing this you will become more aware of - and gain more control over your social media use. #4. Allocate a time for browsing This doesn't mean you can't fun on social media at all. There are heaps of benefits to being active on social media. Set aside half an hour or an hour a week for browsing and reading content. And have a regular clean out by unsubscribing to content or pages that aren't relevant. #5. Use the help of apps If you find are unable to manage your time - there are plenty of apps which can help. Some popular apps which you can use to help you track and limit your time on social media Moment or Freedom. Facebook also has it's own time management tool which allows you to see how much time you have spent, and set a time reminder for app usage. If you would like coaching to get the most from your social media The Thrivery offers Social Media Coaching Sessions for just $99. To book a session simply visit my booking page here. Verity xx  In the year 2020 most business owners know that social media super important for growing their business. Yet, simply being active on social media and purposefully using it to nudge paying customers through the door are two totally different things.
Those most skilled at social media marketing invest a great deal of time crafting and creating content, as well as honing their sales copy because they know that a little effort invested at this stage will yield greater returns later on. Here are my ten commandments for successful social media that sells: #1. Know the path First of all, get super clear what action you want your followers to take. Do you want them to join your mailing list? Buy tickets to your event? Purchase a package from you? Once you are really clear on action you want them to take, then you can create an offer and user experience that is too good to be true. #2. Get inside your customers head Get a little bit obsessed with your ideal customer – know them intimately and keep them in mind any time you are writing for social media. Know their gender, their age, profession, income level. What do they read? Where do they hang out online? Hell even what do they eat for breakfast? If you are not sure – look at your top 20% of existing paying customers. They will give you a clue. #3. Be their shrink Most importantly you need to know your customers most pressing problems. What keeps them up at night? What are they just burning to solve? What problem if they solved would change their world for the better? This will be your marketing gold. #4. Be a shiny glimmer of hope Now you know your customers pain points you can demonstrate through your social media posts how you can solve their problems. The best way to do this is solving a smaller problem for them – think tips, how-to’s videos or snippets or information. Be a shiny glimmer of hope, but don’t give away your gold – save that for your paying customers. #5. Make your posts visually engaging Plain text alone or stock imagery for your content won’t cut it. Native video content outperforms almost all other types of content every time in terms of reach – the next best is photos of real people. #6. Make people feel People buy feelings, not products. True that your sales copy does need to include enough factual information for the buyer to make a purchase- but most importantly it should push on the buyer’s emotional levers. #7. Ask for the sale Don’t forget to actually ask people to do business with you. Every now and then include “Call to Actions” asking the reader to do something such as: Sign up to mailing list. Buy now. Book your ticket. Your Call To Actions should include a clickable button or link so as to make for an easy user experience. #8. But not like some desperate person A common mistake salespeople make is asking for the sale too early on in the relationship. The same goes for selling online – if you are constantly putting out Call To Actions but not engaging with your audience on an emotional level or providing useful or entertaining content, chances are they will feel the neediness and move on. #9. Reduce, Reuse and recycle Recyling and repurposing content is a great way to reduce your workload – and totally ok! In fact it is totally necessary for you to get the most out of your content creation. Only a small percentage of your followers will actually see your posts, so do not worry about posting the same content more than once. If you are worried about people seeing it twice, simply repost it at a different time and day. #10. Keep in touch Don’t ghost your customers – keep in contact with your customers after they make a purchase. Send them a follow up email to thank them for their purchase. Ask for a positive review or a reward or discount for creating user generated content showing images of your product. Send them a VIP voucher. Find ways to keep the relationship going. Here at The Thrivery I provide social media management, digital marketing and coaching for small, medium and micro businesses. If you would like help with your businesses social media say hello, email hello@thrivery.com.au.  Growing your business on social media is sometimes tricky but when done well social media can give your business a massive boost.
Many business owners today know they need social media to grow. However, social media can be time consuming and costly if you don't know what you are doing. Here are three easy ways you can start growing your business with social media today. #1. Host an event Create social media events out of regular occurring events in your business and post on your social media channels. For example, if you own a restaurant and offer a weekly lunch special why not create a social media event and post your menu? Or why not host a cooking demo with your head chef? Don't have any events coming up? Why not host a mini workshop in your area of expertise or VIP Party and invite your friends and followers. #2. Network like a boss It's surprising how many business owners forget to use social networks to well, network. If you are on Facebook, join groups related to your industry. If you are on LinkedIn follow others in your field. Get yourself known by commenting on other peoples posts. and providing value in your comments. #3. Find influencers in your niche People who are well respected and have a high number of followers in your niche are known as influencers. Research has shown that consumers are 92% more likely to buy something if it is recommended by their peers. So getting influencers to write or post about your product or service is a great way to promote your business. Some will post simply because they love your product, others will want freebies thrown their way to sweeten the deal. If you are looking at a professional influencer however, be prepared to pay $10 for every 1,000 followers or $1000 per 100,000 followers. Verity xxoo Business, Marketing & Mindset Mentor |Founder The Thrivery |
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