There's so many marketing channels out there adding to the noise that is the digital space, it's hard to figure out which ones are worth your time. Here are my top 5:

1. Chaos & Confusion

A sister duo helps you to navigate the digital marketing world with a fun and entertaining approach. They also cover generational differences, mental health awareness, hustle culture, and anything else that may be on their minds that week. There is no shortage of laughs, while also offering up some of their best business marketing hacks. They are on TikTok and Instagram.

2. Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast

Amy Porterfield is always a relatable listen, while providing valuable information for the modern-day entrepreneur. You can find her podcast here. 

3. Social Exchange Marketing 

Lela is a master at incorporating witty humor into her account that also offers up plenty of applicable advice for small business owners. She focuses mostly on equine marketing, but her posts benefit all entrepreneur...

This is a novel concept to a lot of people, which is funny to me because it's always just seemed like an obvious approach to business marketing in my mind. But you should be treating yourself as a small business even if you aren't. Think: dentists and doctors with their own practice, salesmen, realtors, insurance agents, etc. This is how you set yourself apart from all the others in your industry even if you aren't technically a small business. 

Create business accounts on social media for yourself, spend time engaging with your ICA, create behind the scenes videos, go live, post entertaining, thoughtful content, develop a loyal following, and the in-person business will come easily. 

Hardly anyone in any of the industries that aren't conventionally considered small businesses are marketing in this way. Get started and get ahead of the game before everyone else catches up and the return on investment will be tenfold. Even small businesses in the trades such as plumbers and electricia...

When I was younger, I was a voracious reader. As adult life took over, that pastime sadly suffered. After I graduated college and got done reading all the required textbooks, I realized I missed it. I missed learning. And so, my love for audiobooks emerged. I listened to almost 30 books in 2020 and I'm sharing with you my very favorites. Some were fiction (historical fiction is my jam), but most are geared towards self-development and business. 

1. Untamed by Glennon Doyle

2. Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller

3. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

4. Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

5. Super Attractor by Gabby Bernstein

6. Atomic Habits by James Clear

7. Stories That Stick by Kendra Hall (I later took her course that was great as well)

8. Superfans by Pat Flynn

9. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (this completely altered my perspective and approach to money)

10. Braving The Wilderness, Daring Greatly, and Rising Strong by Brene Brown (sorry, I cheated but I loved them all)

I ...

Marketing is all about connecting right? And nothing fosters connection better than stories. They have the ability to get people to relate to what you're saying on an emotional level like no other marketing strategy can. This is where the power in stories lies. 

 Any story can be used to further develop your marketing strategy, from the things that completely change your life to the every day situations we all come across. No matter the kind of story it is, I highly suggest including all the details you can. The details are where connection happens. For instance, if you're recalling a time from your childhood, and you mention the old Coke machine in the corner... that brings with it a whole feeling of nostalgia for so many people. Maybe the Coke machine isn't technically pertinent to the story, but that's something your audience can connect to. This is not to say, however, that your stories shouldn't have a conclusion or point...they absolutely should. A story with no conclusion is ki...

How do you know what words and phrasing you should be using in your content? Let me let you in on a little secret. The language you should be using is the exact language that your audience uses. For instance, if you hear them complaining over and over again about needing help meal planning, or not being able to find the motivation to turn off Netflix and get off the couch, create content that not only revolves around those topics, but uses those exact words. Maybe you create a freebie that is titled "Motivate Yourself To Get Off The Couch in 3 Easy Steps." See? In this way, you don't need to come up with your own content! Your ICA will tell you exactly what they want from you without even knowing it. And by using their actual words, you ensure your content will resonate with them too. You could create the same freebie with the title "How To Exercise in 3 Easy Steps" and even though it might contain the exact same content, chances are it won't get nearly as many clicks in the first plac...

There's a very common misconception out there among business owners that you need thousands of followers in order to be successful. I often hear "When I have tons of followers like __________, then I'll be making sales left and right." It's like they're waiting for followers to "happen" to them. You think you know what's coming right, what I'm going to advise you to do? I'm not going to suggest the solution is to go out and make a bunch of followers happen, that "you're in control of your destiny" kinda thing. Nope.  

Here's the deal: a small targeted niche audience gives you an advantage over those with tons of followers. Why? Two words. Customer experience. Even if they're not your customers yet, you can give your followers more of a personalized experience that just isn't possible when you have thousands upon thousands of followers. Use this to your advantage! Here are some ideas you can implement into your follower experience when you're "small:"

1. Start genuinely thoughtful con...