Marketing Made Easy for Women Entrepreneurs

I know it probably seems weird to say that in business you should be vulnerable, but the truth is that you need to build a “know, like, and trust” factor with your audience. In order to do this, they need to feel a true sense of knowing who you are and what makes you “tick”. 

I know it probably seems weird to say that in business you should be vulnerable, but the truth is that you need to build a “know, like, and trust” factor with your audience. In order to do this, they need to feel a true sense of knowing who you are and what makes you “tick”. 

It’s time to make your marketing more meaningful by bringing in vulnerability to relate to your audience!

When it comes to defining vulnerability, Brene Brown says it best... 

“The definition of vulnerability is uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.

But vulnerability is not weakness; it's our most accurate measure of courage.

When the barrier is our belief about vulnerability, the question becomes: 'Are we willing to show up and be seen when we can't control the outcome?'

When the barrier to vulnerability is about safety, the question becomes: 'Are we willing to create courageous spaces so we can be fully seen?” 

Marry Your Personal and Professional Branding

So, are you willing to create courageous spaces so you can be fully seen by your audience? To be fully seen is to be fully known. For them to trust you and the quality of service you provide, it’s time to let them get to know you. It’s time to share personal stories and give your audience glimpses into knowing you as you...more than just a business owner.

Sure, there are some etiquette tips that come with this. You can see my blog on Social Media Etiquette here [link social etiquette blog].

One of the ways you build the “know, like, and trust” factor with your audience is to share personal details about your life. People want to feel like they personally know the person they are doing business with and that their business (their baby!) is in good professional hands, too!

So, who are you? 

How do you currently show your audience the person you are?

What details about your life do you currently share?

It’s okay if your answer is “well, I don’t currently share any personal details.” This is common, and it just means we need to start to integrate personal content with your professional content. Trust me, you’ll see the results almost instantly upon getting more vulnerable!

You need to share personal details with your audience in order to let them into your world. 

Think about it, do you truly enjoy to follow and engage with someone online who only talks business? Maybe you do, but maybe that feels a little too sales-y sometimes. I personally think it does. 

As a consumer, I don’t want to feel constantly sold to. In fact, those are the businesses/people I tend to unfriend or block. (YIKES, I said it.)

I always use this example with my real estate agent clients. Any licensed REALTOR® can help you buy or sell a home, but which one do you want to do business with? Do you feel comfortable around? Do you trust with one of the biggest investments in your life? Did someone specific come to mind? 

The same is true with marketing. Lots of marketers can help you with your branding, design, social media, or website, but you have to find the best fit for your business.

We connect through personal experiences. It’s how we relate! Your audience will not likely fully relate to you through your business expertise. Sure, they will appreciate the value you provide, but they need to be able to relate to you, to see you as a human.

Sometimes an easy way to do this is to think of your top 3 personal details that you want to talk about and for your personal brand to be known for. 

Who are you? 

Are you a mom? If so, integrate stories about your day-to-day life as a mom + business owner.

Are you a coffee-lover? If so, share a picture of your morning cup of coffee and ask your audience about the drinks they like to have in the morning!

A traveler? Share some of your favorite places you’ve traveled, and stories from your travels.

A fur-parent? People love pictures of babies and puppies/kittens. You can never go wrong sharing a picture of your pets!

What are you passionate about? Emotional connection is huge for your audience. Share what you’re passionate about. Maybe you have a charity that you love to support or a cause that you promote. Bring them into that world with you! 

Pick 3 things that you want to be known for and integrate these into your business posts. 

Creating content calendars & Proactively planning

So, how do you make sure you have a good balance of personal and professional content? Proactively planning your content is a big part of this, and using a content calendar is a great way to get a whole picture of the month ahead (or few months ahead, if you like planning further in advance!)

When planning the content for your business, sit down with a monthly calendar, and begin to plug in topics that are relatable, helpful, and applicable to your business and your audience. The overall picture of your monthly content should be a healthy mix of personal topics, and the value you provide through your business expertise.

When we think of social media, especially, we often think of…

-The number of followers we have

-How the algorithms are affecting our content’s visibility

-And how we can effectively use hashtags to reach more people.

All of this IS important in marketing your business, but if you focus on these without placing significant importance on building relationships, you are missing a key component of connecting with your audience! This is worth re-mentioning, “...if you focus on these without placing significant importance on building relationships, you are missing a key component of connecting with your audience!

Remember that there are so many ways to market your content! There are various platforms for you to publish content, and having a variety will help you appeal to your audience no matter what their learning style.

• Blogs
• Social Media Posts
• Instagram/Facebook Stories
• Videos/Lives
• Email Marketing

.Just to name a few.

Take time to do it right instead of doing all the things all the time

We talked about how many different opportunities there are for marketing your business. On the contrary, part of your marketing strategy needs to be to focus on which efforts will actually move your business forward. If you try to do all the things all the time you are likely to just exhaust yourself and your resources. 

I see it all the time.

Business owners get excited and want to show up everywhere, on all platforms, in every way possible. 

This ties back to the saying “spreading yourself too thin”. You may start to think that this is just part of being a woman entrepreneur. Trust me, I’ve been there, but I’m telling you, you can work smarter and you should -- every chance you get!

Sure, you can show up everywhere, but it doesn’t mean you should and it doesn’t mean it’s the most effective strategy for your business.

What if you use the effort you’re spending on showing up everywhere and pour it into the platforms your ideal clients are spending the most time on. Imagine how much you can increase your visibility to them if you focus on strategies WHERE they are hanging out!

Joining a Community

There are also various communities for you to be a part of that will help give you ideas, hold you accountable, and provide encouragement as you work on your business marketing.

Consider joining a supportive community on Facebook where you can find other business owners that can help you along your journey.

These communities are often also run by a marketing professional (look into this, as that’s not always the case!). How great that you can have access to and support from a professional on a more casual basis!

As business owners, we're told we need a website, SEO, video, social media, advertising, and more. It's no wonder that we feel like we're spinning our wheels when it comes to digital marketing! It's time to stop that shit. Like, now. I created a group for women entrepreneurs who want to simplify their marketing efforts by creating an authentic space to thrive! Are you ready?

 Come join us in Marketing Made Easy for Women Entrepreneurs!