by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 3, 2021 | Ideal Heroic Client, Market Research, Marketing Strategies
Last month in the Digital Dining Room we focused on Market Research. Specifically, how the heck do you find out what your Ideal Client is ready and willing to pay for? Because there’s a difference between them needing and wanting something. Traditional business...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 3, 2021 | Market Research
Recently, I wrote a post called It’s All About YOU. (That’s the page you might want to bookmark and visit later as it was made especially for our readers to share themselves and their questions — no expiration date!). Today, I address a question from Karen...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 3, 2021 | Branding, Podcasts, Social Media
Mark Schaefer stopped in at the Word Café last week and we had a chance to talk recently about his new book, Return on Influence. Here are the highlights: Q: How did you decide to write this book? I have to be honest…I’ve been watching this whole Klout...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 2, 2021 | Branding, Storytelling
Noise. Bloat. Overcrowded marketplaces. Saturated industries. I won’t kid you. It’s an uphill battle to create the right offer — a product or service — that stands head-and-shoulders above those of your competitors. And that battle? It’s...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 2, 2021 | Features and Benefits, Ideal Heroic Client, Storytelling, Writing Tips
The $64,000 question is: Do your customers want to buy what you're selling?
If you've done your homework (i.e., market research), and you know without a doubt that your product or service is something people need and/or want, yet you still fail to generate sales, then there's something missing in your marketing messages.
In short, you're not "speaking" your customer's language (either online or in person).
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 2, 2021 | Ideal Heroic Client, Market Research
Meet Joshua Bell. He’s HUGE in the classical music world. A few years ago, he posed as a street musician in in Washington DC, and nobody paid him any attention. Normally, if you want to see this guy play, you have to shell out a minimum of $100 (that’s for...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 2, 2021 | Ideal Heroic Client, Market Research, Marketing Budget, Marketing Strategies
This is a guest post by Jessica Oman of Write Ahead. Did you hear the one about the entrepreneur who hired bikini-clad models to market a delicious organic barbecue sauce to moms with young kids? …Didn’t think so. This is a typical example of what...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 1, 2021 | Branding, Features and Benefits, Storytelling, Writing Tips
Eating healthy can sometimes be a tricky thing. Especially if you've got a sweet tooth. Or a penchant for all-things-fried.
When we don't make good choices, we end up feeling pretty miserable. And not just because we can't see our feet any longer. It really sucks when your bottom line won't fit into your favorite jeans!
The same is true for your marketing. Your website (and the other channels you use to promote yourself) need to have just the right balance of ingredients in order to keep a healthy number of customers and prospects at your table.
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 1, 2021 | Branding, Storytelling, Writing Tips
“Words, are our most inexhaustible source of magic. They are our most potent forms of enchantment. Rich with the power to hurt or heal.” — Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Yes, words have a great deal of power. Here’s a short...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 1, 2021 | Branding, Case Studies
True story: Mr. Perfect and I are moving in together in 3 weeks. Sure. It’s just across town. But the headaches are still the same: find just the right place; do gobs of paperwork; make tons of phone calls to various utilities; simultaneously pack-sell-or-trash...
![[Infographic] Solopreneurs: How We Market Online – 2012 Survey Results](http://storybistro.com/wp-content/uploads/food-growth.jpg)
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 1, 2021 | Market Research
What We’re Doing, What’s Working and What’s Not Created from survey data collected from nearly 1,200 respondents during June 2012. A full length research report is also available. For more, click here. Embed this Infographic <a...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 31, 2020 | Branding, Community & Relationships, Writing Tips
Your "Secret Sauce" is your personality. It's the flavor that you bring to everything you do. And it comes across in many ways -- your voice, your style and your sense of humor. When you interact with real-live human beings, your secret sauce is pretty evident. Most of the time, people can "get" who you are after just a few brief conversations.
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 30, 2020 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding
8 Maids a-Milking It’s Day 8 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we look at unexpected ways to build an impactful and memorable brand. You’ve heard the phrase, “Milking...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 30, 2020 | Market Research, Working with Marketing Professionals
Stuck in research land again? Trying to get inside the mind of your Ideal Client? Maybe you’ve heard about this thing called a “focus group” and you thought, Yeah, that’s what we need to do! Mmmm. Perhaps. A focus group can be helpful. It can...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 30, 2020 | Case Studies, Community & Relationships, Marketing Strategies
Just over 8 weeks ago, in preparation for our upcoming season of “Prosperity’s Kitchen,” I called for volunteers for a little experiment in gamification. You might think it’s just a buzzword, but “gamification” is one way to create...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 29, 2020 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding, Case Studies
Four Calling Birds… It’s Day 4 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we’ve got an awesome case study on how to do things that work, plus I give you four new ways to...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 29, 2020 | Marketing Strategies
This is a guest post from one of our Digital Dining Room members, Abe Crystal of ruzuku.com. If there’s one question we hear at ruzuku over and over again, it’s, “How do I effectively market and promote my online course?” Fundamentally? Marketing your...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 29, 2020 | Case Studies, Marketing Strategies
Locally-based businesses (as opposed to multi-national corporations) are the life blood of any community. And people are beginning to understand the importance of nurturing local economies. But there are still a few hold outs.
While it is clearly to our collective benefit to support local businesses, many people still patronize national chains. And the reasons don't all have to do with pricing.
If you are a small, locally-owned business trying to compete with the big guys, you might want to consider the following parable.
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 28, 2020 | eMail Marketing, Zeus Experiment
A guest post by Zeus Yiamouyiannis. Is it possible for a Ph.D. in education (me) to take a half-day getting his website email up and going? (Drum roll…) Yes, it is. You’re kidding. I mean, c’mon, this should take a few minutes, right? Umm, not exactly. I know what you...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 28, 2020 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding
Two turtle doves… It’s Day 2 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed Day 1, you can find it here. In today’s installment we talk about two important foundations for any brand: The Vision and Mission. If you could wave your magic wand and create a...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 27, 2020 | Book Reviews, Branding, Creativity
I recently spoke with Anita Campbell of SmallBizTrends.com and BizSugar.com and David Langton of Langton Cherubino Group — the co-authors of “Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Images and Design.” If you’d like...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 27, 2020 | Social Media
Have you met this guy? He’s a very sneaky sort of villain. He’s what we call around here an Evil Chef Robot. And he’s just one of several marketing-type enemies that could hurt your solo business. Let’s take a look-see, shall we? How to Spot...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 27, 2020 | Market Research
Do you make your money independently? As a solo professional, freelancer or “solopreneur?” If the answer is yes, please read on… Wearing all the hats AND looking good while you do it isn’t as easy most people think. Your marketing hat might be...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 26, 2020 | Branding, Case Studies, Marketing Strategies
As many of you noticed, we recently wrapped up the First Annual Tastiest Small Biz Brand Award campaign. The event/marketing efforts lasted nearly three months and worked to accomplish (or surpass!) several goals. These were: Help establish Word Chef authority in the...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 25, 2020 | Marketing Strategies, Productivity
When I meet with a potential client, one of the questions I usually ask is, "What does your sales funnel look like?" The blank stares and nervous coughing I get in response would almost be funny. Except when I try to ask it another way, and I can still hear crickets. "Okay, then tell me about your sales process -- how do you get and nurture your leads?"
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 25, 2020 | Book Reviews, Podcasts, Social Media
Beth and I met last year in a guest blogging class taught by Jon Morrow, and it wasn’t long before we’d hit it off. We’ve even managed to meet up in person a few times, and it’s always an energizing exchange when we get the chance to talk. This...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 24, 2020 | Branding, Storytelling
Do you look the same as your competitors? SOUND the same? You might find this hard to believe, but even with my branding background, I’ve had a blind spot about HOW to stand out from the crowd. Differentiation — that fancy word for your Unique Value...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 23, 2020 | Community & Relationships, Marketing Strategies
Have you ever tried to do something big? No, I mean, massively huge -- something even a little audacious?
If you haven't, you're missing out on one of the best adventure of your life.
But if you have, then you know you can't really pull off something enormous without the help of other people. Which is why my Entrepreneur's Manifesto calls you to "Collaborate in the Kitchen.
Here's a story about one woman who is doing just that...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 22, 2020 | Branding, Creativity, Ideal Heroic Client, Market Research
When you’re really hungry, it’s easy to opt for fast-food. It’s cheap and it’s quick, and it gets the job done. But a Whopper isn’t beef bourguignon. There’s about a 2-hour difference in the time it takes to create them. The Whopper...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 22, 2020 | Branding, Marketing Strategies
Most of the advice out there about referrals is related to your customers (i.e., getting them to send you new ones.) In short, make them happy and they’ll want to tell their friends about you. But you can also get some fabulous referrals from your peers and...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 21, 2020 | Branding
We branding folk talk a lot about passion and purpose. In fact they’re two key elements you must figure out if you want to make sure your business has a fighting chance for success. Why? Because Passion is what gets your motor running. It sparks and fuels your...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 21, 2020 | Marketing Strategies, Working with Marketing Professionals
You have a pretty good understanding of what needs to be done (marketing-wise) in your business. You read all the advice (it’s pretty much the same from blog to blog). You know you need a marketing plan. You know you need to do x-y-z on a regular basis. But...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 18, 2020 | Case Studies, Creativity, Ideal Heroic Client, Marketing Budget, Marketing Strategies, Podcasts
As the President of Small Business Finance Forum, Nicole Fende, aka the Numbers Whisperer™ is a credentialed actuary with experience as a Chief Financial Officer, Investment Banker, and successful entrepreneur. She’s also the author of the new book, “How...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 18, 2020 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding, Marketing Strategies
Seven Swans a-Swiming! It’s Day 7 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we’ll dive into the Marketing Rule of 7. Never heard of it? Read on! Let’s start off today with a visualization...
