by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 22, 2024 | Creativity, Market Research, Working with Marketing Professionals
Note: Recently, I published a post about blowing things up. That post literally got more comments than any other post I’ve ever received on this site. Clearly, I’m not the only one frustrated by the system as it exists. I’ve been getting a lot of...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 21, 2024 | Branding, Case Studies
Here in the West, purple carrots aren't a commonly found in your local produce departments. In fact, you'll probably have to go out of your way, by searching for them at the fringes: places like your farmer's market or a specialty grocer.
There's a little vegetable stand near my house where I can find maybe 3 or 4 at any given time (mostly because there's a woman who comes in every morning and buys nearly all of them for herself). The shop owner literally can't keep enough of these guys on hand.
In short, these guys are special. Remarkable even. And they're almost certainly a topic of conversation when served to dinner guests. They're so special, they make the chef look special, too.
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 21, 2024 | Branding, Case Studies, Ideal Heroic Client, Marketing Budget, Working with Marketing Professionals
When I first started my consulting practice I used a combination of just three funding sources: savings, credit cards and a little thing called barter. Bartering can be great fun — especially when you find someone who has what you need and who needs what you...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 21, 2024 | 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 | Mar 21, 2024 | Social Media
About a month ago, I made a conscious decision to spend more time over on Google+. I did this knowing that the odds are you’re not hanging out there (yet) — even if you do have a G+ account. I did this even though I have no desire to learn some newfangled...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 20, 2024 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding
Nine Ladies Dancing! It’s Day 9 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment I’ve got 9 great videos for you. These are excellent examples of how you can use the strategy of...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 20, 2024 | Branding, Podcasts
Spent an enjoyable Monday morning chatting with Flora Brown of Color Your Life Happy on BlogTalkRadio. Listen to this 30 minute interview and learn my 9 step process for creating your Secret Sauce so you can spice up your small...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 20, 2024 | Branding, Creativity, Marketing Strategies
Rattlesnakes have a bit of a reputation. You might even call it a “brand.” Their collective brand includes stories that usually end in life and death scenarios. Very much a “handle with care” kind of item, right? So if I offered you the chance...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 20, 2024 | 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 | Mar 19, 2024 | 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 | Mar 19, 2024 | Branding, Case Studies, Ideal Heroic Client, Podcasts
Earlier this week, I talked with Abe and Rick of Ruzuku.com — an online platform created to make it “ridiculously easy” to teach better classes on the web. Ruzuku first came onto my radar when Abe posted this question on my “It’s All...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 18, 2024 | eMail Marketing
If you’re any sort of geek, you know about Schrödinger’s Cat. Is it alive? Or isn’t it? You won’t know until you open the dang box. Which brings me to next point: Your eMail list is a lot like that cat. If you think you have one, but you never...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 18, 2024 | Market Research, Writing Tips
This is a guest post by Josh Pigford Did you know that online surveys don’t have to be boring? Gathering feedback is a necessary part of running a business, but the process doesn’t necessarily have to be dull. Instead, surveys can be fun, engaging...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 17, 2024 | Case Studies, eMail Marketing, Working with Marketing Professionals, Zeus Experiment
A guest post by Zeus Yiamouyiannis. For those of you just tuning in, this is the latest in a series of posts for The Zeus Experiment, whereby I chronicle my learning curve and ups and downs in developing my own successful online business. Tea Silvestre is my mentor in...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 17, 2024 | eMail Marketing
November is National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). And, even though I won’t be working on my novel, I want to push myself to create some new writing habits. At first I thought I’d try my hand at short stories. But then I remembered my Box... I have...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 17, 2024 | Book Reviews, Marketing Strategies, Podcasts
Everyone has a different idea of what it means to grow their business. Some of us think we need to reach for 6- or 7-figures. Others would prefer a 4-hour work week. And then there are those who would just like to be able to pay the bills and put a little away for...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 16, 2024 | Branding, Ideal Heroic Client
If you’ve ever been camping in bear country, you know the drill. Lock up your food. Keep your trash safely stowed. And for cryin-out-loud, don’t feed the bears! When it comes to your business, it’s also a wise idea to safeguard something...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 15, 2024 | Branding, Writing Tips
There's a guy in San Diego named Charlie who likes to fry things. Weird things that most people would never think of. Stuff like Klondike bars, Girl Scout cookies, and Pop Tarts.
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 15, 2024 | Book Reviews, Branding, Market Research, Podcasts, Writing Tips
Roger Dooley, the author of Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing, stopped by the Word Cafe for a quick chat about his new book. Here are the highlights: TS: How did you get started with neuromarketing, Roger? RD: Practically my...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 15, 2024 | Marketing Strategies
Advice for My (Much Earlier, More Naive) Entrepreneurial Self (Note: Much of this post first appeared on the Prosperity’s Kitchen website under the title, “An Open Letter to New Entrepreneurs.” I’ve modified the text somewhat.) Hey Girl,...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 15, 2024 | Branding
What I’m about to tell you might kill my business, but I have to say it: I’m done (yes, you can stick a fork in me). I’ve never wanted to build an empire — at least not one whose sole purpose was “bigger, better marketing.” And a...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 13, 2024 | Branding, Ideal Heroic Client
If you’ve been a freelancer or a small business owner for even a few months, I’m sure you’ve heard the advice, “Differentiate, or die.” The experts are like a dog with a bone: “Nail down your USP, if you want to succeed,” they say....
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 13, 2024 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding, Writing Tips
Five Go~lden Rings! It’s Day 5 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 5 creative examples of how to tell your brand story. One of the easiest places to tell your story is the...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 13, 2024 | Branding, Case Studies, Storytelling
Every hero has one: an origin story. Bruce Wayne watched a mugger brutally kill his parents when he was just a child. Peter Parker found his inner hero after a radioactive spider bit him. Buffy discovered she was “The Chosen One” and learned to leverage her slayer...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 12, 2024 | Branding, Case Studies, Working with Marketing Professionals
(Or, does it just need a little freshening up?) When we start our ventures (if we do things right), we create branding that eventually accomplishes the goal of telling our story in a way that is unique, compelling and builds community. Both the visual and written...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 11, 2024 | 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...
![[Infographic] Solopreneurs: How We Market Online – 2012 Survey Results](http://storybistro.com/wp-content/uploads/food-growth.jpg)
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 11, 2024 | 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 | Mar 11, 2024 | Marketing Strategies
This is a guest post by Michelle Nickolaisen. Launch stress is awful at the best of times, but it’s definitely not something you want to have mess with your holidays. There are a lot of factors to launching during or after the holidays without ripping your hair...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 10, 2024 | Community & Relationships, Social Media
Yes, we all know it’s about quality, not quantity. But still. It’s tempting to want to take shortcuts with building your connections on social media. After all, at some point, you DO need a critical mass to help you get traction. But when we stoop to...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 9, 2024 | 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 | Mar 9, 2024 | 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 | Mar 9, 2024 | Branding
“Clarity is power.” (author unknown) Over the years, the one challenge most of my consulting clients have in common is still the same: a struggle to define themselves. Sound familiar? Most of them know what their business is about and what they have to...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 8, 2024 | Branding, Storytelling, Writing Tips
I'm normally not drawn to reality TV shows. I'll admit a wee addiction in the past -- especially the early years of American Idol and The Apprentice. But I nipped those habits in the bud after a few seasons. It was easy. I just cancelled my cable.
But at the beginning of this year, I moved in with my boyfriend and rediscovered my love of reality TV through The Next Food Network Star. The main idea of the show is to find the next FN "star" (while also promoting FN and its current cast). But here's what you can learn from watching...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Mar 7, 2024 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding
Ten Lords a-Leaping… It’s Day 10 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment I give you ten quantum leap actions from ten “Lords” of branding on how to create a stand-out...
