by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 2, 2020 | Book Reviews, Ideal Heroic Client, Social Media, Working with Marketing Professionals
Meet Brandon Mendelson (aka BJ Mendelson), an ex-marketer whose recently published book, “Social Media is Bullshit,” has been getting mostly favorable reviews. (A lot of the flack comes from folks who make a living from social media.) You can listen to the...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 2, 2020 | 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, 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...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Jan 2, 2020 | 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 | Dec 31, 2019 | 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 30, 2019 | Features and Benefits, Ideal Heroic Client, Market Research, Marketing Strategies, Writing Tips
When I was still a youngster (in the days before the Internet was considered a valid way to get your message out), I spent my nights and weekends at the UC Davis Extension learning the "official" rules of "Product-Price-Place-Promotion."
One of my first professors (I think his name was Mr. Aguilar) had a strange attachment to the term "pasta marketing." He must've used this term at least twice in every class. His point was that lots of people do their marketing like they cook their pasta: they throw it against the wall to see if it's done. If it sticks, they think it's good. And if doesn't, well...you go back to the drawing board.
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 30, 2019 | Branding
You and I may never meet in real life. So there are a few things you might never learn about me. The fact that I’m 6 ft. tall, for instance. Or, that I generally operate on the “piles and post-its” filing system. (But those are just surface quirks....
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 30, 2019 | 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 | Dec 30, 2019 | 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 30, 2019 | 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 30, 2019 | 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 | Dec 30, 2019 | Branding, Case Studies, Community & Relationships, Ideal Heroic Client, Market Research
Except for my client Rebecca Joseph (aka The Rabbi Chef), your goal is probably not to be the Next Food Network Star.
But there's a whole lot that celebrity chefs can teach us about working in a crowded marketplace. The successful ones truly excel at building their brands and growing their fan base. How do they do it? Here are five of their marketing strategies that you can (and should) adopt today:
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 30, 2019 | Case Studies, Marketing Strategies
Last month in the Digital Dining Room, the group’s mission was to identify their main business goal for the final quarter of the year and then to develop a content strategy to support it. Here’s how we got them there: Step One: Brainstorm ideas using a...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 29, 2019 | Branding, Storytelling
Humans. We all love a good story. Especially if they’re true. Ever watched a movie based on a true story? This weekend, I found myself engrossed in “Big Miracle.” It’s based on the true story of the international effort to rescue a family of...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 29, 2019 | Marketing Budget, Working with Marketing Professionals
You’re at the crossroads. (And I totally feel your pain.) We both know there aren’t enough minutes in the day to finish up all that work on your plate. Clients are trying to track you down. And the emails and phone calls are coming in faster than you can...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 29, 2019 | 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 | Dec 29, 2019 | 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 | Dec 29, 2019 | 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 | Dec 29, 2019 | 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 | Dec 28, 2019 | 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 | Dec 28, 2019 | Branding, Podcasts
Nicole Fende, aka The Numbers Whisperer, interviews Tea about cooking up a killer brand. Check out the podcast on her BlogTalkRadio show: The Small Biz Finance...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 27, 2019 | Branding
Most people don’t know that my parents named me Christina. I changed my name to Téa in college (I’ll share why at the end of this post). Yes, it’s my legal name. Believe me, the IRS, the DMV and every government office between Los Angeles and Portland can verify...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 27, 2019 | 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 | Dec 27, 2019 | Branding, Community & Relationships, Marketing Strategies, Podcasts
Just before Christmas, I picked up a new book called “Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships.” And I really enjoyed it. So much so, that I added it to my Must Read Marketing List and then reached out to the author for an interview. Andrew Davis...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 26, 2019 | 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 26, 2019 | 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 | Dec 25, 2019 | 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 | Dec 25, 2019 | 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 | Dec 25, 2019 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding, Marketing Strategies
Six Geese a-Laying! It’s Day 6 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 look at the six key elements of using design to create memorable visual representations for your brand. Set...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 24, 2019 | 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 23, 2019 | 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 22, 2019 | 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 | Dec 22, 2019 | Branding, Creativity, Marketing Dish
“New mouth, New rules!” — The Doctor Worried that your marketing sounds a lot like everyone else’s? It happens. To the best of us! Usually because we’re too insecure to throw away those sales page blueprints and email templates and create...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Dec 19, 2019 | Branding, Case Studies, Writing Tips, Zeus Experiment
This is a guest post by Zeus This week I quadrupled sign-ups for my mailing list, and re-taught myself some valuable lessons: Trust yourself. Be original in voice. Put quality first. Tap into your existing community. Write what you know. Here’s what happened: My...
