by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 14, 2023 | Branding, Writing Tips
You’ve seen other people do it. Stephen Colbert used to do it all the time. George Bush (Jr) is probably still doing it. Both of them got pretty famous for their efforts (although, for different reasons). That word they create is sometimes called a portmanteau,...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 14, 2023 | 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 | Nov 13, 2023 | 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 | Nov 13, 2023 | 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 | Nov 13, 2023 | Branding, Community & Relationships
I’ve been doing a lot of hanging out with freakishly cool kids. (Have you noticed?) First came the Word Carnival carnies. (An ever-growing close-knit tribe of bloggers who write for the small biz crowd.) We’ve been together for almost nine months now. Then...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 13, 2023 | 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 | Nov 12, 2023 | Book Reviews, Branding, Ideal Heroic Client, Writing Tips
I love to read (duh). And when I’m not reading supernatural romances, I’m devouring nonfiction business and self improvement titles. (Amazon loves me!) The following list encompasses some of my favorite, and most recommended titles in the field of...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 11, 2023 | 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 | Nov 10, 2023 | 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 | Nov 10, 2023 | 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 | Nov 10, 2023 | eMail Marketing, Social Media
Last month, a couple of folks I know (yep…Carney folks!) were lamenting the fact that there seemed to be an unusual number of people unsubscribing — or, worse! complaining about SPAM — every time they sent an email to their lists. Feelings of panic,...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 9, 2023 | 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 | Nov 9, 2023 | 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 | Nov 8, 2023 | 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 | Nov 7, 2023 | 12 Days of Branding, Branding
11 Pipers Piping! It’s Day 11 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 what needs to happen in order to get people talking about your brand. If you know me at all, you know that...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 7, 2023 | Branding, Storytelling, Writing Tips
Did you know that your About Page is one of your website’s most important tools? For some of us, it’s probably one of THE most-visited pages on the entire site. And that’s because people want to know who they’re about to do business with. Are...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 7, 2023 | 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 | Nov 6, 2023 | 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 | Nov 6, 2023 | 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 | Nov 6, 2023 | Case Studies, eMail Marketing, Working with Marketing Professionals, Zeus Experiment
A guest post by Zeus Yiamouyiannis. What if, underneath it all, your carefully planned and wished-for life was nothing more than an adventurous experiment? Would that free you or strike terror into your heart? What if you were both the guinea pig and the dude in the...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 6, 2023 | 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 | Nov 5, 2023 | 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...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 4, 2023 | Branding
There, I said it. One of my deepest fears laid out for the whole world to see: I’m not really who you think I am. Mostly — like 99% of the time — I’m actually pretty confident. I know that I know my stuff. But every now and then something...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 4, 2023 | Branding
This past weekend I attended (via simulcast) Andrea Lee‘s Lasting Lead Generation event. It was three days of fabulous teaching, coaching and delivery of actionable content. And I gotta say, she really knows her stuff! One of the first exercises she had us do...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 3, 2023 | 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 | Nov 3, 2023 | Book Reviews, Branding, Podcasts
Karen Post, aka the Branding Diva, has a great new book called “Brand Turnaround: How Brands Gone Bad Returned to Glory…and the 7 Game Changers that Made the Difference.“ I spoke with her earlier this week on the Word Cafe podcast. Here are the highlights....
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 2, 2023 | 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 | Nov 2, 2023 | Branding, Creativity, Writing Tips
Earlier this month, I talked about the Bears (and how to keep them from eating your business). That post sort of explains the comeback to small biz ownership I made last year. But it’s not the whole story. Nope. See, this is the anniversary of something pretty...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Nov 2, 2023 | 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 | Oct 31, 2023 | 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 | Oct 30, 2023 | Ideal Heroic Client, Market Research, Marketing Budget, Marketing Strategies
Question: My corporate training business has been doing well in the local markets where we live. But how to do we get national clients and expand our business? On a small budget of course. How can we get that kind of reach to potential corporate clients without...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Oct 28, 2023 | eMail Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Storytelling
Julia leaned back in her chair and watched her laptop power-up. Coffee. It was 5:42 in the morning. And coffee was about the only coherent thought she could muster. She opened her Google calendar. What time is that appointment again? She had a 10:30 call with a...
by Téa Silvestre Godfrey | Oct 28, 2023 | 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 | Oct 27, 2023 | 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...
