Bricks & Clicks

No industry has been harder hit by the coronavirus pandemic than retail. So how has retail adapted, and does working-from-home fit into retail work? "Bricks and Clicks" host Jennifer Kaylo Ruscin explores how retail buyers are pivoting to online work and what that looks like for both the buyer and the product seller. She welcomes guest Alli Ball, a former buyer for Bi-Rite and founder of Retail Ready, an online course helping food companies grow their sales both in-store and online.

Ball is confident that buyers are actually benefiting from working from home in a focused, uninterrupted space. Sellers too have also had a leg up by receiving buyer's undivided attention. In Ball’s program, she encourages students to practice pitches at length before pitching to their dream company.

“There’s something exciting about leveling the playing field here and giving all categories a chance to connect with buyers.” Said Ball. Sellers have shifted to sending their product directly to buyers’ homes. Buyers can relish in the unboxing process, and sellers can curate this as an enjoyable experience that elevates their product

Small businesses gain insight and benefit from the Retail Ready program, learning marketing and branding initiatives that appeal to the appreciation of unboxing something special.

Today I'm interviewing Betsy McGinn of McGinn eComm, former ecommerce director for Seventh Generation, and other various capacities at some of the world's largest food CPG's like Hain Celestial Group and Tazo Tea.

With over a decade of eComm CPG experience, Betsy authored The Amazon Roadmap book (available on Amazon!), and serves as a brand strategist for companies wanting a solid plan to dominate ecommerce.

Betsy and I cover 6 ways to win at eComm in this energetic podcast!

References:

Betsy's LinkedIn Article that spurred this podcast recording > https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thriving-new-normal-betsy-mcginn/?trackingId=GwkjLZGzQi%2B%2Fo0wfEvrT3Q%3D%3D

Betsy's "The Amazon Roadmap" book > https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Roadmap-Innovative-Brands-Reinventing-ebook/dp/B07PHLTK8Z

Betsy's website > www.mcginnecomm.com

My free webinar on how to sell on Amazon > http://theagame.online/

Lowering your Amazon ACoS means more money (and profit) in your pocket.

Today I'm covering the 3 ways to lower your ACoS on Amazon through:

1. Keywords

2. Manual Ads

3. Optimization

References:

Jen's Free Retail Success Group on Facebook > https://www.facebook.com/groups/retailsuccessmastermind/

MerchantWords > This affiliate link gives you MerchantWords for $99/yr. Regular cost is $30/mo! **Used for shopper search data on Amazon www.merchantwords.com/jruscin

Jungle Scout gives you sales by item/keyword on Amazon > https://www.junglescout.com/products/extension/ $40/mo

Teikametrics gives you auto ad visibility, plus all kinds of other snazzy tools to increase sales and profit > https://go.teikametrics.com/entry?tap_a=39476-e7c75f... and it starts at $59/mo.

So many industries are turning to virtual collaboration in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. From telemedicine to critical board meetings and more, the world's businesses are finding ways to succeed even when separated by distance.

And the legal industry is no different.

On this episode of Bricks and Clicks with Jennifer Kaylo Ruscin, attorney Andrea Sager outlined how the legal industry is finding its own brand of agile success in a virtual world.

Sager is the go-to attorney for online businesses. A mom, business owner, and lawyer extraordinaire, she's found an innovative way to do legal work virtually.

However, for all the promise of remote work, several key considerations remain.

Tune in to find out what legal programs you might be missing, how you might be opening yourself up to liability issues, and what's actually necessary to protect the business you've built as the world adjusts to what's likely to be a largely permanent new normal.

References:

Jen's Free Retail Success Group on Facebook > https://www.facebook.com/groups/retailsuccessmastermind/

MerchantWords > This affiliate link gives you MerchantWords for $99/yr. Regular cost is $30/mo! **Used for shopper search data on Amazon www.merchantwords.com/jruscin

Jungle Scout gives you sales by item/keyword on Amazon > https://www.junglescout.com/products/extension/ $40/mo

 The Contract Vault https://thecontractvault.com/ref/Jennifer+Ruscin/ 

With so much going on in the world these days, it’s important to stay positive and grounded.

On today’s Bricks and Clicks podcast, Mike Allsup teaches us a method called GEM, which stands for Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness and emphasizes slowing down, being grateful for what we have and creating space to allow us to see the sweetness in life.

Here is the GEM Practice:

1. Gratitude: Make a reverse bucket list of what you’ve achieved that you’re really proud of.

• Spiritual
• Career
• Family
• Health
• Experiences

Stick it on your wall as a daily reminder of the goodness you’ve already created in your life.

ACTION: Ask yourself to come up with three things you’re grateful for today.

Practice this exercise every day!

2. Empathy: Be kind and compassionate to others.

• Compliment
• Gift
• Do a task around the house
• Let someone in front of you in traffic

ACTION: Ask yourself to come up with three ways you were empathetic today.

Practice this exercise every day!

3. Mindfulness: Keep your headspace happy!

App recommendations: Calm App > Sleep Stories > Stephen Fry’s “Blue Gold” on the lavender fields of France.

Other Suggestions for staying centered:

1. Pomodoro Technique – Download the Focus Keeper App >

25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of rest

*Repeat throughout your workday for best focused results!

Here’s a quick video on how the Pomodoro Technique works.

2. Delete Social Media Apps on your Phone to avoid constant distraction.

3. Turn notifications off on your phone (find notifications in the setting on your phone).

4. Excercise – Shoot for 10,000 steps on the Health app on your phone!

What if you could build out a referral partner network that brought your PERFECT customer or client to you?

No more wining and dining and woo’ing and pleading to get customers to pay for your services or items.

No more efforting. Yes, I just made that word up.

Today I’d like to talk about how struggling in the early days of my business, then pivoting to create a big referral network, has helped ensure I have a constant stream of potential clients knocking at my door.

I’ll also share how to attract your ideal referral partner and client through showing up AS who you want to attract!

Resources:

1. Jennifer’s Referral Program

• 20% of my net payout
• For the length of the client relationship

*I send out fun thank-you gifts too every once in a while too

2. My personal branding experience

Welcome back to another Bricks and Clicks podcast! Today, I’m interviewing Erin Phillips of Pinckney Palm, a social media agency out of North Carolina.

When I have questions about social media marketing, advertising and content creation, she’s my go-to-gal.

Today, we’re talking about Instagram’s dominating viewing presence, Facebook relevance and what the heck TikTok is.

I learned so many new things just during our recording, like how I can take my content calendar, use one new piece of content I create, and slice it into IGTV and IG / FB Stories, add a carousel of pictures to my feed, then hop on over to LinkedIn and show the behind-the-scenes for other business owners on how I did it!

Resources:

TikTok Mini Course $15 https://www.pinckneypalm.com/shop/tiktokcourse

Weekly Social Media Planning Notepad $20 https://www.pinckneypalm.com/shop/weekly-social-media-planning-notepad

Social Media Help https://www.pinckneypalm.com/services

Email Erin: [email protected]

Pinckney Palm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinckneypalm/

Subscribe to our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dnRo0H

Pinckney Palm website: https://www.pinckneypalm.com/

Here is the link on how to request access to Instagram Shopping: https://www.facebook.com/business/instagram/shopping/guide

Today on Bricks & Clicks, we’re going to talk about the positives and negatives of the Coronavirus on retail.

In episode 1, I talked about 6 Ways to Protect Your Product-Based Business During the Coronavirus Outbreak

One of the things I suggested was to create delivery options because traditional transportation might not be available. It’s been both interesting and sad to see many of the restaurant I loved to visit shut their doors, paralyzed by the idea of remaining open and the necessary move onto the internet, delivery apps, and a totally different way of operating.

I wonder how many of you listening have given up.

The fact that you’re here at all tells me you haven’t and that you’re still fighting, still selling, and doing everything possible to get your business through this recession.

So what’s changed in the last 8 weeks? 

1. We’re watching low priced retailers win

2. Online learning is high

3. It’s never been easier to make money

4. Mastering online has never been more important

5. Grace matters more than ever before

6. Disruptions in the food chain

 So what now?

With the future still so uncertain, some states beginning to open back up again, and other remaining on lockdown, our next steps seem shaky.

It’s important that we be kind, honoring each individual’s response to staying home longer, or jumping back into things.

It’s important that we meet the shopper where they are.

It’s important that we stay in business. Your shoppers need you. Your staff needs you. Your family needs you.

Profitability is more important than ever before.

Do more with less.

Grow slower, safer, and smarter.

Diversify your risk by adding online selling options and home delivery to your buying options.

And hang in there!

See you on the next Bricks and Clicks show, where I’ll be interviewing Erin Philips from Pinckney Palm about what’s working these days to actually get our messaging to our ideal shopper. We’ll touch on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and lives on all 3 channels and TicTok.

Want to attract your ideal customers and clients to your brand? First you must STOP asking people to buy your product.

Sound counterintuitive? It’s actually not. Storytelling is as old as the first humans on this planet, and it’s our preferred method of digesting information. Storytelling bonds us to the storyteller, and makes us long for more content.

Join me and my first Bricks and Clicks guest, Amy Aitman, as we discuss the importance of storytelling for your company.

Amy is a leader in digital content, growth and management. As cofounder at Change Creator, she oversees the digital assets and revenue-driving growth plans for the over 400K people we reach every month.

As COO for Center Keel Media, she built and distributed editorial teams to more than 90 people and grew the portfolio of sites from 4 to 35 + and growing.

Part scrappy entrepreneur, part storyteller, Amy continues to help brands tell their stories to scale their honest, authentic marketing efforts.

Shoppers are homebound in what is currently a voluntary isolation. Within the past week toilet paper, paper towels, pain relievers, masks and more are completely out of stock. Online is sold out too. We are weeks out, best case scenario, at being able to replenish our pantries.

I know that every morning I personally wake up believing that this must just be bad dream. But it’s not. The entire nation is dumfounded that this is our new reality. Some are saddened. Some are scared. Others angry, worried, lost, or anxious.

On this episode of Bricks & Clicks, I want to talk about why NOT to put all of your eggs in one basket, and 5 ways to protect your brand through creating a multi- platform selling strategy.

References in Podcast:

http://theagame.online/