MAP IT Marketing

How one piece of content a week can become your content strategy saviour

 

One of the most common questions I get around marketing is on how to create content that works. 

 

I’m going to be completely honest and say that like anything, creating content consistently comes down to habits. It’s a habit you grow, just like the morning workout habit, the “how you make your coffee” habit, the “favourite way to drive to work” habit.

Once you’ve got the habit it feels easier to maintain. But making the habit? Well that’s the hard bit!

Today on the MAP IT Marketing podcast, I’m joined by Jenn Donovan, a fellow marketing strategist for small business owners. Jenn teaches a simple content creation method, that helps you create more content than you’ll even need. 

Jenn has three podcasts herself (!), and I’ve been lucky enough to be a guest on it - I’ll add a link to her show in the show notes.

She’s the founder of Social Media and Marketing Australia, founder of the extremely successful community Facebook group - Buy From a Bush Business (currently 355,000 members) and the Co-Founder of Spend With Us - Australia's answer to Amazon but only for rural and regional small businesses.

Jenn has a huge passion for reurally based businesses  - and lives on a farm herself in the Riverina of NSW, with husband and their 3 children.  Jenn has 10 chooks, 2 peacocks, 2 guinea fowl, 1 dog and 1 cat and several pet lambs.

It’s always such a delight to listen and talk with another marketer who shares so many of the same values and passions as I do - and I know you’ll enjoy learning from Jenn in this episode. 

Important Links

Jenn’s podcast

Find out more about Jenn here

 

Buy Rachel’s new book Be a Spider

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let me say at the outset that if I didn't have my book coming out in the next few weeks, I’d be using any extra time to apply everything I learned in this podcast to our own business. In fact the first thing I did after completing the interview with our guest today was book in a planning meeting with Rod (my business partner/husband and our systems guy) to make sure we make it happen.

 

Today we’re talking to Pip Meecham who is a multi-award-winning systemisation specialist with a love for all things systems, technology, processes and workflows. She a specialist at looking at the HOW in your business - how you do the things you do, then translates that to ensure your processes and workflows are optimised for efficiency and effectiveness, implementing tools and technology to help streamline your operations, with operating procedures that help you scale and build a business that can work without you.

We’re talking about VideoAsk, an app by Typeform that allows you to use video to help draw people into the right stages of the customer journey on your website. The application possibilities are endless! Pip also uses Video ask for help desk support, and I’m thinking it would also be great for coaching!

Best of all, you can get started with a completely free account

If you know your website’s getting the hits, but not the sales, you might need to investigate this ‘choose your own adventure” app yourself. I know I am very much hoping that one day, in the not too distant future, you’ll get to see us using it on ours!

In this episode we cover:

• How video can help you convert visitors to customers
• The benefits of VideoAsk
• What type of businesses would benefit from using VideoAsk
• Why Pip got rid of her contact us page
• How Pip uses VideoAsk for support calls
• When you should turn off the video options
• What to do before you set it up
• Where to start your automation set up first. 

 

Important Links

VideoAsk

Pip’s Linkedin

Pip’s Instagram

 

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A month ago I got a mystery package in the mail. A colleague had sent me a surprise gift to say thankyou for a referral. It was a box of beautifully packaged dehydrated fruit from a company called Little Beauties.

 

The packages looked gorgeous, and the fruit inside tasted the same. I wanted to find out more about why this Nelson company had chosen the Feijoa, a fruit known for its short season, and the Gold Kiwifruit as two of its signature lines.

 

Thankfully Tristan Wastney, the co-founder of Little Beauties, agreed to be on the show. Tristan now oversees the sales and marketing, and helps arrange the exporting into the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan, with new markets on the horizon.

 

This kiwi family run business has grown to employ a team, develop some pretty incredible machinery and be a sustainable method of using fruit otherwise destined for landfill. 

 

In this podcast, Tristan shares the story of how the business began, where it’s sitting at the moment, and where he and the rest of the family want it to go.

 

We also talk about the cost of growth, the impact of going into supermarkets, and what it takes to create a brand that will become known on the world stage.

In this episode we cover:

• How Little Beauties started
• Why they’ve chosen to seek external investment
• Why Feijoas are a complicated fruit
• What they’ve discovered as they’ve moved into export markets
• How they’re planning for the long term
• Why markets are still one of their favourite places to sell

Important Links

Feijoa Month sign up

Be in to win a copy of Be a Spider, Build a Web

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s official! I’ve now been hosting the MAP IT Marketing podcast for a year. Which is no mean feat for an ADHD business owner who suffers from shiny object syndrome and is intolerant to boredom. I’m still loving it, and see it as an integral part of my week.

 

Because I love podcasting, and what it’s done for me and our business, I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned, and take you behind the scenes on how I run and arrange my podcast every week. I’m going to share the equipment I use, the people who help me, and the process I use to decide what to talk about, and who to talk to.

 

I’ll also share how my podcast is going, what I find frustrating about podcasting, and whether podcasting would be a good option for you to try. 

 

I sometimes say that “every person and their dog” has a podcast these days, and certainly feels that way sometimes. If a podcast is on your radar I hope this episode will help you clarify whether it’s a fit for you or not, give you some direction in the way forward, and help you see what’s going on “under the hood” at the MAP IT Marketing podcast

 

In this episode we cover:

• What equipment I had to begin with and what I have now
• Why I record my intros and outros after the main podcast
• Where I record my podcast
• What help I get
• Key habits you need to have in podcasting
• How I keep myself organised.
• How I choose guests
• What impact podcasting has had on my business
• What’s planned for my podcast in 2022/2023

Important Links

Be in to win a copy of Be a Spider, Build a Web

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there’s a short cut to success in marketing and sales I want to take it. Like you I’m a time poor business owner, who needs to make sure my time is used wisely.

Sometimes that means I take a week of posting social media content, and I create longer-lasting content instead. Of course in a perfect world I’d keep going with social media, but this is about real talk, and sometimes, that’s just not possible.

One of the best alternatives to posting on social media for a week is to sit down and create a powerful, converting Lead magnet (I prefer to call it Lead generation because that’s what it’s going to do. )

In this episode of MAP IT Marketing I’m going to share with you what you need to think about when creating this, what type of lead generation I prefer to make and recommend, what it needs and what you need to see happen after they get it.

I’m huge on permission marketing, and remembering to respect the time of anyone who comes into contact with our business, so I’m also going to cover how to make sure you create something that both attracts your idea customer, and also helps them build trust in you. 

We’ll also talk through how to get the word out about your lead generation resource, and what results you can expect from it. 

 

What we’ll cover:

• What a lead magnet is
• The different types of lead magnets
• My favourite type of lead generation and why
• What you need to consider when building one
• What tools I use to create my lead generation
• The exact order or process I use when creating mine
• What you need to do alongside the lead magnet to make it work for you

Important Links

Buy our Lead Generation course and resources

Be in to win a copy of Be a Spider, Build a Web

An example of a Lead Magnet

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Before we start work you need to see this video” she said. My client Shelly Davies and I were about to start work for the day, but first, she wanted me to see the video version of Caroline May’s bio “Switchblade Lemonade.” (I’ve linked to it in the podcast notes)

Caroline is creative writer, brand developer, the author of Bio Like Beyoncé, and the owner of Switchblade Lemonade, a vitally unorthodox image crafting and bio salon, fueled by the dogma: Your biography should be so good -- you could make a movie out of it. Which… is exactly what she did. 

Since then, Shelly went on to work with Caroline one-on-one, and I went on to buy her book Bio Like Beyonce which I now recommend to many of our clients. 

My own story of writing, and then sharing, my epic credential made me understand jost how powerful the process and delivery is. I had full plans to produce a movie myself, but with Covid, it’s still relegated to a read version from Lockdown 2020. (Also in the show notes!)

The power of writing your own history, and weaving it through what you offer and who you offer it to is a powerful tool so many do not even attempt.

Listen to Caroline explain why it’s so important and give you some simple tips to help you write your own epic bio people will choose you for. 

As Caroline says, “The story of your life is too strange/beautiful/cut-throat to be wrapped in formality and cliché. And professional biography at its best is micro art that captures the spirit of its subject, while supplying the backbone to its brand.”

What we’ll cover:

• Why you need an epic credential
• What happens when we start using our whole experience to get clients
• Why the boring bio doesn’t get you the right customers
• Where to start with creating your bio
• How a traditional bio doesn’t stack up
• How your bio should be used in your content. 

Important Links

Caroline’s BIO (video)

Caroline’s Free Bio Checklist

Bio Like Beyonce

Rachel’s Bio (video)

Become part of The Content Masterweb

Become a part of our Facebook group

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samir Harith is not your typical accountant. In his commitment to help small businesses understand accountancy Sam creates cartoons and writes blogs in plain language to help small business owners feel confident when it comes to finances.

Sam built his business around helping small business owners, using a percentage of sales model to allow his clients to get strategic business and financial advice at an affordable rate. He came to New Zealand to complete his PhD in Finance from the University of Waikato, and stayed, now running his firm in the Waikato area. (as a completely online accountancy firm)

In this podcast we also talk about how Sam came to launch a business in NZ. I completely threw a curveball to Sam when I asked him about what it’s like as an immigrant working in professional roles, and we had some very real talk about some of the hurdles new New Zealanders can sometimes come across when trying to both get jobs, and start something of their own.

Sam uses his intellect, creativity and energetic personality to help his clients grow their businesses with confidence. He’s made important decisions around the growth of his business through identifying the “hedgehog” that ties everything together (and explains it in the podcast!)

What we’ll cover:

• Why Sam started creating cartoons
• What is a Hedgehog business 
• Why this’ is important for small businesses to embrace
• Why it’s important to show personality in your business
• Why Sam uses the 1% model for payment. 

Important Links

Contact Sam

The Comic Accountant on Facebook

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had a seriously bad attitude to selling when I first started out in business. When I thought of sales people I thought “slimy” Imaging my horror when I discovered I would have to sell to get clients!

 

I’m now the primary sales person of our business, and can’t imagine not ever having that role. I now love connecting with people, helping them (and me) work out if we’re the right fit for them, and offering them the right services for their needs.

 

I now see sales as a service. 

 

In this podcast we’re going to look at the different areas you need to consider when setting yourself up for selling, what you need to think about before a sales meeting, how to make the meeting work for both sides, and how to bring the meeting to a close. I’m also going to share one of the most important parts of sales, no matter what industry you are in. 

 

If you’ve got a service based business, you’re getting marketing leads, but they are not translating to clients, this is a podcast you can’t afford to miss. 

What we’ll cover:

• Why so many of us have a block to selling
• What you can do to set yourself up for sales success
• The mantra I use before a sales meeting
• What you need to do before a meeting
• How to start a sales call
• How to sell during the session
• Why you need two objectives
• The one action you can take to increase your sales. 

Important Links

The Sales Planner Pad

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Need help with converting sales from your marketing leads? Chris James is the person to help you. 

With all the focus on marketing, it’s easy to forget exactly why we’re putting in all this effort. For eCommerce the key is to have a strong converting website to help people buy products. A converting website is also super important for Service Based business, but equally important is your ability to close the deal on sales calls and processes.

Chris James learned how to sell as a survival technique in a cut throat cold call centre. If you didn’t do a great job, you’d get fired. The three best takeaways from the job was meeting his wife, his best friend and learning to never be afraid of rejection.

In this podcast, Chris shares with us his GRO method, using social media to attract the right clients for you, and then gives us some powerful tips to help you convert those people into sales. 

What we’ll cover:

• Why we don’t need to be afraid of rejection
• How to launch your business, or a new offer
• Why you don’t always need to know the end goal of a side hustle
• What the GRO method is and how you can use it
• How to manage timewasters
• Why the sales process can be how you want it to be
• How your marketing and sales need to fit together 

Important Links

Chris’ Free Discovery Call Guide

Chris James Instagram

The Content Masterweb

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should you put your pricing on your website as a service provider business? Won’t it turn people off? 

Expert copywriter Hayley Maxwell focuses on helping coaches, and other service-based business owners write copy that converts on their websites.

Hayley Maxwell is a brand clarity, messaging coach, copywriter, ferocious ice cream eater, and leopard print lover… (and not necessarily in that order.) 

She’s been honing her skills since the early 2000s. Helping Government entities, charities, global corporations, small businesses, and talented business women to master their message, and then bring it to rip-roaring life with compelling, respectful copywriting that inspires action.  After a career in corporate comms, creating in-depth strategies, and communication plans, Hayley now works with women in business to help them create copy that increases leads and helps make sales simpler. 

Hayley has strong feelings about the importance of Pricing, and shares why it’s super important to have it on your website. She also explains why we shouldn’t be afraid of the word “I”, walks through some of the common barriers we can put up when writing our website copy, and what we need to do to get it working better

We often spend so much time focussed on our social media posts, and attracting the eye of people who haven't met us yet. Hayley shows why it’s so important to get the website messaging right first, to make all that hard marketing work really get you dividends. 

What we’ll cover:

• Why you should put your prices on your website
• How to manage it as a business with multiple variables
• The benefits of niching down your message 
• Whether you should use “we” as a solopreneur
• Tips for a converting website

Important Links

Get in touch with Hayley

The Content Masterweb

Rachel’s YouTube Channel

Join the My MAP IT Marketing Strategy School

Become a part of our Facebook group

 

Other Episodes

The seven elements of a brand story

Creating content captions/scripts

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.