If you’re anything like me, you like to plan for Black Friday sales ahead of time for things you actually need instead of getting overwhelmed once all the emails start flowing in. I also know it can feel overwhelming to invest in tools and apps for your business but automating and simplifying where you can is SO important to help grow your business and to avoid burnout.

I also really like to use Black Friday and Cyber Monday to make purchases for business items and apps that I would be purchasing anyway.

Many times I have something that I KNOW I want to invest in for my business but I’ll wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to make the purchase.

The sales that I’m sharing today are all tools that will help streamline your business and tools I actually use in my own business. Check them out and if they seem like a good fit, I hope my sale codes can help you a bit. 

I’m publishing this a little bit early so that you have time to plan but please note specific dates for each sale, I’ll add details as I know them.

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1. Dubsado – Client Management System

Dudsado is hands down, my favorite biz tool. It’s a business management solution designed to cut out the busywork. Build relationships, schedule appointments, and create workflows to streamline your projects from start to finish.

You can set up a workflow once and then your systems are on autopilot. It captures leads on your website (your contact form, for example), and can automatically send those leads a proposal, then a contact, then an invoice (in whichever order you prefer.) You can set payment reminders, there’s a client portal, bookkeeping, and just so much goodness. 

SALE DETAILS + DATES:
Head to the Dubsado site to see their sale pricing and use my affiliate link or code “CieraDesign” at checkout for an additional 20% off!

In order to be locked in at these sale prices, you must upgrade to a paid account during sale time which extends through 2 pm PT on November 29th.

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2. Tailwind – Pinterest Scheduler & Ghostwriting

Tailwind is a game-changer for Pinterest. The majority of the traffic to my website comes from Pinterest (and I bet yours does too). With Tailwind, I can set aside a few hours and schedule content for the entire month. They also have communities to help you grow faster and Tailwind Create so you can create your graphics right on their platform!

PLUS they are constantly releasing new features, like the Ghostwriter, which is honestly blowing my mind, with automatic Pin descriptions.

SALE DETAILS:
Get 50% off the yearly plan. Sign up for the Forever Free plan using THIS LINK and Tailwind will email directions for the 50% off deal.

SALE DATES: Nov. 14-28

3. The Contract Shop – Contract Templates

Gotta be honest, I had NO idea what I was doing with my client contracts until I grabbed my template from The Contract Shop!

Within 10 minutes, I had a contract template and was customizing it to suit my business. It was super easy to add in my own details and I feel waaaay more confident knowing my contract has been vetted by someone who actually knows what they’re talking about! I use their graphic design templates and their terms and conditions template. Want to read more about why contracts are so important? Check out this blog post: 3 Ways Contracts Can Protect Your Business

SALE DETAILS:
20% off courses, 30% off workbooks, and 40% off contract templates and bundles

SALE DATES:
12:01am ET on Friday, November 25th, 2022 through 11:59pm ET on Monday, November 28th, 2022

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4. Creative Market – templates, fonts, graphics, etc.

I started making templates to help small businesses like yours to streamline their processes and look more professional through consistent branding. My shop is currently offering up to 30% off on my templates (Instagram, Pinterest, Lead Magnets, brand boards, and more!) and many other creators are also having sales!

SALE DETAILS:
Up to 40% off templates in my shop and up to 50% off sitewide.

SALE DATES:
Friday, Nov 18 – Monday, Nov 29, 2022 @ 8pm EST

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5. Convert Kit

Your email list is one of the biggest assets your business will ever have. You don’t own your search engine rankings or your social media sites. They can be taken away from you at a moment’s notice. You own your email list. No one can ever take it away from you.⁣⁠

⁠Building an email list is crucial because it’s the best way to build a relationship with potential customers in an intimate way.⁣⁠

⁠Convert Kit has been my email marketing platform of choice for year and years. They have flexible opt-in forms, easy landing pages, email series and SO MUCH more that make it simple to grow your business.

Convert Kit also now has a FREE PLAN which is pretty major of them to add!

SALE DETAILS: Activate the Creator Plan for $199 for the first year. That’s over 30% off the regular price on our most popular plan.

SALE DATES: November 21, 2022 – November 28, 2022

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These companies didn’t end up having sales but I still 100% recommend checking them out for your biz:

6. Copy.ai – Faster, Fresher, Better Copy

Do you feel like writing captions, blog posts, emails, etc, takes FOREVER to write? Experience the full power of an AI content generator that delivers premium results in seconds.

I’ve been using Copy.ai to help with product descriptions and Pinterest captions and can’t wait to use it for SO MUCH MORE!

SALE DETAILS + DATES:
TBD

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7. Repurpose.io – Auto Repurpose Content

Repurpose.io helps you to make a bigger impact and reach more people, without the extra work. Focus on creating great content and let their platform distribute it everywhere your audience is.

With short-form video being my main type of content these days, repurposing content is a MUST! I connect Repurpose.io to my TikTok and it automatically downloads every video I create to my Dropbox (or Google Drive) – and here’s why this is worth paying for, it saves it WITHOUT THE WATERMARK!

You can automatically publish all your videos (without watermark) to …
TikTok, IG Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Pages and Groups, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter… it’s pretty major!

SALE DETAILS + DATES:
Repurpose.io didn’t end up having a sale BUT if you sign up for the annual plan you get two months free!

8. Canva – Design

As a designer, I ignored Canva for way too long. I thought using my Adobe programs, which is industry standard, was enough. BUT Canva has been so amazing for being able to collaborate with my clients and I’ve received amazing feedback on my Canva templates ever since I launched them in 2019. It’s such an easy and intuitive way to create all the visuals (even video and animated graphics) for your business. Using a template can make content creation so much faster and is a great way to streamline your business.

SALE DETAILS: TBD 

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There are lots of other deals out there, but I just wanted to keep this short and sweet with the tools I think you’ll really find useful.

P.S. Make sure to save this post and come back to it when the sales are live! You can also subscribe to get notified by email.

I’m using my affiliate links so I’ll get a bit of a reward at no additional cost to you!

I was feeling a bit defeated as we wrapped up another year with less-than-ideal circumstances. So I decided to take my own advice and instead of getting wrapped up in what I DIDN’T get done, I wrote down all of my business-related accomplishments.

And it turns out… I actually have A LOT more to celebrate and be proud of than I thought. Here’s a quick rundown.

Client Work

• Brand Identity for Unbundled
• Brand Identity for Bungalow Blooms
• Brand Expansion for MyWillows
• Sub Brand Logo and Web Refresh for Catreese and Co.
• Supporting Design Elements for Kristy Duke Consulting
• Numerous projects for a Houston-based brand agency to support their design team on an ongoing basis.

The Template Shop

Sold 240 brand and marketing templates that help small businesses to streamline their processes, look more professional, and stay consistent!

I launched these templates in 2019 with a dedication to creating design that’s more accessible and I’m so proud that I’ve been able to slowly add to my shop and that you all continue to find them helpful! 

Content Creation & Partnerships

• Official TikTok partner for their #LearnOnTikTok campaign
• Partnered with Tailwind, Designs.ai, Printify, Melio, Wisestamp, and more.

If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed about your to-do list PLEASE write down what you HAVE accomplished, it feels pretty great!

P.S. If you have purchased any of my templates I’d love to see what you did with them! OR if have ideas for a template you’d like to see, shoot me an email!

The perceptions and ideas a customer has about a brand, based on their interactions with it and the way a brand presents itself, make up a company’s brand image.

Nurturing your brand image is critical because it:

• Provides a good first impression of your business to prospects
• Builds recognition with the general audience
• Boost business credibility, awareness, and equity
• Sets you apart from the competition
• Provides direction for the future

So – how do you achieve all that?

By tapping into the five actionable tips below for improving your brand image.

1. Achieve Consistency Across All Channels

The key to successful business branding across different channels and platforms is consistency. It is important that your visual identity and voice are similar on all channels.

Consistent business branding is one of the essential aspects of a business’ growth and survival.

Creating a consistent brand image means embodying your company’s core values in visual elements, messaging, marketing, and digital strategy.

 Your company’s overall brand presence should be consistent through:

• Visual identity: Create a brand board or brand guidelines to define the proper and consistent use of your logo, colors, imagery, typography, and other elements across all channels. Your signature brand look will make you stand out among the competition.  If your brand is not visually consistent, it may be misused or misrepresented. A signature color makes your brand 80% more recognizable, while a logo is the first thing your prospects see and associate your brand with.
• Brand tone of voice: Your business should communicate your brand consistently and effectively through every piece of content you create and on every marketing platform you use. Strive to use a tone of voice, taglines, web copy, and mission statements that use similar wording and portray similar messages and emotions. To define your brand’s tone of voice, you need to:
  • Define your brand
  • Identify your audience
  • Examine your copy and content
  • Inspect your visual content
  • Choose your words wisely

Consistent business branding builds trust with your target audience and research shows it can also increase your revenue by as much as 33%. 

2. Invest In A Professional Website

Your brand extends to multiple platforms and channels and a website is only one small portion of it.

When prospects, leads, and casual visitors land on your website, directly, via Google search, or through digital ads, they form a first impression of your business. 

Users form an opinion about your website – and, consequently, your business – within 0.05 seconds of landing on it. Also, almost half of web visitors believe that design is the top factor supporting a website’s credibility.

Studies show it only takes two seconds to lose visitors if your website loads slowly.

According to the design team from a NY web design company Digital Silk, when creating a professional website for your business, best practice is to use:

• Simple and intuitive navigation
• Clean and legible typography
• Fast-loading pages
• High-quality imagery
• Bold and enticing call-to-action buttons
• Concise and to-the-point copy
• Search engine optimization for better ranking in Google results

Simply put, make sure your business website is to-the-point in terms of user experience and usability, aesthetics and search engine performance. 

A website that ranks and performs well, educates visitors and aligns content with their search intent is hugely beneficial for your brand image and business results.

3. Identify What Makes Your Brand Unique And Provide Social Proof

Defining your brand’s X factor is a good starting point for making your business unique compared to others on the market. 

A brand differentiator is what makes your brand stand out among the rest. This is also a foundation for brand positioning, which we will touch upon later.

Research your competition to find out what brands have the same strengths and weaknesses as you do. Comparing your products and services to others may reveal some of your strengths that you could capitalize on.

Once you have identified your unique selling points, find a way to communicate them to your audience in a convincing and trustworthy way. This is where social proof comes in.

Prospective customers respond strongly to social influence that provides cues saying your products and/or services can indeed solve their pain points. 

By aligning your products with previous satisfied customers, brand ambassadors or influencers, you give your brand support and validation.

The most effective types of social proof are:

• Customer reviews: Research shows that customers trust online reviews: 70% of consumers need to read at least four reviews before they can trust a business. Online reviews about a product can also increase its conversion rate by more than 270%! 
• Testimonials: Satisfied customers can also provide full-blown testimonials about how your products or services changed their lives for the better. Featuring their name, job position, and an image of the person giving their testimonial increases trust with prospective buyers through legitimacy.
• Celebrity/influencer endorsements: Influencer marketing is a growing trend in digital marketing. Social media posts or photos of celebrities and influential figures on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook posing with or using your brand can be extremely valuable in building your brand credibility and trust. 
• Media coverage: Your business can leverage press coverage and other media exposure as social proof. For instance, on your website, you can create a special section featuring the major publications that have covered your business.

 

Think About Your Messaging And Positioning Statement

Your brand’s messaging is the most effective when it balances between illustrating its benefits for customers and describing the products or services.

Try to summarize your business in one sentence and describe your products in clear and understandable terms. Explain to your audience what your product or brand is, who it is for, and what its primary values are to the consumer.

Next, you want to communicate your brand’s benefits. 

Create short statements around several main benefits for your customers by focusing on your target audience’s biggest needs. Explore areas such as saving time and cutting costs, increasing business efficiency, and organizational boons.

Aim to begin all of your benefit statements with action words such as “get,” “create,” “boost” and so on. These kinds of words can help you focus on communicating the transformation the buyer is expecting.

Finally, focus on some of your products’ features.

When listing the features of your products or services, use statistics and hard facts that build trust in your brand.

One of your brand’s main objectives should be to make your target audience perceive it as credible and favorable.

Positioning strategies and positioning statements complement your brand’s messaging and make your business extra memorable. Their defining qualities are:

• Communicating value: Your brand’s website copy and advertising messaging should provide valuable content that is insightful and relevant to your audience. This shows that you are capable of solving their pain points by giving them value.
• Emotional connection: Learn about your target audience’s problems and establish a connection with them on an emotional level before making a sales pitch. This will build trust with your brand and create a more positive experience with your business.
• Differentiating qualities: We talked about differentiators earlier and it’s very important to integrate them into your positioning statements. Your unique qualities should be easy to understand through your messaging and in all stages of the user journey and conversion funnel.

Develop A Strong Social Media Presence

Your brand image can benefit from major social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

Managing your brand message and overall reputation on social media is essential – for B2B as well as B2C businesses.

On social media, you can get the word out about your brand as well as your new products and services.

After all, 80% of consumers are more likely to consider products from brands they follow on social media. Also, global brands spend up to 75% of their social media time on Facebook, which remains the platform for interacting with consumers.

A strong social media presence enables you to reach a much broader audience that resonates with your brand voice and imagery. It also allows you to interact with your prospects instantly.

In order to leverage social media for your brand image to the fullest, keep these tips in mind:

• Know your target audience: Different audiences use different social media platforms. Depending on who you are trying to reach, you may want to focus your efforts on a particular social media channel. Or, if you want to create a unified social media network, bear in mind that you should alter and adjust your brand voice and posting strategy for a specific audience on each platform. 
• Establish your social media objectives: Think hard about what you want to accomplish on social media. Are you looking to reach new, younger demographics? Or to boost your brand awareness? Maybe you want to boost brand loyalty or capture leads. Knowing your goals will inform your content strategy. 
• Don’t forget about consistency: Remember what we said about brand consistency earlier in the article? All of that applies, even more so, on social media. Align your brand’s voice with your core values that will be reflected in your social media posts and in the way you interact with your followers in comments and messages. For instance, don’t shy away from maintaining a humorous approach on social media if that’s how your brand normally operates and especially if the social media platform and its users resonate well with it.

Brand Image Takeaways

In today’s competitive market, consumers are not looking to buy a product or a service only — they’re looking for an enjoyable brand experience. 

When you get your brand image right, you convey what you want it to say to your prospects via all available channels: social media, advertising efforts, content marketing, and, most importantly – your own website.

Do you feel like you’re grinding your gears, putting hours into your Instagram feed, but not seeing the results and growth that you know are possible? You know you need to change something, but not sure what? The fix may be an Instagram audit. 

An Instagram audit will help you to:

Keep your goals in check

As with all marketing for your business, you should be constantly evaluating your goals and results. Is your current Instagram strategy helping you make tangible progress towards meeting your overall business goals?

Stay up to date with any Instagram changes

Is the type of content that was successful in the past for you still performing well? Are you trying new features that Instagram rolls out? Instagram tends to favor people using their newest features so it’s usually worth working new features into your strategy.

Reassess and refine your content

You may need to reevaluate and realign your content from time to time to stay relevant with your current launches and offerings. Based on your insights you can also find content that has been successful in order to re-purpose or expand on.

With a frequent Instagram audit, you’ll no longer feel overwhelmed, you won’t be posting just to get something up, and you’ll have a strategy and plan that’s actually effective.

Not sure how to perform an audit? I got you! Your Instagram, Upgraded live training will teach you the same process that I use with my 1-on-1 Instagram Audit clients. This hands-on Instagram refining intensive will help you say goodbye to Instagram overwhelm and hello to a cohesive strategy that speaks to YOUR target audience.

I don’t want you to devote any more time to a platform that isn’t helping your bottom line. 

It’s easy to forget your actual marketing goals if you find yourself rushing to make your random quota of Instagram posts. 

This is one of the reasons why a regular Instagram audit is essential for pulling you back on track.

In this Instagram intensive, I’ll show you how to go over every aspect of your Instagram account and refine your content in order to reinspire your followers!

With the help of this training, you’ll have the tools and knowledge to view your feed with a fresh perspective to make sure it’s cohesive and speaking to YOUR target audience. 

I feel ya – the stress of doing it all is at an all-time high.

Here are a few things that have helped me out over the past few weeks.⁠

• Pick ONE key task for each day – I used to have a top 3 of the day, I’ve slashed that down to 1 key task per day.
• Ask for help – big or small, try to ask for help when you can.
• Take a break from social media – try to set a time limit or certain time of day when you use your phone, then put it away.
• Go easy on yourself – these are unprecedented times, you don’t have to be super productive if it doesn’t feel right.
• Batch tasks – I am such a fan of batching, I think I’ll do a whole post on this!
• Limit watching the news – we listen to the news on the radio in the morning and evening for about 30 minutes and then only listen to music during the day.

Is uncertainty in your business causing you to feel overwhelmed? Do you feel like your business needs to make a pivot? Like you’re in a rut? Or are always playing catchup?

I’d love to help you get reinvigorated and start each day confidently knowing what to do when it comes to your digital marketing.

Introducing: Brand + Marketing Audits

Your current approach, evaluated.

I’ll review your current approach to marketing including aesthetics, brand voice, website, social media posts, and your email marketing plan and provide feedback and suggestions for how to improve your strategy and better reach your target market.⁠⠀
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An audit is an economical way to get an objective, professional review of what’s working and where there may be gaps.⁠

Shoot me an email if this is something you may be interested in!