Often when we start out in business, it can be daunting to get people to pay for what we're offering. Today we will talk about three guaranteed ways you can get your first clients.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/09/06/3-guaranteed-ways-to-get-your-first-client/

A fruitful service-based business is built through relationships. Trying to grow hundreds or even thousands of followers or website visitors can look good in numbers, but is an untenable community size if you are looking to generate a loyal and lasting client roster.

The key to successfully marketing your small business is right in front of you, but is often hard to see through the dense forest of social media pressure and marketing quick-tips. To build a sustainable marketing strategy start where you are, with the clients and students you have.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/08/09/start-where-you-are-3-ways-to-build-relationships-that-convert/

“91% of recently surveyed active Instagram users say they watch videos on Instagram weekly.”1

If you chose Instagram as a core platform for your online marketing strategy then you know there is a significant increase in pressure to create video content.Some people feel comfortable in front of a camera and some simply do not. How do you create important video content for your audience if you would rather jump off a cliff than talk to a camera? Learn how in today's podcast.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/07/19/4-video-solutions-on-instagram-for-the-camera-shy/

A social media audit is a process of consolidating and analyzing your past social media efforts to gain a clear picture of how your social media profiles are performing. It can be as simple as a word doc with informed observations or as detailed as a spreadsheet laying out your metrics and how each post has performed. The shape of your social media audit is formed by your goals, and call-to-action(s). Placing your past content marketing efforts within this framework will help you understand what was effective in growing your business and what may have been hindering your business.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/07/12/how-a-social-media-audit-can-help-you-reach-your-ideal-clients/

Summertime, holiday season, a pandemic; there are many reasons for business to slow down. Don’t let the dips in attention or revenue shake your vision. Downtime is a great opportunity to revisit what you have been doing and tweak your plan for the coming months.

Utilizing your slow periods strategically can catapult your business forward. Reflect on your marketing tactics, look at the data and re-acquaint yourself with your customer’s journey to give yourself a more accurate picture of your marketing efforts. Check out these 4 actions you can take to grow your business through the slow times.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/07/05/4-things-to-do-when-business-is-slow/

There are two buckets your marketing tactics can fall into: the Bounce or the Roll. Marketing tactics that Bounce include things like Google Ads and Social Media Ads. These tactics create a big splash in terms of increasing the number of eyes on your brand but they don’t tend to lead to converting those eyes into clients. Tactics that Roll include optimizing your website for searches, content marketing, responding to comments, and engaging with your audience through social media and your website and offering a regular email newsletter with valuable information and offers. 

Focus your marketing on generating the Roll and you will not only grow a committed client base, you will also shape an efficient marketing strategy that gets the most value for your time, effort, and money.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/06/13/7-digital-marketing-tactics-that-make-your-marketing-efforts-roll/

An Owned Audience is one where you have direct contact with the community; you have their individual contact information, and are able to reach them through email, phone, or in person. Your email list and your client list are examples of an Owned Audience. A Rented Audience is reachable only through a third party like a social media platform or a digital ad. You may be able to connect and interact with your Rented Audience but if that third party were to shut its doors, or you were to stop utilizing their platform, you would lose access to that community.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/06/28/4-ways-your-rented-audience-can-fuel-your-owned-audience/

Content creation and sharing is frequently an area that draws resources and energy from small businesses. Planning, creating and sharing content can become a large part of your daily work if you let it, but it doesn’t have to be. Let me repeat that: planning, creating and sharing content does not have to require a lot of your time, energy and resources to be effective. Here are 6 ways to create a manageable Content Plan for your business.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/05/24/how-to-create-a-content-plan-you-can-manage/

Unlike a sellable product, your clients are living, breathing beings with individual interpretations of their experience. Once your services are out in the world it is the experience of your clients and students that gets shared. It is the experience your clients have that is your “product.”

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/05/16/what-marketing-your-services-is-all-about%ef%bf%bc/

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin want you to have meaningful conversations. Their algorithms are structured to privilege content that brings value to their users. The more meaningful content you bring to your social media marketing the more these platforms will spread the word on the great work you are doing.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/05/09/4-paths-to-meaningful-conversation-on-social-media/

With over 10 000 massage therapists, over 26 000 physiotherapists, and over 30 000 certified personal trainers in Canada, the Health & Wellness industry is clearly built by sole-proprietors and small businesses.1,2,3 This is not taking into account the number of Yoga teachers, alternative bodyworkers, studios, gyms, and counselors that serve Canadians and International clients. Being small does not mean you aren't good at marketing or running your business, it can actually be a great business model, and here is why:

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/05/02/the-perks-of-being-a-service-based-small-business/

Blogs are powerhouses for content sharing and highlighting expertise. A professional blog is intended to be read and to reach those who need it the most. So before you open your Google Docs and start to write your first post there are few things to consider. Let's explore how to set yourself up for success when creating your Health & Wellness blog.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/04/25/how-to-start-a-health-wellness-blog/

We have all been there: you're inspired, excited, and enthusiastic to spread the word about what you have to offer and how you can help. This energy is awesome! Keep it coming, but guide it with an eye to the long-term objectives and realities of your daily life.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/04/18/the-kiss-method-to-content-marketing-for-small-business/

Competition at its core is simply someone else who loves what you love and works to excel at it just like you. Your competition could become your strongest ally. Just as your online presence is at its essence about relationship building, so is competition analysis. Getting to know your partners-in-service will ultimately help you better understand your target market and your own business as well. 

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/04/11/3-key-details-to-discover-about-your-online-competition/

Hashtags are an essential tool for getting your content out to more people. Strategically tagging your posts and stories can put your content in front of the people who truly want to read, watch, and engage with what you are offering. The degree to which your content is seen by users is called your “reach,” and hashtags are all about expanding your reach.

Using hashtags strategically requires a bit of upfront effort but the potential outcomes will be well worth it.

Download your free Hashtag Handbook here: https://dotandlinedigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Hashtag-How-To-Handbook.pdf

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/04/04/a-4-step-guide-to-getting-the-most-from-your-hashtags/

Social Media is first and foremost a social space. Think of it like a bunch of big parties with lots of little groups chatting away to one another. Some of the parties are polite cocktail parties, some of them are outright ravers. All of them have their own social culture and expectations. Getting clear which party you are going to attend and who you are going to talk to is essential to the success of your social media marketing. 

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/03/28/how-to-start-marketing-your-services-on-social-media/

Whatever your reasoning for taking a break from managing your social media channels, when you stop engaging with your followers online it can be difficult to start up again. Don’t worry, there are ways to get the ball rolling again and possibly even more successfully. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://dotandlinedigital.com/2022/03/21/5-ways-to-re-engage-with-your-online-community-after-taking-time-away/