824: The 5 Most Effective Strategies Every Small Business Should be Using

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2:01Are people willing to put a little bit of skin in the game to learn more? Are people interested in this? Testing ideas with our email list has saved us from going down the wrong road many times, and it has validated ideas that we've had to make us go on to create a new product, service, or offer. I'm Jenna Kutcher, your host of the Gold Digger podcast. I escaped the corporate world at the age of 23 with nothing more than a$300 camera from Craigslist and a dream. Now I'm running a seven-figure online business that feels even better than it looks, all from my house in small town Minnesota with my family.

2:39Here, we value time as our currency. We mix the woo and the work, and we are in the pursuit of building businesses that give us the freedom to live lives that we love. I've always loved turning big goals into reality, and I'm here to help you do the same. This isn't just a peek behind the curtain. Come along with me and my guests as we tear the whole curtain down. Every week we tackle practical, no-fluff marketing strategies and host honest discussions on what works and what doesn't. Join me and my expert guests for actionable insights to help you grow your dream business with confidence. Pull up a seat and get ready to be challenged, inspired, and empowered.

3:18This is the Gold Digger Podcast. As the year is about to come to a close, it is the perfect time to revitalize your marketing strategy. If you've been tossing around ideas like spaghetti and hoping something will finally stick, or if you feel like you're just going in circles, or you need a refresh on the tried and true strategies that will always work, well, this episode is for you. We're about to explore are five strategies that will not only empower you to kick off the new year with laser focus, but will also ignite your passion for what you do. Think bold storytelling, harnessing the right platforms and creating an audience that is eager to engage.

3:56These strategies will be the game changers you need to ensure that 2025 isn't just another year, but a milestone in your journey. So grab your favorite notebook and get ready to ditch the guesswork. Let's finish this year strong and set the stage for success ahead. Are you ready? Let's dive on in. When all your marketing team does is put out fires, well, they burn out and they burn out fast. Can you relate? Sifting through leads, creating content for infinite channels, endlessly searching for performance KPIs, it all takes a toll on our productivity and our mental health. But with HubSpot, you can stop burnout in its tracks.

4:33Plus, your team can achieve their best results without ever breaking a sweat. With HubSpot's collection of AI tools, Breeze, you can pinpoint the best leads possible, capture prospects' attention with click-worthy content, and access all your company's data in one place. No sifting through multiple tabs necessary. It is all waiting for your team in HubSpot. Keep your marketers cool and make your campaign results hotter than ever. Visit HubSpot.com slash marketers to learn more. That's HubSpot.com slash marketers. I will never forget when I was just starting out. This was one of the things that I got so wrong.

5:10Let me take you back. When I was first starting out as a wedding photographer, the one thing I wanted to do was blend in. I did not want to stand out. I had massive imposter syndrome and rightfully so I was doing something I had never done before. And so instead of feeling bold and wanting to stand out, I literally wanted to look like everybody else so that nobody could call my bluff. Nobody could say, you don't know what you're doing or who are you to be doing that? Because that was what I was already hearing in my head. So the first strategy that every small business should be using is developing your brand story, knowing it so well and sharing it often.

5:50So let's talk about brand stories. People connect with stories, not offers. When you can create an emotional connection, you're not just getting customers, you are building a community. This is important for a million reasons. And before I share them, I want to explain the difference between a brand and a business. Now, if you've listened to this show for a while, I talk about this a lot because it is so important, especially if you are someone who wants to build a true and recognizable brand. So a business is a product, service, or offer that is for sale or that can be gained in exchange of something of value.

6:27Okay. It's the product, the service, or the offer. A true brand is the personality behind the offers. How do you give a product or a service or an online course or an offer a personality? Well, it's through storytelling. Listen to this fact. 55 % of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand if they love its story. And 44 % are willing to share that brand's content. We're going to talk in just a little bit why it's so important that you create shareable content. But I want for you to understand that people connect with stories. I would argue that this is one of the most overlooked strategies for small business owners, and this can literally impact every single area of your business.

7:12I always laugh when I meet people out in the wild and they can like recite my own brand story back to me about the$300 Craigslist camera and leaving the windowless office. And if you roll your eyes, even when I just say those words, well, that's a sign that I've shared that story a lot and that you already know it, meaning that it is recognizable to you. Now, again, when you think about it, when we are starting out as entrepreneurs or we're pivoting or we have a new idea, imposter syndrome is usually a passenger on a ride, right? It's going to come along the journey with us. And so what happens is, is a lot of times imposter syndrome makes us want to play small, makes us want to blend in.

7:53We want to do everything to avoid standing out. And when I was starting out the first few years, I would argue I blended in and I blended in well. I was basically in camouflage. I looked like every other photographer out there. But when I realized that I didn't need to appeal to every single bride and groom in the state I was in who was getting married in the next year, and I just needed to attract like 20 clients, I gained confidence in standing out, sharing more about me and not just about my work. This was so important because I realized something really early. I didn't want people to hire me just because they needed any random person with a camera.

8:33I wanted people to work with me because they loved me. And if I wasn't showing who I was or what made me different, then guess what? I was just another girl with a camera. Now I have to say, it takes a bit of guts and a lot of confidence to really own what sets you apart and makes you different. And for a lot of us, sharing our story can feel really vulnerable, but there is so much power in sharing our stories. And there's also so much research in why it's effective. People are way more likely to remember your story than to remember the features of your offer, right? We get so fixated on it has a hundred page workbook and 18 modules and all these things.

9:14People don't care. They want to know like, what is the story and how can I imagine myself in that story? Or how can I see parts of my own story in that? And so the first strategy that I really want for you to understand and take the power of is developing your brand story. What is the story? Why are you doing what you're doing? Why are you passionate about it? Why did you create this thing? Why are you excited to sell it? What is really going on here? And the better you get at telling that story, the more recognizable it becomes, the more that people connect with it, the more that you not only get customers, but you build a real community.

9:55And so I want for you to really sit down and consider if you have never done the exercise of writing out what your brand story is or figuring out the best pieces of your stories to share, this is your invitation to do that. Now, if you have not developed your brand story in a while, or you've never really expanded beyond the origin story, which is what a lot of people think of, then I want for you to visit episode 466. It's an episode I recorded a while ago called My Storytelling Secrets That Connect and Convert. And I'm going to link it for you in the show notes, in the show description for you.

10:29But if this is an area where you need extra work, go tune on into that episode so that you can really focus on developing your brand story and sharing it really proudly and with confidence. All right. The second strategy is this. Hear me loud and clear. Master one platform first. Okay. Listen to this. 85 % of brands report achieving higher engagement by focusing on just one or two social platforms rather than spreading thinly across all channels. This is according to Sprout Social. Now, what's interesting is, is that I think a lot of times we look at people we admire and we feel like they are omnipresent, meaning they are literally everywhere.

11:13They are on all the platforms. They are posting consistently. I get that. I might be somebody where you look and you're like, she is literally everywhere. It took a lot of years to reach this point. And those people also likely have teams supporting them with their strategy. I know I do. So here's what I want for you to hear. Pick a platform and master it. And when I say master it, I mean, get so good at it, be consistent at it, build a system around it, and be able to show up easily on it. So here's where I want for you to make a decision. when you're thinking about, well, what platform do I double down on?

11:53Pick the platform that is A, most easy for you to show up on, meaning it doesn't take a lot of effort. You don't have to go out and buy a ton of equipment or things like that. It is the lowest barrier to entry when it comes to platforms. And B is where your audience is likely hanging out. And a lot of times, not all the time, but a lot of times our audience is likely where we are, where we're consuming and hopefully creating content. And so you don't want to choose a platform that requires a ton of effort or complexity. Like if you're someone who doesn't love being on video, don't set out to create a YouTube channel.

12:29Think about how you best communicate and then think about which platform supports that best. I'm actually smiling right now as I think about this because today I sat down to record this episode and a few months ago, earlier this year, I decided we're going to test out YouTube. Okay. Some move Jenna Kutcher. You started a podcast because you literally wanted to sit down and just record and not think about what anything looks like, not think about what you look like. And so today I messaged my team and I was like, I'm really excited about this episode, but here's the thing. I am sloughing it. I am in my mom uniform.

13:03I do not have any desire to do my hair or put makeup on. I'm going to sit down and record this without video. Why? Because it's easy for me to do. And that's the way that I like to deliver my content. And so it's funny that I need my own advice, which I think honestly, every business owner listening to this episode is going to get a takeaway. But as I'm thinking about like mastering a platform first, I'm thinking about why did I start my podcast all these years ago? Because I didn't want to have to show my face. I didn't want to have to look perfect. I wanted to be able to sit down and share. And so even today, I am taking this advice and getting back to the basics.

13:38Now, what's interesting about this idea of mastering one platform first is that once you get really good at a platform, a lot of the same strategies translate to other platforms with just a little bit of strategy or tweaking. This podcast is brought to you by Mercury, banking that helps entrepreneurs do more with their money. Okay. I remember in the early days of my entrepreneurship journey, clients would literally mail me checks and then I would have to drive all the way to the bank to deposit them. It took me literal years to make things go digital and I am ashamed to admit I still have a filing cabinet with paper contracts because I'm way too afraid to throw them away.

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15:35Start building your sanctuary of comfort this fall with Bowl & Branch. For a limited time, get 20 % off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at bowlandbranch.com slash golddigger. That's bowlandbranch, B-O-L-L-A-N-D branch.com slash golddigger to save 20 % and unlock free shipping. Exclusions apply. There are also super easy ways to take the content created for one platform and to repurpose it for another. Meaning most of the heavy lifting is done in terms of the initial ideation and the creation. You've just got to kind of figure out how that works. What I see a lot of people doing is that they are taking the same piece of content and literally just posting it everywhere.

16:16And it's falling flat in all the places because every platform has a different strategy, a different algorithm, a different way that people like to engage. And so if this is you, your content is likely not doing much for you. It's likely falling flat and leading to frustration. And so what I want for you to do is to, again, double down, get really good at one platform, and then go to the next one. Don't try to go to all of them. Move to the next one. Maybe look at the one that is closest to the one that you are crushing it on and figure out what works over there. How can I take some of these initial ideas or the creations that I've created?

16:51And how can I make it work on the next platform? Like for me, it was Instagram. I love Instagram. I've always loved Instagram. Then once I got really good at Instagram, it leaked into Facebook. Then we discovered the power of Pinterest. And lastly would be LinkedIn. Now you probably see me. I'm like everywhere. I'm on every platform a few times each week, but we have built out a system that allows me to ideate the content, create that content, and then distribute it everywhere, matching the type and the format and the way the content works with the platform so that we can be successful on more than one platform.

17:27Now, one other thing to consider within this idea of mastering one platform, but for trying to do them all is that you want to create a system that allows you to show up consistently. I would argue that in this notion of like mastering a platform, consistency is one of the biggest roadblocks. It's one of the biggest things that is holding us back. And so when you can just even get consistent on one platform, that is a really huge win. And that is something that you should absolutely be celebrating. But what I think is even powerful is that when you figure out the system that works for you in order for you to show up consistently and hit your goals, whether it's one post a day or three posts a week, or even just one post a week, see what parts of that system could be replicated or duplicated onto other platforms.

18:16Again, when you figure out how to master one platform, a lot of the same ideas and systems can be translated and transferred onto other platforms. Now, if this is an area where you need extra help, I recorded this episode about the five things that are working on Instagram right now. Those strategies are still incredibly relevant and working today. Check out the show notes or the description to listen to that episode next if Instagram is where you want to master first. Again, that was my choice. Your choice might look different. But again, think about what is the most easy for you to show up on, aka the lowest barrier for you to be consistent on, and where is your audience likely hanging out?

18:58All right, let's move on to number three of five. Start growing your email list early. I'm not going to lie. Maybe this point alone is why I was so excited to record this episode. but email marketing, it is like the sexiest type of marketing to me. Listen to this. For every$1 spent on email marketing, the average return on your investment is$42. $42. That's like absolute insanity. If I were to say to you, listener, hey, you want to give me a dollar in the morning and at the end of the day, I'm going to give you$42. Would you do it? Absolutely. So why are you not doing it in your business? Now, I know we were just talking about social media, but social media platforms are constantly changing.

19:44And if you are like me and you are struggling with the fatigue of having to consistently figure out the new things and focus on the trends and try all these different strategies, an email list is where you need to focus. And I would also argue that the only reason why you should be trying to master any other platform is to get people off of those platforms and onto your email list. An email list is an asset that you own. I have literally been talking about this topic since the podcast inception back in 2016. And I will not stop. I think that anyone that is running a business that does not have an email list, you are playing a betting game and you are growing your business and your dreams and your future on something that's borrowed.

20:31You are literally renting your space from Mark Zuckerberg. And let me tell you, I don't always think that he has your best interests in mind. Now, let me tell you the story of how my email has started, because maybe this will be relatable to you. I was obsessed with Instagram, right? I told you that was the first platform I set out to master, if you want to call it that. And I will never forget when I hired my first business coach, I got on the phone with him. And I was feeling like so high and mighty. I had 10 ,000 followers. I couldn't believe it. I had worked so hard to get that following. And I get on the phone with him and I'm like, ready to just like, my ego is like, tell him how many followers you have.

21:11Like, tell him how hard you've worked on this. And the first question he asked me was how big is your list? And I legitimately thought he was talking about my to-do list. I was like, dang, I got a lot to get done. I've got to edit these photos. I've got deliveries. I've got inquiries. I've got invoices. No, no, know, he wasn't talking about my to-do list. He was talking about my email list, which was a big fat goose egg zero. I didn't get it. Like Instagram is this sexy, visible number that your audience can see. I mean, it makes sense that we want to focus on it, right? The ego is saying have something that people will be impressed by.

21:45That outward number means everything. But the truth is while social media might feel sexy, I'm going to argue your email list is a lot sexier because it is a direct line of communication to reach the right people at the right time with the right message. If you are someone who is so tired of like screaming out into the void, shouting into the abyss, like, can anybody hear me? Is this thing on? An email list is the solution. It is a much more intimate way to connect with people who have already raised their hands and said, I want what you have, or I want to learn more, or I'm interested in what you are talking about.

22:22Again, social media is rented space. You don't own your audience. You definitely cannot control their experience. And when we really think about it, the apps that we are using are kind of set up against us with algorithms and with their goal being to keep people on the apps. They don't want to send people to places where you actually generate income, like your website, your blog, or your offers, right? When we think about what is Instagram or Meta's biggest goal, It's to keep people engaged on the platforms for as long as possible. That is why they don't want us sending people off the platforms.

22:57And so I'd argue that an email list should be your number one priority in your business. It is for us. It is the number one indicator of the health of the company. It is the number one growth factor. If you want to double your business, I'm going to argue double your email list. That is what we talk about in rooms of leaders. We're not over here like, what reel is popping off for you this week? It's like, how are you growing your list? So here are a few things that I want to say based on where you may be at when it comes to email list building. I would argue to start an email list before you even have your business or before you have solidified your idea or your offer.

23:38So regardless of if you are brand new to business, I would start your email list now. Or if you are someone who wants to pivot or change or add a new offer to your arsenal, you should be focused on your email list. That way, when that idea strikes or it's time to actually launch that idea, you have already been working on a list of people who are in alignment with what it is you're about to sell and who are ready to support you. Let me tell you this. And a lot of people don't talk about this, but I think this is one of the most powerful pieces of an email list. An email list is an amazing testing ground for your ideas to see what people are actually willing to exchange something of value for, meaning you're offering them some sort of free value.

24:21And in exchange, they are offering you access into their inbox. And so it is a much better indicator beyond just likes or comments or DMs to actually see like, are people willing to put a little bit of skin in the game to learn more? Are people interested in this? Testing ideas with our email list has saved us from going down the wrong road many times, and it has validated ideas that we've had to make us go on to create a new product, service, or offer. So if this hasn't convinced you yet, listen to this stat. In the online marketing world, it has been said that for every subscriber you have on your email list that you are showing up for and serving, that should equate to one additional dollar in revenue each month.

25:04So what would it look like for you if you went out and shared ideas and you got 500 subscribers on your email list? What would an extra$500 a month look like for you, for your family, for your business? Just imagine that. Now, if you are someone listening to this and you're like, okay, you have finally convinced me. Year after year, I've put this off no longer. If you need help getting started on growing an email list, I've linked up a past episode from earlier this year about why you truly cannot afford to not start your email list right now, aka why you have to have an email list. Go tune in to that one to understand more about why email marketing needs to be a focus for you.