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How To Build A Highly Engaging Email Sequence in 5 Simple Steps

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Email marketing is the most profitable marketing channel today. You can build a 7-figure business with emails alone.

Email generates a $42 return for every $1 spent. B2B marketers say this is the best way to nurture leads. In fact, 4 out of 5 marketers would rather give up social media marketing than email marketing.

If you’re not implementing email sequence yet, you’re missing a huge chunk of revenue for your business.

Before I show you how to create one, let’s define a few things first…

What is an Email Sequence?

An email sequence, also known as an autoresponder (what we call it at Wavoto) or drip email, is the process of sending a series of emails to people in different stages as they move along the sales funnel.

The emails update prospects, warm them up to become leads, and then convert them into customers. Since everything is automated, you don’t have to manually send emails over and over again -- saving you time and making you money without needing to repeat work.

An email sequence can be time-based or trigger-based.

A time-based email sequence sends emails at predetermined intervals:

30 days after buying
On the anniversary of a subscription
Right after opt-in

A trigger-based email depends on the action of the prospect or customer:

Reading or downloading content
Purchasing a product
Browsing behavior
Subscription to your list
Abandoning a shopping cart

Each has their own purpose.

Time-based email sequences are great follow-up tools. You can show prospects you remember important dates in their lives -- which is a great way for following-up.

Trigger-based email sequences give subscribers a more satisfying buying experience. Since you send emails based on their actions, you can give them exactly what they need as they move through the sales funnel -- accelerating the sales process!

It’s not enough you know “what” emails are. You must know “how” to create them. You can easily do this in 5 steps.

The 5 Simple Steps to Build an Email Sequence

1. Choose the Goal of your Email Sequence

You need to determine the purpose of your email sequence before setting one up. The content of each email differs, depending on your goals or what you want for your business.

What are the Different Goals of an Email Sequence?

Welcome email sequence - A welcome email sequence is a campaign sent when prospects sign up for a website. It is an introduction about a business and is not used to drive sales. The goal of this type of email is to build rapport and establish a connection with the prospects.

Onboarding / Nurturing Email Sequence - After introducing your business to prospects, you want them to engage with you. In this stage, you provide more information about your products or business. You can offer them to try out your product or get them to book an appointment. You can also provide value, incentivize, or offer discounts on their first sale.

Abandon Cart Email Sequence - If you’re not paying attention to abandoned carts, you’re probably going to lose thousands of dollars in sales. There are many reasons why people leave their shopping carts. They might have changed their mind, but most were distracted or just forgot. If you send emails within 24 hours after prospects have abandoned their shopping carts, you can remind them and recover lost sales.

Repeat Customer Email Sequence - While you’re busy with new leads, you should not forget about your existing customers. The main purpose of sending this email is to congratulate them, make them happy, and eventually turn them into loyal customers.

You can start by sending an email 2 to 3 days after their first purchase to ask for feedback or asking them if they need help. You can also send a few automated emails recommending other products or content that they may like.

Re-engagement Email Sequence - You don’t want to lose customers after they interacted with your brand or purchased a product. The main purpose of this sequence is to win them back after no longer engaging with your business.

Don’t worry if you haven’t set up any of these email sequences, that’s why we’re talking about it here! Focus on one sequence at a time until you have them all flowing for you.

2. Create an Outline of Emails

After knowing the reasons for automating emails, you need to be able to write an effective email campaign. In other words, you need to know how many emails to send and the timing between each email.

Here are the following steps to creating your email campaign:

Identify the purpose.
Identify the trigger for the email.
Know how many emails to send and their duration.
Craft the emails.
Build the emails using the software.
Automate.
Do test the automation before launching.

3. What Should Each Email Contain?

To have an effective email campaign, you need to know what an ideal email sequence should have. If your email is lacking a crucial component, you won’t succeed in your goal.

Here are a few elements your email must have…

The ‘Ask’ - each email must have a “call-to-action.” You ask them to buy, subscribe, like, click a link, or whatever it may be.
The Solution (a.k.a your product) - Present the reason why your offer is the best solution to their problem and not your competitors’.
Include Testimonials or Social Proof - Provide testimonials, screenshots from your loyal customers, or case studies.
FOMO - One of the most effective strategies that you can use is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) statements. Some effective FOMO lines are “the cart is closing in 3 hours” (urgency) or “Only 10 pieces left” (scarcity).
Provide Incentives - Offer prospects incentives such as bundle deals and bonus education resources.
Support - make prospects at ease by giving them a way to contact you if they have further questions.

4. Draft the Content for Each Email

An email sequence is useless if you write boring, long, drawn-out emails. Your emails must be something subscribers look forward to reading. It needs to be interesting, captivating, and exciting.

Here are a few best practices:

Your subject line is the first thing your new subscriber sees. Personalize it and ensure that the subject reflects the content of your email.
It must trigger curiosity. Attention grabbing subject lines aren’t enough. Your first few lines must entice them to read and interact.
Keep it short and simple. Address their pain points, annihilate objections, reveal why you’re credible, and show why products are superior.
Have a clear call to action. Make sure the link works and it goes to the right product page.

Now, if you have no idea how to start writing… Use the P.O.S.E.R. framework:

Paint your pain or promise something big.

You need to start emails with a bang. If you can use words to describe exactly how they feel and promise them a cure or relief…you’ll immediately get their attention.

Objection handling.

When you promise something big, there’s normally resistance. They won’t believe you and read more…unless you clear their doubts, skepticism, and objections.

Show the solution.

This is where you reveal your offer that helps them eliminate pain and fulfills your promise. Give them more details, be specific. The more detailed you are, the better.

Example in action.

Demonstrate how your product is being used. If you have services, show the reader its real-word applications and how they can benefit immediately.

Real-world results.

Show them the results of using your product or service. This can also be the testimonial section of your email.

Lastly, don’t forget the call-to-action.

Make sure you ask them to click a link, buy, reply to your email, or any type of action in your email.

After you’ve written your emails, it’s now time to…

5. Set up a Schedule for Sending Your Emails

Sending your emails at the right time can get you better open rates, click through rates (CTRs), and sales.

Most people check their inboxes at different times of the day depending on their habits. Yet, studies revealed that people are most active during these hours:

8:00 a.m. is the time that many people check their emails first thing in the morning.
1:00 p.m. is also the best time because it’s their lunch break.
4:00 p.m. as most people are about to wrap their day so it’s a good time to check emails.
6:00 p.m. is when most people are commuting or have reached their home.

The best days to send an email marketing campaign falls on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, if you have something important to announce, do it from Tuesday to Thursday.

But it doesn’t end there....

Test and Tweak your Sequence Until it's Perfect

Whether you like it or not, certain sales messages and ad angles go stale.

Before, plain text emails worked like a charm. You only needed a few words to turn a subscriber into a buyer.

Now, you must have a few images in your emails, especially if you’re selling physical products. You must evolve as digital marketing shifts and your business grows!

Testing and tweaking your email sequences starts with optimizing your open rates and then improving your click through rates. If more people open your emails and more people click, more people will see your products and buy.

By testing and tweaking your sequence, you’ll know what type of subject line, email content, and CTA works best.

What Email Metrics Are Important for Tracking?

To see what is working or not, be sure to track:

Open-Rates: This shows how many of your audience opened your email.
Click-Through Rates: It shows the percentage of subscribers who clicked on the links in your email.
Deliverability: This data reflects the number of emails that reached your target recipients.

The Basics of Testing & Metrics

There are various ways to tweak, test and improve your email sequences.

You can perform A/B tests --- where you send two emails to the same number of people and see which performs better.

If you have the tools to do this, here are a few components you can start A/B testing:

Subject Line Length - Test the length of the subject line to test how it grabs the attention of your target audience. The ideal length of the subject line is between 61 to 70 characters. Results vary depending on the habits and lifestyles of your prospects and subscribers.
Content - Test emails with different messages to know which best resonates with your audience. You can experiment with soft selling (like telling a story) or hard selling (where you directly ask for the sale).
Images - You can test images in your emails to know if they can increase clickthrough rates. An example is testing whether a product image or a picture with the owner converts better.
Length - Testing the length of your emails is a very good practice as readers tend to have a shorter attention span. Short emails are more effective for most brands. But, you need to check if this applies to you --- especially if you’re a content creator, consultant or coach.
Tone - The tone of voice in your email can have a huge impact on your campaign’s click-through rates. Whatever your tone is, it must match your company’s brand image. If you sell baby bottles to mothers, don’t swear or drop F-bombs in your email.
Personalization - Personalizing your email campaigns can improve the open rates by 14%. Test what type of personalization works for your business.
Call-to-Action - Benefit-driven CTAs always do best. Instead of saying “subscribe now,” you can say “Get 12 Months Access Here.” Test your words and find what works best.

Email Marketing Made Effective

Email marketing is one of the most efficient ways to turn a stranger into a $10 buyer and then eventually into a $1,000 or a $10,000 buyer.

You can nurture, connect, and build a relationship with your leads. You won’t just have customers. You can create a tribe who will be loyal to you.

More than that: Email marketing gives you more control over your business.

If you have a list of 1,000 subscribers, you have a traffic source you can tap into again and again. If you have a list of buyers, you can get more sales by selling bundles or upgrading their offers. If you have an email sequence, you can actively sell 24/7 without lifting a finger.

That’s the closest thing you can get to a “passive income” asset.

If you have no idea where to start…

Wavoto can help you create all the email marketing campaigns your business needs.

Whether you’re selling services or products, Wavoto can help you build a list, set-up campaigns, and automate to maximize sales and conversions.

We make it easy, fast and simple to build email sequences that convert.

In fact, we’re giving you a “Free Download Funnel” and the complimentary email templates at the link below…

>> Get access to the “Free List Building Funnel” and email templates here.

Sales Funnels 101: What Are They & Why Your Business Needs Them

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 06:00:00 GMT

As an entrepreneur, it's hard to know where to start when building a business. Many make the mistake of believing that they have to jump through numerous hoops and design their website before anything else. But that may not be the best course of action!

The truth is you should be concentrating on setting up your marketing funnels first.

Why? Because they give you direct access with potential customers across all web platforms from day one – no waiting around required!

So what exactly is a funnel?

Well, a funnel is an essential part of a successful business.

Why?

Because it helps guide potential customers through the buying process and increase the chances of making a sale.

This path, or "funnel," typically consists of several stages, such as awareness, consideration, and decision, and each stage is designed to move the customer closer to making a purchase.

By creating a clear and structured path, businesses can make it easier for potential customers to understand what they are offering and why they should choose them over the competition.

In addition to increasing conversions, a well-designed funnel can also help businesses to better understand their target audience and what motivates them to make a purchase.

This can be especially useful for businesses that are looking to improve their marketing and sales efforts and make them more effective.

Now, there are several types of funnels that every business should have. Let’s go over them together here…

The 3 Main Sales Funnel Types

The Awareness Funnel

This funnel is designed to attract the attention of potential customers and introduce them to your brand. This can be done through various channels such as social media, content marketing, and paid advertising.

The Consideration Funnel

Once someone is aware of your brand, the consideration funnel helps them understand the value of your product or service and why they should choose you over the competition. This can be achieved through case studies, demos, and free trials.

The Decision Funnel

The decision funnel is where potential customers make the final decision to purchase from you. This funnel should include a clear call-to-action and a smooth checkout process to make it easy for customers to complete their purchases.

For real life examples, an e-commerce store might use a funnel to guide potential customers from discovering their product on social media to adding it to their cart and making a purchase. (This is a decision funnel.)

A B2B company might use a funnel to lead potential clients through a series of demos and case studies before eventually signing a contract. (This is a consideration funnel.)

One More Thing Before You Start Building Your Funnel…

Before you take the time to build your funnel, think about what your audience needs and will engage with! In other words, create a reason for new people to connect with you using your funnel.

It’s really comes down to two things:

Why would your audience care about this funnel? (Their benefit)

Why are you building this funnel? (Your goal)

As you think of your audience and your business goals, you need to make sure what you’re delivering is in step with your brand, putting thought and intention behind your actions.

It’s wonderful when Ben & Jerry’s has free cone day every year where they hand out free ice cream cones, but it wouldn’t make sense for them to give $100 to each person who comes in to help pay off car loans.

Paying off a car loan may be something a big chunk of their audience needs, but it doesn’t connect to their mission of serving ice cream.

Don’t Forget—Measure Your Success

Lastly, but certainly not least, you need to be able to know if your marketing funnel is successful and working!

A few things you need to look at:

Conversion rate: How many people come to your landing page and how many people actually fill out your form and convert?
Email open rates: How many people who convert are opening your emails?
Email click-through rates: After people open your emails, are they engaging with them and clicking on the links inside them?

Not only will these metrics be able to tell you the areas of your funnels that need to be improved, but also, areas of your funnel that are huge successes and can probably be repeated in other funnels you want to create!

By the way, keeping track of all of these metrics is really easy in Wavoto’s Funnel Builder, where you can not only create your funnel with our drag and drop builder but be able to see each new lead and how people are interacting with your funnel. Everything you need, all in one place!

So if you’re a business owner looking to create a structured path that leads a potential customer through different stages of the buying process, with the ultimate goal of converting them into a paying customer…

…Then you NEED funnels in your business!

Make sense?

We hope so!

And to help you with your funnel building, we’re giving you FREE access to our funnel library!

It’s our way of saying thank you for being a part of the Wavoto community, helping you skyrocket your business, and drive more sales!

Claim your free access to our funnel library on Wavoto today.

A Beginner’s Guide to Websites: 7 Critical Elements Every Website Must Have

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Are you thinking about creating a website for your business? If so, there are a few essential elements you need to include.

In this blog post, we will walk you through the most important aspects of any website. By understanding these key components, you can create a website that is both effective and appealing to your visitors.

Let's get started!

In general, there are a few things that every website should include:

-Your business name and logo

-Your contact information (phone number, email address, mailing address)

-A brief overview of what your business does/what you offer

-A few examples of your work (if applicable)

-Testimonials from happy customers (if applicable)

But even though these things are nice to have on your website, it doesn’t mean you need a traditional website to succeed!

You don’t need to write dozens of pages of content or buy multiple tools and plug-ins to have an “online presence.”

All you need is a simple, one-page microsite.

In fact, many entrepreneurs, influencers, content creators, network marketers, speakers, and coaches are choosing to build microsites instead of traditional websites.

Here are 4 examples of microsites:

1. my creative type

This is a great example of a lead generation microsite. When you take the quiz, they will ask for your email address to get the results.

The microsite looks like a landing page. However, this isn’t a sub-domain of a website. It has its own URL.

2. redbull

Red Bull created an entirely new microsite to feature their case studies and testimonials. Since it’s not part of their main website (the URL starts with “atrun.redbull.com” and not “www.redbull.com”), they’re able to experiment more with their branding.

As you can see, the microsite is more interactive and has a different feel compared to their other marketing assets.

3. every last drop

You can also create a microsite to raise awareness for a specific cause. A good example is Every Last Drop.

This microsite is intuitive, engaging, and entertaining. You can’t help but scroll down. Once you reach the bottom, they have one call-to-action – watch the video.

4. kim bauer

You can create a microsite specifically to optimize your organic lead generation and increase brand engagement.

A great example is Kim Bauer’s microsite. Once her audience visits the microsite, they’re immediately greeted with a quick bio and then multiple call-to-action buttons. Kim immediately connects her audience with content that positions her as an authority in her industry.

You can easily create a microsite like Kim’s – all it takes is 18 minutes.

Deciding how much information to put on your website can be tricky, but it's important to strike the right balance between giving away too much and not enough.

In general, make sure to include your business name and contact information, a brief overview of what you do/what you offer, and a few examples of your work (if applicable).

If you're happy with the amount of information on your website, then chances are your potential customers will be too.

Even with a microsite, you’ll need to have an effective homepage for your website. So let’s cover how to create an effective homepage now…

5 Essential Elements to an Effective Homepage

1. Your homepage should be simple and easy to navigate

The average website visitor will only spend a few seconds on your homepage before deciding whether to stay or go elsewhere. That's why it's important to make sure that your homepage is simple and easy to navigate.

Keep the design clean and uncluttered, and make sure that the most important information is prominently displayed. Use clear and concise text, and avoid using jargon or technical terms. And don't forget the call to action! Tell visitors what you want them to do, whether it's subscribing to your newsletter, making a purchase, or signing up for a free trial.

With a little effort, you can ensure that your homepage makes a good first impression and helps keep visitors engaged with your site.

2. The most important information should be front and center

When people are looking for information on the internet, they want to find it quickly and easily. That's why it's important to make sure that the most important information is front and center on your website.

By keeping the most relevant information above the fold, you can ensure that visitors will see it as soon as they land on your site. This will help to improve their experience and increase the chances that they'll find what they're looking for. In addition, by putting the most important information first, you'll be more likely to capture people's attention and keep them engaged with your site.

So if you want people to find what they're looking for, make sure that your most important information is easy to see.

3. Your homepage should be visually appealing

The way your homepage looks says a lot about you and your business. A visually appealing homepage can make a good first impression on potential customers and help to build trust.

Conversely, a poorly designed homepage can send the message that you are unprofessional or disorganized.

When it comes to creating a visually appealing homepage, there are a few key elements to keep in mind:

First, use high-quality images that are relevant to your business.
Second, keep the layout clean and simple, avoiding clutter and unnecessary distractions.
Finally, make sure the overall design is cohesive and reflects your brand identity.

4. Your homepage should tell a story

A website's homepage is often the first impression that a potential customer will have of a business. As such, it's important that the homepage makes a good impression.

One way to do this is to tell a story. A well-crafted story can help to engage visitors and give them a reason to explore the site further. It can also help to create an emotional connection with the viewer, which can encourage them to return in the future.

Of course, not every business will have a suitable story to tell. In such cases, it may be better to focus on other aspects of design, such as creating a visually appealing layout or ensuring that important information is easy to find.

However, for those businesses that do have a story to tell, telling it on the homepage can be an effective way to engage visitors and encourage them to explore the site further.

5. The copy on your homepage should be well written and engaging

As the first page visitors will see, your homepage is crucial to making a good impression. The copy on your homepage should be well written and engaging, giving visitors a snapshot of what your business is all about.

Beyond that, it should also be effective in conveying your unique selling proposition and driving conversions. To achieve this, make sure to focus on creating compelling headlines and body copy that accurately reflects your brand voice. In addition, consider using visuals such as images and videos to break up the text and add interest.

By taking the time to craft an effective homepage, you can make sure that visitors will stick around long enough to learn more about what you have to offer.

There are a few more things to consider when creating your website. A big thing is how are you going to keep your website consistent because consistency breeds trust with your visitors and customers.

So Let’s Dive Into The 5 Tips for a Consistent Website…

1. Pick a color scheme and stick to it

As any web designer knows, creating a truly successful website requires careful attention to detail. Wavoto makes this easy with "My Brand" where you input your colors and they automatically apply across your website.

Every element on the page, from the layout to the color scheme, should work together to create a cohesive whole. One of the best ways to ensure a consistent look and feel is to pick a color scheme and stick to it. This doesn't mean that every page has to be monochromatic; instead, choose a few colors that complement each other and use them consistently throughout the site. In fact, on Wavoto we have a number of Brand Boards you can get started with to make sure your colors work together.

Use different shades of the same color for different sections, or use one color for headlines and another for body text. The key is to create a harmonious balance that will give visitors a pleasant and productive experience. With a little thought and planning, it's easy to create a visually appealing website that will keep visitors coming back for more.

2. Use the same fonts throughout your website

A website's font is one of the first things that a visitor will notice, so it's important to choose a font that is both visually appealing and easy to read. While there are thousands of fonts available, it's best to stick with a handful of fonts that complement each other. For instance, you might use a sans-serif font for your main content and a serif font for headings. Using fonts consistently throughout your website will create a cohesive look that is pleasing to the eye. In addition, using the same fonts will help to establish your brand identity. Just as Coca-Cola is identified by its distinctive red and white colors, your website can become known for its unique font choices. So when choosing fonts for your website, keep consistency in mind - it's the key to creating a cohesive and memorable brand identity. Luckily, Wavoto makes this easy with "My Brand" where you input your fonts for headers, sub headers, and body text and it automatically applies across your website.

3. Make sure all your images are the same size, style, and resolution

It's important to keep a consistent look and feel to your website by using images that are the same size and have the same resolution. This will give your site a professional look and make it easy for visitors to navigate. You can also use the same style for all your images, whether it's a specific color palette or filter. By keeping your website consistent, you'll create a cohesive experience for your visitors that will keep them coming back.

4. Use the same header and footer on all your pages

When designing a website, it's important to maintain a consistent look and feel throughout all the pages. One way to do this is to use the same header and footer on each page. This will give your website a polished, professional appearance and help visitors feel confident navigating your site. headers and footers typically include your website's logo, contact information, and navigation links. By keeping these elements the same on every page, you can create a strong visual identity for your site that will help visitors find their way around. So if you're looking to give your website a cohesive look, using the same header and footer on every page is a great place to start.

5. Use similar page layouts to help your visitors

When designing a website, it is important to create a consistent layout that can be easily understood by visitors. One way to achieve this is by using similar page layouts for all of the pages on your site. This involves creating a basic design that can be used as a template for each page. By using the same layout, visitors will be able to quickly familiarize themselves with your site and find the information they are looking for. Additionally, using similar page layouts will make your site more user-friendly and reduce the amount of time required to maintain the website.

In website design, a parent page is a top-level page that can have other pages beneath it, called child pages. Creating parent and child pages can help to organize your website and make it easier for visitors to find the information they need. For example, if you have a website about dogs, you might create a parent page for each breed of dog. Underneath each parent page, you could then create child pages with information about specific dogs within that breed. By creating parent and child pages, you can help to ensure that your website is both well-organized and easy to navigate. All of this is easily achievable when you use Wavoto to build your website.

Now let’s take a look at the 2023 marketing trends to keep your eyes on…

Why? Because as the world becomes increasingly digitized, so too does the landscape of marketing. What's hot in marketing today may be completely different in just a few years time.

So what can we expect to see in 2023? Here are a few trends to keep an eye on…

Marketing Trend #1) AI and Machine Learning

Marketers will increasingly rely on these technologies to automate tasks, personalize experiences, and deliver more targeted content. Save time and resources while still being able to target their audience effectively.

Segmentation and personalization: Businesses will use AI to segment their target market and personalize their marketing messages.
Marketing automation: Businesses will use AI to automate marketing tasks, such as email marketing, social media updates, and targeted ads.
Predictive analytics: Businesses will use AI to predict customer behavior and target their marketing accordingly.
Chatbots: Businesses will use chatbots to interact with customers and provide them with information about products and services.
Voice search: Businesses will optimize their website and content for voice search using AI.

With AI, you won’t lose your personal voice, you will just be able to organize your marketing faster.

Marketing Trend #2) Influencer Marketing

As we move into the new year, it's time to start thinking about the marketing trends that will shape the next 12 months. And one of the biggest trends we're predicting for 2023 is influencer marketing (also called Creator Marketing).

Now, you might be thinking that influencer marketing is nothing new. And you'd be right - it's been around for a few years now. But we think it's going to become even more popular in 2023, as businesses increasingly look to partner with social media influencers to reach their target audience.

There are a few reasons why we think this trend will continue to grow in popularity:

Social media usage is still on the rise, meaning there are more opportunities than ever before to reach potential customers through influencer marketing.
People are increasingly distrustful of traditional advertising, making influencer endorsements all the more powerful.
With the rise of TikTok and other short-form video platforms, influencers are able to create engaging content that doesn't require a huge budget or production team.

Marketing Trend #3) SMS Marketing

As digital marketing evolves, so do the techniques and strategies that businesses use to reach their target audiences. In recent years, we've seen the rise of social media marketing, email marketing, and even influencer marketing. However, one marketing trend that shows no signs of slowing down is SMS marketing.

SMS marketing is a form of direct marketing that involves sending text messages to customers or prospects. Unlike other forms of marketing, SMS messages are nearly impossible to ignore, making them an incredibly effective way to reach your target audience. Additionally, SMS messages can be personalized and tailored to the individual recipient, making them even more impactful.

While SMS marketing may not be a new concept, it's one that is continually evolving. As such, businesses need to stay up-to-date on the latest SMS marketing trends if they want to remain competitive. Here are three SMS marketing trends that businesses should keep an eye on in 2023:

1. Automation

One of the biggest trends in SMS marketing is automation. Thanks to advances in technology, businesses can now automate the process of sending and managing SMS campaigns. This not only saves businesses time and money, but it also allows them to scale their SMS campaigns more effectively. Additionally, automated SMS campaigns can be personalized and targeted at specific segments of your audience for maximum impact.

2. Two-way messaging

Another SMS marketing trend that businesses should be aware of is two-way messaging. Two-way messaging allows businesses to interact directly with their customers via text message. This interaction can take many forms, such as customer service inquiries, appointment reminders, or even surveys and polls. Not only does two-way messaging allow businesses to build better relationships with their customers, but it also gives them valuable insights into customer behavior.

3. Chatbots

A chatbot is a computer program that simulates human conversation. Chatbots are commonly used in customer service applications, but they are also increasingly being used for marketing purposes. Thanks to chatbots, businesses can now automate their SMS campaigns and interact with customers in real-time. Additionally, chatbots can be programmed to understand human emotions, making them more effective at engaging with customers on a personal level. (We use one ourselves here at Wavoto: Manychat!)

As you can see, there are several exciting trends reshaping the world of SMS marketing. By staying up-to-date on these trends and implementing them into your own SMS campaigns, you'll be able to stay ahead of your competition and better engage with your target audience.

Other marketing trend predictions:

We'll see a growing focus on diversity and inclusion. As consumers become more aware of social issues, they'll expect brands to reflect their values. This means creating advertising that is inclusive and representative of all people.
There will be a greater emphasis on storytelling. In an age of information overload, consumers are looking for brands that can capture their imagination and tell a compelling story.
We'll see a shift from quantity to quality. With attention spans getting shorter and shorter, marketers will need to create content that is concise and to the point.

So there you have it, we hope you can see how to build an effective website for your business. By understanding these critical elements every website must have, you can create a website that will attract visitors and help you achieve your business goals in 2023 and beyond.

The Ultimate Guide to Successful Holiday Planning: 8 Steps to Make Sure You’re Prepared For The Holiday Season

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 06:00:00 GMT

As a small business owner, you know that the holiday season is a crucial time for generating sales.

But with so many competing businesses all vying for consumers' attention—and wallets—how can you make sure that your holiday discounts and promotions stand out from the crowd?

Step 1) You’ll need to know your goal and understand what you want to achieve with this promotion.

Before you launch any sort of marketing campaign, it's important to have a clear goal in mind. What are you trying to achieve with this promotion? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Bring in new customers? Increase your average order size? Once you know your goal, you can create a plan that will help you achieve it.

For example, if you're trying to increase brand awareness, you'll want to focus on reach and frequency. You'll probably want to fund an ad, one that reaches as many people as possible, and that it's seen multiple times.

On the other hand, if you're trying to generate leads, you'll want to focus on targeting and messaging. You'll need to make sure that your content is targeted at the right audience, and that it contains a strong call-to-action. By taking the time to clearly define your goals, you can ensure that your marketing campaign is successful.

Next, you'll need to think about what type of discount or promotion will best fit your products or services. Are you looking to offer a percentage off certain items? Or maybe buy-one-get-one deals? Once you've decided on the type of discount or promotion, you'll need to determine the timeframe for the offer. Will it be valid for a single day? A week? The entire holiday season?

Step 2) You’ll have to understand what financially makes sense for your business.

As a business owner, it's important to understand what financially makes sense for your company. When it comes to promotions, you need to decide how much you can afford to discount your products or services. 20% is a common figure, but it's not always the right number for every business.

If you can't afford to give a deep discount, look for other ways to promote your products or services. You might offer free shipping, buy one get one deals, or bundle packages. By understanding your financial limitations, you can make the best decisions for your business.

Step 3) You must understand how to entice customers with your discount or promotion.

There are a few different ways to entice customers with a discount. For one, you can make the discount applicable to a purchase of a certain amount - this encourages customers to spend more in order to receive the discount. You can also make the discount applicable to specific products or services - this can help to boost sales of slower-moving items.

You can offer a time-limited discount - this creates a sense of urgency and encourages customers to take advantage of the deal before it expires. Ultimately, the best way to entice customers with a discount will vary depending on your business and your customer base.

For instance, you should be asking yourself if your promo is applicable to all customers? Or just first-time buyers? Existing customers? By taking the time to thoughtfully answer these questions, you'll be well on your way to creating holiday discounts and promotions that are tailored to your business—and that will appeal to your target audience.

Step 4) You’re going to want to establish a timeline for your goals.

When do you want to achieve these goals? Only on Black Friday? By December 25th? December 26th? All the way to the end of the year? A clear timeline allows you to plan effectively and it helps you get things done!

Just like the famous quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry says, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Step 5) You’re going to need to make a plan of action to achieve your goals.

Developing a well-thought-out holiday marketing plan is essential for success. And it should include everything from your advertising strategy to how you'll handle customer service during the busy season.

By taking the time to plan ahead, you can ensure that your business ends the year on a high note.

If you need more help planning and achieving your goals this holiday season, check out this article on the top 3 ways to set goals.

Step 6) Choose the right marketing channels

If you understand your target audience and your goals, you can narrow down the field and choose the channels that will be most effective for your promotion. For example, if you're looking to reach a young, tech-savvy audience, digital channels such as social media and email marketing may be your best bet.

If you're looking to generate leads or drive sales, paid advertising may be a more effective option. And if you're simply looking to build brand awareness, PR and content marketing may be more appropriate.

Once you have your marketing channels in place, next you’re going to want to create compelling content for your promotion.

Step 7) Create compelling content

When creating content, it's important to keep in mind what will make people want to stay on your page and take action. To do this, you need to create compelling content that is interesting, informative, and relevant to your audience.

First, consider what kind of information your audience is looking for. If you're selling products, they'll want to know about features, benefits, and pricing. If you're providing services, they'll want to know about your process, qualifications, and results.

Whatever the case may be, make sure you're providing the information that people are actually searching for. In addition to being informative, your content should also be engaging. Use strong headlines, photographs, and videos to capture attention and keep people scrolling. Finally, make sure your content is relevant to your audience.

Don't try to sell them something they're not interested in, or provide information that isn't pertinent to their needs. If you can do all of these things, you'll be well on your way to creating compelling content that will keep people engaged and encourage them to take action.

This can often be the step where your timeline might need to be more flexible. Make sure you have some wiggle room for your content creation.

Step 8) Test, measure, adjust

The key to any successful campaign is ongoing testing, measurement, and adjustment. By tracking the results of your campaign as it progresses, you can quickly identify areas that need improvement and make changes accordingly.

This process should be an ongoing one, as even small tweaks can have a big impact on the overall success of your campaign.

Of course, it's also important to ensure that you're making changes based on data, not gut instinct. By taking a scientific approach to campaign optimization, you can maximize your chances of achieving your desired results.

For example, if you thought you’d have more success on social media but realize your social posts are not getting very much traction, you may consider pivoting or creating different social media content.

By following these steps, you can create an effective campaign that will help promote your holiday promotions and bring in more sales to end the year on a high.

And Remember, It’s Okay To Take Some Time Off During The Holidays…

As an entrepreneur, it can be tough to manage days or holidays off.

You're constantly thinking about your business. Even when you're not working, you're still planning and brainstorming.

However, it's important to take some time for yourself and actually relax on your days off.

Here are 5 tips for preparing for days off and taking full advantage of them as an entrepreneur:

1. plan ahead

When you run your own business, planning ahead by creating a to-do list or creating a list of actionable tasks to complete is a must—especially when you’re traveling!

Ideally, if you complete them ahead of time, you will be able to take some time off away from the computer for a couple of days. So making sure to get these items done early can be the recipe for success.

Even things like compiling the details of the funnel you're running or the promotion in a Google Doc saved on your phone so you can easily access it on-the-go can save you a headache!

2. ensure your business can run smoothly without you

Tony Robbins is one of the many business owners that says, "You don’t own a business if you can’t do it on autopilot."

It makes sense, right? If you have to be involved in order for your business to work, then you don’t run a business. You’re just self-employed.

Now for some, being self-employed is a dream come true. But if it’s your goal to be a business owner who has financial and time freedom, you have to figure out how to run your business without you being there.

And putting your business on autopilot is a sure-fire way to make sure business continues to run smoothly without you.

Think about the things right now you have to constantly do over and over again, start automating these things to take the load off your shoulders.

3. use technology to your advantage

By using the power of technology, you can work on your business without having to work in it.

And a simple way to do this is by setting up an autoresponder system for your emails and scheduling your blog posts. Using these features helps make the process of running your business on autopilot smooth and easy.

You can also set up an out of office email to let people know you’re going to be away for a few days. And don’t be afraid to turn off your phone notifications too!

4. try your best to do nothing

Studies show that one of the greatest ways to boost your creativity is to spend time doing nothing. That’s right, being bored boosts creativity and helps you brainstorm new ideas for your business.

But obviously, don’t do nothing about your new ideas. Jot them down. Why? Because all entrepreneurs know that once a great idea is lost, it’s gone forever.

A few ways to set yourself up to do nothing is to make announcements on social media, to your email list, and on your website telling people you’re taking some time off. This sets expectations about your availability so you can enjoy your well-deserved time off!

5. learn to say no

One of the simplest ways to set yourself up for success is to say no.

There’s always so much work to do. It’s easy to work 24/7 and still not get everything done. So instead of overextending yourself, say no and take some time off for yourself or to spend time with your family.

Your life will be more enjoyable that way! (And giving your brain a break is always a good thing!)

Successful holiday planning is about more than just making a list and checking it twice. It's about setting yourself up for success by being organized and prepared. With these tips, you'll be able to enjoy your holidays stress-free!

Email Marketing Guide For Beginners: The Ultimate Guide To Successful Email Marketing Campaigns

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Email marketing is one of the most efficient and effective ways to connect with your customers. But, for beginners, it can be tough to know where to start.

This guide will help you get started with email marketing and give you the tools you need to create successful campaigns. Plus, we'll provide tips for improving your results. Let's dive in!

If you’ve been doing any research on email marketing, you may have been seeing people say that “Email is dead!”

But is email really dead?

Well, with all the emails I get in my inbox I’m thinking no.

I know why people say this. It’s because email inboxes are flooded every single day, emails don't appear to be opened as frequently, and read as quickly, but the facts say differently.

In 2014 (when I first started tracking statistics around email marketing), email marketing had a return on investment of $44 for every $1 spent. This dropped over the next few years to $39 for every $1 spent and in 2020 was brought back up to $42 for every $1 spent.

Basically, this means that the money spent on building an email list and creating a relationship with those on your email list results in MORE sales for your business.

Why? Because despite the popularity of texting, email offers a number of advantages that make it a better choice for businesses than other forms of communication.

For one thing, email allows you to say more than a few words at a time. While texts are limited to 140 characters, emails can be as long as you need them to be. This is especially useful when you need to share detailed information or have back-and-forth conversations.

In addition, email is less expensive than texting, especially if you have an unlimited data plan. And finally, email offers more comprehensive analytics than texting, so you can track things like open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribes.

For all these reasons, email is still the best choice for businesses and other formal communications.

Plus, an email newsletter is a great way to keep your customers updated on what's new with your business.

But when you're first starting out, it can be tough to know how often to send an email to your list. Once a month is a great place to start. That way, you can focus on making each newsletter rich with content and provide value to your readers, without having to worry about sending one out every week.

As you get more comfortable with the process, you can gradually increase the frequency. Even if you only send a newsletter once a month, it can still be a great way to stay top of mind with your customers and build loyalty over time.

But how do you grow your list?

First off, keep it simple! Start collecting email addresses from potential subscribers everywhere you can, including on your website, social media accounts, and even in physical stores.

By having a consistent call-to-action to sign up (i.e. join my list for my free checklist) for your newsletter, you're able to quickly grow your list of subscribers.

In addition, you can offer a variety of incentives to encourage people to sign up, such as exclusive discounts and early access to new products.

As a result of your efforts, you could potentially have one of the largest and most engaged newsletters in your industry. (Woo hoo!)

Now, before you worry about doing all this work for nothing, you should know that your email work isn’t a lost cause.

In today's fast-paced world, it's important to be able to quickly and easily repurpose content.

Which means you can reuse your email content on your social media accounts!

Repurposing content onto social media is a great way to stay connected with your audience and keep them engaged.

Plus, some of your followers on social media may not read your emails and vice versa. And if some of your followers are on both platforms equally, then it’s up to them where they want to consume the content (which your customers hopefully appreciate).

We do this with our weekly newsletters, taking pieces and sharing them on social media and also creating blog articles combining a number of email content together (you’re reading an example of that right now).

I hope you can see why email is NOT dead, but still the #1 marketing activity to focus on!

Once you build your email list you can help keep those contacts active and engaged with regular newsletters. But the real power of email comes through your campaigns!

Deciding on the right scheduling of your email sequence (what we call autoresponders on Wavoto) for campaigns can be tricky...

You don't want to email your opt-ins too frequently and risk becoming a nuisance, but you also don't want to space out your emails so much that people forget who you are.

So, how can you strike the perfect balance?

Well, let’s first focus on why you should worry about your email cadence…

Your email cadence is important for two reasons: first, it helps you to stay top of mind with your recent opt-ins, and second, it helps you to build trust and credibility with them.

If you're not familiar with the term, your email sequence cadence is simply the frequency with which you send emails to the people who have opted in to receive them. You might send daily emails, weekly emails, or even monthly emails.

Whatever cadence you choose, it's important to be consistent with it. That way, your subscribers will know when to expect an email from you, and they'll be more likely to open and read your emails when they do arrive.

The reason why your email cadence is so important is that it helps you to stay top of mind with your subscribers. If you're sending them regular emails, they're going to be more likely to think of you when they need whatever it is that you offer.

On the other hand, if you're only contacting them sporadically, they're less likely to think of you when they need what you have to offer.

Another reason why your email sequence cadence is so important is that it helps you to build trust and credibility with your subscribers. If they see that you're constantly sending them helpful and valuable information, they're going to start to trust you as a source of information.

On the other hand, if they only hear from you once in a while, they're less likely to trust that you really know what you're talking about.

So, if you want to stay top of mind with your subscribers and build trust and credibility with them, make sure that you pay attention to your email cadence. Be consistent with the frequency of your emails and make sure that each email delivers value. Do that, and you'll be well on your way to building a productive email list.

Also, know that there are different cadences for different opt-ins. If I have a newsletter opt-in, my cadence should be clear from the start. For example, at Wavoto we have a new newsletter once a week. So the emails will be sent once a week.

Versus a download opt-in, where the cadence is delivering the download, educating about the download, and pushing for the next step. This email sequence does not go on for a very long period of time like my newsletter opt-in would.

Now you may be wondering… how do you determine the right cadence for your emails?

Well, there are a few factors you'll need to consider when deciding on the ideal cadence for your email sequence.

First, think about the content you'll be sending. If you're planning on sending mostly educational content, you'll probably want to space your emails out a bit more so that people have time to digest and implement what they've learned.

On the other hand, if you're planning on sending mostly sales-oriented content, you may want to email your list more frequently so that people don't forget about your products or services.

Another factor to consider is the length of your email sequence. If you're planning on sending a few emails, you'll likely want to space them out more so that people don't feel like they're being bombarded with information.

However, if you're planning on sending a longer sequence of emails, you may be able to get away with emailing your list more frequently since people will already be familiar with your brand by the time they reach the end of the sequence.

Finally, consider your audience's preferences. Some people may prefer to receive emails more frequently while others may prefer to receive them less often.

Pay attention to any feedback you receive from your subscribers and adjust your cadence accordingly.

Overall, think of your intention. Are you sharing the promotion and pushing for a sale for a short cycle? Then you’re looking for quick repetitive emails.

Are you looking to educate and lead to a sale? This is a longer cycle of education, understanding, and application. Not only is there trust building between you and your contact, but also growth in knowledge and understanding. You don’t want to be overwhelmed!

You may also need to make some adjustments if you're not getting the results you want!

If you're not getting the results you want with your emails, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of success.

First, make sure you're using an effective subject line. Your subject should be clear and concise, and it should give recipients a reason to open your email. The average email open rate is only 21%, everything over that you should celebrate!

Secondly, try using different lengths for your messages. Test short, medium, and long messages. But be sure to avoid using unnecessary words to keep your reader’s attention.

Finally, personalize your emails as much as possible. Recipients are more likely to engage with messages that feel like they were written specifically for them, so take the time to customize each email you send. This includes things like their name in the email, like this, %%FIRSTNAME%%, as well as using singular references of “you” instead of “we”.

By following these tips, you can make sure your emails are more likely to be read and acted upon by your intended audience.

Obviously, there's no magic formula for finding the perfect cadence for your email sequence…

But by considering these factors and paying attention to feedback from your subscribers, you should be able to find a cadence that works well for both you and them.

Now that you know how often to email your list, it's time to put together an email sequence!

Start by creating 3-5 emails that will go out over the course of 2-3 weeks. Each email should introduce a new topic or offer and provide value to subscribers even if they don't purchase anything from you immediately.

Once your sequence is created, make sure it's scheduled in advance so you can relax and focus on creating great content instead of worrying about when/how to send it out.

Just send it!

However, it may be possible that your email doesn’t deliver?!

And if that happens, know it’s 100% fixable!

In fact, there are a few reasons why this could have happened and there are ways to avoid it from happening again in the future.

Let’s go over what these are…

Reason #1 - You Don’t Have a Branded Email

Having a business email instead of a @gmail or @yahoo majorly increases your email deliverability!

Spam is often coming from fake or emails created specifically to scam you using @gmail or @yahoo addresses. These email addresses send emails to hundreds of people a day.

To mitigate spam risks, Gmail and Yahoo (and other email hosts) have caps on how many emails an address can send in a day. For example, Gmail allows you to only send 500 emails in a 24 hour period.

Additionally, if you’re sending an email (newsletter or autoresponder) from a 3rd party (like Wavoto or MailChimp) using an @gmail or @yahoo email, those email hosts are going to flag your email as suspicious…unless the people receiving them have whitelisted your email address. (We talked about this in last weeks email 😉)

A branded business email makes your business familiar to email receivers and email hosts (i.e. Google, Yahoo, etc.) so your emails end up in inboxes and not spam or blocks entirely.

Reason #2 - It Bounced

There are several possible reasons why your email may have bounced.

The most common reason is that the recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept any more messages.

Another possibility is that the email address you're trying to reach doesn't exist (sometimes people don’t opt-in spelling their email right, happens more than you might think!).

Sometimes an email server may be down, or there may be a problem with the recipient's ISP.

If you're not sure why your email bounced, you can contact the recipient or their ISP to troubleshoot the problem.

At Wavoto, more often than not a bounced email most likely it's due to your email provider's DMARC Policy. (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, or DMARC, is a technical standard that helps protect email senders and recipients from spam, spoofing, and phishing.)

To rectify this, you can open a support ticket and our Support Team will help you request DKIM keys to verify your domain with your email provider.

(Don’t worry about the technical terms, confusing terms shortened = we’ll help you get things sorted.)

Reason #3 - It Ended Up In Spam

Have you ever sent an email only to have it end up in the recipient's spam folder? It's frustrating, especially if you're trying to communicate with someone important. So why does this happen? And how can you prevent it from happening in the future?

There are a number of reasons why an email might end up in spam.

One is if the recipient has marked your email address as spam in the past.

Another is if the subject line of your email is flagged as suspicious by the recipient's email provider (this is a good reason to stay away from ALL CAPS and excessive uses of !!!!)

Finally, if your email contains a lot of images or links, it may be considered suspicious and filtered into the spam folder.

To avoid having your emails end up in spam, start by ensuring that your own email address isn't marked as spam.

You can do this by keeping your contact list up to date and only sending emails to people who have opted-in to receiving them. (At Wavoto, if someone opts-out, they will automatically stop receiving your emails, same if they mark an email as spam. They can always opt-in again!)

Additionally, choose descriptive and accurate subject lines for your emails, and limit the number of images and links that you include. If you must include images, make sure you are making the image the smallest file size that you can (we share how in this article on SEO, double bang for your buck there!)

By following these simple tips, you can help ensure that your emails will be delivered safely to their intended recipients.

Reason #4 - The Email Address Was Inputted Wrong

Have you ever sent an email and then realized moments too late that you had inputted the wrong email address?

I have, and let me tell you, it's not a fun feeling. Fortunately, there's usually a way to retrieve the message - but that doesn't always mean that it will be seen by the intended recipient.

In some cases, the message may be sent to a completely different person. Other times, it may go into an automated system that will delete it after a certain period of time.

In either case, it's important to double-check the email address before hitting send. A few extra seconds of effort can save you a lot of embarrassment (not to mention wasted time).

So next time you're about to send an important email, take a moment to make sure that you've got the right address and it’s spelled correctly too! It could make all the difference in the world.

If You Want to Connect With Your Audience, Your Email Deliverability Matters!

Inboxes are overflowing!

According to a Radicati Group study, the average person receives 121 emails per day and sends out 40 emails daily. This leaves little room for error when it comes to deliverability.

Here’s why email deliverability should matter to you:

Inbox placement is critical for engagement. If your email doesn’t make it to the inbox, it doesn’t matter how great your content is – no one will see it.
Low deliverability can hurt your sender reputation. Mailbox providers use a variety of factors to determine whether or not to deliver your email, including your sender reputation. A low sender reputation can lead to deliverability issues down the road. Reputation matters online!
Poor deliverability wastes time and money. If your emails aren’t making it to the inbox, you’re wasting time and money on a campaign that will never reach its full potential. Not to mention, you could be alienating potential customers who never receive your emails.

Email deliverability should be a top priority for any business that relies on email marketing to reach its customers.

By paying attention to inbox placement and working to improve your sender reputation, you can ensure that your messages are always reaching their intended destination – the inbox!

I know that was a lot about email marketing…

But hopefully, by now you can see how email marketing is a great way to connect with customers and promote your business.

By following the tips in this guide, you can create successful email campaigns that will help you achieve your business goals. With a little effort and planning, email marketing can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.

What’s holding you back from utilizing email more for your business? Let us know in the comments!

7 Keys To Growing A Successful Community Around Your Brand

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Are you looking for ways to grow a community around your brand?

If so, you're in luck! There are several key things you can do to foster a strong, supportive community.

Here are seven of the most important:

1. Create a clear mission and vision for your brand.

When people know what your brand is all about and what you stand for, they'll be more likely to get behind it.

Your mission and vision statement is the foundation of your brand. It's who you are, what you do, and why you do it. It's the promise you make to your customers, and it's the guiding force behind everything you do as a business.

A clear mission and vision statement will help you attract the right customers, hire the right employees, and make the right decisions to take your business where you’re wanting it to go.

But how do you create a mission and vision statement that truly reflects your brand? Start by asking yourself some key questions: Who are we? What do we do? What are our values?

What difference do we make in the world?

Once you have answers to these questions, you can start to craft a mission and vision statement that captures the essence of your brand.

Keep it simple, clear, and concise, and make sure it reflects your unique brand identity. With a strong mission and vision statement, you'll be well on your way to building a successful brand.

2. Make it easy for people to connect with you online and offline.

Whether it's through social media, your website, or in-person events, make sure it's easy for people to interact with your brand. It’s important to make it easy for people to connect with you online and offline.

The best way to do this is to have a strong online presence (and that doesn’t mean you need to be spending all of your time online). Make sure you have a professional website and social media accounts. Post regularly and interact with your followers. In addition, attend events and meetups related to your industry.

By making yourself accessible both online and offline, you'll be more likely to build lasting relationships with clients and colleagues.

An important way to do this is to find the right social media platforms for your business!

Here are a few things to consider when choosing social platforms:

Step #1 - Think about your target audience

Who are you trying to reach? Different social platforms have different demographics, so it's important to choose platforms that will reach the people you want to reach.

Consider which social platforms your target audience is using. If you're trying to reach teenagers, for example, TikTok and Instagram are going to be more effective than LinkedIn. Second, think about what kind of content you want to share on social media.

If you're looking to showcase your products or services, visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are a good bet.

Finally, make sure you have the resources in place to maintain a presence on multiple social media platforms. Managing social media can be time-consuming, so it's important to make sure you have the staff or budget to do it effectively.

Step #2 - Consider your goals

What do you want to accomplish with your social media presence? Once you know your goals, you can choose platforms that will help you achieve them.

By taking the time to assess your needs, you can ensure that you're using social media in the most effective way possible. Whether people are looking to stay connected with friends and family or want to share their interests with like-minded people, social media provides the perfect outlet.

However, what do people really want to find when they log onto social media sites?

Generally speaking, most people want to find a sense of community. They want to feel like they belong somewhere and that they are part of something bigger. Social platforms provide the perfect opportunity for people to connect with others who share similar interests.

In addition, social media also allows users to easily stay up-to-date on what is happening in the world. For many people, social media is the first place they turn to for news and information.

Step #3 - Take a look at your resources

Do you have the time and manpower to maintain a presence on multiple social platforms? If not, it's probably best to focus on one or two platforms that you can really keep up with.

Yes, social media can be a great way to have some fun and escape from the everyday grind. Although some social platforms can be used for serious purposes, such as networking or building a personal brand, others are simply meant for entertainment.

Whether it's watching funny videos, scrolling through funny memes, or playing casual games, social media offers users a chance to relax and have a good time. Whether people are looking for connection, information, or just a way to unwind, social platforms provide them with a place to do that.

Taking the time to consider your audience, goals, and resources will help you choose the best platform (or platforms) for you.

No single platform will be the perfect option for everyone.

So to help you figure out the right platform for you, we created this simple, easy-to-follow Discover Your Avatar worksheet.

3. Be authentic and genuine.

In today's world, it's easy to get caught up in the online persona that we create for ourselves. We carefully select photos and carefully craft our posts to project a certain image to the world. While there's nothing wrong with wanting to put your best foot forward, it's important to remember to be authentic and genuine.

Why? Because people can tell when you're just trying to fake it, so always stay true to yourself and your values.

The people who will appreciate you the most are the ones who see the real you, not just the version that you've created for social media.

So don't be afraid to let your guard down and show the world who you really are. It may not be perfect, but it will be real, and that's what counts.

4. Create engaging content and foster a sense of conversation.

The internet has created a whole new playing field when it comes to marketing. No longer are businesses limited to print ads and TV commercials; they can now reach directly into people's homes and engage with them on a personal level.

However, this new form of marketing comes with its own set of challenges.

In order to be successful, businesses need to create content that is both engaging and fosters a sense of conversation. One way to do this is by creating blogs or social media accounts that allow customers to interact with the company on a more personal level. This way, businesses can build relationships with their customers and create an engaged community.

Another way to create engaging content is by using videos or podcasts. These mediums allow businesses to connect with their customers in a more personal way and help to create a sense of conversation.

By using these strategies, businesses can build relationships with their customers and create a more engaged community.

5. Respond to comments and questions in a timely manner.

In the age of social media, it's more important than ever to respond promptly to comments and questions from customers. Ignoring or deleting negative comments will only make customers angrier, and it can damage your company's reputation (there are always exceptions, ask about those in the comments).

On the other hand, responding quickly and effectively to customer concerns shows that you're attentive and care about providing good customer service.

In addition, timely responses can help to diffuse difficult situations and prevent them from escalating.

By making it a priority to answer customer inquiries quickly, you can improve your relationships with customers and build a positive image for your business.

6. Reward your followers for their loyalty and engagement.

There are many benefits to engaging with your social media followers on a regular basis. Not only does it build brand awareness and loyalty, but it can also lead to increased sales and ROI.

One of the best ways to encourage engagement is to offer rewards for loyalty and participation. For example, you could offer discounts or freebies to followers who share your content or give away prizes for contest winners. You could even create a VIP group for your most active followers, where they can enjoy exclusive content and access to special events.

This is something you often see with email lists. “Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to know about new products or releases.” Not only does this help foster community around your business, but it also grows your email list while you’re at it!

Additionally, by offering rewards, you’ll not only increase engagement, but you’ll also show your followers that you value their loyalty and support.

7. Keep an open mind and be flexible with your approach.

One of the most important things to remember when trying to be successful in anything is to keep an open mind.

Be willing to try new things and approaches, even if they seem a little bit strange at first. It's easy to get set in your ways and to only want to do things the way that you're used to, but if you're not open to change then you'll never grow or improve.

Being flexible with your approach also means being willing to adjust your goals based on new information.

If something isn't working out the way that you thought it would, don't be afraid to scrap your original plan and start over. The ability to be flexible is key to finding success.

Bonus #8 - Show gratitude towards your community members.

At its core, community is about connection.

It's about creating a sense of belonging and finding common ground with others. In the business world, community can be a powerful tool for building brand loyalty, driving word-of-mouth marketing, and creating valuable connections.

Recognize your community’s contributions and let them know how much you appreciate them.

Why? Because customers want to feel like they're part of something larger than just a purchase, and a close-knit community can give them that. It's also a great way to build brand loyalty and keep customers coming back.

For businesses, community can take many forms. It could be an online forum or Facebook group where customers can interact with each other and with the business. It could be an Instagram hashtag that everyone in the community uses to support one another. Or it could be something offline like events or meetups. Whatever form it takes, community should be a central part of any business strategy.

There are many businesses that have thriving communities, but we’re going to share two that are excelling in that area.

One example is the fitness apparel brand GymShark. GymShark has positioned itself as its members’ go-to source for anything health and fitness related. They also have a huge social media following with hand-picked athletes who represent the brand and each work to create a strong community online. The best part is that GymShark’s customers are given the opportunity to continue to engage with the brand, which creates more trust and loyalty, turning into more sales for the company.

Another example of a business that has a thriving community is Starbucks. And it’s all thanks to how they created their brand. When you walk into any Starbucks store, you’re greeted by Starbucks partners (this is what they call their baristas). Starbucks is very active on social media, and they have the Starbucks Reward Program. Starbucks has even created a volunteer matching service to help engage partners and community members, as well as help those outside the community that needs assistance. Plus, they even hold some very cool holiday cup contests each year.

These businesses are just two examples of how by putting emphasis on your community, you can be successful.

If you can create a community that is invested in your success just as much as you are theirs, you’ll be able to achieve great things. It takes time and effort to build a successful community, but the payoff is worth it.

Keep these seven keys in mind as you work to cultivate a thriving community around your brand.

What have been your biggest successes (and failures) when it comes to growing a community around your brand?

The Entrepreneur's Beginner Guide To SEO

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 06:00:00 GMT

SEO is similar to home improvement. Talking about it all at once is overwhelming and you always feel like there is more to do. But, if you take a look at SEO step by step, the process is doable and your hard work will do wonders for your business.

Let’s dig into what even is SEO, how to find keywords, the steps to improve SEO, and the two essential platforms for your SEO.

So what is SEO?

It is Search Engine Optimization (usually shortened to SEO, saying each letter), it is the process of improving pieces of your website or content to increase website visitors, organically (for free), from search engines.

In its simplest terms, SEO is all about the words you use and how they answer questions people are searching for. SEO began as a huge focus on keywords, the words people would type into search engines and find people's sites for.

The search engine algorithms from Google and Bing have been developed to deliver the best experience for the person searching. What this means for your site is that you still need a focus on keywords, but even more on the overall experience a website visitor has on your website.

Let’s begin your 6 step quest for SEO success.

Step 1: Find your keywords

This step is the heftiest but the most important. I wish I could just give you a simple list of words that will attract people to you, but these keywords are just that, keywords that work for your specific business and brand. Think of them as the terms people are searching for that would bring them to your website and content.

So how do you find your keywords?

There are paid tools you can use but when you're first getting started with SEO, I always recommend you work on listing them on your own because you can better understand your audience’s actions when you work on your keywords.

Note: I say the word “keyword” but that doesn’t mean you need a singular word, “keyword” can also mean “key phrase”.

Here's how you can find your specific keywords:

1. Make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business.

Think about the topics or words and phrases you want to rank for in terms of generic buckets. You'll come up with about 5-10 topic buckets you think are important to your business, and then you'll use those buckets to help you come up with some specific keywords later in the process.

For me as an online marketing strategist my buckets may look something like this:

small business marketing strategy
working from home tips
beginner marketing strategy
online marketing strategy

2. Fill in those topic buckets with deeper, more specific keywords.

These specific keywords are ones you think are important to rank for on search engines (or SERPS, search engine results pages) because your target audience is probably searching already, using those specific terms.

For example, keywords around "working from home tips" might look like this:

working from home effectively
adjusting to working from home
working remotely tips
working remotely pros and cons

3. Confirm the importance of a keyword using a tool.

One thing I haven't mentioned yet, but definitely is a factor, is the monthly search volume of a word. It's why one of my topic buckets isn't "online marketing" because the monthly search volume of that word is astronomical.

This means, there is a high volume of people searching that term. Sounds great! Until you realize that if a high volume of people are searching for that term each month, you're competing with a lot of people to come up in search results.

By using a keyword tool, I can be told what the search volume of a word is to better gauge if it's worth my time to focus on or not. There are many free tools out there you can utilize, one I often turn to is UberSuggest since they provide alternative words.

Now take a deep breath because the hardest part is over!

Step 2: Implement a focus keyword throughout each page on your website

Determine your focus keyword: the keyword you most want your page to rank highest for. These focus keywords tend to be your most important keywords, you’ll want to work them into these 5 places:

Title: This is the most important area to add in your keyword. Your title tag is your reader's main way of identifying your page and the first place that search engines scan. You will want to include your keyword in a natural way, so consider putting it into a "How To" or List format.
URL: On Wavoto you can have a "Friendly URL" where you can add your keyword/title/phrase separated by dashes. Take a look at this article's URL for an example!
Sub-Headers: when it comes to putting your focus keyword in other bodies of content, be upfront about it. By putting this keyword into headers and sub-headers, the audience will get the point of the text faster which is especially important for readers scanning your text.
Body Text: Throughout your blog article or webpage you will want to include the keyword, but naturally. Even though density is key with keywords, make sure you don’t sound like a broken record. Your focus keyword is still the main reason someone clicked on your page, so emphasizing it throughout your copy is important - but it still needs to read well. Read through your entire page out loud to truly hear how it sounds..
Image Alt-Text: Search engines can't see images like we can, so they rely on alt-text (alternative text) to help them determine the relevance of an image to the article and search results (it is also the text that will be read for those who are blind and use screen readers). Whenever you have an image, fill in the alt-text with descriptive words and see if including your keyword makes sense.

Step 3: Gather your supporters (supporting keywords)

While you start with a focus keyword you want to support it with… supporting keywords! These keywords (or long-tail key phrases) are similar to your focus keyword. So small business website templates could be supported by:

Website templates for small business
How to design a website for small business
Small business templates for website

Supporting keywords aren't as widely searched for, but using them can show search engines what your article is focused on and will help searchers.

Just like with your focus keyword, naturally include these supporting keywords in your page content.

If this is beginning to feel like a lot, begin with writing your content as you naturally would and then going back and editing to make sure your keywords are specifically utilized.

Step 4: Backlinks

When establishing your website credibility, backlinks are a huge help. Backlinks are a green light to search engines that your information is worthy of a higher ranking.

Search engines will grant you higher visibility when a lot of sites are linking back to your content (i.e. backlink).

For a blog, you’ll want to link to other articles you have or popular articles on other websites that support things you say in your own blog article. The easiest way to do this is by linking to facts, quotes, studies, or statistics. You only want to include a handful of these links.

Secondly, you will want to get other articles to link to this one, this happens after you hit publish and has a greater impact (or weight) on your ability to get found in Google search.

One way you can support your website in gaining backlinks is by providing data that others will link back to. If you’re constantly linking to studies, statistics, and facts, think about how you can provide these on your website first.

Step 5: Stay in the loop

SEO is a constantly evolving marketing tactic, meaning you need to stay in the know on what’s helpful or hurtful for your ranking.

You won’t need to check on the industry news every day, but once a month try checking in to see which of your keywords are dominating the traffic brought to your site. One way to do this is by using a tool like UberSuggest… this is a way to put in your website and see the more popular keywords related to your site content. And it's free!

Step 6: Take SEO somewhere else besides Google

Google is the major player for SEO, having over 92% of the market share for search, there’s no way around it. But there are two other platforms that can really support your SEO measures…but in different ways.

Let’s talk about YouTube and Pinterest.

These two platforms may not be the obvious answer to help with marketing but when it comes to SEO, YouTube and Pinterest are game changers. If you’ve been wondering “should I expand onto YouTube and Pinterest?” the answer is YES! (if you’re looking for how to get started with creating YouTube videos click here)

Owned by Google, YouTube is the second largest search engine, with 2.6 billion users worldwide and 500 hours of content uploaded every minute. With 90% of people discovering new brands or products within the platform, there are tons of opportunities to grow your business and community.

YouTube helps increase your ranking in search (or optimize you in search results) in multiple ways.

What you need to do to rank well on YouTube.

1. Find Your Keywords

SEO always comes back to keywords (or phrases). Unlike Google (but a little similar to Pinterest) YouTube keywords are primarily key-phrases like "how to dutch braid" or "best chalk paint". Spend some time compiling keywords or keyphrases that you want to rank for on YouTube.

2. Write a Clear Title

You've got your keyword, now add it to your title. Write a title that is very clear about what someone can expect in your video. You want to include your focus keyword in your video title, and you should also solve a problem with your title.

Instead of "Is SEO The Answer To Your Online Problems?" try "20 SEO Tricks To Triple Your Online Reach". The latter gives you a definitive list of what you will get in this video and follows up with what these tips will help you achieve.

3. Don't Ignore Your Tags

Across the internet, tags associated with content are widely ignored now...but on YouTube, they are active and help you rank. Tagging allows you to enter relevant keywords that help your videos get more views. Aim to add about 10-15 tags to every one of your videos.

4. Add Closed Captioning

Not only does closed captioning make your video more accessible, which is always a good thing, closed captioning allows YouTube to use "read" your actual video content and be able to tell if it is what searchers are looking for (and therefore recommend it to them).

Not only is it helpful for YouTube, but it's helpful for your viewer. Many people watch videos without sound or find closed captioning to be helpful in comprehending video content while they watch and listen.

5. Include Your Focus Keyword in Your Description

But not just anywhere in your description, keep it in the first sentence of your description, helping to emphasize your video topic for YouTube's algorithm.

When it comes to social media for SEO, Pinterest is going to have the most impact.

Now you may be wondering, "didn't you just tell me how important YouTube was and the impact it can have on your SEO?" - yes I did. BUT Pinterest takes what you can do on YouTube and on your website to the next level, which is why, in my book, it is the number 1 social media platform for SEO.

Disguised as a social network, Pinterest is actually a visual search engine. Think about it, you go to Pinterest to peruse, sure, but mainly to search for something. "Short hairstyles," "thirty-minute dinners," "colorful branding,".

What you need to do to rank well on Pinterest.

1. Set Up Your Profile For Success

One of the quickest ways to improve your Pinterest SEO is to add keywords to your display name. You’ll want to use 3-4 words that accurately reflect your brand, but also help you to get discovered in relevant searches.

Using keywords in your bio is an added bonus, spend some time writing a few variations of your bio that naturally includes the keywords you want people to find you for.

Lastly, when choosing your username, make sure it aligns with your online presence. For example, Wavoto would want to be "Wavoto" on Pinterest not "Online Marketing" or some other name. Using one of your keywords as your username might feel really helpful for your SEO, but it actually muddies your brand and makes it harder for people to recognize your brand.

2. Use Your Website

I mean this in two ways: make sure you claim your website on Pinterest (which means you need a Business Profile) and add the Pinterest Tag to your website (on Wavoto this is really easy, you just add it to your "HEAD text" in your System Settings found in the Back Office).

Pinterest likes this because they get to qualify your website more and see if Pinterest users are finding value there, aka if they are spending a lot of time on your website. Just like with Google, if people are spending a lot of time on your website, it's going to help your Pins get seen by more people.

3. Share The Perfect Pins

Every social platform prefers different image dimensions and Pinterest is no different. The optimal Pin size is 1,000px by 1,500px or a ratio of 2:3. This is particularly important on mobile, but Pinterest prefers to display longer images on desktop, too (and they often get the highest number of clicks).

You want your pins to be visually appealing, so you want to utilize your brand styling to help you create pins that are gorgeous and eye-catching.

Lastly, don't forget your keywords! Be descriptive in your titles in order to increase your visibility on Pinterest and entice users to click through to your website. Aim for “Expert Guide To Working From Home During Coronavirus,” not “Working From Home Tips” or something just generic.

4. Just Keep Pinning, Pinning, Pinning

There's no such thing as too much activity on Pinterest, but there is such a thing as too little.

I recommend choosing a day and giving yourself an hour to schedule pins. If you can hit 25 scheduled pins over 5 days, awesome, if not - you're still doing a great job with consistency and should keep it up!

Be sure to schedule pins that include YouTube videos, re-pins from other profiles, and all the content you have to share - new and old! Pinterest is a little like Twitter circa 2014, schedule the same pin multiple times over a day or week, just maybe switch up the visuals for it.

And just like that… SEO can begin working for you! That might have seemed like a lot… but your website, social posts, and business will thrive because of your hard work.

SEO is one of the hardest marketing tactics to nail because it evolves so much, but if you stuck around this long, you’ll be golden. And remember, Wavoto is here for more than comprehensive guides to SEO, we are here for all your business needs. If you want to start managing all your business needs from one place… try us out for 14 days free!

Branding 101: What Your Brand Needs To Include and How To Create One

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 06:00:00 GMT

You may have heard the term "brand" before, but what does it really mean?

At its most basic, your brand is what your customers think of when they hear your company name.

But branding is so much more than that!

In essence, your brand is everything that makes up your company's identity. It includes your logo, name, tagline, and any other elements that help to differentiate you from your competitors.

But branding is about more than just visual cues. It's about creating an emotional connection with your target audience and presenting your business to the world in a way that matches.

When done correctly, branding can help to build customer loyalty and increase sales. After all, customers are more likely to do business with companies they know and trust.

And while branding may seem like a daunting task, there are some simple steps you can take to get started…

Step #1 - Define Your Core Values And Purpose

First, you need to define your company's core values and purpose.

What are you trying to achieve? What makes you unique? Once you have a clear understanding of these things, you can begin to develop branding materials that reflect your company's personality and mission.

Keep in mind that branding is an ongoing process, and your materials should be updated regularly to reflect any changes in your business.

With a little effort, you can create a strong brand that will help your business to thrive.

Once you have a solid foundation in place, you can begin to work on finding your people, finding your voice, and creating visual elements like a logo and website that reflect your brand identity.

By taking the time to build a strong brand, you’ll be positioning yourself for long-term success.

Step #2 - Find Your People

How do you find your people?

By building your customer avatar.

What is a customer avatar?

A customer avatar is a generalized representation of your customer. Creating an avatar creates a more accessible and relatable form of a target market. So instead of a series of generalizations, you basically create a person you can relate to and visualize.

Creating a customer avatar means that you can create a website and content that is personalized for it, so instead of yelling into a crowded room, you are having an intimate conversation with a friend.

Wavoto has made finding your niche simple with our free Discover Your Avatar Worksheet.

By being able to have this intimate conversation, you can know:

What campaigns will attract new customers.
Which social networks you will be able to reach your potential customers on.
What products and services will be of most use to your customers.
How to write content that will get your customers to act!
Where you can best reach your customers, whether it be through emails, Facebook Messenger, or through any other channel.

Here are a few questions to ask to build your own customer avatar…

What problems does my company's product or service solve?

If you've been in business for any length of time, you should have some understanding of why your product or service exists. Your content should be related to that purpose (that means resisting the urge to share irrelevant memes just because they're funny—if it's not connected to your mission, it doesn't belong in your content marketing).

Who are our current customers?

If you're not sure who buys your product or service, someone in your organization almost certainly does. Consider asking your company's executives or sales teams for this information. It may also be necessary to segment your types of customers. For example, you may categorize customers based on location, budget, or needs.

Who is my competition?

It's likely you know who your obvious competitors are. However, some quick searches on Google and social media (particularly on Facebook and Twitter) can often reveal upstart competition you may not have been aware of. Try searching for a keyword or two that are related to your industry. See which businesses come up. Browse their "About Us" pages and feature descriptions. This is an easy way to develop an idea of who your competition is and fast.

What do customers stand to gain from choosing us (instead of a competitor)?

What features do you offer that no one else does? Is there something you can do better than anyone else?

What was a customer experiencing before they purchased our product or service?

What is the driving emotion or experience occurring before a purchase was made? Think about Dewalt wanting to sell more electric drills. A driving experience may be someone making a big step in their life like getting married, buying a house, moving into a new apartment, moving across the country, or getting a new job. This new experience triggers this person to want to take more control in their life, putting together new furniture, making repairs on their home, not having access to friends or family's electric drill anymore.

Now that you understand why you need to know your audience like the back of your hand…

It’s time to find your voice to reach your people.

Step #3 - Find Your Voice

In a world that seems to be filled with fake—fake news, fake lives, and fake friends, how can you stand out from the crowd and make your mark on the world?

By being different and finding your brand voice!

What’s a brand voice?

It’s the personality of your brand.

It's what makes you unique and sets you apart from your competitors.

It's the way you communicate with your customers and prospects, and it should be consistent across all of your marketing materials.

Think about it this way: if your brand was a person, how would you want that person to sound? Confident? Witty? Inspiring?

Your brand voice should be representative of your company's values and mission, and it should reflect the needs and desires of your target audience.

Why do you need a brand voice?

Well, it helps you to connect with your customers on a more personal level. It makes your brand more relatable and approachable. And ultimately, it helps you to build trust with your audience.

When done well, your brand voice will help you build trust and rapport with your customers, and it will make them more likely to do business with you.

So if you're not sure what your brand voice is, or if you're not using it effectively, now is the time to take a closer look.

After all, your brand voice is one of the most powerful tools you have for making a lasting impression.

So how do you find your brand voice?

And once you've found it, how do you make sure you're using it consistently across all your marketing materials?

Here are a few tips:

1. Define your brand values and personality.

What are the cornerstone principles that guide everything you do? These values will help to inform your brand voice. What kind of tone do you want to strike with your audience? Do you want to be friendly and approachable, or more formal and professional? Consider what kind of language your audience will respond to positively.

2. Know your audience.

What kind of language do they respond to? What style of communication will resonate with them?

3. Be consistent.

Once you've found your brand voice, stick to it! Consistency will help people to recognize and remember your brand.

4. Find inspiration in other brands.

Take a look at other brands in your industry and see what kind of voices they use. What works well for them, and what doesn't? Use their examples as a starting point for developing your own brand voice.

5. Have fun with it!

Your brand voice should be reflective of your company culture and the people who work there. So don't be afraid to inject a bit of personality into your communications.

When you’re developing your brand voice, it’s important to be consistent across all of your channels. That means using the same tone and style in your website content, social media posts, email marketing, and advertising.

Step #4 - Create Images That Reflect Your Brand

In today's visually-driven culture, it's more important than ever for businesses to pay attention to the images they use to represent their brand.

The right images can convey your brand's story and values, connect with your target audience, and help you stand out from the competition.

At the same time, using the wrong images can send the wrong message and turn potential customers away.

That's why it's so important to carefully select the photos, illustrations, and other visuals you use to represent your brand.

When done well, images can be a powerful tool for building your brand and achieving success.

How?

Well first, consider what feeling you want your brand to evoke.

Do you want it to feel friendly and approachable, luxury and aspirational, or something else entirely?

Once you've pinpointed the feeling you're going for, look for images that communicate that feeling.

Also pay attention to the colors in the image - do they match your brand's color palette?

And finally, make sure the image is high quality and professionally shot - blurry or poorly lit photos won't do your brand any favors.

Are you starting to see why it’s SO important to create images that reflect the values and personality of your brand?

If you’re still not sure, here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Define your brand.

What are your core values and messages? What do you want your customers to feel when they see your brand? Keep these things in mind as you create or select images for your brand.

2. Be consistent.

Once you've defined your brand, it's important to be consistent with the images you use. Use the same colors, fonts, and style across all of your marketing materials to create a cohesive look.

3. Make sure the image quality is high.

Low-quality images can make your brand look unprofessional, so be sure to use only high-resolution images that will look good in print or on screen.

4. Be selective.

Don't overwhelm customers with too many images at once; choose only a few that really capture the essence of your brand and communicate

A brand's visual identity is one of the most important elements of its overall image. After all, it's the first thing that customers will see when they encounter the brand.

A strong visual identity can help a brand to stand out from its competitors and build customer loyalty.

There are countless examples of brands with strong visual identities, but here are a few that really stand out:

- Nike: The Nike swoosh is one of the most recognizable logos in the world, and it's a perfect example of a brand with a strong visual identity. Nike's brand is all about movement and energy, and its visuals reflect that.

- McDonald's: McDonald's is another brand with a highly recognizable logo. The golden arches are recognized around the world, and they symbolize the brand's friendly, approachable image.

- Apple: Apple is known for its minimalist design aesthetic, and that extends to its branding. The company's logo is a simple silhouette of an apple, but it's instantly recognizable.

After recognizing brands like Nike, McDonald’s, and Apple, there's no denying that images are powerful.

In fact, studies have shown that people are more likely to remember information if it is presented to them visually.

This is why incorporating images, photos, and visuals into your branding efforts can be such an effective strategy.

Some ways you can use visuals to strengthen your brand include using a consistent color scheme, using images that reflect your brand values, and creating attractive and eye-catching designs.

By taking advantage of the power of visuals, you can create a strong and memorable brand identity that will resonate with your target audience.

Here’s How To Get Started With Your Branding

Once you come up with a logo, font, and colors, it’s time to add your branding to your website. Luckily, adding your basic branding elements to a Wavoto website is incredibly easy.

No matter what template you get started with, when you use ‘My Brand’ you can change the entire look and feel of your website with the simple additions of custom colors, fonts, and a logo.

In every Wavoto account, there’s the My Brand section of the Back Office under Site Builder, which makes adding and updating your brand easy.

But a word of caution…

Don’t spend too much time on your branding.

Wait, didn’t I just share how important a brand is…so why wouldn’t I want to spend a lot of time on it?

Because your brand doesn’t have to stay the same forever. In fact, brands need to evolve.

Just like people change over time, brands do the same thing.

Obviously, you want to try and create a brand that lasts, so you aren't doing brand work every two years.

But there’s no rule saying your brand has to stay the same forever. Keep your brand simple to start and when your business has the funds available, hiring a brand designer is a fantastic option to create a long-lasting brand.

Keeping your content organized is a huge help when maintaining a successful brand. With our free content calendar template, you are ensuring that you are consistently sharing your content to build trust with your audience. Start managing your content from one place!

What’s Up With the Instagram Update?

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Was anyone else wondering why their Instagram feed started to look like TikTok? The new Instagram update looks a lot different & the intention of it is to prioritize video content. This is part of Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri’s master plan to push Instagram to be more than photo sharing.

The shift towards consuming video content happened in the blink of an eye. Since TikTok began to multiply worldwide, more and more marketers and consumers have spent hours a day scrolling through TikToks, reels, or Youtube shorts.

Not implementing videos into your marketing plan is no longer an option for marketers. Videos are everywhere.

For platforms like YouTube and TikTok, video marketing has always been a priority but now other platforms are hopping on this wave. Posts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest that have videos included are getting more engagement than ever before. Not to mention, 83% of video marketers say that videos help them with generating leads.

By posting video content, you’re more likely to reach the audience you want & turn them into customers. Videos have become the most popular form of content on social media and they are consumers' favorite type of content to see.

What many small business marketers are thinking right now is “videos aren’t for us” but this just isn’t true!

People spend an average of 100 minutes a day watching videos online and many individuals seek tutorials or educational content.

Get Started Creating Video Content

Creating video content doesn’t require thousands of dollars of video equipment: you just need a smartphone. Start out with something easy:

Take a bunch of short clips of your product, your team, an event, etc., and mix them together with a popular sound on the platform.
Record yourself giving a tutorial.
Give a tip with a fun sound in the background.

Have fun with it and eventually the ideas will start flowing and video content creation will feel natural - and hopefully fun.

For all marketing strategies, videos included, organization is key. With our free Content Calendar Template, you are ensuring that you are consistently sharing and educating with your content to build trust with your audience. Click here to start managing your content from one place.

What do you think of the new Instagram Feed? Love it or hate it, we want to hear about it in the comments below.

What Is Segmenting + How Will It Organize Your Business

Wed, 18 May 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Segmenting is a way of organizing your customer base, and it's a critical part of any business strategy. Don't let contact lists get overwhelming - segmenting is here to help! By segmenting your contacts, you can better target your communications and improve your chances of success.

Not sure where to start? Here's everything you need to know about segmenting your customers.

1. What segmenting is and how it can help businesses

Segmenting is simply dividing something into different parts or sections.

If you can tell me who a customer is versus someone you've just been in contact with - you just segmented part of your audience!

On Wavoto, you can do this by utilizing tags. For example, the contacts you have that are customers can be tagged "customer" and those who you are just in contact with you can be tagged "lead".

Tags are simply a way for you to segment your contacts behind the scenes so you can more accurately organize and connect with them.

This connection can come in the form of an individual, one-time email, but it can also be when sending out a newsletter or triggering an action to take place - like an automated email series.

2. Examples of how segmentation has been used in the past

What kind of things would you want to tag?

Actions they have taken: opted into a funnel, did not open an email, purchased

Interests they have: blog subscribe, newsletter subscribe, items they're interested in, things they would like to learn more about

There are countless ways businesses can take advantage of segmenting, but here are some of the most popular:

Market to specific groups: By segmenting your audience, you can send more targeted communications that are relevant to their needs and interests. This leads to higher engagement rates and improved conversions.

Improve customer service: By understanding who your customers are, you can provide them with better support. Segmenting can also help you identify issues early on and take steps to prevent them from happening again.

Increase sales: When done correctly, segmenting can be a powerful tool for increasing sales. By targeting communications and offers to specific groups, you can close more deals and boost your bottom line.

3. Where can you utilize tags for contacts in Wavoto

Using Wavoto, you can add tags manually to Contacts one by one, or add tags when you import a contact list either included in the CSV file or as a group as part of the importing process.

Tags can also be added when people fill out a form on your website, sign-up for a membership, buy a product, as well as register for a course, and complete lessons within a course.

Utilizing these tags is simple - any way you can communicate using Wavoto you can use tags! Sending a newsletter, text, or triggering an autoresponder all involve tags.

Segmenting your contacts is one of the most important things you can do for your business! It allows you to organize and grow your contact list in a way that is meaningful to you and your customers. And, as we’ve shown, it’s easy to do on Wavoto. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for a free trial today and start tagging your contacts!

But first things first: discovering your audience. Segmenting works best when applied to people you’ve determined fit your niche. We have made this process simple -download the FREE Discover Your Avatar worksheet today to discover the customer best suited for your business.

How To Market Your Business As A Seniorpreneur

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 06:00:00 GMT

You have the life experience to know how to run your new business, but the best practices for marketing continue to change. Digital technology now has a crucial role in any company's growth efforts. In addition, there are seemingly endless options available to promote your business.

You do not have to be a digital expert to get started.

Take a moment to assess your objectives and create an effective strategy that helps your business grow with these marketing tips for senior entrepreneurs. Regardless of your age, you can market your business successfully by choosing the methods that meet your business's needs and goals and enlisting help when necessary.

Design a Website

A well-designed website is a critical aspect of any business today. According to research, 76% of consumers visit a company's website before going to a physical location. You do not have to be a graphic designer or a web developer to build an attractive, functional site that reflects your brand and attracts customers. With the help of customizable templates from Wavoto and easy-to-navigate tools, you can have your company's page up in no time.

Make Connections

Networking is a vital skill for any entrepreneur. Maintaining positive relationships with others helps you learn new information, access more resources, and build your customer base. Consider:

Joining groups to meet other business owners
Becoming an active part of your community
Meeting distributors and suppliers in your area
Connecting with people interested in your services
Attending networking events
Signing up for educational conferences within your industry
Keeping business card with you at all times to give to interested parties

Create Partnerships

Your networking skills help you find other businesses in your area willing to enlist cross-promotion strategies. This method involves each company advertising the other's products or services. This process benefits both enterprises by increasing brand awareness and directing new customers to each operation. Look for businesses with similar target audiences that are not competing with you.

Get on Board With Social Media

Social media is essential for marketing today. Fortunately, networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter have made it simple to get started with advertising. You do not have to be on every social site. Narrow your focus by determining which platforms your customers use the most to reach your target audience effectively.

Promote Your Brand

Consider additional ways to improve your company's brand awareness. Use an online invoice maker to design customized invoices. Ensure the tool you choose allows you to download the files into your preferred format. Utilize flyers, brochures, billboards, and other traditional forms of advertising. People will keep your business top-of-mind when you incorporate your logo, colors, fonts, and photos into your invoices, ads, and coupons.

Develop a Referral Program

Word-of-mouth advertising can bring in many new patrons. Devise a strategy for getting referrals from happy customers. Provide them with extra business cards or promotional materials to give to interested family or friends. Encourage them to leave positive online reviews. Ensure you maintain excellent communication by following up on leads immediately, addressing customer inquiries quickly, and providing superior customer service.

Use Search Engine Optimization

Create written content on your web pages and ads using keywords that help interested consumers find your company in an online search. Those who require your services will be more likely to connect with you when you utilize strategic SEO techniques.

With today's technology and tools at your side, you can reach a vast number of people with your marketing.

Organization is the key to successful marketing strategies & your content deserves it! With this free Content Calendar Template, you are ensuring that you are consistently sharing and educating with your content to build trust with your audience. Start managing your content from one place!

The Top 10 Monthly Activities Your Small Business Needs To Be Doing

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 06:00:00 GMT

You wear a remarkable number of hats as a small business owner, so many that it’s hard to keep track of what needs to get done on a regular basis in all areas of your business.

You understand that you must have measurable goals to see progress but what happens after you set these goals?

What are the monthly activities that are necessary to ensure your business’ success?

To help you, we’ve compiled the list of key monthly activities your small business needs to be successful.

Let’s dive in…

Key activity 1: Look at the analytics of what's working and what's not

The best way to track what’s working in your business and what’s not working is by using analytics.

Metrics like how many interactions on social media did you have this month? How many leads? How many customers? Repeat customers?

List out what are the deciding factors in conversions for your business - these are the top things you’ll want to track.

Key activity 2: Budget Review

Have you ever heard this phrase before?

“Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is king.”—unknown

In other words, it’s saying that if you don’t know your numbers and how much cash flow you have, you may be risking your business’ success.

Part of knowing your numbers is doing a monthly budget review. Not only will your future self thank you when you sit down to do your yearly taxes, but currently you can feel confident in your work and efforts.

Even more, your budget can help guide what goals you should be striving for, the tactics you utilize to achieve that goal (maybe hiring someone to help), and if you can try out some new campaigns to achieve it.

Key activity 3: Review goals and progress

What were you looking to accomplish this past month? What about this quarter? Year? Where are you in achieving that goal?

If you feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your business or that you are doing the same thing day in and day out, then it’s time to look at your goals and set new ones!

Key activity 4: Strategic planning

Once you have goals, then you need a strategy to reach those goals, especially if you want to reach them quickly. This is where strategic planning comes in…

For every goal you set, you need tactics to reach that goal. It’s one thing for me to say “I want to make $5,000 in profits this month” and declare it into the world, versus set that goal and list out what it will take for me to reach it.

I recommend setting a minimum of 3 tactics for every goal you set and include why you are utilizing this tactic.

This can look like this:

Post 2-3 times every day on TikTok (and also post as Reels on Instagram) for 30 days
1. Improve my reach and brand visibility where I know my audience is
2. Push people to opt-in and download my free guide to build my email list
Send a newsletter sharing the benefits of various products and how I recommend using them weekly
1. Keep top of mind with my email list, while showcasing why they want to utilize my products
Add pop-ups throughout my website and on my Quick Links page, to incentivize people to purchase, showcasing my free shipping offer and 10% off if they opt-in to my email list
1. I can immediately follow up with those who opted into my email list for the 10% off promo code, reminding them to purchase
2. This adds additional pushes on the website to my ultimate action to purchase

Strategic planning isn’t having everything entirely planned out - that can be really hard as a business owner, especially when you are managing it by yourself with a small team. But it does allow you to really hone in your goals and actions so you don’t waste your time and resources.

When you do strategic planning monthly, you are checking in on your goals in regards to the analytics and budget you have available.

Using a Content Calendar is a great tool for consistency and organization. Wavoto's free Content Calendar Template is designed to help you stay on track with all of your content/marketing strategies.

Key activity 5: Potential new campaigns

Once you set a strategy that is aligned with your goals, it’s time to consider creating new campaigns to help you reach your goals.

This can be a campaign around a new, evergreen lead magnet or utilizing something new and fresh to capitalize on a traffic source or social update.

For example, Instagram is promoting accounts that regularly share Reels and utilize specific sounds. You could create a campaign to capitalize on this algorithm update by regularly sharing Reels.

Or you might want to jump on the latest trend everyone is raving about rapidly growing their business. Give yourself the opportunity to review if you have the capacity to take on a new campaign and the freedom to explore that idea.

Be sure you’re spending your time wisely by vetting any new trends following our 6 step process.

Key activity 6: Content Planning

To be like the big players, you must post content. Posting content is an organic way to grow your business. So instead of just flying by the seat of your pants and posting content on a whim, not knowing if it will help you meet business goals or not, you can understand the impact your content will have.

Also, without planning, you’re more likely to skip posting content altogether!

Plan out your content to make sure it’s aligned with your strategy, targets your audience, and conveys the message you want to share.

Everyone wants to go viral. While you can’t guarantee your content will go viral, if you’re not planning it out and targeting your audience, you are hindering your content's ability to go viral and benefit your business.

This content ranges from social media to your blog or podcast and even includes your regular newsletter - it’s all the content you want to share over the next month.

Social media content calendar

Even if you’re small you can make a big impact on social media. There are plenty of stories on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest of small businesses owners taking off after regularly posting content.

The key to making an impact on social media is to stay consistent. And to stay consistent on social media, it is in your best interest to have a pre-planned content calendar.

(Can you tell I’m big on the “planning”?)

You can do this monthly, or - this is what I prefer - weekly batching content to schedule and post on social media.

Blog/Podcast planning

Another way to grow and expand your reach is by prioritizing blog and podcast content.

You don’t even have to be posting or producing this content yourself, you can be a guest on other people’s blogs and podcasts or you can run your own.

If you’re looking to write your first blog article, head over to How To Write Your First Blog Article.

But if you want to get featured on other blogs or podcasts, take a look at joining HARO (Help A Reporter Out). This is where established blogs, reporters, and podcasters go to find sources. You can sign-up for a daily email that sends out a number of requests across topics where you can be featured as a guest or with an expert opinion.

Newsletter planning

Newsletters are a great way to keep your audience informed and engaged with your business.

And sending out a regular newsletter is important because everyone is different. Here’s what I mean…

Some people may not be on social media, some may not listen to podcasts so by diversifying your content, you can stay top of mind for your audience.

And as much as people say “email is dead” - they are wrong.

It makes sense why they say this, though. Email inboxes are flooded every single day, emails don't appear to be opened as frequently, and read as quickly, but the facts say differently. In 2014 (when I first started tracking statistics around email marketing), email marketing had a return on investment of $44 for every $1 spent. This dropped over the next few years to $39 for every $1 spent and in 2020 was brought back up to $42 for every $1 spent.

Okay, a lot of numbers, here's what it means:

The money spent on building an email list and creating a relationship with those on your email list results in more sales for your business. It's true, in 2014 people got more sales from their email list than in 2018 (or even 2020), but the general monetary value you can have from your email list is unmatched by any other digital platform.

We suggest you start by committing to one newsletter a month if you’re not currently sending one out at all.

Key activity 7: Industry Updates

To stay on track, each month it’s a good idea to review any industry updates.

Has something changed in the industry? Is there a new product or business you need to be aware of? Is there a new up-and-coming competitor?

Take some time to look through industry news and keep yourself abreast.

One thing I like to do is set a Google alert for specific words, so when they show up in news articles, I get a notification right in my email and I don’t have to do any work searching it out.

Key activity 8: Make sure your business information is accurate

Have you looked at your Google Business Profile to update any information? What about Facebook? Or even your website footer?

Are your business hours accurate? Is your email up-to-date? Did you recently update your Instagram handle and need to change your email signature?

These minute but important details can be keeping people from visiting your store. I have too many stories of trying to visit a business but not being able to because time and time again their business hours were not up-to-date or their website wasn’t able to load.

Key activity 9: Check your website links

Running a business is hard work, so to make sure all your time and effort is not going to waste make sure all your links are working on your website and in your funnel.

Why?

First, when your links are broken, it creates a bad experience for your users. Second, it impacts your search engine optimization, which makes your business harder to find online.

To avoid this, we suggest you check for broken links on your website and in your funnel every single month. If you’re wondering how to do this using Google Analytics, check out this post to discover the step-by-step process.

Key activity 10: Quick website audit

Similar to checking your business information and website links is performing a quick website audit.

Nothing too in-depth, but skimming your website pages to make sure everything is still looking how you want it, double-checking your buttons link where they need to, and checking your forms are still set for the right tag, as well as triggering your autoresponders.

Recently, I launched a campaign, double-checked everything, and then two months later noticed something funky happening with my autoresponder.

Well, I had set one email to the wrong date and it threw the whole thing off!

If I had performed a website audit where I briefly looked at everything I had running it would have caught this issue before it became a problem.

All you need is 15-30 minutes (depending on your website size) to keep you looking professional and put together.

Download our free (seriously) monthly website audit here.

One More Thing to Keep In Mind…

A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true. - Greg Reid

These monthly activities guarantee that your dream can come true.

They aren’t meant to give you busy work or distract you from your daily to-dos but help you see the big picture you’re working towards and your progress in getting there.

We’re making this easy for you - fill out the form below to get a copy of the 10 Monthly Activities Checklist to get reminders for the next year to check in with your dreams.

It’s hard to set new habits, let us help you by sharing this free checklist you can print off or keep on your computer as well as get a simple reminder in your email (or even on your phone via text).

Fill out the form below to get the Monthly Activities Checklist in your inbox right….now!

The 6 Step Process To Discover Which Marketing Trends Are Worth It

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 06:00:00 GMT

How can a small business with limited time and budget know when a marketing trend is the real deal they should invest in?

As a small business ourselves, we understand the struggle…

This is why we put together a 6 step process to discover which marketing trends are worth it.

Step 1: Keep An Open Mind

When you first come across a new marketing trend, keep an open mind. Why? Because whenever we try new things or think about change, we have our doubts. Sometimes these doubts lead us to avoid trying new things. This is not what we want for you, especially when we’re talking about new marketing trends to try.

For example, let’s talk about TikTok. When it first came out, most businesses were writing off the platform because they said that their target audience wasn’t on it. But that was a mistake!

Now, TikTok has over 1 Billion active users each month, and Pew research data suggests that 48% of individuals between 18 and 29, and 22% of people aged 30-49, have used TikTok. That's a ton of potential reach that could include very little work on your part (especially if you're already actively making Reels on Instagram!).

Step 2: Research, Research, Research!

Do your research and see how others are utilizing the marketing trend. How? By following reliable business publications and papers like Forbes and Business Insider. Keep an eye on your industry leaders, as they often are the first to catch on to new trends. And stay on top of trending topics in the news and media using tools like BuzzSumo, Google Trends, and Similarweb.

Step 3: Have Your Goals In Mind

After you do your research, the next best thing is to see if this trend will align with your current goals and audience.

For example, TikTok is promoting videos that are 7 seconds long where people have big blocks of text that take more than 7 seconds to watch. While this can help you get more views, is it going to grow your business and community in the long run or make a short-term win?

Another example is keyword stuffing websites, which was popular 10 years ago to take advantage of the Google algorithm. This provided a quick win for businesses, but Google soon learned how people were taking advantage of it and now punishes businesses that do this by not promoting them in search results.

Also, Clubhouse, a social networking app, grew very quickly in 2020. Everyone was told to get on Clubhouse and take advantage of all the growth potential, but being on Clubhouse required a lot of time and effort to get a reward. Do you have the time to commit to it? Is your audience even on Clubhouse?

These are all questions you should ask yourself when you spot new marketing trends to make sure you keep your goals in mind.

Step 4: Start Small

When you discover a new marketing trend, it doesn’t mean you have to drop everything you’re doing and jump on the bandwagon. It’s okay to start small! Test out new trends on a small scale before committing to them fully. This way, you don’t have to spend a ton of time, money, or energy on something that may not even work for you and your business.

It’s the reality of life. Certain things work for some people and don’t for others. So you don’t want to pigeonhole yourself by going all-in before you’ve even tested it.

For example, on TikTok, you could start off making one video a week (and even sharing that same video on Instagram) and see what sort of engagement you get. It's a small start, but one that can start showing you if your audience is on TikTok.

By just understanding the basics of certain platforms or creating a profile, you'll be in great shape. Our Creator Do's and Don'ts download has great tips for starting out with video content.

Step 5: Be Prepared

Be prepared to pivot if something isn't working!

Life is about growing. But you can’t grow without a little failure. So if you try a new marketing trend and it just isn’t working for you, be prepared to pivot. All is not lost!

Plans change; that’s just how life goes. It’s okay to pivot if need be.

For example, say you’re spending a ton of time direct messaging people through your social media accounts, but you’re not seeing a lot of response—It’s time to move on!

Pivoting is not a bad thing! It shows that you tried something new and can recognize when things are or are not working for your business.

Step 6: Never Stop Learning

Always be willing to learn and try new things and celebrate doing so.

Like I said before, life is about growth, which only happens when you learn new things and take action!

A lot of companies with full marketing departments will test a new marketing idea once a month. While you might not have time to do that, once you have your marketing honed in, commit to trying something new once a quarter! A regular commitment to trying new things will help keep your business out of a plateau and make you more knowledgeable about what works and what doesn't.

The #1 Marketing Strategy That Works 100% Of The Time

Whatever trends you do or don’t decide to try in your marketing…

You should know that there is ONE key marketing strategy that always works…

And that is—Market to your customers and clients like they’re real people!

The marketing trend you use doesn’t matter as much as focusing on your customers and clients first!

And the simplest way to keep your customers and clients happy is to make their lives easier.

For example, we understand that the people who use Wavoto are busy business owners. Most likely, they’re solopreneurs, influencers, or they may have a small team, so they are constantly working on projects and trying to maximize their time, energy, and of course, their marketing budgets.

To help them accomplish this and to make their lives easier, we’ve put everything they need to run a successful online business in ONE place.

Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself. We offer a free 14-day trial. (No credit card required to sign up.)

And who better to aim your marketing efforts at than your ideal audience. We make discovering your customer base extremely easy with our Discovering your Avatar worksheet. Download today for free by clicking here!

Wavoto vs ClickFunnels

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Whenever you invest in a tool, what influences your decision?

If it's popular among your peers? Or if it's the perfect fit for your business?

That's the question you need to ask when you invest in all-in-one platforms like Wavoto and Clickfunnels.

Making the wrong decision can cost you money and set you back months.

To save you time, money, and headaches I went ahead and created a quick guide comparing Clickfunnels and Wavoto to show you which is best for you.

What is Wavoto (and what does it do?)

Wavoto is an all-in-one website builder and marketing platform.

Starting at $17/mo, you can create the important pages and campaigns you need to quickly start and grow your business online.

With Wavoto, you'll get immediate access to the following features:

Website & blog
Link in Bio
Email & contacts
Sales funnels
Online scheduling
Member sites
Popups & forms
Automated emailing
Text messaging
Newsletters
Event registration
Online courses
SEO tools
Superior security
Content Calendar

What makes Wavoto unique is Quick Links

You can use Quick Links to create a one-page microsite to show links in your bio.

Unlike other "link in bio" software, Quick Links is already connected with every marketing tool you have inside Wavoto

You can collect email & contact info, retarget every visitor, and even sell products...

...without visitors leaving your one-page microsite.

What is ClickFunnels (and what does it do?)

ClickFunnels helps you turn every website or page you have into a sales funnel.

At $97/mo, you can start quickly creating beautiful landing pages.

You'll also get access to hundreds of templates designed to convert more visitors into leads and eventually into customers.

ClickFunnels is one of the main reasons "sales funnels" became mainstream.

Thanks to Russell Brunson's marketing campaigns, branding, books, events, and software when you say "sales funnels," many people think of ClickFunnels.

Head-to-Head: Wavoto vs. ClickFunnels

When you look at Wavoto and ClickFunnels, you can easily say...

"They do the same thing and have the same functions...the other is just more expensive."

If I hadn't used ClickFunnels or Wavoto, I would have agreed with you, but Wavoto and ClickFunnels are miles apart from each other.

Both have strengths and weaknesses.

Both are also built for different types of people and businesses.

In this head-to-head, you'll discover the main key differences between Wavoto and ClickFunnels.

Key Difference #1: Pricing

Wavoto and ClickFunnels only have a few features in common at the "starter plan."

ClickFunnels specializes in sales funnels -- opt-in forms, pages, checkout pages, payment gateways, pre-designed templates, etc.

You won't get access to email marketing software, SMS messaging, or SEO tools.

Meanwhile, Wavoto specializes in helping new entrepreneurs, growing businesses, and personal brands optimize their presence online.

Wavoto gives them the best of everything at a reasonable price.

Wavoto Starts at $17/mo.

Websites

Site Builder

Quick Links

2 Active Pages

SEO Tools

Domain Hosting

SSL Certificate

Marketing

Funnel Builder

1 Active Funnel

Newsletter Builder

1 Newsletter/month

1 Autoresponder

Text Messaging

Workspace

Back Office

CRM

1,000 Contacts

Support Articles

ClickFunnels at $97/mo

20 funnels

100 pages

1 sub users

3 payment gateways

Chat support

FunnelFlix

Wavoto at $97/mo

Websites

Site Builder

Quick Links

Unlimited Pages

Blog

SEO Tools

Domain Hosting

SSL Certificate

Marketing

Funnel Builder

10 Active Funnels

Newsletter Builder

8 Newsletters/month

10 Autoresponders

Pixel Tracking

Text Messaging

Workspace

Back Office

Analytics

APIs

CRM

10,000 Contacts

Customer Support

eCommerce

Webstore

10 Listings

Membership Site

Course Builder

4 Courses

As you can see, you get more at $17 with Wavoto than ClickFunnels. Even at $97/mo, Wavoto's features include far more than ClickFunnels'.

Key Difference #2: Learning Curve

Only a few entrepreneurs ever think about this...

But whenever you buy a new software or tool, there's a learning curve.

You must know which buttons to push, how to fix certain glitches and know exactly where to look if you need anything.

Basically, you have to know how to use the tool so you can maximize its potential.

The same goes for Wavoto and ClickFunnels.

Both have training materials once you join.

Wavoto has "Business in a Box" -- this training resource shows you exactly how to strategize, map out, and build your business from the ground up. You'll get instructions on how to create pages, set up automations, build your funnels, and so much more using Wavoto.

Meanwhile, ClickFunnels has "Funnel Flix" -- a training resource for users who want to use ClickFunnels to join their "2 Comma Club." You'll get training on how to write good ads, structure offers, build your value ladder, and so much more.

But to execute on all the lessons, you need to pay ClickFunnels $297/month.

Although Funnel Flix offers more training, it can drown and overwhelm you.

If you want to launch your new campaigns and pages quickly, you need straightforward training that shows you a no-fluff step-by-step process to create what you want. You need training that's focused on speed. Not quantity. That's exactly what Business in a Box does.

Key Difference #3: Speed

When you create a new page, write an email, or deploy a new funnel you want to get it up and running as fast as possible.

Not only does this speed mean you are spending less time on marketing, but it means your marketing can be put into action and drive revenue sooner.

You also need a tool that can adapt to you when you (or your team) work at neck-breaking speed.

When you work fast, the tool must not glitch or break...especially if you’re working on something as important as your website or sales funnel.

ClickFunnels, despite its success and hype, falls short in this department.

When you create a page or a funnel, you need to check the "mobile view" first because it doesn't render properly...

...which is an added step to your process before you hit "publish."

Meanwhile, with Wavoto, you can create a Quick Link in 18 minutes or less that incorporates multiple funnels and easily drive action in the click of a button.

When you want to create a page or funnel, everything renders beautifully on mobile, desktop, and tablet.

You only need to design once and you're good to go.

Who Should Use ClickFunnels?

If you already have a team that can duct-tape tools together, ClickFunnels is for you.

ClickFunnels is great for building funnels, checkout pages, optimizing for conversion, follow-up funnels, etc.

But you need to buy a marketing tool...a tool for calendar scheduling...a tool for SMS messaging...a tool for email marketing, so on and so forth.

You can't create a beautiful standalone funnel quickly.

If you already have a solid business, a team you can trust, and can cover $297/mo...ClickFunnels is for you.

Who Should Use Wavoto?

If you want to buy one software and get access to everything you need to grow your business online, Wavoto is for you.

Wavoto is also perfect for entrepreneurs who aren't that tech-savvy, yet want a sophisticated marketing platform that can do it all.

You can create a page to generate leads, email marketing to warm up leads, check out pages for converting prospects into customers, and eCommerce or online course builder to fulfill customer orders.

Final Thoughts

For the past few years, ClickFunnels has become the most popular sales funnel platform. There’s a lot of hype around their brand. ClickFunnels features their million-dollar success stories, puts on flashy conferences, and sells info products (like books, challenges, courses, webinars, etc.)

But to succeed, you must have enough capital to pay $97/mo to $297/mo, hire a team of experts, and spend thousands of dollars on ads to see if your funnel converts.

Even if you did spend that much, there’s no guarantee you’ll make your money back.

If you want to start simple and grow your business from the ground up, you will NOT go wrong with Wavoto.

You’ll save money by only paying for one software (instead of paying for multiple tools like most entrepreneurs).

You’ll save time because creating microsites, pages, and funnels only takes a few clicks.

You’ll also save yourself from the headaches of trying to duct-tape tools together.

If you want to automate your business, increase revenue, and scale your business — without spending thousands of dollars or hiring tech experts — Wavoto is for you.

Try Wavoto out for yourself and take our 18-Minute Challenge - get a Quick Links page up and working for you free for 14 days!

7 Calls To Action Your Website Can’t Live Without!

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Think back to a time when you were on someone’s website…

Did you click somewhere to read more? Did you press a button to buy now? Maybe you signed up for an online event?

All of these are examples of a call to action (CTA). And since you actually performed the action the website called you to take, those CTAs must have been pretty darn good!

So can you see how powerful having a CTA on your website is?

Maybe you can’t yet… And that’s okay. Maybe you have no idea what a CTA even is… That’s okay, too.

We’ll get to it all... now!

What is a CTA?

A CTA is an element on a website that encourages visitors to take a specific action, such as subscribing to a newsletter or buying a product. It’s like the lamp posts that guide you in the right direction when you’re walking in the dark. Without those lamp posts, you may make it to your destination, but you might stumble over things along the way.

The CTA is similar because it makes it very clear what action you want your potential customers to take next and helps them get there faster!

But without clear light - or direction - not everyone will reach your desired destination.

Why are CTAs important?

CTAs are important because they help you convert website visitors into customers, which is your biggest goal. They also provide your customers with a clear path to get from point A to point B. This is important because they may not be ready to buy from you right away.

So instead of going for the big action upfront (buy now), you can ask them to take a smaller action (download the pdf), which sets them up to take the bigger action in the future (buy now).

CTAs can be as small as a social post asking for a comment or “save” or as large as a purchase!

What are the 7 types of CTAs?

There are seven types of CTAs that every successful website needs. They are Lead Generation, Lead Nurturing, Sales-Focused, Customer Service, Read More, Social Sharing, and Event Promotion. (Just because we’re only covering these seven doesn’t mean that you can’t use other CTAs on your website!)

CTA 1: Lead Generation

The first type of CTA is Lead Generation. You can do this a few different ways, but one of the simplest is to have a lead capture form, which collects information about potential customers.

Lead forms allow your prospects to introduce themselves to you. Your lead form can provide you with your prospects’ name, email, phone number, and more! For example, say your lead generation form is a quiz. You’ll be able to capture a lot more information like their likes, interests, desires, and more!

CTA 2: Lead Nurturing

The second type of CTA is Lead Nurturing. This CTA is used for things that will help you develop a strong relationship with your customers. An example of this type of CTA could be a download button, which encourages people to download your content or e-book.

The content they receive helps them learn more about you and your business and start understanding how you can help them solve their problems.

CTA 3: Sales Focused

The third type of CTA is Sales Focused. An example is a buy now button, which allows customers to purchase your product or service immediately. Obviously, this is the most important CTA on your website, so make sure you have it in as many places as possible!

CTA 4: Customer Service

The fourth type of CTA is Customer Service. So this CTA could be a “Contact Me” button, which allows people to reach out to you if something isn't working, they have questions, or they want to connect further.

CTA 5: Read More

The fifth type of CTA is Read More. You’d use this CTA on pages where it doesn’t make sense to display all of your content. For instance, on your blog page, you may showcase 5 different blog posts with a read more CTA. This gives your potential customers the opportunity to choose which post they want to read.

CTA 6: Social Share

Have you ever been asked to share a post with a friend? Or to send an email to someone who’d like to read it? Or to share a post on your social media pages? These are all examples of the sixth CTA—Social Share.

The Social Share CTA can help you get more exposure for your business, which may help you get more customers!

CTA 7: Event Promotion

The final CTA is an Event Promotion. This CTA can be used for Live Events, Webinars, Free Online Trainings, and more! If you want to promote your CTA and have people show up, then this is the CTA for you.

It’s a Thing To Have TOO Many CTAs…

One mistake new business owners and established businesses make is having too many CTAs on their website.

When you overload your website with too many CTAs, you confuse your potential customers. A “confused mind never buys” which means they certainly won’t take action either.

Why? Because they don’t know what you want them to do! There’s too much going on.

Don’t get me wrong…

You can definitely have more than one CTA across your website. Different pages may require different CTAs. For instance, your home page may have a contact us button and a buy now button.

But instead of overloading your webpage with CTAs, focus on having ONE primary objective for each page. And like I said, on certain occasions, it MAY BE okay to have a secondary CTA on the same page.

A good rule of thumb is to read through each page and see if there is one primary objective that shines through.

Here’s How To Use Your New Knowledge About CTAs…

Now that you know what CTAs are and how they work, it’s time to start adding them to your website (or YouTube channel with the help of our Creator's Do's and Don'ts worksheet)!

And the best place to get a website is through Wavoto! Here’s why…

You can set up and run your business all in one place!

Don’t believe me? Sign up for a free 14-day trial and see for yourself!

What Is A Microsite?

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 06:00:00 GMT

What if I told you that you don’t need a traditional website to succeed?

You don’t need to write dozens of pages of content or buy multiple tools and plug-ins to have an “online presence.”

All you need is a simple, one-page microsite.

For the past few years, big brands have been building microsites to reach specific marketing goals. So far, they’ve been successful. In fact, they’re building more and more microsites each year.

Now it’s your time to join them.

Before I show you how, let’s answer a simple question first…

What is a microsite?

As the name suggests, it’s a smaller version of a website. It’s an individual, branded web page that lives outside of your business’ home page. A microsite has its own domain name or subdomain.

Marketers often use microsites for specific goals. When they want to capture leads, release new products, or run special deals, they’ll create a specific microsite to reach those goals.

Unlike landing pages, microsites can have multiple call-to-actions. Landing pages are all about conversions. Meanwhile, microsites can be used for brand awareness, experiment with your marketing, and deliver a different kind of experience to your audience.

Microsites are easier to set up, more affordable, and faster to build compared to creating full-blown websites and landing pages. In fact, you can create a microsite in 18 minutes or less.

That’s why many entrepreneurs, influencers, content creators, network marketers, speakers, and coaches are choosing to build microsites instead of traditional websites.

They’re not the only ones, big brands are now building microsites. But before you build your microsite, you must know the basics.

Examples of Microsites

1. My Creative Type

This is a great example of a lead generation microsite. When you take the quiz, they will ask for your email address to get the results.

The microsite looks like a landing page. However, this isn’t a sub-domain of a website. It has its own URL.

2. Redbull

As you can see, the microsite is more interactive and has a different feel compared to their other marketing assets.

3. Every Last Drop

You can also create a microsite to raise awareness for a specific cause. A good example is Every Last Drop.

This microsite is intuitive, engaging, and entertaining. You can’t help but scroll down. Once you reach the bottom, they have one call-to-action – watch the video.

4. Kim Bauer

You can create a microsite specifically to optimize your organic lead generation and increase brand engagement.

You can easily create a microsite like Kim’s – all it takes is 18 minutes.

Before you build the microsite, you must know the basics first.

5 Elements of an Effective Microsite

Whether you’re building a microsite for lead generation or brand awareness, having these 6 elements will boost your chances of meeting your goals.

1. Targeted Content

The content in your microsite must immediately appeal to your target market.

Place the #1 thing your market wants above the fold.

2. Easy Navigation

If visitors need to figure out how to navigate your microsite, you’ve already failed.

You must make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for and quickly. The second someone looks at your page you want it to be obvious what you’re offering.

A test I utilize is the 6ft rule. If you have your site up on your computer monitor and stand 6ft away, can you tell what the microsite is saying?

Make sure your microsite is intuitive and simple enough that a quick glance is all you need.

3. Shareable

Your microsite link must be short enough so it can be shared on your Instagram, Facebook, and other social platforms.

You also need it to have branded images so that when a person shares your microsite link, the preview is an image directly tied to your microsite and its purpose...

PLUS, an optimized URL can boost your company’s homepage rankings.

4. Clear CTA

What’s the purpose of your microsite? Is it to generate leads? Increase brand awareness? Get more sales?

You must know and it must reflect in your call-to-action. This clear CTA will also help your visitors know exactly what to do next and have easy access to that choice.

5. Integrated with Analytics

Tracking is crucial to any marketing effort. If you have the right analytics, you’ll know immediately whether what you’re doing is working or not.

Your microsite needs to have tracking capabilities so you get the metrics you need to make better marketing decisions.

Specific metrics like…

Your visitors’ geolocation
How much time they spend on your microsite
The exact traffic source visitors came from
What’s the most link clicked

…can help you know WHO your customers are and create custom content that caters to their specific needs.

Once you create a microsite with these 5 elements, you’re not just one step closer to your one specific goal…you’ll also get these “hidden benefits.”

4“Hidden Benefits” of Using a Microsite

1. Increased brand visibility

An effective microsite can help you get new visitors through organic marketing (via shares, word of mouth, etc.). If you give them a targeted experience, they’re more likely to come back again or interact in the future..

2. Affordable alternative to websites

You don’t need a robust website to thrive in today’s digital marketing landscape. You simply need to have an optimized online presence. A microsite can help you do that with less time and less money.

3. Accelerate Customer Journey

Your microsite can turn new visitors into buyers and turn buyers into repeat buyers. You simply need to be crystal clear about who the microsite is for and what the CTA is.

Simplicity and focus in messaging is the key to a microsite.

4. Perfect for "mobile-first" users

Think of the last time you went anywhere without your phone - it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Mobile website visitors are often first-time website visitors - make a good first impression!

Visitors will appreciate a straightforward site that shows them exactly what they want right away. If you wanna tap a growing demographic, create a microsite.

If everything I told you made you want to create your own microsite, you can create one in 18 minutes or less.

But that’s not enough.

You still need to promote your microsite.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Tips for Promoting Your Microsite

The adage “build it and they will come” won’t work anymore.

You need to have a promotion strategy to make the most out of your microsite.

Here are a few tips to get you started

Tip #1: Your Instagram Bio

Instagram only allows one link in each account’s description. This is the best place to put your microsite link.

Whenever IG users visit your profile, they’ll immediately see your link.

To increase your chances of success, publish more often on Instagram! Comment on other people’s posts. Engage and reply back to people who left comments on your post.

Tip #2: Your Facebook Profile

Add your microsite link in your Facebook description - better if it has a CTA.

Find Facebook groups your prospects are active interact with as many prospects as you can while also respecting group rules.

If you’re helpful and leave valuable comments, people will most likely check out your Facebook profile and see your link.

Tip #3: Partner with marketers with audiences related to your industry

If you know entrepreneurs who have an audience related to yours, you can offer them your expertise/services/products in exchange for a shoutout to their email list, social media, podcast, or other content.

This is a quick way to drive high-quality traffic to your microsite.

There are many more strategies, for now, try these and you'll be surprised how much your business will grow.

The Future of Microsites

We are now overwhelmed with information. Sometimes we just want to get the information we want on page 1. We don’t want to sift through the different pages until we find the answer.

The same goes for microsites.

If a website has hundreds of pages, a new visitor can easily get lost.

A microsite is a great way to summarize your content, filter down the options, and give the visitors what they really need, fast!

Wavoto helps you create microsites within minutes. You can personalize it with our drag-and-drop builder, install tracking and tagging so you get better analytics, and most importantly, we can make your microsites intuitive and interactive.

Build a microsite with Wavoto today.

What is Customer Onboarding and How Does It Work

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Every relationship with your customer starts somewhere. For some businesses, they may reach new customers on social media, others may get new customers through online advertising, while other companies may use more traditional strategies to get new customers (i.e. radio ads or billboards).

No matter what strategies you use to find new customers, that’s only half the battle. Because once you get new customers or clients, the real fun begins. Now it’s time to help them get the results they’re looking for.

Why? Because your customers come to you for a reason and they believe you can help them solve their problems. And when you help your customers solve their problems, you keep them happy. And when your customers are happy, they refer more people to your business which makes you happy!

If you can’t get your clients and customers results, then you have no business!

You can’t just release them into your world and hope for the best. You have to provide your customers with a proven path to help them get results. So what’s the best way to do this?

By setting up an onboarding process that allows you to keep your customers happy, you and your customers can have a smooth and happy relationship starting from day one.

Let’s dive in…

What is onboarding and why is it important

"Onboarding" refers to the process in which new customers are integrated, or brought, into your business. In this process, your customers are introduced to your business's expectations, behaviors, and culture... And they also begin to understand how they fit into all of it.

Having a proper onboarding process for your customers can positively impact your bottom line because it helps build loyalty with your customers and clients. The stronger that loyalty is, the stronger the chances are for your customer to stick around longer.

Onboarding begins before Day 1 and continues throughout the customer’s last experience with your business. So in essence, onboarding encompasses the entire customer journey from beginning to end.

Can you see why this would be important for the health and success of your business?

The benefits of a smooth onboarding process

Now that you understand what onboarding is, it’s time to understand the benefits your customers get from having a smooth onboarding process.

Here are a few reasons why having a smooth onboarding process is beneficial to your customers:

There will be a stronger customer experience
You’ll have higher customer engagement
You’ll have better customer retention
You’ll have an easier time attracting new customers
You’ll develop a stronger relationship and more trust with your customers
And your customers will have more results to show

When you help your customers get results, they’re going to be happy. And when your customers are happy, you’re happy. Why? Because your customers will be referring you to other people and your bottom line will thank you for it.

Bonus, happy customers tend to share their positive experience, meaning when you have happy customers, you’re creating fantastic advocates for your business.

How to make the most of your customers' first few days with you

The most important time of a new relationship is in the first few days. This is when a relationship either “makes it” or “breaks it”. Why? Because this is the time when you build strong foundations that will either hold your relationship up or cause it to come tumbling down.

More attention may be necessary at the beginning of a new relationship because trust and loyalty may be at it's lowest. This means the faster you can get your customer results, the quicker your relationship with your customers will develop.

So aim to help your customers get set up and get results as quickly as possible. Plus, most people are skeptical these days, so the faster you can prove to them that your company can get them results, the quicker they’ll trust you. And that’s what you want, right?

For example, the Dyson airwrap has a how-to guide when you buy it, but people don’t read it, which means it’s a bad onboarding strategy.

But having an engaging demo video like this TikTok video shows people how to use it quickly and effectively, which makes it a good onboarding strategy.

Dyson is a company with high credibility so people will buy, but without a good onboarding strategy, their product may be returned or deemed ‘not worth the price.

Why customer retention matters more than ever before

There is so much competition these days and people are more skeptical than ever before. Part of the reason is that we’re constantly being bombarded with advertising.

According to Forbes, “Digital marketing experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day.” That’s insanity! If we’re seeing up to 10,000 ads per day, that means we’re seeing up to 3.65 Million ads per year!

There’s more business competition than ever before, which means customer retention matters more than ever before, too!

And the last thing you want is to cause your customer to leave and find another company to solve their problems. Your customers chose you for a reason, so now you have to deliver on your promises. Without your customers, you have no business.

Defining your audience is the key to improving customer retention, and Wavoto has made this process simple. Download the Discover Your Worksheet here!

Tips for making sure your customers are happy from day one

You should be thinking about ways to keep your customers happy from day one during the onboarding process. Why? Because they're the ones keeping you in business.

To help, here are some tips to keep your customers happy:

Make your customers feel important.

A great way to keep your customers happy is to make them feel important. You can do this by calling them by their first name, asking about their families, and acknowledging their accomplishments.

Even paying attention to what platforms they frequent helps. Learn more about this in our Creator's Do's and Don'ts worksheet.

Listen and ask your customers what they want.

Listen carefully to your customers and ask questions to find out what they want. Constantly ask your customers what you can do for them and how you can do it better. After you ask, try to give them what they want and keep them informed of the process along the way. Why? Because this will lead to your success!

Keep your promises and stay true to your word.

When you tell your customer you are going to do something, follow up as quickly as possible and do it. Trust is very important, so you don't want to break it by not sticking to your promises.

Don’t waste your customers’ time.

Everyone is busy. Time is one of the most valuable assets. And nothing will frustrate a customer more than feeling like their time has been wasted.

Reward your loyal customers.

Look for ways to go the extra mile for your loyal customers. When possible, throw in a little something extra, waive a fee, or send a small gift. Show them that they’re special to you and that you’re thankful for their business.

Thank your customers every chance you get.

Sincerely thank your customers anytime the opportunity arises. Thank them for calling, paying, or just being a customer.

The importance of understanding your customers’ needs and goals on an individual level

Not all customers are alike. Each customer has individual needs and concerns. By identifying your customers' needs, you can provide faster and more effective support. You can also improve your products & services!

How? Because when you understand your customers’ needs and goals, you can fully understand the motives behind the buying process. You can learn about the areas you are missing out on and create an effective Unique Selling Proposition for your customers.

For example, you could learn that your customers love being able to contact your support team at any time of the day. But you don’t have a way for them to do that right now. So you could hire a calling service that answers your phones 24/7 and keeps your customers informed and happy.

Now What?

I know this is probably a lot to take in…

But you should know that your onboarding process doesn’t have to be as complicated as all this sounds!

Your onboarding can just be sending out a simple email each day for the first 7 days your customer signed up for your business.

And luckily for you, Wavoto makes sending out emails to your customers simply because you can do it all from one place… and your emails can be automated!

Which means you just set up your emails once and you can automatically run your inbox through your Back Office in Wavoto. And you’ll be able to manage your leads and contacts with built-in Customer Management tools.

So if you’re looking to get serious about your onboarding process and don’t know where to start, try your free 14-day Wavoto trial today. There’s no credit card required to get started.

How to Use Texting To Connect With More Customers and Increase Your Return On Investment

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 06:00:00 GMT

What’s the first thing you do when you get a text message? Do you pull out your phone as quickly as possible to look? Or do you ignore it?

I don’t know about you, but whenever I get a text on my phone, I have to stop whatever I’m doing and look. (Which is why I have to hide my phone when I’m working otherwise I’d never get anything done!)

Getting a text message is a lot like passing an accident on the highway. When you see the emergency vehicles and all the flashing lights, you slow down and have to see what’s going on.

Our curiosity takes over when we’re driving by an accident and it also takes over when we get text messages.

So why should you care?

Because if you understand how much power text messages have over the general population, you can use it to your advantage!

Why Using SMS Can Increase Your Return On Investment (ROI)

According to statistics, SMS (simple text messages) open rates are as high as 98% and Americans spend an average of 5 hours on their mobile phones daily.

Based on these stats, it’s obvious that adding an SMS campaign to your marketing will help you reach more of your customers.

And if you still don’t believe me, FindStack says “The average opening rate for SMS marketing is 98%. And People check their phones up to 160 times a day, or once every 9 minutes.”

Based on this information, you can see why SMS is a top-performance marketing channel. In fact, there are six leading retail & e-commerce brands that use text messaging to drive results. Some say they’re increased their ROI by 25x+ by using SMS!

Can you see how sending out texts would help you connect to more of your customers?

To help you connect with more of your customers and improve your ROI, Wavoto offers its users SMS Text Messaging. Here’s how it works:

How SMS Text Messaging With Wavoto Works

Integrate automated SMS Text Messaging into your marketing and mass messaging in Wavoto with a few simple steps. While you can manage your outbound texts on Wavoto, we utilize Twilio, a global texting platform used by some of the biggest brands since 2008.

SMS is available to all Wavoto premium accounts* using one of these options:

1. Free Start

This plan is best for someone who is getting started with texting and wants to utilize it for things like reminders or occasional texts.

No upfront costs. You don't need to buy a phone number or put money down for future text messages
Use a Twilio phone number shared with other Wavoto websites.
Cannot receive replies from texts, but instead, customers will be shown a generic message if they text you back
$0.02USD charge per text, applied to your Wavoto account monthly

2. Get Your Own Number

This plan is perfect for anyone who does not currently use another texting platform and would like full control over their phone number for reminders, campaigns, and ongoing text messages.

Pay a one-time upfront fee of $100USD
Receive your own Twilio phone number (Wavoto Support will work with you to find the best number for you).
Receive text replies from customers directly to your personal phone number
$0.02USD charge per text, applied to your Wavoto account monthly

3. Use Your Own Twilio Account

If you have been using other texting platforms, already have a phone number, and want to continue using it - this is the plan for you! You need texting for reminders, campaigns, and ongoing text messages.

No upfront costs
Get your own Twilio phone number (or move any other texting phone number to Twilio)
Receive text replies from customers directly to your personal phone number
No additional monthly charges from Wavoto (you will receive any billing associated with your texts through your Twilio account).

How to start using SMS in your marketing

Sending out SMS to new subscribers and customers is a great way to make a good first impression and develop a strong, lasting relationship. In fact, brands like Funboy, Lovepop, Ready Set Judy, Snow Teeth Whitening, and Grinds even send out a welcome SMS sequence to their new subscribers and customers.

Here’s an example of a welcome SMS to send:

[Insert your brand name here]

[Name], welcome to the family! So glad you’re here :)

Use code: WELCOME20 for 20% off your first order.

The code’s automatically applied when you use this link:

[insert short link]

Here are 5 more SMS examples:

Event invitation: “Join us for a live webinar on 2/1 at 2 pm.”
Booking confirmation: “You’re booked! See you on 4/1 at 1:00 pm.”
Appointment reminder: “You have an appointment tomorrow, 3/17 at 3:00 pm.”
Billing reminder: “Your balance of $20 will be paid by card on 12/1.”
Security code: “676767 is your verification code. It expires in 24 hours.”

Some other tips to keep in mind when sending out your SMS are: personalize your messages, have a real conversation, and include opt-out keywords like “Reply STOP to unsubscribe.” At Wavoto, we include the opt-out keywords already so you don't have to worry!

Ready to get started using SMS text messaging in your marketing? Sign up for your 14-day free Wavoto trial today! (No credit card required.)

Keeping your content such as texts, newsletters, and social media posts organized is key to a successful online brand. With our free Content Calendar Template, you can manage all your content in one place!

Is Giving Away Free Stuff A Good Idea or Bad One For Your Marketing

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Welcome to one of the biggest debates in the digital marketing world:

Offering free courses and services… is it a good idea or a bad one?

Before we dive in and give you our opinion…

What do you think?

Is giving away free stuff the right move for your marketing? Drop your opinion in the comments!

Now, let the debate begin…

With Dan Kennedy’s Famous Quote on Acquiring Customers…

“The business that can spend the most to acquire a customer wins.” - Dan Kennedy

But this doesn’t necessarily mean you must pay more money for advertising.

This means you’re able to develop stronger relationships with your customers by showing them you care. One way to do this is by giving away free services, content, courses, and even consultations.

Tony Robbins has a similar perspective…

Tony Robbins talks about giving your customers more than they paid in value. He says this, “You feel so filled up when what you do adds so much value to people's lives that it lights them up. You can't compare that with money. But if you run your business right, and you add that much value, you will do well financially."

So just because you may be giving something away at the beginning of your relationship, doesn’t mean that you won’t get that value in return later on!

Jenna Kutcher also says, “I love a good freebie. Truly. Look: email marketing has long been one of my favorite things… ever. The number one reason I love email lists? Connection, connection, connection.”

“And it’s ONE-ON-ONE with your people, in their private lil’ inboxes (not the massive void of social media feeds). And one of my go-to strategies for growing my list has been building irresistible freebies that encourage people to opt-in, and it’s one of those strategies that I’d recommend to anyone as long as you’re doing it the right way.”

Can you see why freebies are valuable now?

If you don’t see the value in freebies, then you probably agree more with this Forbes article, “Why You Shouldn’t Give Away Your Product For Free.”

The article says, “As human beings, we tend to attribute value to things based on how much we pay for them. It’s the reason why many people value a Mercedes more than a Kia. It costs more and, therefore, it’s a better product. When something is free, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad, but it does mean that we will see less value in it.”

The article goes on to say…

“In our industry, it’s a common practice to give away a free trial of your product. It’s a customer acquisition tactic when you give someone a sneak peek of your product, just enough to get them hooked to pay. But when you give away a product completely for free, you have nothing left to offer or upsell later on.”

Do you agree with this logic? Or do you agree with Dan Kennedy, Tony Robbins, and Jenna Kutcher?

Even though we all might not agree on giving away free stuff…

It’s clear that in order to be successful we have to help our customers first and worry about money second.

So let me ask you…

Are you going to be giving your customers or clients free stuff? Or do you already give them free stuff now?

Let us know in the comments!

Here at Wavoto, we love giving away free stuff!

We give away free content on our blog, free strategies when you sign up for our 18-Minute Quick Links Challenge, and we even give away a free 14-day trial so people can try out Wavoto risk-free! (We don’t even ask for a credit card.)

So if you’re interested in our Quick Links Challenge sign up here or if you want a 14-day free trial or to see how we develop a relationship with our customers, click here to get started.

6 Simple Steps to Help You Get Started in Digital Marketing

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 06:00:00 GMT

New Year, New Side Hustle?!

If you’ve been thinking about starting a side hustle or even taking your business online this year…

Then you may be wondering, "Where Do I Start With Digital Marketing?”

Digital Marketing is also known as online marketing because it’s a way to communicate with your customers and clients online.

This includes online communication like email, social media, web advertising, and more!

Even though there seem to be constant changes happening in the digital marketing world, the good news is that certain strategies will never get old.

So if you’re wondering where to start with digital marketing…

Here are six steps to take to get started today:

Step 1 - Determine your zone of ‘genius’

The very first step to getting started in digital marketing is determining your zone of genius. Your genius zone is an area in which you feel like your natural talents are being used to create something great. You experience flow, inspiration, and work becomes almost effortless.

Your zone of genius is important to your success in digital marketing because it’s based on:

What you are good at…
What you are passionate about…
What people are coming to you for…
What you are going to be known for…
What you have authority and expertise in…

And when you start a business around what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about, it’s more effortless for you to succeed.

Why?

Because your work is fun instead of a struggle to get through.

So to find your genius zone, ask yourself what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, or what areas you have experience in. Then decide if you could start and grow a business around one of those things.

For instance, let’s use Wavoto as an example. Wavoto’s zone of genius is to make the lives of business owners easier by providing them with ONE simple place to run their business.

Step 2 - Find your audience

In order for your digital marketing to be successful, you must know who you are marketing to. So how do you discover your audience?

By asking great questions so you can get great answers! The questions you’re looking for answers to are based on your audience’s demographics, psychographics, interests, concerns, issues, wants, and desires. We make discovering your customer base extremely easy with our Discovering your Avatar worksheet. Download today for free by clicking here!

Once you know what your unique skills are and WHO your audience is, then you can figure out how to help them!

Step 3 - Help your audience

The #1 Rule in digital marketing is to provide value to people! And the “Golden Rule” of online marketing is to Give Something Valuable Away in Order to Sell Something That Can Help Them.

So in order to provide value to your audience and sell them something, you must help your audience! So how do you do that? You must figure out a way to solve their current problems!

Let’s take Wavoto as an example…

Our audience is mainly online business owners, brands, course creators, and social media influencers. And a big problem these people face is that running an online business is complicated ESPECIALLY when you have to manage everything in separate, disjointed places.

So to help, Wavoto provides a digital office that allows you to have everything you need to run an online business in ONE simple place.

Step 4 - Reach your audience

Now that you know who your audience is and what they need help with, you need to reach your audience. What is the best platform to reach them? Where do they hang out? This could be places like your email list, Facebook groups, or even Instagram. The options are as big as the internet!

At Wavoto, we use our email list, website, our blog, funnels, and social media to reach our audience because we know that’s where they hang out.

Now that we know where they hang out, we can set goals to create a successful digital marketing strategy.

Step 5 - Set goals

Nothing great happens without setting goals.

So if you’re looking for the top 3 ways to set goals so you can achieve them and make sure they have an impact, check out this quick read here. You’ll walk away with actionable goals that you can reach!

The final step to help you get started in digital marketing is to take action and set up your online business.

Step 6 - Set up your online business in ONE simple place!

Wavoto makes running your online business simply because everything you need is in ONE place.

It comes with an email marketing system, site builder, quick links, funnel builder, and eCommerce platform, giving you all the tools you need to start and run a modern business.

Site Builder

Design and host the website of your dreams in a mobile-friendly, drag-&-drop environment.

Quick Links

Break up with LinkTree. Share all your links on a single page inside your Wavoto workspace without losing website traffic to another URL.

Funnel Builder

Craft automated sales cycles, integrated with your website pages, email system, & CRM.

eCommerce

Offer products, services, and online courses through your website.

Confidently start your year with a digital marketing strategy, instead of just digital marketing tasks! Wavoto is here to help you accomplish that - sign-up for your FREE 14-day trial to get started.

Organization is the key to successful marketing strategies & your content deserves it! With our free Content Calendar Template, you are ensuring that you are consistently sharing your content to build trust with your audience. Start managing your content from one place!

Year In Review: What Worked, What Didn't, And What To Do Now

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 06:00:00 GMT

You come to the end of the year and everything is about "what will I do next year"...but in order to move forward you need to take a look back. It doesn't feel like it should make sense that in order to move forward you need to review your previous footsteps, but think about T.S. Eliot's quote:

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

A trap we often fall into at Wavoto is we're constantly moving forward and doing so at such a fast speed that we neglect the important moment where we can sit and reflect.

When was the last time you stopped and reflected?

Before you enter a new year, I invite you to take a moment and reflect. To arrive where you started and know it for the first time.

List Your Accomplishments

Start off with the wins, by listing things you accomplished this year. Don't reserve this list for just the big things, add small things as well. Your list could contain things like:

Sent my first newsletter out
Worked regular 5 hours each business day
Gained 300 Instagram followers
Increased by 100 new customers

This might be a little difficult if you haven't done this before. Our society tends to focus on our weaknesses and failures more than our wins. And even when we have wins, if they aren't "big enough" you tend to downplay them and act like they are meaningless.

To counter this, take this step month by month. What did you do in January that was successful? Now February...March...you get the picture.

Additionally, looking back at your stats can be really helpful. For example, I take weekly stats from Google Analytics but rarely look at the monthly stats. This past month I pulled up our monthly statistics and was pleasantly surprised that the numbers were greater than I expected for pageviews and referrals!

What could you find when you look at your numbers? Whether they be Google Analytics, Instagram, or Email Open Rates.

Listed your accomplishments? Now comes my favorite part, celebrate yourself!

I recommend a dance party, already have a playlist for you:

Find Areas To Improve

Okay, this was just a nice way to say "what didn't go so well this year" and, honestly, this part can be hard.

Have you ever looked back on a day and thought "What did I even do?" when you know you were busy doing something all day? Sometimes entire years can feel this way.

This is why you start with the positive then move to the negative. You did accomplish things this past year (check your list!), but that doesn't mean you can't improve.

Start your list with things that took a lot of time each month but didn't seem to deliver anything or something that took a lot of your time with little return. Your list may look something like this:

Answered endless emails each day that didn't have a clear purpose/end goal
Ran a webinar campaign with little attendance
Didn't grow my customer list

The thing about these "negatives" is they all contain an opportunity to improve. Once you have your list of not so great things, list out ways you might change them like:

Answered endless emails each day that didn't have a clear purpose/end goal
- Start tracking common email questions, concerns, themes
- Limit my email time to 10-30 minutes a day
- Set an automatic reply of email "office hours"
Ran a webinar campaign with little attendance
- Review my landing page statistics versus sign-ups to see where the disconnect may be
  - Review what I did to promote the campaign and best practices for webinar promotion
  - Review my webinar topic and landing page copy
Didn't grow my customer list
- Reflect on ongoing marketing to my leads
- Breakdown activities to grow leads
- Look at conversion rate from Leads to Customer

These changes might be something you apply in the future, but they also might present new opportunities for growth you never realized.

Set Goals For New Growth

Now that you know what your achieved and where you can improve for the future, it's come time to decide what you want to achieve in the new year.

This may be building on your current success and strategy or pivoting and going a whole new direction!

Find the right goals for you by checking out our 4 different goal-setting strategies.

Bonus: Set Regular Reflection

Recently, I discovered this TikTok sharing 3 ways to help you advance your career with small calendar blocks:

While they may not feel explicitly connected to your day-to-day work, they are a great start to regular reflection. Here's how I would break them down:

Block 30 minutes once a month to write down the projects you've worked on, what went well with them, and what you could improve.
Block 30 minutes each week to list out what you need to accomplish, why, and list in order of importance.
Block 10 minutes each quarter to decide on "non-negotiables" that need to get done. (For me it's things like a newsletter once a week - everything else can go wrong, but that will be done). Take such a small amount of time so you can't think too long about it, you just write down the immediate things you deem important!

I recommend keeping a document or sheet with these reflections so at the end of the year you already have a base of what you wanted to focus on, what you deemed most important, what you accomplished, and where you can improve.

AND you get snapshots into quick improvements throughout the year - win/win!

When are you setting aside time to reflect on this past year? Let me know in the comments when you're committing to it!

Top 3 Ways to Set Goals So You Can Achieve Them and They Have an Impact

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 06:00:00 GMT

The New Year is right around the corner, which means it's time to start planning for 2022.

Why?

Because planning your year in advance is key to reaching your goals.

So what’s the best way to set and reach your goals?

Well, since what works for one person may not always work best for others…

We’re sharing three of the most popular goal-setting techniques you can try out for yourself.

Let’s dive in…

Goal-Setting Technique #1 - SMART Goals

The SMART acronym was created to help you focus your efforts when setting goals. It stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. These goals help you focus your efforts, here’s how you can utilize them:

Specific

When you are setting a goal, make sure it is clear and specific. For example, one specific goal you have for the New Year could be to get in shape, but a specific goal would be to do 25 squats in 1 minute. A specific goal makes it clear when you have achieved it or not otherwise you can keep working towards something you don’t have a clear idea of when you’ve achieved it…this leads us to the next part.

Measurable

In order to keep you motivated about working towards your goal, it’s best to create a goal that’s measurable. For instance, if it’s your goal to work more efficiently, then you can measure your current efficiency to understand if you’re getting more efficient over time. Time how quickly you accomplish a specific task. Such as email, time how long you spend replying to emails, or “hopping into an email real quick” and then be able to measure if you speed up your email time.

Achievable

Make your goal a tangible one. It's important that you are able to measure success and see how close or far away from achieving this particular objective is, so don't try for something too difficult if it doesn’t seem possible in the near future!

Realistic

To make sure that you can actually meet your goal, make sure you choose a goal that’s realistic. For example, if you want to get in better shape, it may be unrealistic to do 100 sit-ups in one minute if you can’t even do 30 sit-ups in one minute right now.

Time-bound

“A goal without a date is just a dream.” - Milton H. Erickson. Enough said. Having a clear date associated with your goal increases your chances of succeeding! For example, if it’s your goal to read 10 books, you’re more likely to succeed if you give yourself a timeframe.

Sometimes people turn their SMART into SMARTER goals. If you choose to make a SMARTER goal, you'll also need to Evaluate and Readjust:

Evaluate: Choose a regular time (it could be daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly) to check on your goal's progress. For example, if you’re working on a year-long project at work, then checking on progress every two weeks can help ensure you achieve your goal (and that it stays top of mind).
Readjust: Not all plans work out, so don’t be afraid to adjust things as you go along. If you get assignments that require you to work on weekends and you like to spend your weekends with your family, then factor in extra time during the week to get the projects done.

Goal-Setting Technique #2- HARD goals

The second goal-setting technique you can utilize is HARD goals. HARD stands for heartfelt, animated, required, and difficult. Here’s how it breaks down:

Heartfelt

If you want to reach your goal, feel the emotion behind it. For instance, if your goal is to make more money in the New Year, feel the pride of being able to pay off credit cards or loans. Why? It will help motivate you to reach your goals.

Animated

A key way to reach your goal is to visualize yourself achieving your goal. And the more you can use every sense in your visualization, the more likely you’ll be able to reach it. For instance, imagine yourself standing in front of a crowd at the seminar you want to speak at. What do you see, feel, hear, smell, and taste?

Required

Whenever possible, link your goal to something that's required for you to complete. If you want to do more public speaking, volunteer to present something for work. This will force you to get more experience speaking in front of others.

Difficult

Yes, you want a realistic goal, but you don’t have to be afraid to set a challenging goal either. We all have no idea what we can truly accomplish, so set a challenging goal (say, running a mile in 8 minutes) and you never know… you may reach it!

Goal-Setting Technique #3 - WOOP goals

WOOP goals are used to help people stop a habit that no longer serves them. It stands for wish, outcome, obstacle, and plan. The steps include:

Wish

Wish for something that makes you feel excited. (Let’s say getting a bonus at work and rewarding yourself with a week-long vacation to Aruba.) Why? Because when you attach a positive feeling to a goal, you’ll be more likely to reach it.

Outcome

Imagine the best possible outcome for your goal… (If we’re using the previous example, you get your bonus and go to Aruba on vacation for a week.) Now think about how you would feel if this happened and visualize it in as much detail as possible.

Obstacle

As much as focusing on the negative stinks, consider what might prevent you or even slow you down from hitting your goal. For example, if you’re going to get your bonus, maybe you need to learn how to speed up your workflow, but you’re a slow typer. This may be an obstacle in reaching your goal.

Plan

Once you understand your potential obstacles, you can look for solutions. For example, if you have a slow typing speed, you may use software or websites designed to improve your typing speed or use a voice dictation service to increase your work speed. With the WOOP method in place, you’ll be sitting on the beach in Aruba in no time!

BONUS Goal-Setting Technique - OKR goals

OKR stands for objectives and key results. OKR Goals are helpful for groups of people who are working together to reach a goal. To set an OKR goal, choose a goal that you want to achieve; maybe it’s getting 1,000 new customers in 3 months. After you set the objective, then you must identify the steps that can help you achieve the goal. And as you work toward your goal, you may need to assess and reevaluate your smaller goals along the way.

Are you ready to set goals for 2022?

If one of your goals in the New Year is to take your business to the next level…

Then a simple way to do that is by making sure your entire business is in ONE place.

Thanks to Wavoto’s easy-to-use tools, you have everything you need to start and run a successful online business.

Want to give it a try? Get your 2-week FREE trial to Wavoto here. (No credit card is required.)

Staying organized is a great tool for ensuring your goals are being met. With our free Content Calendar Template, you are ensuring that you are consistently sharing your content to build trust with your audience. Start managing your content from one place!

Why Your Words Are Turning People Away From Your Business (Cut The Jargon)

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 06:00:00 GMT

You’ve heard jargon before…

Maybe it was the time you walked into the doctor’s office and you were told words and technical phrases about your body that made absolutely no sense to you.

Or maybe it was in a meeting at work and your boss said a term that left you speechless and confused…

Whatever the situation was… I’m sure it left you feeling isolated, confused, and like you wanted to curl up into a ball. (No? That was just me?)

Well, that’s jargon, and when you use it the wrong way it can really turn people away from your business.

Jargon is defined as “special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.”

So let me ask you…

Are you currently using jargon in your business?

Because if you are this could be a huge turn-off for your audience!

Why Jargon Could Be Turning People Away and What to Do Instead

1. Ask yourself if a 5th grader would understand it

To be a great communicator, everyone has to understand what you’re saying.

And if you’re using jargon, the chances are good that what you’re trying to tell people will go right over their heads.

Can you see how this can be a problem?

In writing, we’re taught to use language that a 5th grader would understand.

So let me ask you…Can you make heads or tails of this?

“We need to increase organic reach with a viral fanbassador granular, sharable funnel campaign to increase our market share and brand awareness.

Because this just sounds like nonsense…when in reality, it’s jargon.

Ask yourself, is a 5th grader going to understand jargon?

If the answer is no, then cut it out!

2. Know Your Audience

Obviously, you don’t want to cut jargon out completely…

You must know your audience though.

For example, in college, it’s okay to use jargon and big words because the person who’s reading your paper or report is your professor—the person who taught you the jargon in the first place!

And of course, in this situation, it’s probably a good thing to use jargon and may even help you ace your paper.

3. Use a Different Word

If you’re prone to use jargon in your writing, try using a different word that means the same thing.

If you get stuck, you can always Google synonyms. (Thesaurus.com is sometimes my best friend.)

This may seem like a lot of extra work…

But if your message is clear, you’re more likely to get more leads, sales, or purchases.

4. Ask a Non-Coworker to Review It

Ask a friend or family member who’s not in your field to review your work.

When they go through it, ask them to take note of what parts of your writing are clear and what parts are hard to understand.

Keep in mind that the more people who understand your writing, the more people will respond to your writing!

5. Use Tools like the Hemingway App

Unfortunately, there are no tools out there that will point out jargon in your writing. (At least, not that I’m aware of.)

But using tools like the Hemingway App can help you understand if you have clarity in your writing. And it provides you with instant feedback, such as the reading level of your writing, and ways to improve your writing.

6. Read Your Work Out loud

Another great way to review your writing is by reading it out loud.

Not only does this help you avoid jargon, but it will also help you create work that’s clear, concise, and straight to the point.

Now that you understand what jargon is and how to avoid it…

It’s time to ramp up your marketing and take your business to the next level!

The first step to leveling up is by making sure you have your entire business in ONE place.

And thanks to Wavoto, you get access to all the tools you need to start and run a successful online business.

Ready to try it out? Get it free for 2 weeks. No credit card is required.

How to Make The Most Of Your ONE Link In Your Instagram Bio

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 06:00:00 GMT

You only have one link on your Instagram account, so you have to make it count.

While you may be thinking it’s easy enough to just switch out your link in your Instagram bio, consider this…

What happens when someone new finds your Instagram page? What’s the very first thing they do?

They go to your Instagram page and scroll through your posts, of course!

This means if they find that post you created a month ago that tells them to “Check out the link in my bio” for your new blog post and your link now directs people to your YouTube channel…

Can you see how you’d have a problem?

Even though you might not be sure how to manage it, now may be the perfect time to get more strategic about your Instagram link!

And to help, we’ve compiled some of the best ways to make the most of your “link in bio”...

Link to your other social media accounts…

If you have a ton of followers on your Instagram and your goal is to grow your other social media presences online, well done—you’re diversifying your traffic!

If you’ve been following us for a while, you know how much we recommend diversifying your traffic. And since the BIG social media shutdown of 2021 (which won’t be the last one we ever see), we recommend it even more!

Link to your portfolio or website…

If you’re a freelancer, course creator, influencer, or business owner, you can use your Instagram bio link to direct people to your online portfolio or website.

This is great exposure for your offers and/or services! In fact, for some people, this is their #1 way to get new leads, sales, and clients!

Link to your podcast or blog…

If you’re a blogger or podcaster, a great way to get more traffic is to use your Instagram bio link to direct people to your blog or podcast. If you’re regularly putting out content, this can be a difficult link to have to change weekly or even daily.

One way to do this is by also using a key Instagram feature that allows you to put links right into your Instagram story videos. Basically, this feature makes it easier to send Instagram traffic to your blog or podcast.

Link to your online store…

Maybe you run an online store… If you do, it’d make the most sense to link to your store in your Instagram bio.

Utilize your Instagram traffic to get more leads (and hopefully more sales) on your store!

Use your link to promote action

Ever heard the phrase, “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no”?

Well, the best way to get people to take action is to ask them to take action. So whatever that looks like for you (maybe you ask them to join your Facebook group or to donate to your favorite charity), you will get more action if you just ask!

Or do it all!

Chances are, if you’re running a business, you may need your link in your Instagram bio to link to a directory, portfolio, website, online store, podcast, blog, and to promote action!

And with Wavoto’s Quick Links you don’t have to choose which link to use… you can do it all with just ONE!

Take our 18-Minute Challenge and discover how you can use just ONE link in your bio to reach all your goals!

Speaking of ONE place... check out our free Content Calendar Template to get organized and manage your content in one space.

How to Manage Your Business While Traveling This Holiday Season

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 06:00:00 GMT

Let’s face it, the holiday season is busy.

Whether you’re spending time with family, traveling, or just taking a break from your business…

Your work-life balance is tough to manage during the holiday travel season.

Even though it’s worth it, it always seems like a struggle to get through.

You get off a phone call with one of your leads who is ready to take the next step but your system isn’t quite in place yet...

You're busy working on leveling up your business…

And you try to remember to schedule all of your posts and content for the few remaining weeks of the year.

But those are just your work-related tasks…

Let’s not forget about your friends reaching out to set up a holiday party...

Your family who would like to know your travel plans and itinerary for the holidays…

And your partner (and kids if you have them) trying to spend every moment with you while they have time off.

Yet in reality, there’s no time off when you own your own business because all of your work still needs to get done.

So if you’re struggling to manage your business while traveling during the holidays…

Here are five steps to help keep your business on track before the craziness of the holidays takes over.

1. Plan ahead

When you run your own business, planning ahead by creating a to-do list or creating a list of actionable tasks to complete is a must—especially when you’re traveling!

Even things like compiling the details of the funnel you're running or the promotion in a Google Doc saved on your phone so you can easily access it on-the-go can save you a headache!

2. Ensure your business can run smoothly without you

Tony Robbins is one of the many business owners that says, "You don’t own a business if you can’t do it on autopilot."

It makes sense, right? If you have to be involved in order for your business to work, then you don’t run a business. You’re just self-employed.

And putting your business on autopilot is a sure-fire way to make sure business continues to run smoothly without you.

Think about the things right now you have to constantly do over and over again, start automating these things to take the load off your shoulders.

3. Utilize technology

By utilizing the power of technology, you can work on your business without having to work in it. And a simple way to do this is by setting up an autoresponder system for your emails and scheduling your blog posts. Using these features helps make the process of running your business on autopilot smooth and easy.

If you’re looking for a way to run your online business in one simple place, Wavoto has you covered.

Why?

Because Wavoto gives you all the tools you need to start and run a modern business, from beautiful websites to marketing automation, to eCommerce. Try Wavoto free for 2 weeks. No credit card required.

4. Do nothing

Studies show that one of the greatest ways to boost your creativity is to spend time doing nothing. That’s right, being bored boosts creativity and helps you brainstorm new ideas for your business.

But obviously, don’t do nothing about your new ideas. Jot them down. Why? Because all entrepreneurs know that once a great idea is lost, it’s gone forever.

5. Learn to say no

One of the simplest ways to set yourself up for success is to say no.

There’s always so much work to do. It’s easy to work 24/7 and still not get everything done. So instead of overextending yourself, say no and take some time off to be with your family.

Your life will be more enjoyable that way! (And giving your brain a break is always a good thing!)

Want another tip to make your life more enjoyable? Sign up for your free 2 week trial of Wavoto.