Let's Talk Email Marketing!
Plain-text emails vs. Designed emails?
There's debate even among marketers on which is better, but in the end, at Stratos, our goal is to give the people what they want!
What your people want may be TOTALLY different than the trends! But if they're opening those and clicking those links, keep giving them what they want.
P.S. It doesn't hurt to try something new. In fact, I think it's important to experiment but always fall back on what the people want.
Tips for Working from Anywhere On a Budget!
Your work-from-anywhere style is all about you and your needs.
The good news is that your budget doesn’t have to affect your ability to explore the world as long as you have your laptop and some WiFi.
Any tips you would add to the list?
5 Quick SB Questions to Improve Your Marketing
It’s almost embarrassing how often StoryBrand crosses my mind while I’m out and about. It’s like once you learn about storytelling in marketing, you can’t unlearn it!
The marketer in me can’t help but analyze other marketing - billboards, flyers, TV ads, etc. I like assessing whether it’s reaching its audience and telling a story (or not).
These are the five quick StoryBrand-based questions I ask myself every time I’m analyzing a piece of marketing (whether someone else’s or my own):
1.) What is it? It’s amazing how many times it’s not clear what is being promoted.
2.) What do they want me to do? The call to action needs to be clear. If I decide I want the product or service, I need to know exactly how to get it.
3.) How will this make my life better? Every product or service needs to bring improvement or success to the person who purchases it.
4.) Who is the hero? Is it the business or the consumer? Small tweaks can change the business’s positioning so that it is the guide - a much more compelling role to the customer who wants to be the hero of their story.
5.) Is it clear what problem this solves? If your business doesn’t solve a problem, it shouldn’t be in business. Customers are looking for solutions; make sure you are clear on how you can help.
Some people mistakenly believe that you need lots of words to express all these things. Not true! These questions can be answered with words, pictures, sentiments, and more. The connection between the elements is what tells a story, not just the words.
Even then, you don’t have to answer all five questions fully to have a good piece of marketing. Depending on your medium, you may be limited. If that’s the case, make sure you’ve infused your other assets with the elements from these questions so that - as a WHOLE - your marketing is telling a story. 🌟
Viral Does Not Equal More Money
Think twice before you wish your social media account would go viral. It's not all that it's cracked up to be!
Stratos Leap Day Reel :)
Here are more details on what we’re celebrating:
🌟: StoryBrand Agency Training - Our whole team did a two-day training. I’ve been certified for 5 years at this point so it was fun to bring the whole team along for the ride! We’ve been writing social media with an SB lens for ages, but it’s fun to make it official!
🎉 New Team Members - I’m excited to introduce you to Dylan, K’Shari, and Christine. Dylan is an expert copywriter and has been writing AMAZING websites for us and our clients. K’Shari is our resident reels editor; honestly, our time spent on reels has been cut in half with her help. Christine has brought stability to our DIY Club as we focus on that this year!
🎂: Our 6th Birthday - I remember the day I sat in my exit interview at my last job thinking, I hope I never have to do this again. I’m happy to report that so far so good! If Stratos were my child, they’d be off to first grade this year. It’s been cool to see the maturity that comes with being in business over time, but I’ll be honest, it definitely still feels like we’re learning our own version of whatever it is that kids learn in first grade nowadays.
It’s safe to say we wouldn’t be where we’re at without your encouragement. Thanks for being along for the ride!
Tell us what you’re celebrating!
Julia Podcast Promo: Evolving to Exceptional Podcast
Want to learn more about integrating family values into your small business? Tune in to hear Julia on Evolving to Exceptional podcast to learn more! 😊
Find it wherever you listen to podcasts on February 13th ✨
Evolving to Exceptional page: Evolving To Exceptional
YouTube link to the podcast!
https://www.youtube.com/@evolvingtoexceptional
Julia Talking Head: Are you matching or treading lightly?
Are you matching what your client is saying or are you treading lightly? 👀
Talking about problems with clients can be tricky, but making your client feel understood and heard is the ultimate goal! ✅
Let us know what you think in the comments!
Julia Podcast Promo #2: Imperfect Marketing
Is the internet correct on behalf of your business?
Tune in to hear Julia on Imperfect Marketing to find out if your business information needs some updating!
Find it wherever you listen to podcasts!
Imperfect Marketing's Facebook: Kendra Corman
YouTube link to the podcast! https://www.youtube.com/@ImperfectMarketingPodcast
Stratos Photoshoot Reel
Enjoy this behind-the-scenes footage from our Stratos photoshoot! We had a ton of fun; it's always a great time when the Stratos team gets together! ✨
Julia Podcast Promo #1: Imperfect Marketing
Building relationships with your clients is like dating; a slow progression of a relationship!
To learn more about building relationships with your clients, tune in to hear Julia on Imperfect Marketing on whichever platforms you use to listen to podcasts!
Imperfect Marketing's Facebook: Kendra Corman
YouTube link to the podcast! https://www.youtube.com/@ImperfectMarketingPodcast
Simple Social Media pre-order
Here's the deal...
You don't have to spend hours a day making social media posts - or worse, WORRYING about spending hours a day making posts. Get tips and strategies that will have you publishing content in a fraction of the time in the book Simple Social Media by my friend Annie Schiffmann.
Available now (for pre-order) at SimpleSocialMediaBook.com!
3 Social Media Prompts Reel
Feeling stuck? We have some social media content inspo for you right here!
1️⃣ Introduce yourself!
2️⃣ Talk about the problem you solve.
3️⃣ How can people work with you? Give them a CLEAR plan!
Once you post these videos, don’t forget to tag us in them so we can engage with your awesome content. 💬❤️
If you want more content inspirations, we have 101 Social Media Prompts that you can use to create feed posts, carousels, or video! Message us, and we’ll send you the link!
Hiring a SMM
Are you ready to hire a Social Media Manager? Before you do, make sure to ask these questions.
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below. And if you need a social media manager, we know a few...😉
SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER! 💾
Reverse Enginer ads
How do we figure out the budget for our ad clients?
Julia gives you a little peek 👀 behind the curtain in this video.
If you are wondering whether this might be a good option for your business, message us for details, or request an appointment here: https://stratoscreativemarketing.com/request-an-appointment/
North Star Reel
I recently had someone ask me, “Which strategies, steps, or words of wisdom would you share with a business to help them grow their brand on social media?” Here’s what I told him:
🌠 Post 3-5 times per week.
🌠 Establish content pillars (3-5 topics) to focus content on.
🌠 Engage with others on social media who are in your audience to build a community.
🌠 If your budget allows, run some ads. This will help you reach people beyond your organic reach.
🌠 Make sure you’re using the social media channels where your audience will be. This can depend on your industry!
🌠 Social media brands can take time to nurture.
I find that these principles serve as a North Star ⭐️ to guide you during those frustrating moments. I hope they help you too! Anything you think I missed? Let me know in the comments!
Slump reel
Feeling slumpy? 😫
Trust us, we’ve all had those moments when our brains just don’t want to get on board.
Julia has three tips to get you out of it! Do you think you’ll use them? Let us know if you do!
If you have tips on how to stay inspired or how to get out of a creativity slump, we would love to hear them. Our team is always adding to our personal toolboxes. Share them in the comments below.
Episode 79: The Intersection of Sales and Marketing
We all know that marketing and sales go hand and hand 🤝 In our newest episode, 🎙️ Episode 79: The Intersection of Sales and Marketing 🎙️, Julia chats with Brooke Greening, a StoryBrand guide and co-owner of Building Momentum Resources, about marketing and sales: how they differ from each other, why businesses need both as part of their overall strategy, and how to use them to connect with your customers.
Subscribe and listen here:
https://marketinginthewildpodcast.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts.
MIW Episode 78: Creativity During a Slump
It happens to the best of us—sometimes, it’s hard to feel creative or think of your next great idea.
In this newest episode, 🎙️ Episode 78: Creativity During a Slump 🎙️, Julia shares some ways that help inspire new ideas. It may seem contradictory, but tune in to see how she both consumes less and consumes more to be more creative!
Listen and subscribe here: https://marketinginthewildpodcast.com/subscribe/
or wherever you listen to podcasts.
How do you get out of a creative slump? Share your secret in the comments below!
Our FREE Brunch & Learn is just a few days away!
Whether you can join us or not, Julia lets you in on her favorite SB tidbit (and also the most game-changing principle, in her opinion) RN ⬇️ :
Position your business as the guide and your customer as the hero. Many businesses talk more about themselves and how great they are and forget that their customers are interested in solving their own problems. If we forget to talk about our customers, they'll move on to work with someone else.
FYI - She'll share more tidbits like this during the event. Don't forget to register!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brunch-learn-storybrand-framework-tickets-439879339947
What book made our company and our clients surpass our goals?
Answer: Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller. 📕📢
When you read this book, something will click. THIS is what everyone needs to use storytelling in their marketing messages the right way. This information is too good not to share! If you want to learn more, join us on November 1st, 2022, for our FREE Brunch & Learn at 11 am CT!
More about the book 📕📢 :
Born from screenwriting formulas, StoryBrand is the framework for storytelling in marketing. When you plug information into the seven pieces of the framework, you create a story that captures your audience's attention. Born from screenwriting formulas, StoryBrand is the framework for storytelling in marketing. When you plug information into the seven pieces of the framework, you create a story that captures your audience's attention 🙂
More about the Brunch & Learn 🍳📝 :
You will get a grasp of the framework, and we’ll even share some examples of StoryBrand "in the wild" so you can see it in action.
The StoryBrand framework will be a game-changer for your business—Register Now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brunch-learn-storybrand-framework-tickets-439879339947
