Instagram Strategy

Finding Your Brand Voice with Claire Doody of Copper Union

Claire Doody joins us for another Small Biz Founders episode – and it’s a very special edition, too. Claire is the founder of Copper Union Apparel, making beautiful clothing for radical fat bodies (sizes 12-38). Where, before, options for plus-sized clothing were limited, Copper Union is making unique and individual pieces available for different occasions, and in colors and designs that completely break the traditional plus-sized mold. Claire has created a bold, vibrant line that aligns with herself and her customers.  

“Knowing When to Listen to Your Gut Is as Important as Knowing When to Listen to the Advice of Others.” - Claire Doody, Copper Union Apparel

At one point, she only designed what she perceived as trends and demand in the marketplace, but those designs didn’t sell. Then, she’d make an incredibly niche, personal piece, that reflected something she would wear, and that piece would fly off the shelves. This valuable experience is what taught her to follow her gut and trust that what’s true to her is what her customers want as well! 

Claire has faced many personal and professional challenges, including being diagnosed with cancer, along her journey. However, even after having to take significant time off work, Claire was amazed to come back and be able to continue building Copper Union, without having to start from scratch. One way that Claire did this was by not only using her brand voice to help build a loyal customer base, but also by staying true to herself and following her gut.

We discuss all of this and more in this episode, as well as everything from the shape of the industry to the benefits of a Mastermind. So what are you waiting for? Listen now.

Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!


Resources:

  • Copper Union’s website

  • Copper Union on Instagram

  • Product Biz Owners at $250k+ yearly revenue: Are you a product business owner that has built your business to a multi-6 figure to multi-million dollar business? If so, The Product Boss Mastermind has limited spots available open for consideration to applicants $250k and above, apply here.

  • Consistent content is key to getting more people to see and buy your products. If you want to create great content but you don’t know what to say, or you feel too busy, or you just don’t want to be the face of your brand, no worries – because we’ve got you covered with a year’s worth of consistent content that’s sure to resonate with your audience! If you want to see how easy this can be, visit A Year of Content.

  • Check out and shop from hundreds of small businesses from the Small Business Shopping Directory. It’s the go-to directory to discover, support, and shop small businesses all in one place.


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How to Get "Ready-to-Buy" Customers

We often expect our customers to hit that “checkout” button without being prompted or convinced to do so. But that isn’t how people behave. They buy on desire, needs, and wants, and, as a product-based business owner, it's your responsibility to share with them the benefits that your products will bring to their life. Here’s how you can set yourself up for success with customers who are ready to buy.

For starters, you need to consider the "tried and true" foundational method of marketing, which is... know, like, and trust. Better known as… the customer journey! So how can you start building your customer base? First, you’ll want to curate a healthy mailing list – popular advice in our space, but so many of you don’t use it enough! One email a week should be the minimum for most product businesses because, remember, most of those emails won’t be opened or read. Your subscribers are fans, so they’re on your side. You’re not going to upset them by sending too many emails. 

Fill Your Sales Pipeline With Ready-to-Buy Customers Using These Tips

Instagram is another good option. It used to be one of the best tools for community building, whereas now, it comes with much more of a mixture of pros and cons. The platform is essentially becoming a selling platform, meaning you have to "pay-to-play" to find new customers. Rather than focusing on selling on Instagram (which you should still do at times!), try shifting your focus towards engaging with your followers and converting them over to joining your email list so that you can market to them.

Sure, you might catch a person at the right moment, but more often than not, it’s not the right time for someone to make a purchase when they see your messaging. They might not open an email or buy anything, but if you’re constantly reminding them that you exist, they will remember you when it comes time to buy. Building an engaged following, a community, and increasing your visibility across multiple platforms is what this episode is all about. 

So many of you tell us that you want to turn your product into a six-figure business. Well, let’s do some math, because that goal is probably so much more realistic than you realize. Once you know your numbers, you can forecast your sales. Building up a following of “ready to buy” customers is one of the best things you can do to make sure you get there. 

Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!

The Product Boss’s Guide to Your Best Year Yet is a FREE series of workshops where we share the biggest tips and tricks to creating financial momentum for the year ahead. The first workshop kicks off on January 20th so be sure to join here.

Resources:

  • Product Biz Owners at $250k+ yearly revenue: Are you a product business owner that has built your business to a multi-6 figure to multi-million dollar business? If so, The Product Boss Mastermind has limited spots available open for consideration to applicants $250k and above, apply here.

  • Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now!

  • Consistent content is key to getting more people to see and buy your products. If you want to create great content but you don’t know what to say, or you feel too busy, or you just don’t want to be the face of your brand, no worries – because we’ve got you covered with a year’s worth of consistent content that’s sure to resonate with your audience! If you want to see how easy this can be, visit A Year of Content.

  • Check out and shop from hundreds of small businesses from the Small Business Shopping Directory. It’s the go-to directory to discover, support, and shop small businesses all in one place.

  • If you’re interested in taking the lessons from this episode further, you’ll want to sign up for the waitlist to be part of Multi-Stream Machine, and as soon as enrollment opens, you’ll be the first to know!

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From Taking the Leap from Adoption Journey to Business Growth with Erin Port of Simple Purposeful Living

Our female founder this week is Erin Port, the founder of Simple Purposeful Living, and one of our masterminders. We highly encourage you to listen to her amazing story so that you can learn from her, and take her story forward with you.

“My family is my personal why.” - Erin Port, Simple Purposeful Living

Erin took her engaged readers as a blogger, and her informed background as a teacher, and created a product that would give her audience value, turning her own personal story into easy-to-apply lessons that people could take and apply to their own lives.

Like most of us, she’s had past businesses and brands that didn't work out, so she knows all about self-doubt. She candidly shares with us the thoughts she had before launching Simple Purposeful Living, and how an encouraging bedtime nudge from her husband lit a fire in her that’s yet to burn out.

It’s moments like that that truly drive her. Her voice glows as she describes her family as her why, how launching the brand and driving to financial success was all meant to fund the adoption of her son, and so much more. It’s clear her heart is in the most beautiful place.

We talk about her humble origins, selling via Amazon, and overcoming those creeping thoughts of imposter syndrome. One of the most inspiring messages to take away from this episode is the impact joining the Mastermind has had on Erin, and how much benefit she saw from implementing the Best Sellers Secret Challenge and Multi-Stream Machine in her business. She believes (and we agree) that sharing ideas with others is one of the best things we can do to learn and grow as entrepreneurs. 

Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!

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Marketing Strategies for 2022 to Sell More

Happy new year! We’re really, really, really excited for the year ahead (knock on wood). We want this to be a very big year for your business, which is why now is the time to make sure you don’t have all our eggs in one basket, and that you’re prepared for anything that 2022 might throw at you.

Learn How To 2022-Proof Your Business With a Sharp Strategic Marketing Plan

The best thing you can do to level up, and take your business further than ever before, is to make sure you have an amazing marketing strategy. But if there’s one thing the last year has taught us about marketing, it’s that you can’t rely on just one stream. Your marketing strategy needs to look more like a spider web than a straight line. 

Any one specific website or platform could go down without warning (remember the Facebook shutdown of 2021?!), or they might change their algorithms (yes, we’re looking at you Instagram) in a way that prevents you from getting the traction you’re used to or rely on for income. It’s time to stop betting it all on social media and focus on POP marketing, instead. 

Don’t just use paid ads. Look at adding organic promotion into the mix, as well. Generate word-of-mouth buzz with the right people, collaborate with others, and start building those partnerships. There are so many ways to get your business in front of customers that don’t involve a spreadsheet, so why settle on just one? Bring a pen and paper for this extra informative episode of The Product Boss podcast to help make your 2022 your best year yet!

Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!

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Female Founders: Ann Williams of Yearly Co.

Happy holidays! We’re excited to be re-airing one of our favorite episodes of the Female Founders series to, once again, highlight the amazing work of Ann Williams of Yearly Co. Hear the amazing story of how she went from making jewelry in her garage to running a successful brick-and-mortar shop – just the kind of inspirational story that’s perfect for this time of year.

“When I finally trusted my employees, things got done.” - Ann Williams, Yearly Co.

Ann is someone we’d known for a long time before having her on the podcast. She was famous in our world after starting an amazing business based on a family tradition where her grandfather would gift her grandmother a gold bangle every year that they were married.

Eventually it became clear that they needed a reliable place to buy gold bangles. Different jewelers charged different amounts for products of varying quality. Ann decided she would start making these high-quality bangles herself.

One thing led to another and soon she was bringing on an intern, and then hiring full-time staff. It can be daunting to put people on your payroll, but Ann says it was something she had to learn to be comfortable with because, ultimately, they were better at some jobs than she was. The right choices are always what’s best for the product, the customers, and the business – even if they’re hard to make at first

Her experience has pushed her away from diversifying, as she instead prioritizes the improvement of their current products and serving the niche they now dominate. As Ann says, she learned to “grow forward, not in 10 directions.” Serving loyal customers is always the right choice as opposed to pushing to an expanded audience that may bring with it a diluted interest in your project. 

Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!

Resources:

  • Yearlyco.com

  • Yearly on Instagram

  • Product Biz Owners at $250k+ yearly revenue: Are you a product business owner that has built your business to a multi-6 figure to multi-million dollar business? If so, sign up here for our FREE live training, The Proven Path to a Million Dollar Product-Based Business, where we will discuss the 3 stages of business to grow and level up to a profitable million dollar business that works for you. The Product Boss Mastermind has limited spots available that are open for consideration to applicants $250k and above, apply here.

  • Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. It’s holiday-ready, too! Get listed now!

  • 101+ HOLIDAY CONTENT IDEAS Beyond the Discount is YOUR shortcut to creating a marketing strategy for the 2021 holiday season so that you can create content that successfully resonates with your customers during the busiest season of the year and gets you loyal customers that actually buy from you! The first-ever holiday content marketing plan designed to help you grow your customer base and increase your product sales – without spending a single dollar on ads!

  • Check out and shop from hundreds of small businesses from the Small Business Shopping Directory. It’s the go-to directory to discover, support, and shop small businesses all in one place.

Connect:

2021 Trend Alert: Social Selling

Social selling (selling products and services on social media) is on the rise, and we predict it will be even more popular next year. To get you on board, we’re revealing the top three ways to drive sales on Facebook and Instagram, with tried-and-tested strategies for connecting with your audience on posts, ‘lives’, and DM’s. The best part is you can start right now, wherever you’re at on your social media journey. Remember, it’s not about spending thousands of dollars on influencer marketing or using bots, it’s all about building personal trust with your community and harnessing sales through meaningful connections.

Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!


Resources:

  • The reel highlight

  • Join the Shop 1 in 5 Small Business Shopping Directory. Get listed now!

  • 101+ HOLIDAY CONTENT IDEAS Beyond the Discount is YOUR shortcut to creating a marketing strategy for the 2021 holiday season so that you can create content that successfully resonates with your customers during the busiest season of the year and gets you loyal customers that actually buy from you! The first-ever holiday content marketing plan designed to help you grow your customer base and increase your product sales – without spending a single dollar on ads!

  • Check out and shop from hundreds of small businesses from the Small Business Shopping Directory. It’s the go-to directory to discover, support, and shop small businesses all in one place.

  • If you're a six to seven-figure business and would like to be considered for The Product Boss Mastermind, apply now. We have limited spots available.


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