2017 Holiday Resource Guide by Business Among Moms

2017

HOLIDAY

RESOURCE GUIDE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY BUSINESS AMONG MOMS

www.businessamongmoms.com | 1

CONTENTS

How to get featured in the media over the holidays

Boost Your Holiday Sales With Emails That Get Opened

How Your Online Shop Can Beat The Holidays

How to Stand Out on Social Media this Holiday Season

Successful Selling At Vendor Events

20 2 | www.businessamongmoms.com

Why Should you Invest in a Business Coach?

WHAT IS BAM? Business Among Moms (BAM) helps communitystarved female entrepreneurs create genuine business connections, valuable business education and community through inclusive live events, online coaching and accountability; so they can grow their professional networks and their businesses. Our core values are a commitment to inclusion, support and education. Two things differentiate BAM from other networking groups: Support: By acknowledging all the roles women play: Wife, Mother, Partner, Carpool Driver, Playdate Planner, Caregiver - we recognize that we are STRETCHED THIN and sometimes we need support. Inclusiveness: You won’t feel inferior at a BAM event. We recognize when you are starting your business, networking can be intimidating. By focusing on support, relationships and how we can help, it’s a comfortable and fun setting.

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP • Complimentary or Discounted Meeting Attendance • Feature your business at a BAM event • Get interviewed on a Facebook Live on the Business Among Moms Facebook Page • Online support and collaboration in our Facebook groups • Business Listing on the Business Among Moms website • Complimentary access to our online webinars & online coaching calls • Exclusive vendor opportunities • Discounts on BAM sponsored workshops and conferences Whether you are near an existing BAM chapter with in person events, or wish to join as a virtual member, we’d love to welcome you to our community! Visit us at www. businessamongmoms.com

www.businessamongmoms.com | 3

HOW TO GET FEATURED IN THE MEDIA OVER THE HOLIDAYS By Cheryl Tan

If it’s your goal to get featured in a magazine or to be interviewed for a TV segment, the holidays are a great time to make that happen.

So tap into the way you serve your clients and turn that into a pitch for a story that will resonate during the busy holiday season.

Toward the end of the year, we’re all facing the same challenges - holiday weight gain, overspending and travel angst, to name just a few. Since show producers and magazine editors are trying to attract our attention, it makes sense that they’ll focus on stories that are timely to us.

Before you can get featured, though, you need to get noticed - by the producer, the editor, the reporter or the writer. How do you capture the attention of that busy person?

We’re traveling to relatives’ houses, we’re buying presents, we’re cookin’ up a storm. And we will stop scrolling through our Facebook feed, we will watch a segment on the news or pick up a magazine IF the segments are interesting to us.

4 | www.businessamongmoms.com

Read on. #1 SHOWCASE YOUR EXPERTISE

Don’t hit send on that magnificent media pitch before you examine your social media profiles and your website. The first thing the journalist looking at your pitch is

going to do is see if you are who you claim to be. They want to make sure your expertise matches the story idea that you are sharing. A quick Google search will give them all they need to know. If you claim to be a coupon-clipping whiz who saves her clients thousands of dollars at the grocery store, your website, your Facebook page and your Twitter page should back that up. Do some detective work on yourself. Type your name and business into Google. What comes up? Hopefully, it’s you. If your name doesn’t come up, at the very least, you can create a free LinkedIn profile that simply shares how you help people in your business. That will come up in a Google search.

#2 CREATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH JOURNALISTS

You are more likely to open up an email from someone you know. That is true for all of us. Since many journalists spend so much time on social media, you can begin a relationship there. Journalists love Twitter. It’s a great place to curate news, to see what stories are trending and to insert yourself into other people’s conversations.

Which leads to... #3 HIGHLIGHT A TREND

Reporters will not help you sell your product or your service. In fact, if you tell them your goal is to sell a product or a service, they will send you to the Sales Department. But they can showcase your expertise. And that can help you be seen as the go-to expert in your field. That is invaluable. As an expert in your field, what’s happening that people need to know? How can you give the media outlet’s audience a leg up on saving money, saving time or feeling better, especially with the holiday madness happening all around? Focus on sharing your expertise in a way that solves a very real problem for their audience. There you have it. 3 things you can do right now to get featured in the media during the very busy holiday season. Timing is everything. Now is the time to showcase your expertise, create relationships with journalists and highlight trends in your industries. I can’t wait to see your story featured.

Try that. Watch a local TV show, pick up a newspaper, listen to a podcast. Then follow those people on social media. Once you do, you’ll get a feel for the stories they like to tell, you’ll have the chance to answer their questions. And they may put out a call for story ideas. Be ready with yours. At the very least, you can interact with them on social media and ask if they would be interested in receiving a story pitch from you.

BIO Cheryl Tan is a former TV news journalist who is passionate about helping people connect with their audience. She shows business owners how to create a clear message, communicate it effectively through video, and connect with a mass number of people. How? Through video marketing and media outreach. Learn more about Cheryl’s strategy sessions here: https://cheryltanmedia.com/work-with-me/

www.businessamongmoms.com | 5

6 | www.businessamongmoms.com

BOOST YOUR HOLIDAY SALES WITH EMAILS THAT GET OPENED

Send them an email asking if they’re interested in receiving emails from you in the future. This will help you make sure that you’re not getting rid of people who really do want your content, but maybe just haven’t had the chance to open your emails recently. Here’s a great example of a reengagement email that the AWeber team sends:

By Rebecca Pollard Digital Marketing Manager for AWeber.com It’s the most wonderful profitable time of the year! If you’ve already kicked into full gear for holiday planning, you’re off to a great start. Careful planning in advance of the busy season is the best way to maximize results and keep yourself from going crazy! Many brands have started to launch their holiday emails earlier in the year to account for consumer demand - 8 percent start in August, 15 percent in September and 33 percent in October. So now is the time to plan out your themes and promotions, organize your calendar, line up your writers and designers (or calendarize when you’re going to do all the work yourself), and find those fun holiday GIFs to include in your emails. But what good are those emails you’re spending countless hours on if they’re not getting opened? We’ve put together some tips that will help you increase engagement and revenue for your business this holiday season.

CHECK YOUR LIST… AND CHECK IT TWICE As a Mom, I like to purge before the holidays roll around. I know there’s a lot more stuff that will be making its way into my home, which means it’s time to get rid of the things we don’t need. Apply this thinking to your email list as well!

Before you start sending your holiday campaigns, take the opportunity to separate out subscribers who haven’t engaged with or opened your emails in a while.

RE-ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE

But wait … before you just delete those unengaged subscribers, add them to a re-engagement campaign.

Then, once you’ve done all that you can do, remove the subscribers who did not opt to stay on your email list. This will increase your open rates and decrease spam complaints - which will helps your overall engagement and deliverability.

CLICK-WORTHY SUBJECT LINES

Okay, so now you know you’re sending to the right list. But how can you get more people to open? Subject lines are key for increasing opens. Here are 5 tips on how you can optimize your subject lines:

• Look at your own inbox! Go back to emails you received last year and figure out what made you

www.businessamongmoms.com | 7

and subject lines that you know are a good fit for that segment. If not, small tweaks like using the word “you” or adding your subscribers’ names into the subject line can help you create a more friendly and welcoming message.

NO SPAMMING!

The last thing you want to do this holiday season is start spamming people with emails and hurting your deliverability. What is spam? If anyone who receives your mass emails did not specifically ask to hear from you, then you are spamming them. That means no buying lists! And making sure you are confirming optins when people sign up for your list.

POST HOLIDAY PLAN

act. Was it a word? A phrase? An offer? Think about the psychology behind the click, and figure out how to apply that to your business. Sometimes the best inspiration comes from experiences in your own life.

If you’re planning your editorial calendar for the holiday, it’s important to continue your planning through the new year to take advantage of the awesome engagement you’re already getting. Plan post-holiday themes and sales to keep people coming back! Plus, a regular email cadence will help you continue to build your engagement rates (which is great for deliverability) and will help keep your business top-of-mind for potential buyers. Here’s a great example of a postholiday email promotion celebrating the new year:

• Emojis are a thing… get on the bandwagon. Okay,

okay. So you might not be a fan (or maybe you’re just exhausted from hearing your kids talk about them), but the emoji trend is here to stay. Use emojis to add a little personality to your subject lines while aligning them to your theme. Plus, emojis are a great way to make your subject lines stand out from crowded inboxes.

• Create a sense of urgency. Key phrases like “Don’t

Miss Out”, “Sale Ends Soon”, or “Limited Time Only” create a need for the customer to act quickly or even instill FOMO (fear of missing out). Use this as a way to pique interest and create engagement with your email.

• Use themes and incentives. Whatever your holiday

promotion is,market it in your subject line. Discounts, unique products, top selling performers… these incentives will make your audience excited to open your email. You can even try a mystery offer to get people intrigued about what you’ve got up your sleeve. Either way, position your offers and products in a way that creates a need to know more.

• Get personal. If you segment your list, use offers 8 | www.businessamongmoms.com

Ready to start building emails? Keep the momentum going by exploring tips and tricks on making your emails stand out this holiday season. Here’s to a successful holiday season for your business. Cheers!

YEAR-ROUND ERIN CHAMBERLAIN | 425-829-3165 | ERIN@CHAMBERLAINMAIL.COM

Pet Lovers

Customized Gourmet Crates for your Clients

Celebrations

Welcome Home New Baby

Hostess Gifts

Coffee & Non-Alcohol

Stocking Stuffers & Favors

VIAONEHOPE.COM/ERIN

Lily Tran, EA LLC Bookkeeping & Tax Services BOOKKEEPING

Bookkeeping services to guide you in keeping

Accurate records

TAXES

Knowledgeable and up-to-date with the latest

Tax laws

REPRESENTATION

Right to represent taxpayers before the

253.234.7180

IRS

lilytrantax.com www.businessamongmoms.com | 9

HOW YOUR ONLINE SHOP CAN BEAT THE HOLIDAYS

of your messages are consistent with your brand and voice to reinforce your company’s personality and keep it top-of-mind with your audience.

SHOW CUSTOMER APPRECIATION The holiday season can be one of the best times of the year for ecommerce businesses – it can also be the most stressful. To make the most of online shopping’s biggest opportunity, try out some of these tried and true best practices.

BRAND YOUR PACKAGING

The sales funnel doesn’t have to stop after you make a sale. One of the best ways to get customers to buy again or engage with you online is through branded packaging. With a pack-in card or branded label, you can promote your social media channels, leave a thank you message, tell customers how to get in touch with you, how to reorder, and much more. Make sure all

10 | www.businessamongmoms.com

Show your buyers exactly how thankful you are for their order by leaving them a short message or note within the package. This can go on the outside of the box as a simple, “Thanks for your order!,” on an inside flap so they see it right when the box is opened, or even as an insert. If it’s inside the package, consider personalizing it. Address your customer by name and hand sign it to show who packed their order. This helps to make it a one-on-one experience. One of the best ways to show customer appreciation and increase your reorders is through coupons or discounts. Place coupon codes in your packages to convince customers to return to you when they want to purchase more. Show them that their order means a lot to you and you hope to do business with them in the future!

BUILD YOUR SOCIAL FOLLOWING

If you want to boost your online presence and brand following, include a message in your packaging or on your product encouraging customers to follow you on social media. Tell them why they would want to follow your business and offer an incentive. Offering incentives, helpful articles, and other free resources will make you popular among your customers. Turn onetime buyers into dedicated customers!

ASK CUSTOMERS TO LEAVE A REVIEW

Remind customers to leave feedback on their experience. Online retailers know how valuable feedback is to growing their business. A great online rating on sites like eBay, Amazon, or Etsy will boost your credibility and increase the amount of orders on your site. Only a small segment of buyers ever leave feedback for their seller. Remind them to leave a review of their experience to help boost your ratings. Provide your store name and a direct URL to make it easier for them to follow. You may even consider a follow up with a courtesy email reminding them to review your store. This will get customers back to your site as well and remind them of the great experience they had buying from you.

SPEED UP ORDER PROCESSING

One of the easiest ways you can speed up the order process for your customers involves providing clear purchasing instructions. The more they know up front, the easier the process, and the more likely they will be to order again in the future. For example, if your Etsy

shop requires customers to pick a color or size before ordering, let them know early on in your description. For shop owners, another way to increase turnaround/ fulfillment time is printing your own shipping labels. You can even save yourself trips to the post office by scheduling USPS pickups at your home. Just remember to use a label instead of tape and paper for extra protection and professionalism.

TELL CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY CAN ORDER MORE

When a customer receives your package, they may need to ask a question, report a problem, or hopefully

To make the most of online shoppingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest opportunity, try out some of these tried and true best practices. purchase more of your products. Include your phone number, email, and website on your packing slip or elsewhere on the package. This is a great, underutilized method that reduces customer friction and can increase the amount of returning buyers. This is extremely useful for consumable items. If you sell candles, bath and body products, or anything that runs out, guide them back to you and not your competition.

OnlineLabels.com is an online supplier of blank and printed labels that caters to small businesses with custom quantity orders and personalized customer service.

www.businessamongmoms.com | 11

12 | www.businessamongmoms.com

www.businessamongmoms.com | 13

14 | www.businessamongmoms.com

With life becoming increasingly busier, people are resorting to shopping online more and more for their holiday gifts, which is fantastic for small business owners! The question is, how do you grab the attention of your audience so they don’t go spend their time and money on Amazon? Here are a few easy tips that will help you stand out and have them all saying, “I must buy from you!” 1. BE CONSISTENT

To be visible on social media, you have to be consistent! Start your season off right by scheduling out your content so you have your strategy all set and the time to engage on your posts when others comment. If you don’t post, they won’t see you and if you don’t reply to comments, they won’t feel acknowledged which means they won’t look to you for their holiday shopping needs. And, since you won’t have to worry about manually posting every day, it will free up a lot of time for you to engage on other people’s posts so you can build those relationships which can turn into sales!

2. CREATE YOUR OWN CONTENT

One of the best ways to stand out on social media is by having your own personal branding and graphics so

you don’t blend in with all the other consultants. Our favorite DIY design software is Canva, which is really simple to use! We have a playlist on our CinchShare YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/ playlist?list=PL_Da4K5oulcWm04evFep5VHP4-49NH12U that will teach you how to design with Canva and then you can have seasonal themes for your parties and in your group that gets everyone in the holiday spirit and they’ll be sure to shop!

3. MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU SELL!

It seems pretty silly to read that, but do your friends and family all know about your business and the products you offer? The answer may surprise you!

www.businessamongmoms.com | 15

Facebook doesn’t want you to sell on your timeline, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put your business info in your About section that links to your biz page - because yes, of course you can! Go ahead and update that right now if you need to. You should also post product selfies (get the kids and pets involved too!) that share how you use your products and why you love them, then add a Call to Action that has a link to join your group or business page to learn more about it.

4. ASK THEM QUESTIONS

Post engagement questions that strike up conversation! Ask them what their family’s holiday tradition is, where they spend their holiday vacation, what’s their favorite holiday song, etc. The more you grow your relationships authentically, the more people will get to know and trust you and they’ll buy from you when it’s time to check off their list.

5. EXPAND YOUR REACH

If you’ve started your business marketing on Facebook and have gotten comfortable and consistent with your posting and strategy, you’re probably ready to branch out to another platform(s) where you can reach an entirely new audience! Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter are all fantastic networks to create business accounts and it’s easy to take what you’ve posted on Facebook, tweak it slightly, and post it on another platform. You’ll find that the sky is the limit when it comes to attracting the future customers!

Apply these five tips to your holiday social selling strategy and you will get results! Be sure to let us know how it’s going over in our SocialCinch Club on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/SocialCinchClub/ - we’d love to chat with you there!

16 | www.businessamongmoms.com

May you

BE FILLED WITH JOY!

Nice & Naughty Gifts JOYBOXX.COM

$10 Coupon Code: MOMBOXX

www.businessamongmoms.com | 17

SUCCESSFUL SELLING AT VENDOR EVENTS How successful are you selling at vendor events? Do you show up to your event with a selling strategy in place? Investing time and money into these events can be expensive. Not having a selling strategy outlined before the event is the equivalent of buying a whole bunch of scratch lotto tickets and hoping at least one of them is a winner. The odds are not in your favor. Yet with a little bit of thought, you can easily make your events profitable as well as fun. Here are 3 things you’ll want to plan for and then execute to ensure you’re successful to make the most of each opportunity.

TIP 1: PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE

Be sure you’re letting the people who know, like and trust you where you’re going to be. Share your events in your newsletter and post them on social media. In addition, reach out and give a few personal invites focused on reconnecting with key people. This means, instead of telling them to stop by your booth to buy something, arrange a time to give a quick hug, handshake, or make a face to face connection. In sales, when you make the relationship the priority, the sales follow with ease. This approach takes the pressure out of the selling process for both you and the person you’re meeting. When a person feels at ease, it’s easier for them to shop and make buying decisions.

TIP 2: ENGAGE ATTENDEES WITH AUTHENTICITY There’s really nothing worse for an attendee than walking through a vendor event and feeling like bait with the sharks circling. Be unique and be authentic, there’s no need to pounce of the people walking by. One way to engage people in real conversation is to offer a compliment. Notice something specific about the person and comment on it. The compliment could be about their haircut, a necklace 18 | www.businessamongmoms.com

they’re wearing or even the expression on their face. When the compliment is authentic and specific to the person, they’re likely to slow down and engage with you. They’ll also be more apt to take a look at your wares.

TIP 3: ISSUE AN INVITATION

When someone demonstrates interest in what you’re offering, it’s your job to invite them to the next step. For instance, when someone makes a positive comment about something in your booth, ask them if they’d like to take a closer look, hand it to them (if appropriate). Before taking the item back, ask them if they’d like to take it with them today. In sales, you’ve got to issue invitations. Most people will not make a conscious decision to buy from you until you ask them. The lack of invitation is the number one reason most people are struggling to make sales. Many people assume, “If someone want to buy, they’ll tell me.” This way of thinking is costing you business. There’s absolutely no harm in issuing an invitation. The worst they can say is no. And yet, when you don’t ask, you risk never getting the yes. Clients tell me all the time they take down people’s information at events with the intention they’ll follow up after the event. It’s easy to ask someone for their email address and their phone number with the intent to follow up. The hard part is actually following up after the event. Statistically the majority of all leads from vendors events are never followed up on. When someone expresses interest in your product/service, issue the invitation to the next step right then. Even when you follow up on your leads after events, the chances of that person remembering you or giving you the time of day is minimal. Start inviting people to either schedule a follow-up appointment (meaning you and the prospect have a time and date set on your calendars) and/or invite them to make a purchasing decision now. Take their order at the event. Being ready with these three strategies will increase your vendor event success rate: 1. Promote 2. Engage 3. Invite Wishing you continued success in your business.

Nikki Rausch

Sales Maven founder and best selling author, Nikki Rausch, is an award-winning sales executive with 22+ years of sales experience selling to organizations. Entrepreneurs hire Nikki to learn how to sell in an authentic way without being pushy so they build relationships and close more deals. Connect with her at www.yoursalesmaven.com

Get ready for the HOLIDAYS! Your hair can be fabulous again in time for the holidays if you start rejuvenating it now, with MONAT! Discover visibly longer, fuller, stronger, younger-looking hair with MONAT treatment systems.

Botanically based hair care for the whole family

Cindy Johnson

Independent Market Partner 206.818.0683 cindyjohnson131@gmail.com www.cjohnson.mymonat.com

Ask me how you can start your own MONAT business!

Carolyne Simi Your Project Planner Too busy to get to those important projects? Business systems out of date or missing? Schedule a Free Consultantion at

www.YourProjectplanner.com www.businessamongmoms.com | 19

WHY SHOULD YOU INVEST IN A BUSINESS COACH? You don’t. That’s right, I’m a business coach saying you don’t need to invest in a coach. Here’s the deal: It is only when an entrepreneur is hungry for growth and transforming where they are now that a business coach even makes sense. What matters most is your mindset.

to urgent circumstances to cause a particular result in a short time frame.

Any Olympic athlete knows a coach is required for high level performance and winning the gold. You would never see an Olympiad reading an article on whether to have a coach. Being up to a big game to win the gold, she already knows a coach is required for her performance. It’s her mindset of winning the gold that determines her actions of what coach is best for her.

If you can answer yes to at least one of those questions, I’d recommend interviewing business coaches. When hiring a business coach, here is a mental checklist you might use: Do you share a similar philosophy? Do you enjoy each other’s presence? Does the coach have credible success stories of their clients? And the most important question of all: Am I up to a bigger game? In other words, what’s your mindset?

On the other hand, a recreational soccer league player would question having a coach. In fact, you likely don’t need one! A coach isn’t necessary. You only need a coach to the degree you are playing a bigger game. No big game, no coach needed. Now, if you’re reading this, I know you’re a performer who IS up to a bigger game. You have a growth-oriented mindset and is interested in expanding on your current successes to manifest a bigger vision. Or perhaps you are someone who’s accomplished a lot and are now looking at how to uplevel your performance, switch careers, or scale your company. Whatever stage you’re business is at, here’s the litmus test whether you know you’re ready for a coach. Entrepreneurs invest in coaching for primarily 3 reasons: You cannot grow your business on your own. And you have the courage to admit it. You want to grow your business faster. This is often due

20 | www.businessamongmoms.com

You want to be as efficient as possible and follow a proven methodology versus reinvent the wheel.

The answer to that question won’t be inside your head. Stop consulting with yourself--it can be a bad neighborhood of overused past based neuronal patterns designed to help you survive. Instead, interview some loved ones and discover how you’re showing up. Then choose. As many entrepreneurs discover, business is not for the faint of heart. If you want to catalyze your dream lifestyle and the difference you want to make in the world, a coach simply helps you do what you could not on your own, helps you utilize proven methodologies and systems, and ultimately, helps you achieve your dreams faster.

ANNA S. CHOI Business Coach & Marketing Consultant Co-Chair, Social Enterprise Alliance WA State 206.330.6426 | anna@annasunchoi.caom Schedule Meeting

Give your child the gift of a lifetime — TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE BIRDS & BEES! • Start the talks by age five (seriously, it’s not too young) • Don’t wait for them to ask how babies are made, just tell them • Get an age appropriate book

‰

BirdsAndBeesAndKids.com EVERYTHING MOMS NEED TO ROCK THE SEX TALKS!

K I S S P R O O F. S M U D G E P R O O F.

WAT E R P R O O F. R E VO LU T I O N A RY L I P CO LO R T H AT L A S T S U P T O 1 8 H O U R S ! S TA R T I N G AT $ 2 0 F O R A G L O S S , L I P S E N S E M A K E S A G R E AT STO C K I N G ST U F F E R ! LOOKING TO MAKE SOME EXTRA HOLIDAY SPENDING MONEY? ASK ME ABOUT BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR! SENEGENCE.COM/BRENDASCHUETZ BRENDA.SCHUETZ@iCLOUD.COM DISTRIBUTOR #231429

Willowrose Publishing presents three award-winning romantic-suspense novels from author

J. R. ARMSTRONG. Available at

Amazon, Kindle & Smashwords.

For more information go to: www.jrarmstrong.net www.businessamongmoms.com | 21

22 | www.businessamongmoms.com

BECOME FINANCIALLY ORGANIZED IN 2018 Value Logic Solutions provides affordable professional bookkeeping services that will get your 2018 finances in order. Profit and Loss Statements l Bank Reconciliations l Tax Season Prep l Financial Forecasts l plus much more!

Adriana Maxwell Director of Bookkeeping Services 206-271-5375 adriana.maxwell@valuelogicsolutions.com

Free! Ask out our 30 Minute Consultation special offer for BAM Members. www.businessamongmoms.com | 23

Get the support, education and connections you need as a mom and successful business owner