EVERY BRAND MUST GROW AN AUDIENCE

EVERY BRAND MUST GROW AN AUDIENCE

SO you’re launching an awesome brand and you want everybody to know about it.

What do you do about that?

Take time to grow a dope community around what you are doing!

You need to connect with people who are interested in what you have to offer. You can find and grow your audience by applying what you know.

How do you do this?

Start with what you already know and take a look at your current audience. Age? Location? What content do they respond to? And use this data

And

Team up with other Auhmazing people that are complementary to what you are doing! Collaborate! Collaborate! Collaborate!

There are so many ways to do this! Make sure you hit the link in the bio to book a clarity call with me, to get you on the right track! ??

Use what you know, build on what you learn, and always be on the lookout for ways to expand!

Brand Love Languages

Brand Love Languages

Love languages do not just apply to romantic partnerships of emotional love. Knowing how a person wants to be acknowledged or shown affection in a friendship, mentorship, or even business relationship eases tension and builds a stronger foundation.

Which one of these do you need help with building stronger relationships in business? Comment down “Love” to get a free gift from me!

Investing in Yourself: 3 Gifts to Give Yourself for Christmas This Year

Investing in Yourself: 3 Gifts to Give Yourself for Christmas This Year

The holidays are around the corner and we’re all undoubtedly focused on what to get our family, friends and colleagues this Christmas. 

This holiday season, I want to encourage you to also take some of that time, energy and hard earned money to invest in yourself as well. While learning new skills and investing in yourself is crucial. Indeed, this might be the only way for entrepreneurs to stay competitive and grow. 

Here are my suggestions for ways you can do exactly that! 

An Online Course

An online course can help you improve your skills or just upgrading them to include more recent innovations. Indeed, time might have passed since you graduated, and the skills that were wanted at the time might now be a little different. At the same time, committing to a many-years-long college course can require a time and financial investment that not everybody is ready to do. Online courses and certifications are an excellent compromise between the two options.  

Check out some digital courses to get started  at https://dr-ali-griffith.mykajabi.com/store

Invest in Accreditation for Your Career

There are some industry-specific accreditations that can help you get your skills internationally recognized and appreciated.  While these might require you to undertake some studying and tests, they can help you jump-start your career and achieve the goals you had in mind within shorter timeframes.

Some great accrediations to get started with may be a digital marketing certificate from Google or a Project Management Certificate from Linkedin. 

Learn a New Skill

Learning does not always have to be related to making more money! Refining your skills or acquiring new knowledge can be done just for the pleasure of learning – which is something that we all tend to forget as we grow older. 

However, learning new skills and testing yourself can be an excellent way to keep sharp  and current. Whether you have always desired to learn how to play an instrument or you are curious about growing plants, this could be a golden opportunity to follow your passions and interests. For this, you can use online courses or, if you prefer to limit your budget even more, through YouTube videos and manuals.

Start Volunteering

Volunteering might not make you financially richer, but it can help you understand more about yourself and issues in the world that need addressing. Additionally, this is an excellent way to exercise your emotional intelligence and empathy – two skills essentials for any entrepreneur who wishes to lead their teams to success! One of the side benefits of volunteering is that you can dedicate time to the causes that matter the most to you and make a change over time. 

 

How to invest in yourself

How to invest in yourself

It’s easy to lose yourself financially during the holidays. All the sales, and promotions everywhere you look.

 

I’m here to tell you the best investment this holiday season is…ding ding ding… yourself
Why?
The more you invest in yourself, and your success, and your business, the more you can rise in the ranks of your career and have more freedom to
  • Buy a home
  • Retire early
  • Pay for your kids college
And we want all those things – and more – for you too.
So how do you do this?
First, make a plan. Write down what you want to accomplish. Is it a promotion? Is it to start a business? Is it to be able to save more money? Without knowing what you want to achieve, you won’t know how to achieve it.

 

Next, write down all the things you need to do to get there. Don’t think about it, just start writing. What will it take to accomplish these goals?
After you’re done listing everything, go through and prioritize the list. 1 being the most important to tackle first. This will help you know which items to prioritize first.

 

Next, set a budget for yourself. What can you put aside to save for this goal? How much can you save to invest in yourself? (i.e. resources, tools, online classes, coaching etc). Create a budget using a  budget planner online or an excel doc. Write down all your expenses. Figure out how much you save for yourself to re-invest in your future.
After this, the next step is to go find resources to help. Find a facebook group, a business coach, meet up groups and conferences online. Learn how other people are doing this and start taking notes. Start learning again. Ask questions.

When you sign up at https://draligriffith.as.me to chat briefly, for my Individual Strategic Coaching Plan, then this is exactly what you will be getting.

The mirror technique

The mirror technique

I admit, today’s lesson below may seem a little weird.

But before you say “no way!” at your screen, hover over the delete button or throw your laptop out the window (please don’t!) there’s something you should know.

What I’m about to show you has been backed heavily by scientists.

Both the European Journal of Social Psychology and the University of Michigan recently did studies about this technique and concluded a large positive effect from it.

So are you READY?

The Mirror Technique

After a while, this worked WONDERS for me.

To start with, I want you to think about some of the worst feelings you experience right now.

It could be something like feeling watched or embarrassed when you’re in public, maybe feelings of anger or resentment because you never get any “me” time, or perhaps you sometimes blame yourself for your life not turning out the way your desire.

Whatever it is, I want you to turn it into a POSITIVE phrase describing how you wish you felt instead.

E.g. “You will take care of yourself FIRST”

(Side note: the studies found starting with “you” is proven to be more effective than saying “I”)

Now the awkward part.

Look at yourself in the mirror every morning and say it, repeating it 10 times, each time with more conviction.

Even if you don’t fully believe it quite yet, keep doing it.

You might feel silly at first, but trust me, persist with it, every, single, morning.

Personally, this technique helped take away all kinds of bad feelings and helped me wake up raring to go every day!

Here’s something everyone forgets: As au-mazing caregivers we get so caught up in others and their care that we forget that we can NOT provide the best care to them, until we start to care for ourselves consistently first.

Dr. Ali

P.S. Oh and did you sign up to join in for the next Masterclass yet..  MASTERCLASS, Jus’ Launch: 5 Money Making Strategies to Price Your Unique Offer: Holiday Edition Tuesday November 30th, 8pm EST/5pm PST

5 Examples of Thanksgiving Business Messages to Send to Clients

5 Examples of Thanksgiving Business Messages to Send to Clients

Thanksgiving Messages for Businesses

If you’re not sure where to start when crafting this message, here are some examples of different Thanksgiving messages for businesses to consider.

Share a Simple Thanks

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude. So in any message, it’s important to say thank you in some way, whether you’re speaking to customers or those involved with the behind-the-scenes of your business. Share your appreciation in a quick social media post, an email or even a photo or video post.

Examples

1. Thank you so much for your patronage this year. We’ve truly enjoyed serving you!
2. We’re thankful for all of our customers/clients! Thank you for being a part of our journey this year.
3. We have so much to be thankful for this year, most of all YOU!
4. This is the time of year for sharing what you’re thankful for. And our customers are at the top of our list.
5. On this Thanksgiving, we want to share our genuine appreciation for you. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you!

Offer a Longer, Heartfelt Message

Longer messages are perfect for businesses that have small teams or work closely with clients. It gives you the opportunity to share a few different sentiments and really drive your point home. It also allows you to personalize the messaging a bit. You can use these examples as a starting point and then add some more personal details to make your message stand out for clients or team members. Share these messages in a blog post, email newsletter or even a handwritten letter. You could also create a video of you speaking the message directly to customers.

Examples

6. Dear valued customer: This Thanksgiving, we want to share our genuine appreciation with you. Without you, we would not be where we are today, and we’re so thankful for all of your support throughout the year. We hope you have a joyous holiday and we look forward to serving you again.
7. Dear [name]: I’m so thankful for the opportunity to serve you this past year. I’ve genuinely enjoyed working with you and getting to know you. Thank you for being a wonderful and supportive client and for all you do to support my business. I value our relationship and look forward to the opportunity to continue serving you.
8. We’re thankful for wonderful customers like you this Thanksgiving. Our team has really enjoyed serving you this year, and we wanted to share our heartfelt appreciation.
9. To our valuable team members: We’re so thankful for all you’ve done for our business this year. All of your hard work and dedication has helped us reach so many of our company-wide goals for 2018. On this holiday, we want to make sure you know how much you’re appreciated as a member of our team and how much we value you. Have a wonderful holiday with your family and loved ones and we can’t wait to see what our team can accomplish together in 2019.
10. This Thanksgiving, we want to share a sincere “thank you” to every member of our team. Thanks for making this a model workplace and for all you do to keep our company moving forward. We’ve had a great year, and you’re such a big part of it.



Wish Everyone a Happy Holiday

Sometimes a simple “Happy Thanksgiving” goes a long way. With this type of greeting, you might consider adding it to a festive image or at the end of a video. You can share this type of post on social media or even turn it into an actual card. It could also make for a perfect visual for blog posts or email newsletters that feature longer messages as well. You could also share text-only messages on Twitter or other short-form platforms.

Examples

11. Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all there is to be thankful for.
12. Here’s to another year of giving thanks for all of the wonderful blessings our team has experienced.
13. Wishing you a happy and festive Thanksgiving with all your family and friends!
14. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous and gratitude-filled holiday!
15. We hope your day is filled with love, laughter, and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Start: Using Social Media Monitoring Tools to Track Your Brand

Start: Using Social Media Monitoring Tools to Track Your Brand

Do you monitor online conversations?

Are you looking for new tools to track your mentions?

Whether you want to observe quietly, learn about your customers and what they’re looking for, respond to critics or simply engage in conversation, you need to know what people are saying.

In today’s blog, I’m going to help you with 5 key tools that will help you track your BRAND. 

Mention

Mention is one of the newer tools that replaced Google Alerts. (Google Alerts would send emails notifying you whenever a keyword or phrase you specified was cited online.)

Mention is a way to visualize your online presence, separating the signals you want from the rest of the noise online. The platform allows you to monitor millions of sources in real time and in 42 languages, so you can react and interact.

mention app

Do an online search or elect to receive a daily email of the aggregate of mentions from the previous day. Plus, if you work with a group or large company, export stats to PDF or CSV, so you can share data with your team.

Mention offers a 14-day free trial, and then a variety of plans from which to choose. The free basic plan is one alert, one user, 250 mentions/month.

Talkwalker

Use Talkwalker Alerts to set up a search query for your keyword or phrase. Narrow the returned data by result type, language, frequency and quantity.

talkwalker app

 

Set up keyword or phrase searches through Talkwalker Alerts.

Talkwalker gives you brand mentions over time, as well as the sources where these mentions occur. Learn about the performance of the brand mention, the engagement levels, influencers talking about your brand (this includes websites, as well as social media), sentiment analysis, general themes featured in a tag cloud and demographic data (location, language and gender breakdowns).

There’s even a world map tracking where conversations originate. Pie charts hover over every location to indicate the sentiment in each country.

talkwalker pro app

 

Talkwalker Alerts narrow keyword performance by many factors, including geographic location.

While Talkwalker Alerts is another free service to use as a replacement for Google Alerts, I don’t find it as comprehensive or thorough as Mention. For example, on one of my searches, Talkwalker found about 50% of the references that Mention located. However, I use them in tandem to ensure I have decent coverage.

Topsy

Topsy is a search engine that lets you monitor brand mentions across the web, with a focus on social insights from top conversations online. Topsy’s database is in real time, and it measures sentiment and provides analytics.

Sort by links, tweets, photos, videos or influencers, or include everything. Plus, drill down to how recently results were discovered. This is especially helpful if you have a large volume of content to wade through.

topsy app

 

Topsy’s social search can be sorted by timeframe, and includes a sentiment score in addition to analytics.

Topsy appears to have more comprehensive data than both the Mention and Talkwalker free service. Just remember, its focus is on influencers and top (not all) conversations.

 Hootsuite

Perhaps the easiest and most common brand-conversation monitor is Hootsuite. It helps you keep on top of chatter in real time on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

To use Hootsuite most effectively, craft a stream with the keyword that represents your search.

First, add a stream, and then select the keyword. Now, select the account under which you’re monitoring the brand. Next, type in the keyword or phrase. Add it, and then add the stream.

hootsuite app

 

Use Hootsuite to monitor social conversations by adding a keyword or phrase in a stream.

You can also do searches for your brand on Hootsuite for Twitter and Facebook. There are free, pro and enterprise accounts available.

PinAlerts

PinAlerts is more of a Pinterest alert system than a traditional brand monitoring platform. It monitors links to pins from your website, and notifies you via email when someone pins from your site.

Using this tool, you can jump right into conversation with people on Pinterest who shared your pins and develop relationships with them.

pinalerts app

 

PinAlerts helps you monitor who pins from your site.

PinAlerts gives you another angle from which to monitor the mentions of your brand’s URL.

Start: 3 Instagram Tags for More Exposure

Start: 3 Instagram Tags for More Exposure

Want more people to see your Instagram posts? Are you using Instagram tags effectively?

 

 

 

Add a Tag to an Instagram Feed Post

 

Now let’s walk through the steps to tag another account on your Instagram content. It’s important that you only tag people or brands that are actually in your post. Don’t tag a bunch of people in a post in which they don’t appear simply to get their attention. This is discouraged and may get you flagged for spam and hurt your chances of success on Instagram.

 

Add a Tag to a New Instagram Feed Post

 

To add a tag to a new feed post you’re uploading to Instagram, start a new post like normal with a photo or video. When you get to the caption screen, you’ll see an option to tag people.

 

 

 

If you’re uploading an image, tap anywhere on the photo and you’ll see a pop-up box where you can type in the name of the person you want to tag. Select that account from the list and the tag will appear on your image.

 

You can drag the tag to move it around on the screen so it’s right over their head or off to the side if you don’t want to cover up your image.

 

If you’re uploading a video, tap on the Tag People option and you’ll be able to add the tags of people below the video.

 

To add multiple people, simply tap anywhere on the image again and you can add another person. You can tag up to 20 people per post.

 

When you’re done tagging people, tap on the checkmark in the upper-right corner to return to your regular upload screen. Continue loading the post like normal and you’re all set.

 

Add a Tag to an Existing Instagram Post

 

If you want to go back and edit an existing post on your Instagram profile, you can do that too. Navigate to that piece of content in your gallery, tap on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner, and select the Edit option.

 

 

On the image itself, you’ll see the Tag People option in the lower-left corner. Simply tap on that, follow the same steps to type in the name, and select the person you want to tag in the image. When you’re done, simply save your changes.

 

 

#2: Remove Your Tag From an Instagram Post

 

Now that you know how to tag somebody in an Instagram post, chances are your account may get tagged in posts as well. But what if you don’t want to be tagged in that content? No worries! There’s a quick and easy way to remove the tag.

 

Go to the post you’ve been tagged in, and at the very top, tap the three-dot icon. In the pop-up, choose Tag Options.

 

 

The last step is to tap on Remove Me From Post. Your tag is now removed and you won’t appear in that content anymore.

 

 

 

#3: Add a Location Tag to an Instagram Post

 

Another type of Instagram tag you can use to get more exposure is location tags.

 

When you tap on Tag Location on the caption screen, the location options will default to what’s near you. If you don’t see the location you want to tag, simply start typing the location you want and a list of matching options appears.

 

Select the location you want to use and you’ll see it on the caption screen. Now complete and publish your post as normal.

 

Once you upload your Instagram content, you’ll see that location appear right below your username. That’s actually clickable. Someone can tap on that and navigate to search results for that location.

 

 

 

 

That brings me to the primary reason you want to use location tags: searchability. People on Instagram are looking at locations for things to do and what’s going on in the area, or to find out more about that business. If you’re tagging that location in your content, there’s a good chance you may show up in those search results and other people will see your content related to that location.

 

Pro Tip: If you’re a local business that’s tagging your location in your content, encourage your customers to tag your business location too. This will give anyone looking at that location a wider perspective of what it’s like at your business.

 

5 Tips to Getting Started with your Brand

5 Tips to Getting Started with your Brand

Branding is crucial for your business, I can’t say this enough. It defines who you are to your customers and helps them identify you. 

Get a notebook and paper and let’s do quick exercise. 

1: What is your brand’s purpose?

First, we need to identify your brand identity. What is your brand’s purpose? Write it down. What do you want your brand to achieve? What is your brand personality?

2: Who is your brand consumer?

Once you’ve identified this, let’s start asking yourself WHO your ideal customers are. Who are you targeting with your brand? Who are you trying to reach. Write. It. Down. 

The important thing to remember here is not to go too broad or too narrow. Just think about your ideal client your selling your brand or service to. What do they look like? What age are they? What demographic? Where are they from?

Not only does this help guide you when you begin to design your brand, but eventually this will also come in handy when you need to start advertising towards key demographics. 

3: What brand elements will you use?

In other words, what messaging, colors, fonts will be used? 

Quick tip: If you don’t have a “designers touch” and need to brainstorm pallette, google or pinterest some already created branding kits to get inspiration. Then, when you hire a designer in the future, you can show them examples of what you’re looking for. 

The key to branding is consistency. You don’t want to use different logos, fonts and colors all the time. You want your consumer to see a post, ad or logo and easily be able to identify you. 

4: What tools will you use to communicate your brand?

A brand is not a brand unless you use it, right? Where are people going to see your brand unless you post on social media or your website. The next step here is to identify where you’re going to reach out using your brand. Do you have a website you can update with the new brand? Can you create a social media kit utilizing it?

 

5: GET HELP!

I can’t stress this enough. You don’t have to do this alone. 

I know how tough it is to feel like you have to figure out everything on your own in order to launch a successful business. But the truth is, you don’t have to do it alone. 

Welcome to my 12-Week Launch Your Own Business Academy.

This intensive online course will take your brand vision from scattered chaos to structured clarity. Through a unique and comprehensive mix of self-paced and live elements, you’ll learn:

The ins and outs of branding and running a business, from networking to content creation to closing—all presented in a way that makes sense.

Strategies for time management and repeatable processes that will let you run your business anytime and anywhere.

How to gain confidence and courage in your unique self and purpose through building and selling your brand.

All while growing and celebrating with a vibrant community of brilliant bosses like yourself.

Rediscover your passion and ignite your inner fire. Let’s chat to Sign up for the Launch Your Own Business Academy

5 tips for an inclusive Halloween holiday

5 tips for an inclusive Halloween holiday

It’s almost time for Halloween! Zachary and I are so excited. If you’re an autism parent like me you know that Halloween might be a little different for us than it is for neurotypical families. Our kids may not have the socialization skills to do traditional trick-or-treating, they might have sensory aversions or anxieties that pop up during the holiday. 

 

Now this is one of my favorite holidays, and I want to make sure you can enjoy it with your child just as much as I do with mine. So today I’m sharing how we can all be more inclusive to help create a more comfortable, inclusive Halloween environment!

 

 Tip #1: Cut back on the noises 

From creepy sounds to smoke machines, there’s a lot of noises coming from all over to contribute to the holiday’s magic. This is welcomed by many, but for those who are sensory sensitive this can cause a lot of disruption and irritation. To be more inclusive to those who are sensory sensitive try this: 

  • Limit sensory triggers such as fog machines, strobe lights and loud sound effects.
  • Keep in mind that a child may have sensory issues with wearing a costume. Be accepting of their choices.
  • Be sensitive to children experiencing sensory overload. Halloween can be overwhelming for a typical child, but a child with sensory issues may not know she’s reached her limit until it’s too late. 
  • Create multi-sensory games for children who are blind or visually impaired. If you are designing a haunted house, make sure to add objects to touch, like bubble wrap, slime, etc. For someone with little or no vision, this creates a fun and surprising experience.

 

For parents, it may be a good idea to bring along some ear plugs to help eliminate some of the unexpected noises. If your child doesn’t like the dark, bring along some flashlights or glow sticks to help or trick or treat a bit earlier.  

Don’t be afraid to take a sensory break, either. It might be a good idea to drive to trick or treat so you can take a little car break from all the activities around you. 

 

Tip #2: Make your food allergy/food issue free

It may be easy to buy a large bag of mixed  candies at the store and overlook the ingredients but did you know: 1 in 13 children are diagnosed with food allergies and many more experience issues with food, including diabetes, swallowing issues and oral motor challenges. That means 1 in 13 children on your doorstep trick or treating! Instead, consider offering non-food treats as an alternative to traditional Halloween candy.

Bonus for parents:The Food Allergy Research & Education organization launched the Teal Pumpkin Project to promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season. A teal pumpkin typically indicates non-food items are being offered.  Look out for the Teal Pumpkin! 

 

Tip #3: Make sure your home is accessible for children with disabilities

Is it easy to get to your doorstep? Is your driveway long and narrow? If the place you are passing out candy isn’t in an accessible area consider moving locations around your home or to a family member’s home to pass out candy. This makes it easier for children who need to use a wheelchair or other devices to access the door. Also, be sure that it’s in a well-lit area so that it’s not difficult to navigate to. 

If you are handing out candy to trick or treaters who are visually impaired or blind, make sure you describe what you are putting in their bag and try to go for candy and toys that are easily identifiable. Think: slime, rings, plastic animals, scented stickers etc! 

 

Tip #4: Have FUN!

 

The most important thing to remember is to have fun! If you’re a parent, prepare your child ahead of time to set expectations and alleviate their concerns. If you are passing out candy, consider having fun tactical non-food offerings in well-lit accessible areas to include everyone. 

 

Happy Trick or Treating- And be sure to take photos!