BrightSpot Marketing

I'm grateful for my past students like Kelly Ann. Thank you for your kind words! Have you reached capacity with your consulting or coaching clients and you're looking for a way to scale your business, fast? Do you want to bring your business online, but have no idea where to start?... ' , I can teach you all the steps to launch (and sell!) your course with confidence, through my signature . This program is self-paced and is designed to be completed in 4-8 weeks. Imagine this: you could be ready to sell your course idea by Halloween! By popular demand, this program is now available in CAD Get all the details and enroll here https://www.brightspotmarketing.ca/CYOC and message me if you have any questions.

, . When I first started my business, I offered my services pro bono. While this helped me establish processes, build my portfolio and gain experience, there came a point were I had to start charging for my time. Ask yourself: Even if you're charging for your services right now, how much of your time are you still giving away for free?... Stop giving away your time and talents. Value what you know. When you respect your own time, other people will respect your time too.

My new f r e e community for small biz owners

Have you considered a membership model for your business? I love this one-to-many concept because it maximizes your time and enables you to make a broader impact by serving more people. In my recent blog post, , I explore how to add a membership or subscription to your marketing mix. How to assess your business for membership potential... How to decide your membership model How to avoid common roadblocks to starting a membership Read more here https://www.brightspotmarketing.ca//create-recurring-reven

Happy First Day of Fall! Symbolically, the autumn equinox reminds us to be grateful for the harvests in our own lives over the course of the year. ' ?... Today, take time to reflect on the beauty of nature and the possibilities for abundance in every part of your amazing life.

#MarketingMonday Start your week fresh by reviewing your social media platforms with fresh eyes. Has it been awhile since you updated your profiles? .... ! Here's your optimization checklist (for Facebook and/or Instagram): . If you own a service-based business, your profile pic should be of YOU because you're the face of your business! . Even better, set a reminder in your calendar to change your cover periodically to align with seasons, promotions or new offerings. /. Be sure to add your current contact info, website and description of who you help/why you do what you do. "." Create Highlights on your Instagram profile with highlight covers that align with your branding. Not only do Highlights make your profile visually appealing, but they also give your followers engaging info about your biz in an organized way. . Lots may have changed since you created your profile, so review your settings to ensure it reflects your current business. Leave a comment below after your makeover is complete!

! I'm thrilled to announce that a new team member has joined BrightSpot Marketing! Over the past couple of months, my marketing coaching business has grown faster than I imagined, and it's time for me to level up! Nkechi Seale will help support my amazing clients to market their businesses. She will also join me in expanding BrightSpot Marketing's mission to help small business owners move from overwhelm to " !" ... Nkechi lives in Calgary, AB and she is going into her last semester of the Marketing & Digital Marketing Accreditation from the University of Calgary. She's an experienced Customer Service Manager at YMCA Calgary and a self-proclaimed "data geek!" She's smart and spunky, and I'm excited to have her on my team. Cheers to new beginnings!

If this month is teaching me anything, it's that . As a mom, wife and business owner, the juggling act is #real. We've been getting back into a routine over the past couple of weeks and with "real life mode" comes the realization that I can't do everything, nor do I need to do everything.... I've learned to swallow my pride and ask for help with I need it.

Do you watch Instagram or Facebook Stories with the sound ON or OFF? Tell me in the comments! If you're like me, you're probably one of 99.999999% of people who watch Stories with the sound OFF. So what does this mean for you as a content creator? It means you should so you give your followers something to READ. Otherwise, they're gonna tap, tap, tap, next!... The benefit for you: the great thing about adding captions is that overtime, you'll find that you become better at storytelling because you tighten up your messaging and get to the point faster. I think it's time for a #captionyourstories movement. Who's with me?! Thank you @themovementmaestro for inspiring this post.

Today is and it's time to celebrate! Did you know? Forbes predicts the worldwide e-learning market is expected to be worth $325 billion in 2025. It's time for you to get a piece of that pie! If you've been thinking about creating an online course, I can teach you all the steps to launch (and sell!) your course with confidence, through my signature . By popular demand, this program is now available in CAD! ... Flash sale TODAY ONLY! Save 10% off with discount code: GETONLINE Get all the details and enroll here https://www.brightspotmarketing.ca/CYOC and message me if you have any questions.

#MarketingMonday You've probably heard of the 80/20 rule, right? But did you know that it also applies to your marketing content? When I start working with small business owners, I find their social media content is usually heavy on either "sales" posts or "value" posts. I advise them to create 80% value-based content and 20% sales-related content.... Why? If all you do is give value to your followers, you likely won't see any conversions. After all, you want a legit business that earns revenue. On the other side of the spectrum, if most of your posts are pitching or offering or selling, you'll alienate your followers very quickly. Aim for these three content types and you'll have a great mix of value/sales posts: % "" builds your brand: your story, values, personality, mission/vision grows your audience: viral, shareable, collaborations, partnerships, affiliates % "" converts and sells: educational info, social proof e.g. testimonials and customer reviews, benefits, WIIFM (what's in it for me) Thank you @the_ivorymix for the inspiration behind these content types. Follow @brightspotmarketing for more weekly small biz marketing tips!

When small business owners find me, they're usually overwhelmed with all.the.things. I get it! I'm a business owner too, and sometimes it's hard to see the big picture when you're lost in the weeds. I can help you move from overwhelm to ! I'm so grateful that my marketing coaching spots are currently full with amazing clients. But I'll keep showing up here to support you, too!... Tag a friend who would love my small biz marketing tips! See more

Afraid of running out of good content? This is a legit fear that I often hear from my clients. I have some solutions for you, if you ever find yourself feeling this way. !... Here are because it's easier to start with something than with a blank page. Use your top performing posts to your advantage. Check your Insights and review your top performing posts. What questions did your followers ask? How did they engage with you? What comments were they posting? Use their comments and questions as inspiration for a new post. This is a new way to expand on your previous posts and share more of what your audience wants to hear from you. Take a look at your feed, videos and IG Highlights. What ideas can you tweak to make it fresh or add a new perspective? Turn a caption from one of your previous posts into a short video or quote. Have you created a workbook, how-to guide or worksheet? Break up your content from these docs into bite-sized pieces or nuggets that will resonate with your audience and leave them wanting more from you. What are the questions you hear most from your people? What is your target audience struggling with? How can you save them time or help them in some way? Turn these answers into valuable content. Which tip will you be implementing when planning out your content for the next week? Tell me in the comments below!

Here are upcoming holidays this month! Add some fun and variety to your social media content by celebrating some of these holidays. I'm pretty much counting down til National Coffee Day ... ' !

You've been thinking about creating an online course but you don't know where to start. You want to (finally!) get that course idea out of your head and into the hands of students who are excited to learn from you, BUT you're unsure of the steps to get there. And you want to start earning a passive income, the sooner the better!... Sound familiar? ' . $ . There's no better time than now to start creating your online course. Convert your skills, knowledge or passion into passive income with my 4-module program, . I will teach you all the steps to build and launch an online course for your consulting, coaching or service-based business. This program is designed for passion-driven entrepreneurs who want to take their business online and make a broader impact. Let's do this! Get all the details here: www.brightspotmarketing.ca/CYOC or message me for more info.

#FridayFavourite Last week, I attended a "Cocktails & Canva" Workshop presented by my friends at @yegbossbabes and @etchedinmark and it was amazing Canva is my favourite graphic design tool. I use it pretty much every day, creating designs for my biz and for my clients.... So today I want to share with you a few I learned during the workshop and have already put to good use! In addition to stock photos, Canva has a ton of stock videos! You can also crop the size and length of videos in this tool. You can adjust the spacing between letters and between lines of text. Just select the text and click on the "spacing" tool in the toolbar. With the click of a button, you can also make your selected text all uppercase! Have you ever wanted to give photos a certain hue but couldn't find the right filter? Put a solid colour as your design background, place the photo overtop the background, then adjust the photo's transparency. The background colour will now show through the photo! What are some other Canva hacks and tricks you use? Let me know in the comments or send me a DM.

I've been doing lots of website work for my clients latelyfrom building a digital course academy on Kajabi to an online storefront on Shopify. I don't consider myself a web developer, but I've got the skills to look at web content from the "big picture" perspective. Here's a little on my high-level process for building a new site:... 1 Evaluate content on your current website: what can stay and what is no longer relevant? 2 Create an outline of pages for your new website: What buttons or forms do you want on each page? What are the key messages and sections? Which pages will you include in the navigation menus? 3 Map content from the current website to the new one. I typically do this in an Excel spreadsheet. Include current URLs and topic categories, for easy filtering. 4 Draft content for each page, starting with your home page, followed by the pages that will appear in your navigation menus (these are highest priority). 5 Curate photos, images, your logo, branding colours, icons, etc. that you want to include on your new pages. 6 Build your site! Remember: your website will probably always seem like a work in progress, so don't be afraid to go live with your main pages, then build out the rest later. Building a new website can feel like a HUGE project but when you break down the steps, it's easier to tackle.

It's back to school for my daughter today and back to routine for me! The start of this school year feels from any I've ever experienced. But through all of the worries I've had over my daughter's return to school, I'm optimistic that she'll be able to handle the new routine, she'll make new friends and she'll thrive in her new grade. On a personal note, I'm looking forward to having more focused desk time, going for midday walks on my "lunch break" and havin...g more of a schedule. Will your routine be changing this month? If so, let me know what you're looking forward to!

And just like that...it's September! The first half of this year seemed to drag onnnnnnnn forever and today we turn the calendar to a new month, new routines and new beginnings. I've got some big plans for September and I can't wait to dive in!... What are you most excited for this month? Let me know in the comments

#MarketingMonday Marketing your business can feel , but I can help you: get clear on your marketing strategy... focus on whats important, and feel empowered with a marketing plan that works. If your marketing strategy needs a refresh or you need a simple, structured way to organize your ideas, my FREE How-To Guide will help. I'll walk you through 10 simple steps to write your one-page marketing strategy. ! Ready to get started? Get your FREE download now https://www.brightspotmarketing.ca/SOAP I can help you move from overwhelm to "I got this!"

#FridayFavourite Show support to your favourite small businesses today! & !... In addition to buying products and services from local small businesses, you can contribute to your community by supporting your favourite local biz on social media...without spending anything! Every like, comment, share, mention, tag, review & referral goes a long way for small business owners! ' !

As a business owner, it can be difficult to find a sense of balance between work, family, friends and responsibilities. Especially near month-end! Life can get B U S Y. Remember to carve out time for yourself each day and most importantly, . Tag someone who needs to hear this!

' - ! It's been one year since I registered my trade name and took a leap into building something that has become pretty amazing. After years of my husband's gentle nudging and asking, "So when are you going to start that marketing business?" I finally decided to jump in.... What began as a part-time side gig has now become my full-time job and I couldn't be more thrilled. I get to work from home on my own schedule and be present for my family. Over the past year, I've had the honour of working with some wonderful clients on fun and challenging projects. And I dove head-first into the world of digital marketing by creating my first online course and teaching others to do the same. Full disclosure: ' . I had an idea of how I wanted to serve small businesses, but it wasn't until I started taking action and doing the work did I realize what kinds of work spark joy for me and for my clients. The biggest takeaway after my first year in business: . Even if you don't know exactly how something's going to turn out or where this path is leading you, . Thank you for following along and being on this journey with me. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next year brings!

. Take some time this week to clear your desk or workspace of anything that isn't serving you. File those papers away, shelve those books and organize your supplies. It's amazing how clearing physical clutter will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on your week ... Make decluttering a daily habit at the end of your day, and you'll never have a messy desk again! See more

#MarketingMonday In case anyone is wondering the difference between the most popular social media platforms, hopefully this clears things up!

#FridayFavourite Maybe youre feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders right now. Navigating this new normal can feel really overwhelming at times. As a friend and coach, I want to share a new perspective with you: If anybody can thrive during difficult times, its you. ... Youve got the knowledge and skills, and you truly want to help your customers. Thats the recipe for a successful online business. Right this second, millions of people are turning to the internet, looking for a new skill to learn, a new career path or a workout plan they can do from home. Youve been sitting on that brilliant idea for a while now. I bet the recent lifestyle changes have also sparked new ideas for a course, a program, a membership, etc. Now is the time to share your gifts with the world. Are you ready to step up? In today's #FridayFavourite Id love to help you build your big idea by recommending the tool thats made my life so much easier. Kajabi has made it easy to build my website quickly and make a bigger impact by transitioning my in-person consulting services to an online format. Theres just no better tool out there for entrepreneurs like you and me. Kajabi brings all of the moving gears in an online business under one roof. Your website, email, funnels, coursesand moresimply work together. See what I mean by clicking here https://app.kajabi.com/r/jRX3XFMY/t/ztoftnoi Full transparency: The above link is an affiliate link, and if you sign up, I make a commission as a Kajabi Partner. I only ever recommend products that I know, love, and use personally to this day. Kajabi is 100% that. Whatever you decide to do, Im here for you. Lets build together. P.S. If you want to hear more about my experience using Kajabi, dont hesitate to reach out. PM me and Ill be happy to share. See more

Grow your email list. Your email list is one of the most valuable assets in your business. If you're relying solely on your social media platforms to communicate with your customers and target audience, you're putting your business at risk. Social media platforms can *poof!* disappear overnight, so protect your biz by growing your email list.... Here are 3 Strategies to Grow Your List: 1 Increase your know/like/trust factor by consistently delivering content to your potential customers. Once a week, share a new blog post, video or podcast episode with content that your audience cares about. 2 A lead magnet is something (e.g. PDF guide, cheat sheet, checklist, mini-course, challenge) that you give to your audience for free in exchange for their name and email address. Make your lead magnet so irresistible, people can't wait to get their hands on it and when they do, they'll say, "I can't believe this is free!" 3 Leverage social media platforms to let your audience know about your freebie lead magnet. Talk about your freebie in IG stories, FB lives, LinkedIn articles and videos. Engage in Facebook groups regularly and share your lead magnet with group members if it may help them solve their problem. Like this post if you agree that building your email list is important!

Next time you're feeling stuck on words to use in your social media posts, refer to this list! Calls to action (CTAs) are important to engage with your audience. The more specific you can be, the better! Leave a comment below to share a call to action that works for you... Thanks @alextooby for these great tips.

#TestimonialTuesday Are you a passion-driven entrepreneur who wants to make an impact in this world, while building more stability and less stress in your businessand life? Have you reached capacity with your consulting or coaching clients and you're looking for a way to scale your business, fast?... Do you want to bring your business online, but have no idea where to start? I've got you covered. Join students like Gina and convert your skills, knowledge or passion into passive income with a digital course. During the program, you will get everything you needfrom exploring your viable course idea, all the way to launching and marketing your course with confidence. Get the details here: www.brightspotmarketing.ca/CYOC

#MarketingMonday While I always advise my clients to prioritize posting on platforms where their target audience hangs out, it's important to keep in mind the . Creating valuable content takes time and effort, so make sure you're getting the most mileage out of your content by using the platforms that offer the most growth for your biz. ... Tag someone who needs to hear this and ! Thanks @modern_mompreneurs for sharing this great info.

So often, I forget to pause and reflect on what I've achieved or what it took to get me where I am today. I'm usually focused on planning what's next. Take time to remember the hard work and learning it took to get you where you are today.

When making decisions for marketing your business, do you consider how it will land with your customers? During a coaching call with one of my clients last week, we were talking about their website design and how we should organize the content. I posed a simple question, "How would your customers navigate the site?" And we had a lightbulb moment! ' , . Try asking yourself these questions the n...ext time you're faced with a decision: How would my customers use it? What would my customers prefer? If I were my customer, what would I do? If you need help with getting clear on who your ideal customer is (or avatar, as I like to call it!), download my free worksheet www.brightspotmarketing.ca/avatar This worksheet will help you describe specific details about your ideal customer avatar and use this info when targeting your product, service or content.