Creating Courage with Melanie Dyann Howe

Marketing 101 tells you that one of the key elements of any brand is the "voice." It's an huge part actually. Well, in the case where YOU are the brand your voice is even more important.  If you're still trying to "find your voice," look no further because you already found it. It's not something you figure out or find. It's already part of you. You just hav...

Can you successfully market more than one business, product, or offer? I believe you can. While it might be easier to put all of your energy and focus into one area, there are situations that call for you to add something else to your mix.  Perhaps you are multi-passionate and want to help people in multiple ways. Or, you're exploring your options and want to try a new product to sell. In thi...

"If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?" It sounds ridiculous, but maybe you should consider it. In this episode, I explain how important it is not to feel pressured to do what everyone else is doing in marketing. I also tell you that doesn't mean you should never consider jumping into the new platforms and trends too though.  Sidestory...I recently DID jump off of a bridg...

Let's get to the point. Any brand can have a personality, and it should. Even if you're a product-based business, a brick and mortar, or bigger company you have a personality. At a minimum you and your people have personalities. In this episode, I'm sharing why it is so important that your brand has personality and why you need to put it out there. Keep in mind, the word personality...

I'm calling this "bonus episode" a "gratitude episode." I'm so grateful for all of my podcast subscribers and DIY Marketing Facebook Group Members. Thank you for being here, and thank you for letting me take a short break this summer to take care of my kiddo and my business. Time to get back at it! Support the show Learn more from me on YouTube Connect with me on Inst...

When you're marketing online, you need valuable content...and let's face it, you need a lot. I always suggest that you create a bank of content ideas which in a nutshell is a big ole list of ideas.  You can use a notebook or an app to capture your ideas so you can save them for later. This is helpful when you're planning your content throughout the year or when you get stuck coming...

Heather Sager, joins me on the podcast to help you understand why we all need to embrace stages and speaking in our businesses. I know some of you don’t identify yourself as a “speaker” and you certainly don’t see yourself on a stage. But let me make a bold statement...we are all speakers, and we are all speaking on stages in both business and life. Before I lose you, it’s important to note that t...

A thriving coffee business with two locations. When the pandemic hit, Zeteo Coffee owner Jon Mitchell knew he needed to make some shifts in his business and his content. Temporarily closing one location and laying off his entire staff meant Jon had to step out of the office and get behind the counter, and the camera. In this episode, I talk to Jon and how he started using live video to stay connec...

You have a personal brand. Regardless of whether your business is a "Your Name Dot Com" kind of business (for example someone like me). I have been talking "personal branding" since 2014 and I'm always amazed at how many people don't think they have a personal brand.  We all have personal brands. In this episode, I share why I am so passionate about helping people und...

I believe just about everyone should be using Facebook Live or some sort of live video. You can now go live on just about all of the popular social media platforms and we're starting to see more people embrace this incredibly engaging way to create content. I'm still an advocate that even if you just go live with your phone, you'll get bigger results. BUT, I would like to encourage...

In this special episode, I talk with fellow entrepreneur, Krystal Proffitt about podcasting in 2020. Not only is Krystal one of my business buddies who is on my Voxer speed dial, but she’s also a fellow podcaster who happens to LOVE helping people start, launch, and market their own podcast.  We got together and talked about why we feel just about anyone can create new opportunities for their busi...

With more and more people working virtually these days, I wanted to share a few tips that I've picked up over the years. Working from home can sound fun at first, but this isn't a snow day.  When working from home, there are a lot of things that can limit productivity. Environmental things, and mental things. So here are a few ways you can ensure you maintain (or even increase) productiv...

Word of mouth marketing is not dead. It just looks different today than it did before all of this online marketing hootenanny came into play. So what does word of mouth marketing look like today? It looks like it used to, but it also includes online reviews, check-ins on Facebook, people tagging you and your business, people sharing their experience with you in their own social content and stories...

The business world can be a busy place. Social media news feeds get crowded, and sometimes it can feel impossible to actually create personal connections with your audience. I have a few ways you can add a personal touch to various ways you communicate. This includes responding to direct messages on social media, emails, and even text messages. In this episode, I share how you can use audio, video...

By now you're probably hearing the buzz around marketing guru land. The buzz is about LinkedIn and how it's been a sleeping giant that has woken up. You've probably heard how it's like Facebook before the algorithm made it merely impossible for anyone to see your content organically. Well, my friend, the buzz is real. I've been using LinkedIn for years and in 2019 I really...

I use this phrase, "Leading with the Negative," to describe all of those times we point out something we're feeling insecure about before even giving anyone a chance to notice it themselves.  "Oh, I haven't even washed my hair today."  "You'll have to excuse how gross I look right now, I just got out of the gym." "I've been crazy running aroun...

When it comes to social media, Facebook Live is one of the best formats to engage with your audience. Even here in 2020, when you research social media strategies or trends, you'll see live video as a highly recommended tactic for your 2020 social media strategy. So in this episode, I'm going to share four (actually 6) tips to help you ensure you're getting started with Facebook Liv...

Today let's help you get into action. I'm sharing four mindset shifts that will keep you moving forward and taking action so you can make progress in your life and in your business. These will help you get unstuck, keep moving, and GSD (get Sh$t done). The concepts I share in this episode I learned from Brooke Castillo, Marie Forleo, and Mel Robbins. They can be used individually, but th...

Project Management is kind of my jam. I spent 12 years managing projects and programs that were valued in the multi-millions before I became self-employed. So naturally, when I started my business I carried over a lot of that experience for both my own business but in how I train my clients. Today I'm sharing the custom process that works for me to plan and manage my tasks. It's unique a...

Your social media is a way to begin building relationships with potential customers, and you do this by putting people in your content. In this episode, I'll share why we're so hungry for human connection and how you can stand out in the busy marketplace by showcasing people in your content. Links Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 7: How to Embrace Facebook Live for Increased Engagement...

We spend a lot of time talking about small business marketing strategies and what you should be doing. However, there are also some things you should NOT be doing on your social media.  In this episode, I'll cover five things you should stop doing, or vow to never do on your social media pages. Here is a quick snapshot:  Don't badmouth people Don't get too personal Don't post a...

It sounds simple, but social media is intended to be social. So what does that even mean? It means that to fully leverage social media for business you need to ensure you're having conversations.  This comes into play by ensuring you're responding to comments, direct messages, and creating posts that foster conversation. And by conversation, I mean two-way conversation. It also means not...

Dear Melanie, is it ok to cross-post my Instagram posts to Facebook? Mel, it's hard to find the time to create custom content for LinkedIn and Facebook and Instagram. Can I use the same posts on each one?  This question comes up a lot in Q&A around social media whether it's at one of my own workshops, or at a social media conference. I wanted to use this episode to tell you, YES you...

Your profile picture is a first impression, but it's also a way to maintain a lasting impression. When you're showing up online, it's important that you not only are authentic in how you post and comment but also how you look.  This episode is not how to look pretty online, it's how to have an authentic profile picture that will actually help you connect with your audience. I&a...

Networking events, you either love them or you get sweaty palms just thinking about them. Attending meetups, conferences, network events, luncheons, fundraisers, and all of the other types in between come naturally for some. For others, they create stress and anxiety which can prevent you from getting all of the benefits out of the event.  This episode is dedicated to all of you who want to put yo...