The Content Experiment Podcast

You need to stand out online, but thankfully you already have exactly what it takes: your differentiators. These are the things you do or offer that make you different from your so-called competition.  Differentiators are things that make you stand out from others in your industry. I don't really like the word "competition," because I don't think that any of us really has competition. Not if you k...

We speak a lot of languages in life and business. Some of those languages and voices attract people to you and other voices you're pushing down and not sharing as you should. As a leader, as a female or female identifying leader, it's your responsibility to use your voice and speak up so you're heard. Kaylan Thompson, this week's guest on the Stories in Small Business podcast, shares the identity...

Hanging a shingle outside your virtual office isn't going to help you get noticed online. Having a message and sharing that message will. But when you're telling yourself stories like, "It's all been said already," or "I hate writing so I just won't create anything," or "I'm not an expert," you're doing yourself and your audience a disservice. Content (which isn't just blog posts, by the way) is w...

This is a special episode of the Stories in Small Business podcast. It's a departure from the normal business-centered episode, though I do talk a lot about business. But more, this episode is about being human and not knowing how to process or respond to what's going in the world today.   Mentioned in This Episode: Build Your Tribe Episode 391: How Your Brand Might Want to Respond to Racial Injus...

Sometimes you're doing all the right things in your business but you still feel out of alignment. That's exactly what happened to Ginny Krauss, brand visibility expert and greatness coach before a chance encounter at an in-person event brought clarity. I wanted to talk to Ginny about the mindset of being the voice of your brand but our conversation turned into so much more. We talked about the eve...

Business ownership is a journey, one with loads of learning lessons along the way. Sometimes we learn those lessons the first time; other times we need a reminder. I've certainly needed a reminder of some of my small (and big) lessons. Four years ago, I wrote a blog post about the 10 lessons I learned in my first three years of business ownership (link to the post is below). Fast forward to now an...

To grow a business, you need to trust yourself. And the fact that you don't, according to this week's guest, is what's holding you back. I have to agree with her. I invited Sarah Walton, speaker and business mentor, to be on the Stories in Small Business podcast because she's such an inspiration to me and other business owners because of her no-nonsense style and her compassion. We're talking abou...

Downtime happens in every business. You plan a vacation or the holidays come around, you intentionally take some time away from your regular schedule. But other times, we can't control the downtime. Something happens beyond our control and our businesses are impacted in a big way. So how do you use that downtime to your advantage, rather than getting sucked into the rabbit hole of social media and...

Does strategy feel stifling to you? Rigid? Corporate? You're not alone. However, creating a true strategic plan for your business can actually help you create more freedom so you can grow in ways that you never thought possible. That's because a strategic plan can give you the focus you need to double down on projects and action plans so you can move farther, faster. This is the groundwork for the...

Running a business isn't free; it takes products, services and resources. But what should you invest in, and when? How much is it going to cost you? These are fair questions, and there's a different answer depending on what kind of business you're in and how long you've had your doors open. This week on the Stories in Small Business podcast, I'm sharing my thoughts on some of the most important in...

If you're reading this right now, chances are you love a good podcast. I do too. And if you're not interested in starting your own podcast, I want you to know how valuable it is to be a guest on a podcast. You can get in front of so many more people by being a guest than you ever could on your own. And that's why podcast guesting needs to be part of your content strategy. It's a way to talk to new...

There are so many ways to elevate your visibility, but one strategy alone isn't going to get you much traction. Instead, you need to use multiple tools and strategies in your business, regularly, to continue to get you and your business noticed. But that's often where business owners hit pause. They don't want to put themselves out there because they're afraid of what others will think or say. The...

Speaking can help you connect with new audiences, demonstrate your expertise and develop a new way to deliver your message. But speaking does not have to look like you standing on a stage in front of a big audience. (You're welcome.) This week on the Stories in Small Business podcast, Jessica Rasdall is sharing her tips on using speaking to grow your audience and your business. You'll learn how to...

Chances are you've heard about how important email is to your content and marketing strategy. Maybe you even send regular emails to your audience or have a welcome sequence for new subscribers. That's one step in the right direction but there's so much more you can do with your emails.  On this week's episode of the Stories in Small Business podcast, I'm sharing five big ways email marketing can b...

Do you ever feel like you're creating content--but not getting any traction from it at all? Or maybe the old blog posts and videos you've created just aren't getting the views that they once did. Chances are, it's because you're not using SEO, search engine optimization, to your advantage. It's time to get your content noticed through SEO. This week on the Stories in Small Business podcast, I'm ta...

This is an uncertain time for parents, families and business owners alike--no matter what kind of business you're in or how old your children are. Workers are being sent home from work, both with and without pay, children are doing school work remotely, businesses are closing their doors and we're all being asked to limit contact with others. For me, it feels a lot like business as usual since I w...

You need content to have a content strategy, right? What if I told you that some of the most important parts of your content strategy aren't your content at all? (Say WHAT!?) It's true. You can publish content all day and all night and it won't matter unless you have the four things that I talk about on this week's episode of the Stories in Small Business podcast.  Too many business owners are pub...

Social media is one of the best places for an online business to grow an audience. But it's not about pushing yourself to be on all the platforms or creating content just to get noticed. It's about being strategic and building relationships with the right people. This week on the Stories in Small Business podcast, I'm talking with Andrea Jones of Savvy Social School about how to use social media t...

You're spending time and possibly money on your content. Are you getting what you want out of it? Brand awareness? List growth? Sales? New connections? Something else? Chances are that if you've made it to these show notes, you feel like your content could do a little more than what it's doing right now. You've come to the right place. On this episode of the Stories in Small Business podcast, I'm...

As business owners, we have enough on our plate already, right? From standard operating procedures to marketing to sales to networking to product creation to...you name it. It's a lot. But one place where a lot of business owners hide their head is their numbers. But the numbers in your business could make or break your business. If you're not listening to the story your business numbers are telli...

There comes a time in your business where it's time to raise prices. You shift your services, you're experiencing growth or simply inflation has caught up with you and it's time. But it feels like there's such a stigma around price increases, particularly among service-based businesses. A few years ago, I raised prices across the board for all my retainer clients--and didn't lose a single client i...

Everyone has their own hangups about content development and marketing our businesses, and I love that this week's guest is helping authors to overcome those challenges. Debbie Gonzales is a former educator and administrator and an author and coach for authors in the kidlit industry. She works with authors of all backgrounds and experience levels to get their books in the hands of readers. Like so...

It's so hard to say no to something in business, but that's exactly what you need to do if you're feeling overwhelmed by the idea of creating all the content in all the places. You do not need to show up everywhere online to market your business effectively. In fact, the opposite is true. You need to be strategic and focused when delivering your message. You need to do your homework and know exact...

Getting more visibility has never been easier, especially with the ease with which we can create content today. And by "content," I don't necessarily mean blog posts and YouTube videos. On today's episode of the Stories in Small Business podcast, I'm talking with my friend Jodi Brandon about why business owners should consider writing a book to elevate their business and how to put aside the fears...

Content marketing can save the day in your business. Really. What excuses are YOU telling yourself about why you're not creating content for your business? It's time to stop. You can't afford to NOT be creating content for your business.  This week's episode is all about my favorite book ever on content marketing, They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan. It's such a powerful book that every busine...