Navigating the Storm: Ensuring Business Survival During Inflation

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Most economies are facing severe recession. Life is getting increasingly unaffordable. Your business may have been doing reasonably well, but with inflation, things are different. Why is inflation so dangerous for your business? Businesses that are unable to adjust for inflation collapse. Why? Inflation means prices go up. Costs of equipment, materials, and services go up. The general increase in prices means that companies need to increase wages.

If you increase your employees’ salaries when your profits are not growing or even when they are falling, your business will collapse. A company stuck between rising prices and falling profits will go out of business. How can your business survive it?

Not every business suffers during inflation. It is possible for your business to survive this inflation and come out of it better. We’ll share some tips for how you can achieve business survival during inflation.

Strategic Adjustments for Business Survival During Inflation:

Try these tips to help your business achieve business survival during inflation:

  • Review Your Prices with Precision:
    • Your company needs to find ways to adjust to inflation. The simplest way to do this is to raise the prices of the goods or services you provide. The problem is that higher prices could push customers away, especially if your competitors have not raised their prices.
    • A solution you could try is to reduce product size. For example, If you used to produce a liter of juice for $10, you could adjust for inflation by keeping the price the same and reducing the size of the product. This needs to be done carefully, with clear communication to your clients, so that they do not feel cheated.
    • Or you could raise your prices but at a smaller margin than your competitors have so that you can attract customers. When there is inflation, customers try to save on every cent. A slight difference in price between you and a competitor could be what keeps you in business and is a critical factor for business survival during inflation.
    • Consider implementing tiered pricing models, offering value bundles, or introducing loyalty programs to retain price-sensitive customers.
    • Regularly analyze your competitors’ pricing strategies and adjust accordingly.
  • Audit Your Spending with a Fine-Tooth Comb:
    • You may be in a hurry to cut costs and save money. But don’t be in a hurry to cut back without first knowing where your money is going. Random significant cuts might cost you more in the long run. You need to make strategic cuts.
    • How do you do this? Look at your biggest spending. What costs your business the most money? Once you have identified that, remove anything that’s not a necessity.
    • Look for better phone, internet, and power plans. Negotiate with suppliers for better rates or explore alternative vendors.
    • Draw a budget and stick to it. Utilize budgeting software or tools to track expenses and identify areas for improvement.
    • Buy in bulk to enjoy better pricing, but only for items with a long shelf life or high turnover.
    • Keep a list of everything you spend. Research prices before you make a purchase. Cutting costs is one good way to achieve business survival during inflation.
    • Implement energy-saving measures, such as switching to LED lighting or optimizing HVAC systems.
  • Maximize Revenue Streams:
    • To make more money, you need to increase sales. Try different marketing strategies. Invest in digital marketing, social media campaigns, or content marketing to reach a wider audience.
    • You need to strengthen your brand, increase your customer base, and diversify. Explore new markets or customer segments.
    • Your business can better survive if it enters a more profitable market. Watch out for trends your business can hop on to spike your profits.
    • You can offer a new product that customers are more likely to purchase. Conduct market research to identify customer needs and preferences.
    • Rent out any extra office space you may have. Explore opportunities for passive income, such as affiliate marketing or licensing agreements.
    • Keep trying different techniques to make more money. Set clear business goals and work towards them. When profits are not rolling in, your goals are what will keep you motivated.
    • Create online courses, or webinars to generate additional income.
  • Reduce Debt Aggressively:
    • Pay off any loans you may have as soon as you can. When there is inflation, your debts are worth less, as money is losing value. It’s an excellent time to get rid of any business loans you may have.
    • If you wait too long to pay them back, paying your debts after inflation could lead to bankruptcy because you wouldn’t have enough to go around.
    • Prioritize paying down high-interest debt first.
    • Negotiate with lenders for lower interest rates or extended payment terms.
  • Invest in Your Workforce:
    • Increase salaries and outsource. Your employees will be struggling with rising prices too. Most of them will seek a second job to supplement their income. That means they’ll either be tired or come to work late and leave early. Their productivity will be reduced.
    • If you’re turning a fair profit, keep your workers happy to keep them productive. Otherwise, outsource the work that you can. That kind of labor often comes cheap.
    • Offer flexible work arrangements or remote work options to reduce employee commuting costs.
    • Provide training and development opportunities to enhance employee skills and productivity.
    • Foster a positive and supportive work environment to boost morale and reduce turnover.

The Path Forward:

Well-run businesses can expand and even thrive during inflation. Inflation doesn’t happen all at once; if it’s started now, it can worsen. Remember the tips provided here: consider your pricing, audit your spending, increase profits, reduce your debt, and pay your employees well so they continue to be productive and happy.

If you follow these tips, your business will perform better even in these unusual financial times, and you’ll increase your chances of business survival during inflation. Remember that adaptability and proactive planning are the keys to weathering this economic storm.

How to Maintain Security in the Age of Remote Work

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Remote work is quickly becoming the new normal for modern companies. In a world where many offices were forced to shut down during the 2020 pandemic, team leaders discovered something. Remote and hybrid working seems to be effective at improving productivity. Countless studies show that remote workers are more invested in their work than their counterparts, often working up to 1.4 days more per month. Remote staff members also demand fewer overheads and don’t require massive real estate investments.

Unfortunately, there’s a downside to the remote working trend. 86% of business executives agree that remote workers could increase a company’s chances of a security breach. So, how do you ensure that your remote workers are secure in this new landscape?

Step 1: Create a Cybersecurity Policy

The first step in defending company data is ensuring all your employees are following the right guidelines for data protection. Employees are often the main cause of security issues. They often take shortcuts when it comes to setting passwords and protecting data. Employees may assume they’re logging into a system from a secure environment when they’re actually opening the door to criminals.

A strong cybersecurity policy will outline everything your team members need to do to stay secure. This includes making sure they’re using strong passwords for their accounts and that they never log in to services from a public connection. Your cybersecurity policy could also determine which applications and tools are safe for your remote employees to use when dealing with business data. Be sure to define specifics so it’s very clear what is expected of your team members. For example, describe what your company defines as a strong password (number of characters, including symbols and/or numbers, etc.)

Step 2: Secure Network Connections

Access to an unsecured Wi-Fi network is one of the most common ways for companies to stumble into a security breach. Many remote workers use their standard Wi-Fi connections and home routers to connect to the office. These services aren’t always as protected as they should be. The easiest option for companies in search of better network protection may be to implement VPNs.

A VPN, also known as a Virtual Private Network, allows users to send and receive data via a private network while connected to a public or less secure network. In other words, your team members can connect to their home Wi-Fi connection and then connect to your company’s VPN. Anything sent via the VPN will be sent/received with the same level of security it would have while connected to the Wi-Fi in the office.

Asking your employees to use VPNs ensures that they have a direct and secure way to connect to the business network and access important information. Make sure that any VPN you choose covers every level of encryption that’s important for your team. If you don’t have an in-house IT department or you don’t know where to start with VPNs, consider hiring a freelance web developer or security expert to help you set it up.

Step 3: Consider Password Managers

Password safety is another critical part of running a secure business in the age of remote work. The number of software solutions and accounts used each day by your team members is constantly going up. With that, the number of passwords your team members must remember is also increasing. The result is that more employees use repetitive and simple passwords to access tools. 53% of people admit to reusing the same password for multiple accounts. Password managers allow team members to access a range of tools with just one set of credentials. That means they only have a single code to remember.

Step 4: Explore Two-Factor Authentication

A password manager can help to make your accounts more secure, but passwords still only offer a single layer of protection. Two-factor authentication could be an excellent addition for companies who want to strengthen the security of remote teams. That’s because even if someone was to figure out your employee’s password, it wouldn’t be enough to get them into an account.

Two-factor authentication, also known as multi-factor authentication, requires an additional input of a limited-time code or something similar to unlock access to an account or service. You probably have used something like this to log into your bank or social media accounts. The most common format today is a code sent to your phone or email. But two-factor authentication is increasingly becoming more advanced. It’s possible to build strategies that use a password and biometric data to secure services. Your employees could protect their data with a fingerprint or retina scan.

Step 5: Remember the Basics

Technology like biometric security is opening the door to a new level of protection for today’s businesses. These advanced offerings could be an exciting step forward for a lot of companies. It’s worth remembering though that the fundamentals are still important. Using encryption software with your video conferencing and messaging software is a must-have in the remote world.

It’s also worth ensuring that your employees have up-to-date systems for security on any devices they use. Consider systems such as antivirus software, anti-malware, and phishing protection. Firewalls are even available to cover everything from tablets and computers to smartphones and other mobile devices. Mobile device management tools can also help your team leaders to ensure that apps and security services remain up to date on your team’s devices. These services allow you to implement patches remotely, remove dangerous data from an employee’s hard drive, and even blacklist certain apps.

Remote Work Doesn’t Mean Jeopardizing Security

Remote work doesn’t have to jeopardize data security. Once remote workers are fully educated in the demands of secure working, and you have the right tools in place, you can enjoy all the benefits of flexible working without the security threats.

How to Build Your Freelance Business as a Work-from-Home Parent

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What if you had a job that allowed you to take an active role in your children’s lives? Building a freelance business enables you to leverage your skills in your career and be present for the moments of your child’s lives you want to: teaching them during the day, picking them up from school, or taking them to soccer practice.

The rise of remote work has transformed the traditional work-from-home landscape. With the increasing adoption of flexible work arrangements, more parents are exploring freelance opportunities to balance their career ambitions with family life. Upwork’s Freelance Forward Report in 2023 indicates a substatial growth in the freelance workforce and its contribution to the US economy. In addition, Pew Research Center studies have shown an increase in remote work adoption across various professions.

Freelancing offers numerous benefits for stay-at-home parents. As a self-employed freelancer, you would be in charge of your hours, work flexibility, and rates. With all of the options available online, you might not know where to start building your work-from-home parent freelance business. 

Here are steps you can take to build your freelance business as a stay-at-home parent:

  1. Write down a list of your skills and interests. Consider your former work and volunteer experiences and how they can be leveraged online. For example:
    • If you’ve worked in project management, maybe you could market yourself as an online business manager.
    • If you have administrative experience, maybe you could be a virtual assistant.
    • Are you great at writing? Maybe you could write articles, grants, or eBooks for clients online.
    • For more ideas, check out our blog article on how to make side gigs work.
  2. Build onto your current skills. Start by paying attention to what is in demand now and what you are most interested in. Then, find free and paid courses to enhance your skills and increase your value as a freelancer.
  3. Invest time or money into learning sales and marketing. One part of being a freelancer is being able to market yourself to clients. Read books, take courses, or work with a coach so you can enhance the way you market yourself.
  4. Use your skills to work your way up. If you can, start with smaller projects to build your portfolio. Consider it on-the-job training! Reach out to friends, family, or former colleagues to see if your services can help them at a discounted rate. After the project is complete, ask them for a detailed testimonial!
  5. Create an online presence. Whether you use a social media platform, a website, or both, you should have a place online where future clients can learn more about you. Let your online platform paint a picture of what it would be like to work with you.
  6. Find a community of other freelancing stay-at-home parents. Get support, ask for advice, or make networking connections with other parents who will understand your unique challenges.
  7. Include taxes and benefits in your rates. As an employee of a company, the company offers you benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and sometimes 401k matching. They also pay for a portion of your taxes. As you estimate your freelance rates, consider taxes and benefits.
  8. Decide how you will spend your time. Freelancing as a stay-at-home mother gives you the flexibility of time. When will you work on your business? Will it be while your children are at school or napping? Decide in advance times you will definitely spend on your business.
  9. Grow your portfolio of reviews or testimonials. Showcasing reviews or testimonials of your work will help build your trust and credibility with people who want to work with you. Ask former colleagues, bosses, and clients to write a descriptive review of your strengths, skills, and why they enjoyed working with you.

The transition into freelancing may sound daunting at first. But you can make the transition simple by taking everything one step at a time.

Building a business as a stay-at-home mother can give you the flexibility and freedom to be present in your children’s lives. Before you know it, your babies will become adults and parents themselves. Making the time to be a significant part of their lives is priceless.
 
Image from Pexels.

Conquer Instagram Marketing: A Beginner’s Guide

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Instagram marketing has transformed from a photo-sharing app to a powerful social media platform. Boasting over 1 billion monthly users, 60% of whom are daily active, Instagram offers a goldmine for audience growth and brand awareness. In fact, a whopping 83% of users discover new products and services through Instagram.

Ready to get your brand in front of this highly engaged audience? Instagram marketing is easier than you think! Here’s a roadmap to get you started:

Building Your Instagram Business Presence:

  • Business or Creator Account: Unlock a treasure trove of benefits by switching to a Business or Creator account. These accounts grant access to valuable insights, analytics, advertising capabilities, and special profile features like contact information. See more about the benefits of an Instagram Business account straight from the source (Instagram’s website)!
  • Profile Optimization: Craft a profile that makes you discoverable in searches and informs users about your business. Here’s what to optimize:
    • Profile Picture: Use a clear and recognizable image representing your brand.
    • Username & Name: Make them easy to search for.
    • Category: Select the category that best describes your business.
    • Bio: Write an engaging and informative bio (up to 150 characters) that captures your brand essence.
    • Contact Information: Include your website and contact details.
  • Hashtag Mastery: Hashtags are key to categorizing your content and reaching a wider audience. While you can use up to 30 hashtags per post, focus on choosing relevant ones to ensure users can find your business.

Exploring Instagram Post Formats:

Instagram offers a variety of content formats to engage your audience:

  • Grid Posts: These photo and video squares appear on your profile. Captions can be up to 2,200 characters, but keep in mind that only the first two lines are visible before a “Read More” prompt. Hook viewers with those first lines!
  • Stories: Post photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours (unless added to Highlights). Stories are perfect for behind-the-scenes glimpses, casual updates, and frequent interactions.
  • IGTV: For longer-form content, utilize IGTV, allowing vertical video uploads. These videos can also be shared on your grid and stories.
  • Reels: Capitalize on short-form video engagement with Reels, 15-30 second vertical video clips that can be shared on stories. Reels are a fantastic way to grab your audience’s attention.

Content is King (and Queen):

Now that you’ve mastered the post formats, it’s time to create a compelling content calendar:

  • Behind-the-Scenes Content: Offer followers a glimpse into your company culture and daily operations.
  • Motivational Content: Share inspirational quotes that resonate with your brand and audience. Consider adding your branding to quote graphics for a unique touch.
  • Tutorial Content: Craft tutorials and how-to guides to solve specific customer problems. Tutorials are a fantastic way to target potential customers who are actively seeking solutions.
  • Video Content: Leverage the power of video across formats – Stories, grid posts, Reels, and IGTV. (Learn more about why video is so important to your marketing!)
  • User-Generated Content (UGC): Showcase content created by your followers (with permission!). UGC fosters follower relationships, boosts engagement, and effortlessly fills your content calendar.
  • Case Studies & Testimonials: Real-life stories showcasing the value of your products or services through customer testimonials build trust and demonstrate your understanding of customer needs.
  • Storytelling Content: Connect with your audience on a deeper level by weaving your brand’s story. Remember, every story should have a lesson or takeaway for your viewers.

By strategically incorporating these content types, you’ll achieve multiple goals: expand your reach, connect with customers, and effectively communicate your brand story.

The Human Touch of Instagram Marketing:

Ultimately, Instagram marketing allows you to showcase your company’s personality through visuals. With a strategic approach, you can leverage the power of Instagram marketing to expand your reach, connect with your target audience, and build a thriving brand.

Price vs. Power: How to Choose an Email Service

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Aside from time and location freedom, the biggest benefit to starting an online business is the lack of start-up capital required. You don’t have to buy the inventory to stock a store. You don’t have to spend a lot on equipment. And you don’t have to shell out cash for employees and insurance and all those other costs associated with offline businesses. But that low-cost mentality can cause you to lose sight of the bigger picture, too.

While it is possible to start a business without spending any money at all, it’s truly not a good idea. That free hosting account will no doubt have downtime issues (not to mention the ads they’ll serve up to your visitors). Free word processors will have compatibility issues with other, more common solutions. Free WordPress Themes and plugins can have support issues.

So while bootstrapping is a good thing, making business decisions based solely on cost is not. And nowhere is that more true than when it comes to choosing an Email Service.

Deliverability Issues

Here’s the biggest problem we see with low-cost providers, including those you install and manage yourself: deliverability. Email services such as Yahoo, Gmail, and others vigorously defend their users’ accounts against spam, and will often mark your legitimate email as spam, simply based on the IP address it originates from.

Large email service providers have the resources to fight these false spam reports and keep their deliverability rates high. That’s part of what their users pay for. But when you choose a free or low-cost provider (or manage your own server), this might not happen. Over time, you will probably see your deliverability rates plummet.

Limited Features

Deliverability aside, many low-priced email service providers can afford to charge lower rates because they limit the features. For example, you might only be able to collect 500 addresses, or you may only be able to send a few emails each month. Even worse, you may not be able to segment your list or automate your emails.

Before you make the choice to use a low-priced or free email provider, be sure you fully understand the limitations of the account. While some concessions might be okay for you and/or your business model, others might put a serious crimp in your business-building efforts.

It’s a Long-Term Choice

Finally, keep in mind that changing providers later (when you’re “ready”) can be a huge undertaking. You’ll have multiple landing pages and opt-in forms to edit, connections with your shopping cart, webinar host, social media accounts, and countless other integrations to deal with. And you’ll have a list of names to import to your new provider, many of which will either opt-out or be undeliverable at your new host. Rather than go through all that trouble, the better option is to choose the right provider from the start.

Speaking of integrations, if you need help integrating your email service with your website, social media accounts, or anything else, we can help!

Final Thoughts

One option that can work with your budget and your long-term needs would be to choose an Email Service that can grow with your business (we like MailChimp, but there are a lot of options out there!) Many have plans that start at a lower cost with limited features but provide you with the option to upgrade your account as necessary. This can solve the problem of needing an Email Service at the start (when budget might be an issue) while providing you with options in the future when features will be the main concern.

Want to keep learning? Check out our blog post on where to start when looking for an Email Service!

Aurora Is the Perfect Place to Start Your New Business

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Guest post by Leslie Campos of Well Parents

If starting a business is next on your list, you need to ensure it happens in the right place. The location of your company is as crucial as your business idea. Some cities, like Aurora, Colorado, offer advantages that can facilitate your long-term success.

Why Choose Aurora

Aurora is a vibrant city with something to offer everyone. From active nightlife to world-class amenities, Aurora is truly a great place to live and work. Not only is it close to large urban centers like Denver, but its local atmosphere also boasts many cultural and recreational opportunities. Consider why this thriving city is ideal for living and working.

Affordable Living

Aurora’s attractive cost of living can significantly benefit your new endeavor. The city offers a wide variety of housing options that can fit any budget, from starter homes to luxury apartments with access to amenities such as fitness centers and swimming pools. Aurora also boasts low property taxes compared to other cities in Colorado.

Educated Residents

Having skilled workers drives a company’s growth. Aurora has diverse higher education opportunities nearby, creating a robust workforce for your new business. Area schools include:

  • Community College of Aurora
  • Platt College
  • University of Denver
  • University of Colorado Denver

Quality of Life

Aurora’s various cultural, entertainment, and educational opportunities contribute to the general satisfaction of the population. Employees who are happy outside of work are more likely to stay motivated and productive.

This city offers many parks, historic sites, and other attractions, such as:

  • Cherry Creek State Park
  • Aurora History Museum
  • Aurora Fox Arts Center
  • Stanley Beer Hall
  • Plains Conservation Center

Community Support

The supportive community of Aurora can immensely impact your entrepreneurship. By connecting with other business owners in the area, you will find the resources, assistance, and mentorship to help your business thrive. Some local resources include:

  • Aurora Chamber of Commerce
  • Aurora South Metro Small Business Development Center
  • Aurora City Business Licenses

Family-Friendly Location

Aurora is an excellent place for families. This city features top-rated schools, parks, and outdoor adventures. Residents enjoy clean, suburban neighborhoods with plenty of activities the whole family will love, such as parks and family-friendly restaurants.

Home-Finding Tips

When searching for a home, initially, you may want to move into a rental home or apartment. Doing so allows you to reside in the area while determining the neighborhoods and amenities that best serve your family’s needs. Start looking for a place to live by perusing online listings in your price range (there are currently around 300 apartments available for rent in Aurora). Filter your searches by pinpointing your desired number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

Business Startup Checklist

Here is a quick-start guide to launching your new company in Aurora:

Consider setting up a limited liability company for your operation. This legal structure offers many benefits, including personal asset protection with limited liability, tax advantages, and flexibility. Additionally, applying requires minimal paperwork. Check the specific regulations in Colorado before proceeding.

Starting your life as an entrepreneur presents many potential benefits and possible concerns. Finding a home that you love in a location where your business can thrive is crucial. When you choose an area like Aurora that meets your personal and professional needs, you improve your chances of success.

Image by Pexels

Learning to Blog for Business Owners

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You may think that learning to blog isn’t important to your business. You’re a coach or you sell things you make, why should you blog? The internet has an insatiable appetite for information. Billions of searches are conducted every single day looking for everything from how to bake an apple pie to why zebras have stripes. For anyone who conducts business online, these searches represent a steady flow of potential customers who are looking for what you have to offer.

You can use a blog to present yourself as an expert in your field or as the authority in finding the best deals on clothes – whatever your niche is, a blog can help get more eyes on your website. A blog is an easy, cost-effective method of being found by the exact people who most need, want, and are willing to pay for your services. But only if you have a good strategy in place first.

Know Your Keywords

These are the search terms your ideal client is using to find answers to their questions. When you know what your keywords are, you can easily create blog posts that will:

  • Attract the right visitors to your site
  • Position you as the expert in your niche
  • Make it easy for your ideal client to find—and get to know—you and your services

Write for People

Keywords are great for SEO and making search engines like your blogs. And while it’s important to know and use keywords in your blog posts, it’s even more important that you write your content with people in mind. Your blog should be engaging, informational, and even entertaining, but above all else, it must be readable. When learning to blog and choosing what to write remember this: if you wouldn’t read it, neither will anyone else.

Be Consistent

Content marketing—and blogging, by extension—is very much a numbers game. The more content you produce, the greater your results will be. That means setting—and sticking to—a content production schedule is a must. For most websites, a weekly schedule is both attainable and sufficient to build a steady stream of traffic. If that seems daunting, start with something easier like monthly or bi-monthly. One important lesson to learn when learning to blog is that there are no one-size-fits-all answers. Make a production schedule that works for you and make it something that you KNOW you can stick to.

Keep Long-Term Goals in Mind

Blogging is not a fast business-growth strategy but it is excellent for long-term sustainability. Those posts you write this month will continue to work for you many years from now, bringing in more and more traffic and potential clients. Evergreen content, or content that will last for a long time to come, is one of the best investments you can make in your business. Learning to blog also means learning to re-blog. Once your production schedule has been up and running for a few months, set aside some time to review your past blog articles and see if there’s anything you can reuse. You can also go back to old articles and check if there are any natural places to drop in some links to more recent blog posts to increase internal links.

Use Good SEO Practices

Aside from keywords, great bloggers know there are many techniques you can use to bring in more readers, including:

  • External links to relevant sites from within your blog
  • Internal links to other, related content on your site
  • Use of graphics and headlines to break up long text passages
  • Compelling meta descriptions
  • Good HTML practices such as ALT tags

Get the Word Out

Each new blog post is an opportunity to be seen, so take the time to share your content socially, and encourage your readers to do the same. Share your post on your Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and anywhere else your ideal client is likely to see it.

You can also join social media groups for topics related to your industry and periodically share relevant content from your blog. Just make sure this doesn’t go against the group’s policies and remember to always add value – the goal of this is to promote your website and your business, not annoy group admins.

Mix It Up

Not every post has to be a 3,000-word article. Include other types of content as well, such as:

  • Videos
  • Infographics
  • Curated content
  • Short opinion pieces
  • Audio

Have Fun with It

Above all else, the most important thing to remember when learning to blog is to have some fun. Inject your personality into your blog. Not only will you more easily attract your ideal client but you’ll enjoy blogging a lot more if you use your authentic voice. And the more you enjoy it, the more likely you will remain consistent as well.

How to Start a Podcast for Your Business

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As of 2021 41% of Americans have listened to a podcast in the past month and that figure is changing rapidly. Podcast episodes are easy for people to search, access, and listen to. Listeners can find most podcasts for free on different platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Castbox. With the podcast industry evolving, these platforms make it easier and easier for listeners to access your podcasts.

As a business, podcasts offer an easy barrier to entry, little-to-no marketing cost, and access to a wide audience. The form of podcasts, today’s modern-day radio, allows people to listen to your content as they go about their day, from doing daily chores to traveling, or even exercising.

It’s relatively simple to start a podcast and reach a brand-new market and it’s a great way to expand your business’s marketing reach!

What you need to start a podcast:

  1. Equipment & location. You will need a computer or smartphone, a microphone, and a quiet place to record your podcasts.

    • Computer or smartphone. To start a podcast you will need a device to store the recording before uploading it to the podcasting platform. You don’t need anything special. As long as it can access the internet and has the ability to have a microphone.
    • Microphone. Good-quality microphones are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased on Amazon or at your local electronics store. Do a little research in advance to find out what type of microphone will work best with your computer/smartphone and your needs. We don’t recommend using the built-in microphone on your smartphone, they usually result in lower-quality audio.
    • Decide on a location to record the podcast. It needs to be very quiet and ideally comfortable. A quiet bedroom would work, however, a sound-proofed room or a sound-proofed closet would work best. Keep in mind that every sound will be translated to the podcast, including typing on a keyboard and the sound of computer fans.

  2. Recording, editing & hosting. How you are going to record and edit your podcast, and how it will be hosted?

    • Recording and editing. There are a lot of software options available for recording and editing audio, but if you’re just starting out with a small budget, you can use a web-based service like Anchor.fm that provides free recording and editing. Be sure to compare the features and cost of any software/service to ensure it will work for your needs. When you first start a podcast it might be better to go with a service and then switch to your own editing software later.
    • Hosting. A host for your podcast is simply the place where the file is stored online so it can be broadcast to your subscribers. There are multiple hosting options available. Anchor.fm also provides hosting for your podcast and we highly recommend it! (We aren’t getting any commission for saying that – we just really like them!)

  3. Brainstorm content theme. What’s the overarching theme or concept that will guide your podcast episodes? People search for podcasts related to certain themes, topics, or ideas.

    • What theme or idea will every podcast episode relate back to? Think about something that you’re familiar with or passionate about that relates back to your business. Even topics you don’t know a lot about are fair game, as long as they tie into your business or industry.
    • For format will your episodes take? Will they be conversational interviews, solo shows, or tell a story?
    • What types of content will you produce? Do you want your podcast to be helpful and informative, inspirational, practical, or conversational?

  4. Set a publishing schedule. How often will you publish podcast episodes?

    • When you first start a podcast it’s a good idea to spread out your episodes to give yourself time to record each one.
    • You might also want to create podcast “seasons” where after you publish a certain number of episodes, your podcast takes a scheduled break.

  5. Create a podcast marketing plan. How will you market each episode after it’s published?

    • Use these ideas to promote episodes and help with content exposure, SEO, and authority-building:
      • Repurpose the clips from podcast episodes into Instagram reels, Twitter audio, or YouTube videos.
      • Highlights, takeaways, and timestamps from your podcast can be typed into “show notes” to be published on your blog or website for SEO purposes. In your show notes, you can include links or resources mentioned in the podcast.
      • Create graphic images of inspirational or informative quotations from the episode and circulate them on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. (Steady Radiance Design can help with creating your podcast graphics!)
      • Interview other companies, businesses, or influencers in your industry and ask them to promote the episode when it’s live.
      • Add keywords and search terms to your podcast titles and descriptions so that people can find them when looking up a topic.

Final Thoughts

The podcast industry is growing rapidly, and it isn’t stopping. Platforms like Castbox are evolving with the industry, and now is the perfect time to start a podcast and reach a new audience. Overall, publishing podcasts builds brand awareness with listeners. By listening to your episodes, they learn more about you and your company over time.

Anatomy of a Landing Page: How to Improve Your Conversion Rates with Three Simple Changes

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Your readers have short attention spans. I’m sure that’s no big surprise to you. In fact, you probably browse the Internet at lightspeed too, scanning titles and subheads, skipping to the bottoms of landing pages, and fast-forwarding through videos just so you can get to the next thing. The same is true for your readers, and if you want to capture their attention long enough to entice them to opt-in to your mailing list, then you have to keep that in mind.

A Tip From Newspaper Publishers

Have you ever noticed that everything you need to know about a news story is in the first paragraph? Journalists are trained to answer all the questions—who, what, where, when, why, and how—in the first few sentences, just in case the story gets cut off when the paper goes to print.

In today’s online world, where column inches no longer matter, this type of story formatting isn’t quite so critical anymore, but it’s still a useful tip to use when you’re writing an opt-in page.

Think about it: If your readers are skimmers (as most of us are) then making sure you include the most important information right at the top of the page is going to greatly improve your conversion rates.

For landing pages, that means putting the biggest benefits in your subject line and following it up with two or three sentences that build on your headline. That’s it. Keep it short, sweet, and benefit-driven, and you’ll have greater success than you would with longer content.

Graphics Matter

Whether your opt-in incentive is an eBook, a video, or even a simple checklist, having a graphic representation of your offer is an important component of your landing page.

Typically, you’ll need to create a visual representation of your offer, and the more interesting the visual, the more likely you are to get your readers to opt-in. You can easily outsource the design of the graphic (we can help with that), but whether you make it or self or outsource it, it’s a good idea to follow these simple guidelines:

  • Bold fonts and short titles will make your graphic more readable.
  • Use high-contrast colors for more visibility.
  • Be true to your brand. Stick with colors and fonts your readers expect.

Crafting a Compelling Call to Action

While it seems as if you can expect readers to know what to do when they land on your opt-in page, it’s just not true. You have to invite them to take the next step. Give them specific instructions and you’ll have higher conversion rates than if you just leave it to chance.

Your call to action should tell a reader exactly what to do, like this:

  • Click here to download
  • Enter your name and email for instant access

Watch the text on your form buttons, too. After all, “Subscribe” or “Sign Up” doesn’t exactly make you feel excited, does it? Consider using a phrase that matches your call to action instead, such as:

  • Get the Checklist!
  • Send Me My Free Video!

Final Thoughts

Take a look at your existing landing pages. Do they follow these strategies? If not, consider making some changes to your copy, your images, and your calls to action, then watch your results. You’ll more than likely see a boost in conversion rates if you do.

New Facebook Layout Being Tested on Some Users – Here’s Where They Moved Everything

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In March 2022, Facebook launched a new layout for a small subset of desktop users. While there doesn’t seem to be any change to the mobile layout, this is still a huge change. The new Facebook layout seems to be compulsory for those “selected” to receive it and Facebook doesn’t seem to be offering much in the way of support for it. Everything needed to navigate the site has been moved and some are finding it very hard to use. There hasn’t been any official word from Facebook regarding the new layout – or even that they’re testing it – but there are enough users who were “voluntold” to be Beta Testers that there can be no other conclusion.

Although no one here at Steady Radiance Design has had the change forced on us, we were able to get access to an updated account so we can show you exactly what’s changed and how to navigate this new Facebook layout. Check out the video below, or if you prefer to read through the differences, we’ve written out our full comparison, complete with screenshots below the video.

For the purposes of this description, we’re going to call the current/standard layout the “old” layout and the new Facebook layout the “new” layout. Don’t read anything into that though, we have no idea if this “new” layout is here to stay or not!

Top Navigation

The biggest change with the new Facebook layout is that all the navigation options across the top of the page have been moved to a menu on the left. Here’s a side-by-side comparison showing where the old navigation options are in the new layout. You can see just by the number of markers we had to use that they really did move everything.

 

Accessing Your Profile

One of the more confusing changes is the way you access your profile. On the old layout, you simply had to click your profile picture to view your profile. Although the location of your profile picture has changed once or twice, we’ve all been taught that clicking your profile picture – no matter where you see it – takes you to your profile. Not anymore! Depending on where your profile picture is on the page will determine what it does in the new Facebook layout.

In the new layout, if you’re on your home page (a.k.a. your Newsfeed, which you access by either clicking the Facebook logo or the “home” button), you can access your profile by clicking on your profile picture at the top of the page, just to the right of the Facebook logo or by clicking your profile picture next to the “What’s on your mind…” box where you can start a new post.

If you’re on any other page – such as a Group or another friend’s profile – the only way to access your profile is by clicking on your profile picture at the bottom left of the screen, then clicking your name/profile picture on the flyout menu that opens.

 

Group Pages

The last significant change in the new Facebook layout is the navigation on Group pages. A lot of people use groups as a main source of sharing/receiving information, so this change has caused quite a stir, especially among Group page admins who suddenly “lost” some options they use frequently. Here’s where you can find the navigation options and tabs in the new layout.

 

Final Thoughts

If you have the new Facebook layout and you’re having difficulties finding anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!