business insights
A funnel is not a website. It’s not a single email. It’s not an overpriced software platform someone tried to sell you in a webinar. It’s the journey someone takes from “Who are you?” → “This is interesting...” → “I need this in my life” → “Take my money.”
More to Read
fan favorite
100 Profitable Digital Product Ideas
Plus, a totally free challenge to kick you into action and get this baby launched.
Top Tips to Boost Your Social Media Marketing Game
There’s no denying that social media came into our lives and completely took over. For both personal and business use, 7 in 10 Americans are on some form of social media platform.
Businesses are turning to social media as their main source of traffic with most solely focusing their marketing efforts on platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I mean, can you blame them? Just take a look at the numbers.
Facebook has 2.5 billion active users every month.
335 million people are using Pinterest each month.
1 billion people are active on Instagram every month.
That’s a LOT of people and a huge pond to swim in that will only continue to grow , but that just means that nailing down your social media marketing game is as important as ever. Luckily for you, you have us!
If you want to learn how to boost your social media marketing game, we’re here to give you our top tips and a little surprise at the end!
How to Use Stock Photos to Make Your Brand Stand Out
You know those images of desks with perfectly-placed items like a laptop, mug, a few pens, and maybe a pair of glasses? That, my friend, is a stock photograph, and that one simple image can make a world of difference for your brand.
Stock photography isn’t a new thing. You’ve probably seen tons of memes from popular older stock websites, such as the infamous Shutterstock, Alamy, and iStock, who are most recognizable by their watermark slapped across images. Any class presentation where you needed to Google image search for a photo representing something, you’ve run across some stock photography.
These days, though, that term has been recreated in a way. Photographers aren’t just shooting scenarios where the models are overly enthusiastic with their expressions anymore, they’re giving a new meaning to stock photography and, in turn, giving an amazing way for brands to add more flavor to their business.
But in what ways could you be using stock images to help your brand pop?
Today, we’ll be giving you some ideas for how you can use them in your business, and we show you some examples, too.
We even have 90 stock photos for you, so stay tuned for the end!
Start Landing Partnership Opportunities with The Perfect Media Kit
We’ve seen firsthand how crucial working with brands and partners can be for our business. Heck, relationships we formed led to actual dollar bills and made up nearly 20% of our total revenue in 2019! And chances are there’s a brand or 12 that you’ve had your eye on to work with for a while. But you freeze and get stuck because...how the heck do you communicate why you’re so amazing?
Here's Why You Should be Using Header Graphics in Your Emails
So, you either already have an email list or you’re wanting to start one. You’re putting together all of the awesome, value-packed emails, your new announcements, simple chatty messages, and you’re done, right?
Wrong.
Out of all of the important factors that go into an email, one thing we highly highly recommend you don’t forget is your header. This is the eye-catching graphic at the top of an email. They can serve different purposes, but the main point is that 1. They help your email stand out, and 2. They have the ability to give your reader a quick idea of what your email is going to be about.
We’re positive that in all of the newsletters you receive in your inbox on the daily, 100% of them probably have some sort of opening header graphic. This is their staple. This is the one thing you can expect to see every time when you open their email.
Today, we want to help you figure out why you need your staple and what it can do for your emails.
7 Steps to Opening Your Creative Business
How to Sell on Instagram and Start Seeing Results
So, you’ve put your offer out to the world on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn even… what about Instagram?
Maybe you’ve already tried but you just aren’t seeing the results you’d like. A platform that just hit one billion monthly users, you’d expect to make some sales, right?
Well, you’re half-right.
The thing about Instagram is you have to know how to work it so that it, in turn, works for you. Instagram’s algorithms change every day, so while it can be difficult keeping up with all of the newest updates, there are still some tried-and-true steps you can take the next time you’re ready to put your offer on Instagram.
Using these selling methods paired with your newly optimized business account will allow you to k-i-l-l it so that you can finally start seeing the results you want.
We even have a little surprise for you at the end!
8 Steps You Can't Miss When Growing Your Instagram Account
Some of us have been riding the Instagram wagon since it first launched in 2010. Even then, using Instagram for business is a whole new ballgame, and even more so for those who have never even used it.
You might be used to using Instagram as a super casual “here’s my latest latte art” kinda spot. But as soon as we get intentional about using it for business it’s a whole new ballgame.
And more often than not you’ll let a lot of anxiety creep in as soon as you stop using Instagram just for personal use. Where do I put these selfies? How do I sell on here? Oh my god, I haven’t posted in weeks!
So let’s break it all down for ya. Plus, we’ve got a really cool tool for you to use to make your feed extra beautiful at the end.
The Right Way to Grow Your Email List with an Opt-In
We see you, babe.
You’re advertising the shit out of your products or services, talking them up on every social media platform that you can be found on, going live on Facebook and Instagram, spreading your business through word of mouth, and every other thing you can think of.
Still, you just aren’t getting the results you’d like to be, and you’re tired of repeatedly seeing the straight line creeping across your sales chart or– God forbid– a slow decline.
The last thing you need to do is give up. You may think you’re showing up everywhere you possibly can be. You may think you’re directly targeting your audience.
Launch Simply in 2021
If there’s anyone that knows a thing or two about launching, it’s us. In the past 5 years we’ve been in business, we’ve launched more times than we can count with a multitude of different products and services as our business transitioned and grew.
During the different seasons of our business, we’ve had big launches, small launches, and everything in between, so we’ve also picked up on how to do it without being so stressed. We think the number one important thing about launching is that it’s fun and simple. Otherwise, who the heck would ever want to launch anything?
So, today, we’re going to share with you a little about our plan for launching simply, and show you our little secret for making launching even easier.
A New Way to Plan 2021 That Actually Works
2021 is right around the corner, and last week we talked all about the never-ending cycle of being super super motivated to crush your goals in the new year, and then as the year goes on, momentum starts to fade ever so slowly.
We even talked about the importance of reflecting on your goals the week before and how doing so can help you plan strategically and intentionally, so you aren’t just writing down goals that aren’t realistic or reachable.
Now, what about the actual planning process? At the end of 2019, we tried a new technique that helped us plan for 2020 tremendously, and we’re going to break that down for you today.
How to Stay Motivated by Making Your Goals Visible
The month of December (a.k.a. the month of goal-setting) is one of our favorite times of the year. Nothing fuels us more than to sit down with each other and discuss our aspirations for what we aim to achieve in the new year. For some reason we’re especially fueled this month, probably because we can’t wait to leave behind the chaos that is 2020 (or soon to be was).
However, a struggle for many of our fellow creatives is actually staying motivated all year long. We know the feeling– you’re pumped to crush your goals while you’re planning them, and you still have the ball rolling through Q1, but then.. it slows down.
And it keeps getting slower.. and slower.. and slower until you reflect on your year, realize how shitty it’s been, aim to change that in the next year, get all pumped up again, and the cycle repeats.
So, how do you break the cycle?
How to Host Your First (or Next) Instagram Giveaway
No matter what type of giveaway you end up deciding to try first, the foundations of running a successful giveaway are generally the same. If you follow these eight basic steps, you’ll have a clear control over your giveaway and can potentially reach a lot of new people.
7 Places You Should be Showcasing Client + Customer Testimonials
Client and customer testimonials are one of the most crucial pieces of your marketing strategy. The journey you want to take people on to lead them to a sale consists of three main parts:
The “Are you in my head?” stage when you relay their pain points to them
The “Yeah, that actually would be nice..” stage when you have them envision what their life would be like if those problems weren’t problems
The “Okay, I’m ready to buy!” stage when you present the solution as your product or service
But– hold on a minute– hardly any one is just going to be ready to buy after seeing your thing. First they want to know if it will even work, and that’s when you bring in the big guns. (Big guns being testimonials, if that wasn’t clear.)
Testimonials can sometimes be the single defining moment of someone ready to hand their money over, or not. You probably wouldn’t purchase a product on Amazon if it didn't have a single review, would it? We as consumers count on those reviews as the proof of a product being worth the investment or not.
So, what makes your products or services any different? You can use those testimonials strategically in your marketing plan to be the final push that gets someone over the line and to the checkout page or paying their first invoice.
That’s why we’re going to share with you 7 places you should be showcasing client or customer testimonials, if you aren’t already.
How to Automate Your Client Testimonial Process
We all know that testimonials are a crucial part to a functioning business. Unfortunately, many of us are met with fear and anxiety just from the thought of having to ask clients for testimonials/feedback.
“What if I’m actually not doing a good enough job to warrant a great testimonial?”
Thinking of actually bringing it up to your clients almost makes you want to run away or barf (or both). It can even seem like a super awkward conversation, like you’re saying, “Hey, I know we’ve working together for a while, and I think I’ve been doing a great job, but can you just confirm that by writing a testimonial that will potentially be shared with thousands of people depending on how good it is?”
Okay, so you won’t actually say it that way, but it can seem like it! So today, we’re going to walk you through how you can put this task on autopilot so that you can avoid the testimonial-asking anxiety. Or if you’re just simply the worst at remembering to ask for them, these tips are also for you!
Welcome to My Blog
Hey, I’m Abagail Pumphrey!
You know when you are so deeply passionate about something you can’t help but share it? That’s how this blog has felt for the last decade. I’ve written about my latest strategies, tech how-tos, experience with scaling and so much more. I hope you find just what you’re looking for. We’re here to help!
-
Free Challenge
-
-
Free Download