Which Social Media Platform Is Best for You?

I know… social media can be daunting.

Today, there are so many social media platforms. In addition, there are so many features ON each platform.  It all can be overwhelming.

However, if you are in business, a solopreneur, author or speaker, social media is a African american woman using computer laptop at kitchen serious face thinking about question, very confused ideanecessity.  It is the fastest way to reach your audience, establish your voice and create a brand.  It is a critical vehicle for promoting your products and services and taking your brand to the next level.

But which platform should you use?  Below are a few tips when figuring out which platform to use:

1.) Focus on One.  Yes, I’m on several social media platforms, however, I put most of my energy and strategic efforts on one platform. You will make more impact and can dig deeper instead of going wider.

2.) Know Your Audience.  Once you know your audience and what they really want, then you can make a decision about where to plant your social media feet.  Some platforms are more visual, some rely on more content.  How does your audience consume information?  What do they want?

3.) Clarity Comes from Action.  Your audience may be in several places.  So if you are confused and realize they are all over the place, choose one platform and keep going. Stay consistent with one.  You just need to put in the work and the effort… every day.

4.) How Do You Communicate? Perhaps you are not a writer and very short with words, but you like video – then you will know that YouTube is critical for your brand and communicating to your audience.  Think about what works for YOU, your strengths and how you most effectively communicate.

If you are struggling with your social media platform choice and need to talk it out, feel free to contact me for a complimentary 15 minute session and let’s CONNECT!! Or perhaps you need a clarity session because you are unaware of your target audience or how you best communicate, contact me!

 

The Magic of Having Clarity

Life can get so busy, with a million distractions every day.  These constant distractions can easily lead to a lack of clarity in our life, business and even relationships.

Each time I engage with a new client, my primary objective, despite their business or industry, solopreneur, author, minister or executive, is to help them find brand clarity.

What is Brand Clarity?

Brand clarity is the core values, feeling and purpose of your brand, whether it is your personal brand, business or organization. Once you are aware of your brand, your values, your purpose, your why… it is critical to make sure this is communicated throughout your brand consistently.

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Why is Clarity Needed?

Confidence. I am convinced, that true clarity equals confidence.  And when you have confidence, you also have courage.  Just imagine where your business or career would be if you had ultimate confidence in yourself, your business and your brand.  The things you would do, the people . you would approach and where you would network.  How big would you dream?  What would you go for?  The words you would say to yourself.  It would be the ultimate courage, right?

Storytelling.  Brand clarity is also needed to to tell your story to your clients and customers. Storytelling is the foundation of branding. Have you ever heard someone tell a story and get lost in the details, miss the punchline or critical points to the story.  You tune out, right?  The story becomes less interesting and the storyteller loses credibility.  You should know your story, connect your dots and tell it in a concise and interesting way.

Personality. You also need brand clarity because people buy from people. A buyer wants to fall in love with YOU.  Your brand needs a personality and style.  This comes out in your logo, your colors and even your content.  But when you are not sure of who you are and your core values, then you may communicate several different messages and voices.  You will talk too much, to too many people, in too many different ways.  This creates confusion.  When there is no clarity – people either do not buy or take longer to buy.  Let the personality and style of your brand shine.

Time & Money.  When you are clear in your branding (or any aspect of your life), you can easily make decisions. You know what to say “no” to and who to align with, which events to attend, where to invest your time and money.

Clarity is priceless. Take the time to find clarity with your brand, business, career, relationships and even your money. When you are clear, things change.

If you are struggling to find clarity,  consider a session with me.  Sometimes we are too close to our brand to see it clearly.  Feel free to contact me for a session.

 

Get Refocused on Those Goals

So here we are… at the end of the first quarter?

How did you do? I’m sure many of us started the year off with high hopes and admirable goals. Were you able to accomplish some of those goals? Were you able to follow-through on your to-do lists and make some great things happen for your brand and business?

If you did – congratulations! Great job… keep going and stay focused.Lee office

If you did not do move the needle in your business for the first quarter of 2019, no need to fret! Don’t get discouraged. There is still time to make amazing leaps in 2019. Some seasons are just for dreaming and planning.

Below are 5 tips for revisiting those goals and plans and jump starting your marketing for the second quarter of 2019:

1.) Get moving: I know… this doesn’t sound like marketing and branding advice, right? But its true!! Body movement forces your brain to gain clarity and get creative. If you are dragging and feeling uninspired, try getting some exercise in your life (cardio, yoga, strength training). Find the right exercise and body movement for you. It will instantly give you a boost and clear your mind.

2.) Photo Shoot: Yes, new photos are always a great way to get you refocused and alerts your audience that some thing new may be coming from your brand. If you can’t afford a professional photo shoot right now, grab a friend with some great photography skills and do your own photo shoot. Share the photos on social media and your email marketing to get generate some energy around your marketing.

3.) Live Video: Don’t be afraid! Just do it. Doing live video on Facebook or Instagram is a great way to get engagement from your audience, which is always a great boost for your brand and business. Decide what you will talk about and move forward with launching a video

4.) Network: Find an organization or event to attend the second quarter of the year. Networking and meeting other like-minded individuals can instantly get you re-focused and ready to take your band to the next level. If you don’t have an accountability group or a business bestie – find one!! Attend networking events together and share books and thoughts on growing your business.

5.) Hit the books: Is there an area or skill you need to work on? Grab a book or take an online class or course! Or it may be something simple by listening to new podcasts that challenge you. Learn something new and put it to practice. This will help you feel re-energized and ready to conquer some new areas in your business.

6.) Revisit those goals: Some times our best laid plans go astray due to unforeseen circumstances. There will be things that come up that you didn’t anticipate. It is perfectly acceptable to revisit and rewrite those goals. Don’t feel stuck with the goals you wrote 3, 6 or 9 months ago. Building a business is about being flexible.

If you need any assistance with gaining clarity and setting your next quarter goals, check out my goal-setting clarity session!

Tricks to Smashing Goals

It’s that time of the year when so many of us are focused on setting goals for the end of the year and to kick off the next year with focus and rigor. We have all seen the social media posts and the encouragement to smash the goals and become a “goaldigger.” But what are some tricks and tips to setting goals? Most of us know about setting SMART Goals (Specific, Measure, Achievable, Results and Time). However, is there more? Are there other tips that can help us get to where we want to go.

Below are some of my quick “Busy, Bossy and Branded” tips on setting your goals and accomplishing them.

1.) Set goals that excite you! Yes, get excited. Of course we have things that we need to do that don’t get us very excited. For example, getting your taxes done is not very exciting, however if the goal is to “Organize my finances to increase my savings account” – that may be exciting! One of the action items for this may be: Create a buget or File Taxes.

2.) Put some action to it. Action items underneath your goals is critical. It can be somewhat easy to come up with a “dream” goal list. However, the power behind goal setting is the action list. When creating your action list, keep it simple. Keep it VERY simple. Try to limit your action items for each goal to 3-5 activities.

3.)holidays office Celebrate Your Successes. I believe in celebrating. There is something power about celebrating your successes, big and small. It creates momentum and keeps your mindset in a positive and growth mode.

4.) Embrace it Everyday. Your goals list should be a part of your everyday life. Put it in several places throughout your home, office and electronic devices. Look at it every day, several times a day to make sure you are moving in the right direction and your mindset is aligning with what you want.

5.) Repetition. I hope you are writing your goals down, however, in addition to writing them down, speak them and write them often. As stated in the fourth point, your goals should be a part of your everyday life. Record them and listen to them a few times a week. Repetition is the mother of success!

I hope these tips and tricks are helpful to you! I would love to hear about how you have smashed your goals and created new ones! Email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or want to share your goals.

How to Practice Intentional Marketing

How intentional are you?  Intentional is about knowing why you are doing what you are doing and making a decision to go in a specific direction.  It always comes back to our WHY.  Are you intentional with your business?  Intentional in your relationships?  Intentional in your finances?

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Intentional living defines your life before circumstances destroy it.

The quality of our lives should not be an accident or a mystery.  When we live an intentional life, specifically with our businesses, we don’t get as distracted with mishaps or detours.  We realize that we have been so intentional and clear on our WHY and DIRECTION, we know that we are still on the right path.  We treasure our moments and are energized with even the mundane activities.

As we begin looking at the end of the year, I want to encourage you to be intentional with your time, with your business and your marketing.

Below are some quick tips on being more intentional:

    • Set daily, monthly and quarterly goals
    • Use a calendar
    • Know what you want (many of us don’t know what we really want)
    • Write it out
    • Change your mindset
    • Practice Gratitude
    • Declutter your life
    • Master your mornings
    • Make an appointment with Lee Watts 🙂 

If you need clarity, have questions on how to be intentional with your marketing or want to set new goals for your business, email me. I’d love to help you!

Keys to Clarity: Tips for Creating Clarity in Your Life

Clarity is everything.  Unclear expectations, goals or communication produces unclear results.

Without clarity it is very difficult to move forward and grow your business.  Being clarity lee wattsstrategic becomes challenging without clarity.  You will communicate ineffectively to your audience and clients. Ideas may not flow freely and you are unable to determine the next steps.

Many leader talk about the importance of focus.  However, without clarity – you may not be sure what to focus on.  Clarity must come first before you can obtain true success.

Below are XX ways that you can gain more clarity in life and business:

1.) What do you want?  Sounds like such a simple question, however, so few people can answer this.  I will often start my branding sessions with this question.  Over 50% of the time, my client will stumble through their answer.  Get clear on what it is that you really want.

2.) Exercise.  Exercising is such a big stress reliever, releases endorphins and overall helps you to feel better.  There have been many, many times I’ve received a great idea or an answer to a problem while exercising.  This doesn’t mean that you have to have a strict exercise program or train for triathalon.  Exercise could simply mean walking in the morning or evening or doing yoga in your living room.  The key is to relax, clear your mind and allow your brain to receive.

3.) Write it Out.  Journaling or writing out your thoughts and ideas in an unsensored manner is extremely helpful.  In work, we are trained to sensor our thoughts and ideas.  However, clarity often comes during those times of letting unsensored thoughts flow. If you are not a writer, consider talking into a voice recorder or creating a private video.  The goal is to go back and review for thoughts and look for aha moments or common denominators.

4.) Immerse Yourself in Action.  Often we will sit and review our thoughts and ideas without trying anything.  Immersing yourself in action and taking chances will quickly show us if something will work or not.  Don’t be afraid to try and fail.  Failing is one of our best teachers and can quickly put on on the road to clarity.

5.) Ask Yourself Why. Knowing your WHY has become a little of a catchphrase.  However, if done correctly, it is powerful.  Don’t underestimate it. Knowing your WHY for doing anything helps to eliminate the things in your business or life that don’t serve your purpose.

6.) Watch Your Time. How do you use your free time?  Be careful and selective on how you use your mind when you are not working.  Are you numbing your mind with trash television, filling your body with junk food and sugar?  Create a clear and clean lifestyle, and your mind will follow.

7.) Build Your Tribe.  In addition to creating a clear and clean lifestyle, it is important to have a close network of colleagues, mentors and friends that have similar goals.  This will help provide you with clarity and vision for your business and organization.

Do you have clarity—about work, relationships, health, free time, friendship, or any other aspect of your life?

If you are looking for clarity with your personal brand or the your organization or business, feel free to contact me for a clarity session.  Signing up for a complimentary consultation session may also help with your direction.