With the weather turning colder this week, I thought I would share with you seven ideas to increase your brand visibility.

These all came from a conversation I had with Steve from Cre8tive Brand Ideas. We were talking about which promotional items are being ordered at the moment and specifically helped during the cold weather.

Here are the top seven ideas we spoke about…

1. Coats/ Gilets or Jumpers
2. Travel Mugs (also eco friendly)
3. Umbrellas (large area for branding)
4. Hats, Scarves and Gloves
5. Hand warmers (so many options)
6. Car Kits (ice scrapers)
7. Blankets (for cold offices)

There are plenty more ideas for you to go for and that’s why getting in touch with a company that supplies branded merchandise is a great idea.

If you wanted to share your branded gear with us, let us know and we will add it to our list!!

In this Ted Talk, Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question “Why”

His example include Apple, Martin Luther Kong and the Wright Brothers- and as a counterpoint TiVo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling.

Here are a few things to think about…

1. Remember that people don’t buy what you do, people buy why you do it.
2. Remember the Golden Circle: Why, How, What.
3. So…. What is your why? What are your causes and beliefs?
4. Could you improve your 40/60 second pitch using this method?
5. How can you use this method to increase your activity on social media?
6. Are you living your best life by always working on your Why?
7. Check out the Law of Diffusion. Does this relate to your business?
8. How can you use the Law of Diffusion to give you the advantage in your market?

Let us know what you think!

Come and watch this TED Talk here!

(I’ll be sharing more of these in The Grow Academy when it launches in January 2020!).

I love TED Talks and have watched hundreds of talks of many different topics.

I want to share some of my favourite talks alongside a few questions to help you apply the talk to your business.

So the first one to wanted to share with you is “How craving attention makes you less creative” by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (Recorded in Vancouver BC in April 2019).

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has gotten more than his fair share of attention from his acting career but as social media exploded over the past decade, he got addicted like the rest of us- trying to gain followers and likes only to be left feeling inadequate and less creative.

In this refreshingly honest talk, he details how the attention-driven model of big tech companies impacts our creativity- and shared a more powerful feeling than getting attention: paying attention.

Here are a few things to think about…

1. Do you have times within your business or your day to day life when you aren’t focussed and times when you’re not?
2. The more I go to the feeling of paying attention, the happier I am but the more I go to the feeling to get attention, the unhappier I am. Do you agree with this?
3. How do you use your profile and previous experiences on social media?
4. If social media platforms are selling attention… where do you spend your time and is it productive?
5. Are you addicted to attention? Are you addicted to gaining more followers on each platforms?
6. What would happen if you paid attention to just one thing at the time?
7. Do you see other creatives as competitors collaborators?

Let us know what you think!

Click here to watch the TED Talk!

(I’ll be sharing more of these in The Grow Academy when it launches in January 2020!).

On Wednesday, we held our latest workshop with “How to maximise your marketing this Christmas” workshop and virtual workshop.

if you missed it, don’t worry! You can still enjoy the virtual workshop for only £15!

For those who don’t know, in this one hour workshop, you will get hints, tips, insights and activities to help you find out the following:

• What to say online in September, October and November to make sure that December is busy
• How to keep your communities buzzing when you are busy instore
• How to keep your customers informed on the key product lines, deliveries and the latest news
• Quick and easy content ideas for you to share with your audiences
• All of the processes you need to make sure you are spending less than 1 hour a week implementing this in November and December

The price of this workshop is £15 and you can pay for it here!

This week we launched the BRAND NEW Episode and the last in the current series of “The Grow Show”.

In the lastest episode, we talk to Paul Doran!

Paul has been a trader since he was 14. In all walks of life. Starting with a pencil, at the back of a library in Liverpool, back in the early 1980’s.

Rather than going to school. He started a business from a shared £50 per week office in the late 1990’s aged 24. And retired at 34.

During that crazy 10 year period, he built multiple businesses in different industries.

And, he has this message that he would like to share with the world.

‘Be happy…..no matter what!’

The ‘no matter what’ is vital.

You can listen to the show on a number of different podcast platforms including iTunes,Google Podcasts, Radio Public, Spotify, Deezer and Stitcher!

On Saturday 24th August, La Vuelta a España started!

The 2019 La Vuelta a España is a three-week Grand Tour cycling stage race that is taking place in Spain, Andorra and France between 24 August and 15 September 2019.

The race will be the 74th edition of La Vuelta a España and will be the final Grand Tour of the 2019 cycling season.

For the majority of businesses and people, this will mean nothing and they will not even be aware that this is on. However, if you love cycling or your company, suppliers to clients are into the race, you should be to.

But why?

One of the main rules of marketing is to understand your customer and talk about what they are talking about. In a nutshell, if they are interested, you should be talking about it.

This can be sometimes hard to weave into your social media and your marketing plans so here are a few ideas depending on what industry you’re in!

Gyms and Health Clubs: Run challenges for your members based on the 3-week race.

Food Retailers: Use examples of your products that could fuel the riders during and after each stages.

Business Coaches: Talk about the techniques that the riders/team would be using. Look at the team tactics, briefings and ways they improve the riders mindsets.

Hotels: Talk about the tweaks that the team could make to improve the riders stay. Also, if you have hotels in the areas close the race, post about their availability.

Physiotherapists: Talk about the ways the riders recover after each stage and how riders can work on their own bodies.

Cycling Retailers: Showcase the individual stage and talk about the results each day. Also showcase the clothing, accessories and bikes they would be using.

Car manufacturers: Talk about the vehicles that they would be using and what they will be going through. Supply routes to your customers if they wanted to recreate the routes after the race.

Communication Firms: Talk about how the teams and riders are communicating and the technology behind it.

There are many more ways you can weave the ace into your strategy especially if one of your suppliers or clients are participating in the event.

If I’ve missed your industry, let us know and I’ll add an idea for your sector hope you enjoy the La Vuelta!!

This week we launched the BRAND NEW Episode of “The Grow Show”. This fortnightly show will feature some of the top business owners to help you grow yourself, grow your business and grow your community!

In the seventh episode of “The Grow Show”, we talk to Kimba Cooper from Kimba Digital!

We talk about all things Instagram and this podcast will cover:

• The mistakes people make
• Tip tops
• How to grow your audience
• How to use hashtags
• And hula hooping???

You can listen to the show on a number of different podcast platforms including iTunes,Google Podcasts, Radio Public, Spotify, Deezer and Stitcher!

Hope you enjoy the show!

Are you struggling with your marketing activities and you’re scared of keep asking for advice?

Do you want to have a on-line community that is actively encouraging you to create and share ideas and best practices?

Are you looking to understand digital marketing more and get better results? 

On the 2nd January, The Grow Academy will be open to help with all of these questions and so much more!

We will be your on-line support team to help you grow your skills, your business and your community. All of the things we talk about have been tried and tested and this is your safe space to ask any questions you have. 

To do this, The Grow Academy focuses on three main pillars. 

1. Grow Yourself
2. Grow Your Business
3. Grow Your Community 

Let’s have a deeper look at each of these…..

Grow Yourself

• We have 1,5 or 14 Day Challenges on different topics to improve your digital marketing skills. These are available any time so you can start these whenever you want to
• Access to the monthly virtual workshop based around different topics with new ones added each month
• Daily tasks to help you generate ideas for your social media, improve your brand awareness and to take your marketing forward
• Access for the BRAND NEW10 Week Social Media Boot-camp (Coming January 2020) which focuses on you and your skills
• Guides and downloads about different topics for you to look at and use at your leisure 

Grow Your Business

• There will be monthly review tasks for you to understand your numbers better so you can achieve greater results. 
• Weekly chance to advertise your business on a Facebook Live
• Templates to help you monitor and track your social media activity

Grow Your Community

• Network with the other members of The Grow Academy
• Monthly Facebook Live to get together and celebrate our learning and successes
• Bounce ideas with members of the academy
• Learn how to create more contacts online and in person

You will be able to access all of this and more for only £50 per month!

The Grow Academywill hang out in two places, our own dedicated website and our closed Facebook Group. 

Within the Facebook Group, you will see all of the daily tasks, links to the challenges, relevant marketing articles, be able communicate with the other members and have chances to go live in the group. This will be the perfect place to test out ideas and gain confidence before taking it to the outside world.

On our dedicated website, you will have access to all of the tasks, challenges, workbooks and templates and book your places on our training courses and workshops. All of this is available 24 hour’s a day so you can access this any time you want!

I really do get that digital marketing and social media can be scary and daunting and that’s why as a member, you can ask us any questions in the group and receive 50% off any services fromThe Grow Academyincluding 1-2-1 training (over Skype or in person). 

Oh wait….. I forgot to mention that the first 30 people who sign up will get this for £30 per month instead of the £50! 

If you are still reading and you’re still not sure, give me a call on 07866602507 and I happily answer any questions you have. 

To sign up, click here NOW!

See you in The Grow Academy!!