Posted on by camellia's cottage

How to Run a Successful Giveaway!

My last post was about My March Madness Giveaway! Thank you if you entered! The winners were notified personally and in my last newsletter! I had a great time! And I promised I would let you know some things I feel you need to run a successful giveaway. So here goes!

Choose a Prize for Your Giveaway – This may seem obvious, yet I think there’s a skill to it. Choose something or things that will be valuable to your audience. Valuable enough that your audience will want to win what you’ve offered.

Decide on the Outcome You Want and Where Your Results will show up best– For me, I wanted to increase the number of folks who receive my Newsletter! I try to do this newsletter once or twice a month. It’s full of tips you can use in your ‘Cottage Industry’ , small business and more.. And, that’s where the Details for my Giveaway appeared! That and some posts on Instagram.

Best Tip: Make sure you make the Entry to your Giveaway, easily achievable– and I have to add this, please, please value every email address you have! Folks don’t give those away lightly- we’re already overwhelmed as it is! Right?

Choose Which Social Media Platform(s) you’ll Use for Your Giveaway I used my Blog- right here! which automatically posts to several social media sites! I promoted it on my Blog and the other social media site I used regularly was Instagram. Why? Well, it’s my favorite along with this blog, yet I think Instagram is the best social media platform for me to use right now, and some think Giveaways are more successful on Instagram and Facebook. Of course, use the best platform for yourself- where you have the most growth and interaction.

Decide on Length of Time for Giveaway I ran my giveaway for 10 days.. personally I think this may have been too long- though I was going by a statistic that only 4% of your audience even looks at your posts daily. So, that guided my decision on how long to run the giveaway.

I’ve seen two giveaways lately- one for a Travel Sitewith lots of prizes and their’s lasted a Month! It was highly interactive and frankly too much trouble for the average product or service giveaway. The software alone would take a major amount of time to create is you’re running your business mostly on your own. Another Giveway I saw was a 1:1 with two major retailers who joined forces and offered this! They were Mickey Drexler and Bobbi Brown. This giveaway was for? 5-7 days.

What will be Your Entry ‘Fee’?– Be sure to list the Rules for your Giveaway– As I said before, my Entry ‘Fee’ was to sign up for my Newsletter! Yours could be an actual product you sell, it could be a coaching session, a PDF with valuable information. It could be a short video training… just make sure it’s Good Enough that folks will really want what you’re giving away!

Why sign up for my Newsletter? Well.. I’ve been giving out Marketing Tips for well over 2 years! And, with a 70% plus open rate- you may want to add it to your reading list! Also, when I did the giveaway, I wanted to reward my existing newsletter subscribers! That’s coming up soon- If you sign up- well, you’ll get the Bonus too!

Tip: Make it Easy! Mine was very easy- I have a Sign Up Form that is linked on my Instagram and I put links where my blog was posted and I’m very happy with the results! Here’s my link again:Sign up for my Newsletter! I hope you’ll sign up for mine!

here’s that link again; https://skilled-author-7671.ck.page/74d4fe914d

You will need to Plan Your Posts! Blog, Newsletter, Social Media This is important! When you decide to do a Giveaway- Plan plan plan! Plan the Images, Plan the Wording of the Giveaway (mine were actually done in a Quote Format, Plan your Content. Send out multiple reminders- for me this meant sending out additional emails. It also meant doing the posts in different formats- I wrote a Blog post, I wrote a Newsletter, then sent out an ICYMI repeat of my newsletter, I did at least 5 posts on Instagram and multiple Stories, even a Reel or two! It wasn’t hard to plan, yet I realized that the preparation for it- made it easier while the Giveaway was running.

Choosing Winners isn’t Easy. This was perhaps the most difficult part of the Giveaway for me. So? What can you do to alleviate the stress of it? I had some input from someone I trust. I also ‘gave points’ for the Enthusiasm level for the contest or what their response was to a certain gift I was giving away! And.. I also gave points for folks who shared my giveaway to their Instagram Stories or shared a post I had done about it. Because after all, that speaks to how much they value their community and the prizes they needed or wanted!

Contact Winners, they may or may not Accept the Prize Before I ever awarded the prizes, I had narrowed my ‘winners’ down, some categories had several people who had earned the ‘points’ yet, and this is a Big Yet- Would they accept the prize if it was offered? Because let’s face it- it they don’t want the prize- it’s not really helpful to you and for sure puts that person in a bad situation, if their name is announced and they just can’t accept it because of personal or professional situations that just aren’t right at the time of the giveaway. Be sensitive to that- I think this part is important.

Where will you Announce the Winners? I chose to announce my winners through my newsletter because that was the way participants entered the contest. I also sent that out twice because there were a few that had signed up yet for some reason, the newsletter bounced or even may have gone to their spam boxes if the newsletter was new to them. I also followed up with the winners through a private direct message.

Check Your Results! This might be the most important part of the Giveaway! Did you achieve what you wanted the giveaway to achieve for you? I checked my analytics. I had gained subscribers to my newsletter! I was actually amazed to see it in black and white. And… the newsletter has grown even more since the the giveaway has ended? Why? Well, it’s because I had told my loyal newsletter winners that they would also Win? Whether they won a prize or not, I will be giving them something special through my newsletter- (a link to this blog post for one thing) and a short video training and PDF that they can download!

So! Do I recommend doing a Giveaway? YES! I hope you’ll try it, and I’d love to know how it goes!

Love y’all, Brenda

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You don’t have to Know Everything to get Where You Want to Go…

Hello!

Is January over? Wow! That went by fast! I hope you’re doing well and the New Year is kind to you already. Here? It’s been sort of crazy, the kind of crazy that’s left me feeling grateful, anxious and my inner perfectionist reared its head several times. Basically, I believe that Procrastination has its roots in Perfectionism, I’ve felt stuck, and overwhelmed more than once! Not to mention a few other personal things going on- that needed to be seen about!

Anyway… first of all, to those Mentors who’ve made wonderful suggestions- thank you and please know- that my high anxiety and perfectionism delayed implementing your suggestions! Getting back on track now!

Now- the Gratefulness has to be told! I put out a Free Pro Tip Masterclass and! Almost 300 have checked it out! Unbelievable for me. Why?

Well, the first announcement was sort of crazy. I didn’t like the way it looked- not my style. Then, I did another one… Yikes! I misspelled the word Marketing– ha! Ditch that one! I redid it and that one has been deemed Ok. However, the Pro Tips Masterclass had been released in Beta Format and to be honest- to me? It just wasn’t pretty. Ok I cried. A little. Now, the Masterclass has been redone and if you’ve gone through it (thank you!)

Still. If you signed up before last Friday January 27- you may want to go through it again! You have unlimited access!

Now, about that Quote- I used it almost 4 years ago! Someone new to my site- took the time to read it, I thought – ‘Maybe I need another look at it too! ‘

You don’t have to know Everything to Get Where You Want to Go’

Brenda Wyatt

Here’s part of the post-

‘Life is my favorite adventure! And the beauty of it is this- ‘You don’t have to know ‘everything’ to get where you want to go.’

 

A Caterpillar has a good plan… Eat all the Leafy Greens you can without knowing how to spin a Cocoon, until the time comes to attach itself to a stick and bit by bit- spinning a Cocoon seems the most natural thing in the world!

The Caterpillar does all it knows to do- living its purpose, without knowing one thing about Flying!

The Cocoon knows nothing about Color Schemes, flight engineering or spreading it’s wings- living in cramped quarters and all…

The Cocoon might look like it’s just hanging around, not doing much of anything- yet inside- an amazing transformation is taking place!

There’s always the struggle to do more, be more than the Caterpillar ever dreamed or planned. The Cocoon looks like it’s doing nothing- It’s all happening in the Dark!

Ultimately the Cocoon’s shell cannot hold the Butterfly back as it’s Life’s Plan unfolds… Without ‘knowing everything’ the Butterfly Soars! A Flower in Flight!

——————————————————————————————————————————–

Nope, Life isn’t perfect, yet hopefully it’s better than when you started, right? Every step along the way has a purpose! I believe that!

And here’s a little tip: You’ve written lots of content- even the Big Brands use and reuse their content! Just rearrange it a bit to suit the moment! I tend to forget that myself!

Again, if you would like to take a look at the FREE Pro Tips Masterclass –

  • It’s full of Color Tips,
  • has some Design Tips,
  • talks about Props, Images and Materials,
  • an easy Writing Lesson,
  • an Easy Way to Find Your Ideal Customer,
  • Carousel Posts,
  • Hashtag Training and
  • Marketing Tips-
  • You won’t want to miss the PDF’s that go with this Masterclass!

Here’s the Link: for Be Unforgettable Pro Tips Masterclass! It’s Free and here’s the Link:

Be Unforgettable Pro Tip Masterclass

 

I hope you find it helpful and don’t forget it’s Free!

Love y’all. Brenda

Creator of Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing (it’s still in Beta Format too! Updates coming soon! Here’s the link if you’d like to take a look:

Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing

Posted on by camellia's cottage

Don’t Wait until it’s Perfect..

Don’t Wait until it’s Perfect, just get Started. This is a quote I wrote as a reminder to myself. Am I a perfectionist? I don’t think so, yet when I’m writing I want to express myself in a way that serves the reader and not myself. That’s always been true, no matter the subject.

Do I have bouts of procrastination? Yep that happens. Am I anxious about things? Yep, that too.

Okay- here’s what happened recently. I had set a goal, a deadline also. I needed to add some new segments to my online course- Be Unforgettable Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing. https://camellia-s-cottage- blog.mykajabi.com/about-course-copy-1-ed7ee1ac-4438-4133-968b-ffee43106f2b

It was in the Launch Phase and had had wonderful reviews and good results- I wanted it to be better, more informative. I had done the work. Still. I wasn’t going to meet the deadline or the goal. It wasn’t perfect. My timing was awful it seemed to me.

After stewing about it. I regrouped and thought- ‘Well, I could add all of these Pro Tips and put them into a Free Masterclass‘- which I have done. I still missed my deadline on that project too.

Let’s just say, I’m still tech challenged! Does that matter? Maybe. Who knows? What really matters is..

  • That it Serves Folks and helps them with what they post and how.
  • That it’s helpful to the ones who need to uplevel the looks of what they post.
  • That it helps folks learn a few things about Writing Content.
  • That learn an easier way to share their Values in ways that aren’t offensive.
  • That they learn a few Easier Ways to Market (sell) their products and services.
  • And more…

So, even though it wouldn’t be perfect or meet the deadline- it Would be a Way to Serve. And, I decided early on- that I would offer it Free. Yes, that’s right. Free.

2023 isn’t going to be a Year when we want to do fancy stuff- it’s Back to Basics Time. Money may be tight for those who Offer Products and Services. It’s going to be a Year when we all feel like Beginner’s again or Even Dreamers. I love those folks. I hope to Serve them. I hope to Motivate them too. In fact, those are my ‘Words of the Year’ for my community. Motivate and Serve.

So- I decided Voltaire is Right- ‘Perfect is the Enemy of the Good.’ I hope you will too.

If we wait until it’s all Perfect? There may be people who need what we have. Need what we have to Write or Say. Think of those folks. Decide right now, that it’s less important that we are Heard and far more important that we make them know they are Heard.

That in our Listening- We make them Feel that we can be part of their Solution rather than sitting on our hands, our words, our solutions and waiting for Perfection. We decided to Motivate and Serve.

Love y’all, Brenda.

PS the Pro Tips Masterclass is Live! And yes, it’s Free! It will take about an hour to watch or you can stop and resume as you have time!

If you’d like to see what it’s all about, here’s the link for Be Unforgettable Pro Tip Masterclass:https://camellia-s-cottage-blog.mykajabi.com/sales-page and no, it’s probably not perfect, but that’s ok too! All the best in the New Year!

Posted on by camellia's cottage · 6 Comments

Time. A great Motivator and a Stressor…

time warp
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Hello!

As the holidays are approaching faster than the blink of an eye- here are some things I say and hear all the time- ‘I don’t have Time.’ or ‘Where has the time gone?’ The ever-present holiday lament- ‘I can’t believe Christmas is almost here.’ Of course, I Hope that means you’re selling a lot or that your business has taken off. Still. Time is a precious commodity and how in the world will we ‘get it all done?’ Before you can Tick – it’s already become Tock, right?

In early spring of last year, I wrote an Instagram post about Clocks. Clocks as props, Clocks as inspiration. Clocks as a design principle and writing prompts. Clocks are some of my favorite images- especially vintage clocks. Yet, the subject was also about Time as a great Motivator and a Stressor too. Here’s what I wrote about that

‘Time. A great Motivator and a Stressor. Time. Save it. Waste it. Use it. Yet, remember down time isn’t a waste of time- it helps develop Strategic Stamina… Pause. Think. Strike a balance as you can. That’s where your Best Self and State of Mind thrives.’

Since I know your Time is limited,

here’s a few tips I’ve learned and continue to learn and relearn…

Here are a few I’ve learned recently- from a Huge Influencer whose summit I attended several weeks ago.

  • Write one piece of Long Form content- such as a blog post or newsletter each week. Post that.
  • Then, using the long form content, 4 times per week post somewhere, using portions of your long form content. It doesn’t have to be Instagram or Facebook. The postings can be done anywhere.
  • That gives you 2 days off, as I said- ‘to develop Strategic Stamina.
round brown wall clock
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And here are a few more thoughts on Time. We are consuming too much information and imagery. Overwhelm sets in. Filter out of an overwhelmed mind what is ‘urgent’ and what is

And here are a few more thoughts on Time. Thoreau said: ‘It’s not enough to be busy, so are the Ants. The question is- What are we busy about?’ Some days we feel productive, others not so much. Here’s why I think: We are consuming too much information and imagery. Overwhelm sets in.

Filter out of an overwhelmed mind what is ‘urgent’ and what is ‘important’. Sellers tend to create a ‘Sense of Urgency’ – yet the most effective ones create a ‘Sense of the Important’. Which brings me to the obvious-

Are you doing too much of the hard sell? Is it working for you? Shoppers are overwhelmed- just as you need to aware of overwhelm for yourself- recognize that overwhelming your potential customers may actually be putting them in a state of overwhelm and worse? Indecision! Far more effective are Gift Guides. Post those once a week. Highlight individual items and Post Less!

How do we do that?

  • First, I believe that history will be curious about what folks were doing. So, post what you love, what you’re doing at work or having fun.
  • There’s an 80/20 rule at play- 80% is supposed to be about your customer, 20% is to be about You. It drives that all important- Know. Like. Trust. Factor. (An exception is when you’re first getting started and growing your account- you may need to add in more about yourself! Participate in challenges. Join free workshops.)
  • I tend to follow folks who are just being themselves. They’re not perfect any more than I am. It’s great to have all the beauty you can muster, yet there’s a case to be made for being authentic. The Big Guys will affirm this! And really, who wants to be ‘sold’ all the time? Not me. Let me get to know you! (a Big PS to the students in my course, soon the Content Bucket Training will be posted! It addresses this dilemma.)
  • Don’t just post and forget it. I allow 15 minutes after I post to ‘like and comment’ on other sites, it’s not called Social Media for nothing! Then I may check back in later in the day. On off days, I do the same. I love to see what you’re up to!
caption for image

And remember this, Life rarely works out Exactly like we plan, it usually turns out like it’s Supposed to- despite setbacks- just give it Time.

Pause. Think. Strike a Balance as best you can. That’s what developing Strategic Stamina is all about!

Love y’all, Brenda

When I created my course- one of my objectives was to help busy business folks Save Time. One student even told me that she had been looking at YouTubes, Articles and more trying to piece together a plan. With this course, it was all in one place which would help her save So Much Time.

If this course is something you think you can use, remember January is the month to grow and learn. It is currently at launch price and being updated with new trainings now, so the price will increase slightly after the first of the year.

Also in the works is a Masterclass that will have lots of Pro Tips. Just send an email to: brenda@brenda-wyatt.com to get on the waiting list for that!

Okay- here’s the link to ‘Be Unforgettable’ online marketing course:

https://camellia-s-cottage-blog.mykajabi.com/about-course:

Posted on by camellia's cottage · 4 Comments

Walk the Path of Gratitude…

Hello,

I hope you’re doing wonderfully well as we transition from Fall to Winter Holiday Season! No matter where I am- woodland, backroads, seaside or urban, it’s an important exercise for me to Walk the Path of Gratitude. Gratitude is the great attitude adjustment for me.​
. I’m thankful for a holiday dedicated to gratitude, a time to express it among family and friends. Which I thoroughly enjoyed. As Thanksgiving comes to a golden close, let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude for you here in my happy place!
I’m grateful for your kind and encouraging words. I love sharing with you. Your comments lift my spirits when they need it, you make me laugh and laugh with me. Perhaps most important- what you say and do make me Think. Think in new and different ways, think more deeply and thoughtfully.
I’m thankful for the cheerleaders (never discount these folks because they make our day and also count toward engagement which is the best!) I’m grateful for your support. Those who’ve coached me or allowed me to support them in some way.

I truly enjoy having a supporting role. It is in that supporting role that I write my newsletter, post on social media and have created my course. Those who are currently in my course are a huge inspiration to me! I’m so grateful you’ve taken a chance on me and what I’m sharing with you! You All inspire me!

Before this gets too long and drawn out- I’m grateful that you show up in inspiring ways. You all have different talents and gifts. Here’s what I think about that.
.If you have something exquisitely unique- don’t hide it away collecting dust. Share it with others who need you.

You never know who you may inspire to go a bit farther, to keep on trying, to start showing up with their own beautiful remarkable gifts.

Love y’all, Brenda

If you need help sharing your exquisitely unique gifts or talents- I’d love to help! My online course is available at launch price until January 2023. *If you know someone who may enjoy this blog or may want to ‘Grow and Learn’ Feel Free to pass this along! January is considered the Best Month to Learn and Grow!

*For those who are currently taking the course or have finished, there are several new segments added! The course is being updated right now!

I’m Brenda Wyatt- Creator of ‘Be Unforgettable’ online marketing course- if you or someone you may know think this could help you- Click here for ‘Be Unforgettable’ Beginner’s Guide to Visual Marketing:

https://camellia-s-cottage-blog.mykajabi.com/about-course: Walk the Path of Gratitude…

all the best! Follow me on Instagram @brendawyatt_ for more tips on marketing!