I think the why part is really important because a lot of times people set these empty goals that are typically revenue goals, that there's no basis or backing behind, like, why they want it. And so if they're hard to achieve, because it just seems like it's about the money.
Welcome to thrive by design, the podcast for ambitious independent jewelry brands, looking to profit from their products, get ready to make more and sell more doing what you love, without spending every single waking minute doing it. Hey, and if you're a creative fashion or product based business, I want to welcome you to the show. I'll be dropping big tips on launching, growing and scaling your business. So you can spend more of your precious time using your creativity to make money. You ready? All right, let's do this.
Welcome to the Thrive by Design podcast episode 283. Hey, there, it's Happy New Year, it's Tracy Matthews here. Can you believe it? I honestly have never been so excited to let go of a year. This year, 2020 was amazing in so many ways. I mean, look, I developed this amazing relationship with my boyfriend, Jason, I moved out of New York City who would have ever thought we had a great holiday season and just kind of doing a low key thing with Jason and the kids. And, you know, here we are, it's 2021. And it's time to rock this.
So, you know, one of the things that I think has been really interesting to watch is how so many people have experienced and used this year, this past year as an opportunity for like, basically death and rebirth. And let me mention what I mean by that. Because, you know, I think that this 2020 was really a year signifying of like things no matter who you are, what you think what your thoughts, beliefs, all those things are just to let go of stuff that wasn't working and and be able to like resurrect into something completely new for this new year.
You know, towards the end of the year, in November, just in December, I did a couple of different master classes, talking about marketing strategies that are actually working right now. And also helping people get really clear on what they want to create for this new year. And it really starts with getting crystal clear on what you want, and why you want it. And I think the why part is really important, because a lot of times people set these empty goals that are typically revenue goals, that there's no basis or backing behind, like, why they want it. And so if they're hard to achieve, because it just seems like it's about the money, when it's never really about the money.
Like the reason why you want to have a successful business is typically, because all of the other things that it actually offers you. And so think about it this way, like let's say that, you know, you want to send your kids to dance class, or you want to take your family on a vacation, or you want to create financial security for yourself. And I heard this a lot that people were in a not so great relationship, and they had been supported by a spouse. And they wanted to have financial freedom, so that they felt secure to raise their child as a single parent. You know, there's a lot of reasons that people want it. And I think sometimes it becomes really challenging if you're only thinking about the money, and not getting to the underlying reason about why you want these things. And that's why every January, I love to really dive in with our community. And we're offering a brand new challenge this year, that is going to help you really think about your marketing in a new way.
So you can start setting yourself up for success with your sales goals. Because at the end of the day, what we do know is that online sales are not going away, people who really leaned into it in 2020, we're able to replace their lost income in a variety of different ways. And even if you didn't hit the previous year's sales goal, you probably if you leaned into this online marketing thing you probably were seeing record breaking numbers on for website sales and inquiries on your website if you were doing it right. And if you didn't get it really dialed in, or if you started to get it sort of dialed in, and you want some more support that's what this Marketing Challenge is all about. So we're doing a brand new challenge in January, we've never done this before.
It's called the Marketing Makeover Challenge is specifically for jewelry and creative product business owners who have a website or who are retailers, or makers who are selling in a variety of different ways. We want to help you really elevate how you're reaching your customers online or potential customers because a lot of times their prospects, right? And show you how to effectively connect with them, to get them in to your sales funnel. And to also like create content that people actually enjoy consuming, hence creating them and turning them into your loyal followers. And so at the end of this challenge, it's a really short challenge.
It's a three day challenge because we want to we know that people are busy and you might be even working with your kids at home and we want to keep you focused instead of being distracted. So the whole thing is going to be tight right in super short. And then we're ending this with an amazing masterclass. And then we'll be partying for several days after in the Facebook group that we develop to help you kind of implement and put into action, what you've learned. So if you're interested in joining us, the challenge starts on January 18. But I highly encourage you to get on the waitlist now, because we're starting the pre party really soon, like in a couple of days.
So head on over to www.flourishthriveacademy.com/marketingmakeover and you can get on the challenge waitlist right there, make sure when you do it, that you also RSVP for your time slot for the masterclass because those are going to fill up really quickly. And you definitely want to make sure that you do that, as well. So I'm excited about it, you are going to have a blast. Trust me on this one. It's really good. I have Allison helping me with it. And Alison is our new content creation manager. She does all of our social media. And she's also helping us with content behind the scenes, and she knows her thing. When it comes to digital and online marketing. She comes from the agency world and has had a really successful time, helping other people use content and social media marketing to grow their business. And so I think you're really going to enjoy this and you're going to meet some of my new team members, which is super exciting.
So head on over to www.flourishthriveacademy.com/marketingmakeover and check it out right now. Alright, let's dive in to the episode today. You know, as I mentioned before, 2020 truly change the jewelry and product industry forever. People are buying online more than ever these days. So it's absolutely vital that you have a strategic online marketing plan in order to compete with other people in the industry. Now the good news is that your dream clients are excited for you to show up on their radars to data from the end of 2020 shows that 57% of consumers are happy to learn about new products and services from different types of brands, social feeds.
So today, I'm going to walk you through the top five online marketing strategies for 2021 that you need to lean into to create some growth. So shall we let's do this. Oh, and I also want to mention, just because I love him so much, and he's so brilliant. Is it last week, if you haven't listened to the episode from last week with Jason, definitely check it out. We talked about how to find your North Star. It's an amazing episode, we'll have it linked in the show notes for sure. And make sure that you check that out because he really just has a brilliant way of helping people think about how to really remove the stuff that's getting in their way of success. And this is where it really comes down to that why it's like why do you want to be successful? Why do you want to have those revenue goals that you have? Why? What's the underlying reasons about why you have your goals? Because if there isn't an underlying why the goal is probably not going to happen.
So we're gonna help you clear some of the mindset stuff in that episode. And today, I'm going to help you kind of lean more into the strategies. So strategy number one is to know your audience. So remember how I mentioned that social media usage has been up about 40 to 70%. This year? Well, that means that while there are more potential customers hanging out online, there's also a lot more competition and noise than ever before. So I don't want that to scare you. Because there are some things to consider because there's more people actually on these platforms. And there's one a tried and true strategy, that if you know, well, you're going to master it. And that strategy is really all about knowing your audience, as I mentioned.
So every jewelry brand should determine the specifics of who their dream customer is, and cater their content directly to that dream customers in every marketing effort that you do, so whether it's social media, email, messaging, ads, or on your website, this is really important. And so in the marketing makeover challenge that we're having, in a few weeks, we're going to be sharing with you a couple of really easy, simple to implement strategies to do this, to get clear on who your audience is and how to connect with them.
So I just wanted to mention that. And I also wanted to mention that when you see your followers engaging in your content, or when they see the content that you're creating, you want them to think like you want them in their heads to think this like oh my gosh, that's so me or oh my gosh, she made that just for me or like how did they know that? I was just thinking about that? Or how do they know that I was looking for that. So in 2021 moving forward, I have to remind you that this is a non negotiable because if you aren't showing up this way, in your feed and meeting your audience's need, someone else is going to and they're going to get that piece of your pie. So this is a big topic. And we cover all of this in our Laying the Foundation program.
We're going to be diving into some really easy tips to get you started with this and the marketing makeover challenge this next month, so get excited about this. Now let's talk about customer support, because this is important. Did you know that 49% of consumers say that the online brands on social media due to poor customer service. Now, that might sound a little bit weird, especially if they aren't customers yet, but it's true, our culture is shifting more and more towards a direction of where they value, amazing customer service support.
So if you're not giving too much top notch support, or what I like to call exceptional customer experiences, then you might be crushing your brand. And this means like, you know, you might be thinking, well, that's weird, because like if they haven't bought anything yet, like how is this customer's experience, but like, if you aren't responding to comments on their feed, or if you aren't, like answering their direct messages, or if you aren't, let's say delivering a great experience upfront, even before they buy, it's the same thing. So I want to remind you of this, because you might be wondering where a good place to start is.
So I want you to make sure that you never leave an email comment or direct message unanswered, as I mentioned before, and I also want you to try to reply within 24 hours of receiving a message. You know, we have some metrics over in our customer service support deck, we've had a 24 hour response time for a while, but we definitely are trying to improve that to a much shorter window. And those are the things that are important to us, because we know how important Customer service is. And it's so important because it really shows followers that you respect them. But it also helps you create a human connection between you and your following not just like them looking at images on a screen.
So it creates this like personality, and connection with your brand. So you can get really creative in how you can infuse personalization into your customer support interactions, especially on social media, because there's so many options. You can use emojis, gifts, and even images. And one of our favorites is you know, our team is like responding to DMs a lot on Instagram. And we're using video and voice chat to like actually talk back and forth with people because it's like an easy tool for us, we can just hit the record button and record but also, it's a great way to like really for people to understand a little bit more in depth because it takes a while to actually write a bunch of words, and you can say a lot more in the same time as speaking. So that adds just a little bit of an extra touch. So think about that.
Number three, this is one of my favorite get on the video content train, I'm making a commitment to get back on the video content. Train again this year. So video secured is placed in as an essential element pretty much of every marketing plan many many years ago. And in 2021 It's a non negotiable for brands who want to take off. So this allows you I mean, there's so many tools here, it's quick and easy to absorb, especially if they're short, it creates human connection, especially if you're looking at the your viewers in the eye, and also offers endless creative ways to sell your products and show the personality behind the brand.
Now, 2020 only further cemented the power of video because statistics show that by the end of 2020, YouTube engagement and views hit an all time high, with youtubers seeing a 20 to 30% more video views on their content. In fact, there are around 60 billion US users on YouTube every single day. So even if you aren't ready to crack the code with YouTube for your business yet, there are plenty of other opportunities that you can use video like on Facebook, you can use Instagram stories, Instagram TV, or igtv reels, tick tock all the things. And there are different ways to share instant Instagram videos.
Like if you're posting on Instagram, there are five different features within the app, you can post on your main feed in stories, igtv live videos and real so there's and you can also cross post them in the feed and in the other ways. So video I mean a video is not going anywhere. In fact, in our LTF program, there is even like a training on video marketing because it is so powerful. And there's so much you can do with video. And also a secret content creation hack. If you start with a piece of video content, and or audio content, it allows you to actually create content a lot faster because you can take that video content, have it transcribed, turn it into a blog post, turn it into other content and turn it into social media captions, turn it into an email, there's just so many things that you could do just by turning on your camera and talking or maybe having an outline and talking about those things.
So social media experts have shown that having a combined content strategy, or utilizing all the five types of content that you can have can improve your reach, and also creates more engagement on platforms like Instagram, which are so powerful for selling. So don't be shy, hop on the video content, train and 2021 and make sure that you join us for the challenge because we're going to talk a little bit about using video in that marketing. So let's do it. Okay, so now the next thing I want to talk about is Probably a touchy topic. And it's something that drives me bonkers. And it is something called cancel culture.
It's being used in a variety of ways right now. And this is why it is so important to emphasize transparency, I am going to be doing a podcast at a later date about how canceled culture is affecting creativity, because I think it blows I really think that we're in an existential crisis in a way, with the online world for very particular reasons. Because great ideas are being cancelled things, videos are getting censored, and there is this big kind of drive towards censorship right now. And you know, I'm not going to go deep into that, because it's a whole other conversation. But the online bullying in the online, like canceled culture thing that's happening right now, I can understand why it makes a lot of people like afraid to put themselves out there because like, you know, right now, like, it could be something as serious as like a serious social issue that people are talking about, if someone has a different opinion, or something that someone doesn't think is right, or if someone's not addressing a person in the way that they want to be addressed.
But they have no clue that that's how they want to be addressed. Like, there's so many variants of this. And I can understand how it might feel like it's crushing your creativity. But at the same point, I don't want to let this stop you because that is, that's not the way to roll. Instead, I want you to really think about how you can be more transparent with an emphasize transparency in your company. So what I mean by this is that the last thing you want your followers to do is to be shocked and surprised to learn information about your business. And so this really means it's time for you to put a stake in the ground about what you stand for.
So, I mean, I don't think most people use their business as a political vehicle, I actually don't recommend it unless like that's something that is like really ingrained in the core of your being. But there are ways to play stakes in the ground so that people actually know who you're for and who you're not. And so maybe you can share things about ethical sourcing and manufacturing efforts that are your best practices. Or make sure that you double check that those automated messages during peak times are working, when your team is out of office, like there's a lot of ways that you can be more transparent, so people don't get upset with you and your brand.
You know, as I'm saying this, like another really powerful thing comes to mind. Like I've seen this happening so many times where brands get basically ripped a new one, because I didn't respond in a timely manner to someone's inquiry or requests. I actually just saw something today online by a brand called, they are vintage jewelry company, where they were getting bullied by customers, because they got so many inquiries for this new piece that they posted. And direct message they go out of order if people keep messaging and messaging and so that, you know, people think that they're the first one to say like, I want to buy it and someone else gets it. And then someone posts something terrible about them on social media.
In fact, this happened to me last year, we got a one star review from someone who has never even purchased anything from us ever saying that we were a scam, that our company was a scam and that we just took people's money and ran with it. And I was like, I was like so upset because I take this stuff personally. And I would just start dating Jason at the time. And he's like, let's look this person up. And so we started this conversation with this person, I'm and I kept talking to her. I'm like, Well, can you please explain to me like how, when you've never purchased one of our products, why you're like why you're saying these things about my company. And she finally deleted comment. But at the same way, like you know, like if you offer full transparency, even if you get that, like a bad review or a bad comment, there's a way to handle that gracefully, to kind of show people what you really are as a brand.
So I don't want you to let these like bad things actually get you down. Because at the end of the day, people connect with people and they want to feel heard. So if you actually allow them to see that you're relatable, that you're human, that you make mistakes, and that you're willing to do a right or wrong, right, I guess is the right way to put it, then that gives you so much more power. Now. And the final thing that I want to talk about here today is really about your content strategy. And now more than ever, it is really important to get creative with interactive content so that you're putting content out there that actually engages with people. So you're talking with them, instead of at them.
So this is like last, but it's not the least. And we are going to be projecting or the industry is projecting a spike in a desire for interactive content from users in 2021. So this is essentially any content that allows users to engage in a deeper and more involved way. Now a few examples of this are quizzes, free guides, virtual events, infographics, challenges and other types of contests, where you can give stuff away
Now, each of these ideas can encourage customers to spend more time with your brand, simply by reading a blog or social media and many of these activities also involve conversation or commentary. little extra thought or additional value add to the user. So I love me some data points. And so we're going to share this one with you because research has shown that 68% of consumers want to engage with images, while 50% want to engage with video content. So the bulk of interactive content must be visual and nature in some way, shape, or form in order to be successful. So get creative with the ways to offer a true experience for your followers. And make sure that you're staying true to what your brand is all about. And, you know, we're going to be uncovering more of these ideas in the Marketing Makeover Challenge, which is happening starting January 18.
So I would love for you to join us for that. It is a short window, the challenge runs from January 18, to the 21st, then we have a couple days on the back end, through the 28th to help you really get connected and implement what you're learning, get some quick wins in your business. So we're excited about it. Head on over to flourish, thrive academy.com forward slash marketing makeover, to register for the challenge and our bonus masterclass right there. And make sure that you do it. Now we're expecting this to be a really popular challenge, because I know a lot of makers, designers and retailers are really trying to level up their online experience this year.
So let's do this. We got you and we're ready to roll together and crush 2021 like nobody's business. And finally, I just want to wish you a Happy New Year again, I hope that you had an amazing holiday season and I really, really, really sincerely wish you the best in 2021 for an amazing year to come because you have so much power you have so much potential. And if you get really clear on the why of why you want all those goals and objectives for the year, then, you know you're really in the right place because we're gonna do this. I'm confident I'm ready to rock and roll. Let's do this. Alright, Ciao. Ciao for now and I'm looking forward to supporting you in our Marketing Makeover Challenge.
Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. It's my mission to help 1000s of creative businesses inside and outside the jewelry space use their creativity to make money. Make sure that you're subscribed to thrive by design on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever podcasts are played. And we'd love to hear what you think. Please rate and review the show and if you're inspired, please share this with your friends. Cheers to seeing you flourish and thrive.
