Imperfect Action

Thought you’d finished planning for 2020 with the last episode? Nope! In today’s episode, I’ve enlisted the help of Claire Deane from Deane and Co to plan your marketing strategy and map out your marketing plan for 2020. Claire brings over 15 years of marketing experience to the table, so needless to say she knows a thing or two about marketing planning! In this episode, we cover: Why it’s so important to enter 2020 with an overall marketing strategy and marketing plan. Where to start with planning your marketing for 2020. How to determine how much budget to allocate to your marketing for 2020 - as well as what to do if you have no budget. How far in advance to plan your content calendar. You can find out more about Claire and her CMO on-demand service at https://www.deaneand.co/ or at @deaneand.co on Instagram. Have you downloaded my free ebook - The Complete Roadmap for a Killer Launch? Grab it at stephtaylor.co/launch

Planning your business for 2020? Now there’s a daunting thought. But, it has to be done, which is why I’ve enlisted the help of today’s guest, Lauren Stratford, to help you plan your business for 2020, one step at a time. Some of the things we covered: What it means to intentionally design your business, and how this plays out inside your business. Why it’s important to plan 2020 for your business and start the year with a plan of attack. Where the heck to start planning for 2020! Lauren’s best tools and tips to speed up the planning process. How to feel a little bit less overwhelmed when you look at your 2020 plan. You can find out more about Lauren at www.seriouslysorted.com.au Have you downloaded my free ebook - The Complete Roadmap for a Killer Launch? Grab it at stephtaylor.co/launch

When did you last take a holiday from your business? A real, no-wifi holiday. I've only had one or two during my time in business - but they were exactly what I needed. This episode, I’m sharing my top tips for taking a holiday from your business, so you can recharge and come back bursting with motivation and ideas. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @stephtaylor.co

I use a ton of marketing tools in running my businesses - in fact, I reckon I’ve tried and tested a few hundred small business marketing tools and apps over the past few years. This episode, I’m running you through the key apps I use, love and recommend. Yes, this episode does contain some affiliate links, but you can rest assured I’m only recommending tools that I genuinely love. See the full list of marketing tools I use at http://stephtaylor.co/30 Are we Insta-friends yet? Find me @stephtaylor.co

Flori Pyke is one half of The Elevatory, where she supports rising female entrepreneurs through coaching, training and resources. In today's episode, we're talking ALL things scaling your business - because it can be a terrifying process and most of us don't know where to begin. In this episode, we talk about: Planning to scale your business and why it's important to start doing this before you're ready. What the key foundations are for a scalable business and how to start putting these in place from day one. When to start scaling and how to figure out whether you're ready to scale. Where the heck to start scaling your business, once you know that you're ready to scale. The mindset work involved in scaling a business and how to overcome these mindset struggles. You can find Flori at https://www.theelevatory.com/ and @theelevatory on Instagram. Don't forget to grab my freebie for you - The Complete Roadmap for a Killer Launch: http://stephtaylor.co/launch Are we Instagram friends yet? Find me at @stephtaylor.co

When I first pivoted my business to focus on launching, I had a few listeners and followers reach out to tell me they’d no longer be following my business or listening to my podcast because launching wasn’t relevant to them. Ummm, guys… Launching is relevant to EVERYONE who runs a business. When you’re creating a new service offering, you have to launch it into the world. When you’re bringing out a new product range, you have to launch it into the world. When you’re running a flash sale, you have to launch it somehow. So, this episode, I’m sharing why you can’t avoid launching forever. Grab my free ebook - The Complete Roadmap for a Killer Launch: http://stephtaylor.co/roadmap

Zach Spuckler is the founder of Heart, Soul and Hustle, which is a Facebook Ads agency. But, it wasn’t always that way! In today’s episode, Zach and I are chatting all things business pivots - because, you shouldn’t stick with something if it’s not working for you anymore. In this episode we talked about: Why Zach decided to pivot Heart Soul and Hustle from being a digital product business, to an agency-model business. The fear that Zach faced when it came to telling people about the pivot, and where he believes this fear was coming from. How he identified the signs that it was time for Heart Soul and Hustle to pivot. Zach’s biggest tips on how to pivot your business. Find more about Zach Spuckler and Heart Soul and Hustle at www.heartsoulhustle.com and @heartsoulhustle on Instagram. Download my Complete Roadmap to a Killer Launch: http://stephtaylor.co/roadmap Follow me on Instagram: @stephtaylor.co

I recently pivoted my business AGAIN. This is now my 3rd business pivot in 4 years, but I’m finally in a place that feels right. I finally feel like I’m doing what lights me up and what gets me genuinely excited - and that is, launching. This episode, I’m sharing some of the reasons behind why I chose to pivot my business AGAIN… Download my Complete Roadmap to a Killer Launch: http://stephtaylor.co/roadmap Follow me on Instagram: @stephtaylor.co

In October, I committed to showing my face on Instagram Stories every single day. It’s now November, and I can gladly say that I succeeded. In this episode, I’m looking at what happened as a result of showing my face on IG stories every day. Some episode highlights: Why I decided to show up every day for a month on IG Stories. How I managed to not run out of Instagram Story content ideas. What happened as a result of me showing up every day (including the big question: Did I get more IG Story viewers?) AND, the big thing I’m committing to for the rest of this year. Download my Complete Roadmap to a Killer Launch: http://stephtaylor.co/roadmap Follow me on Instagram: @stephtaylor.co

Launching a new business, product or podcast isn't easy (or everyone would be doing it!) There are so many moving parts that need to be aligned before the launch can go ahead. In today's episode, I'm looking at how to plan your social media content for a new business launch. Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

All too often, I see people launch a business and then straight away start focusing all their energy on getting more Instagram followers or growing their email list. If you’re jumping straight to these things, then there are some big marketing foundations that you’re overlooking. This episode, I’m going to run through 5 big things you’re overlooking in your marketing. Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Not sure how to build your email list? Wanna start with email marketing? Today I’m going to run you through the steps in email list building, so you can grow your email list on autopilot. And when your email list growth is on autopilot, it means you don’t have to stress about where your next sale is coming from. Purchase the 3-Day Email Marketing Kickstarter: http://stephtaylor.co/email Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Building an email list is super important for your business. Why? Well, getting more Instagram followers or Facebook page likes is nice, but you're building your audience on borrowed land. Your email list is something YOU own. But, if you’re starting your email list from scratch, it can feel a bit pointless at the start. You feel like you’re just emailing crickets - and that nobody cares. This episode, I’m looking at a few reasons you should start building your email list, like yesterday. Follow me on Instagram: @stephtaylor.co

Kate Williams is the legend behind Retreat Yourself Box, a wellness brand that she built from the ground up. This episode, we chat about how Kate launched and grew Retreat Yourself Box without a marketing background, influencer marketing and collaborating with other brands. Key takeaways from this episode: How Kate managed to launch and grow Retreat Yourself to what it is today, without any prior marketing experience. What she would do differently if she were to start her business over from scratch. How she planned and marketed the launch of Retreat Yourself Box, and what she found to be the most effective ways of marketing the business. How Kate picked the most effective influencers to partner with - as well as what she wishes she had known before she started working with influencers Plus, Kate shares her top tips for pitching big brands for collaborations. Find out more about Kate and Retreat Yourself over on their website (http://retreatyourselfbox.com) or on Instagram (@retreatyourselfbox) Download my Complete Roadmap to a Killer Launch: http://stephtaylor.co/roadmap Follow me on Instagram: @stephtaylor.co

Yesterday, I ended another product launch - the launch of my A-Z Podcast Launch Plan. But… That’s not the launch that it started out as! This episode, I’m sharing why and how I pivoted my latest product launch. Key takeaways from this episode: How I managed to plan and launch a new product in 4 weeks (without losing my marbles!) The BIG *facepalm* moment I had with my original launch… I should’ve seen this one coming! Why I chose to pivot my launch 2 days in - and how I managed to do this in such a tight timeframe. What the end result of my launch pivot was. Download my Complete Roadmap to a Killer Launch: http://stephtaylor.co/roadmap Follow me on Instagram: @stephtaylor.co

Haley Burkhead is an absolute dynamo. At 24 years old, she quit her job and built a business from 0 to $36,000 months in just 6 months. In today’s episode, we’re chatting about transitioning into the CEO role of your business, creating consistent income in your business, and the magical SOA method for getting things done - it’s a game changer. Find Haley on Instagram at @haleyburkhead Find me on Instagram @stephtaylor.co

Danielle Read is a copywriter with a background in Psychology and Creative Writing. As the Founder of Readcity Writing, Danielle specialises in writing compelling words for killer creatives. This episode, we're talking all things brand voice, including what brand voice actually is, why it's important your brand has a unique voice, and how to DIY your brand voice. Find Danielle at https://readcitywriting.com/ Links from the episode: Gender analyser for your copy - https://app.readable.com/text/gender Analyze my Writing - http://www.analyzemywriting.com/

Launching my podcast has been one of the best things I've done for my business - however, a podcast isn’t for everyone. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, have a listen to this episode and then go and take my free quiz to figure out if it’s a good decision for you, or not. Take my free quiz: Should I start a podcast - http://stephtaylor.co/quiz

Launching impacts your business in a big way, and this episode we’re going to look at how. Because I bet you hadn’t thought of some of these... To clarify here - I don’t mean you always have to be launching NEW things. You can relaunch the same product a few times a year. You can open and close doors to new clients or new members or course students. Just because you don’t have something new to launch, doesn’t mean you can’t launch. Download my free ebook: The Complete Roadmap for a Killer Launch - http://stephtaylor.co/roadmap

One of the magical things about running a small business is that you can move fast and pivot quickly when things aren’t working - and for me, things simply weren’t working the way they were, so I’ve had to make a few business changes. This episode, I’m giving you a bit of a behind-the-scenes of my latest business changes, and keeping you posted on what you can expect in the next couple of months. Follow me on Instagram to stay up to date - http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Morgan Spencer is the director of strategic PR consultancy, Martini Mondays. For her, it’s all about the people, and building those relationships, to think beyond simply achieving column inches and to disrupt this ever-evolving industry. In this episode, we chat all about strategic PR (and what that actually means!), how to use PR to stand out in your industry and how to DIY your own PR campaign. Find out more about Morgan at www.martinimondays.com.au and at @martinimondays on Instagram

So many business owners are afraid to invest in themselves. They’ll spend money on business expenses, no problem, but when it comes to investing in their own development - even if it might move their business forward - they’re scared to do so. This episode, I’m looking at why you need to get serious about up-leveling yourself as a business owner. Follow me on Instagram: http://Instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

When I asked my Instagram followers what’s holding them back from launching something new, 80% of them told me they were afraid. Afraid that they’d launch a course and nobody would buy. Afraid they’d launch a podcast and nobody would listen. Whatever it is that you’re launching, here are some tips to get over the fear that nobody will buy. Register for Amy Porterfield’s masterclass - The 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Digital Course Success: http://stephtaylor.co/masterclass Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

What might feel like you’re being productive and kicking goals doesn’t always bring you any closer to kicking those goals. Yes, there will be an amount of time you spend working IN your business - especially if you have client work and you don’t have a team - but working ON your business is crucial if you want to grow. Otherwise, it’s far too easy to stay stuck where you are. Download Amy Porterfield's Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit - http://stephtaylor.co/amy Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

When you’re creating an online course, the overwhelm can be real! Whether you have no idea where to start, what to do next or simply feel overwhelmed at how much there is to do, the truth is that overwhelm can lead to inaction. This episode I’m sharing some of the tips that have helped me overcome the overwhelm in creating both the courses I’ve created so far. Download Amy Porterfield's Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit - http://stephtaylor.co/amy Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Amy Porterfield is the online course creation, list building and webinar queen. She has been a big inspiration for me, and her Digital Course Academy program is a big part of why I shifted from client work to a digital product-based business. When it comes to creating an online course, Amy Porterfield is a fountain of knowledge, and in this episode she’s sharing some of her biggest tips for creating an online course. Download Amy Porterfield’s free Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit: http://stephtaylor.co/amy Take Amy’s free quiz - What type of online course should you create? http://stephtaylor.co/quiz Some of the things we covered: Amy Porterfield’s journey from corporate to running a 7-figure business, and some of her key learnings along the way. The very first course launch that Amy did, why it flopped and what you can learn from her mistakes. The key reasons you need to push past your fears in order to create and launch a successful online course, and how creating an online course can change your business (and your life!) Why creating an online course isn’t for everybody, and who the people Amy sees having the most success with course creation are. Amy Porterfield’s tips on how to overcome impostor syndrome when creating and launching a course. The biggest mistakes Amy sees business owners making when it comes to digital course creation.

Before you commit to creating an online course, there are some key decisions you need to make - or else you're going to wind up with some problems further down the track! This episode is from an Instagram Live I ran recently, where I worked through Amy Porterfield's Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit - which you can download from http://stephtaylor.co/amy Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Making the decision to create an online course isn’t an easy one to make - it’s no small decision, but creating an online course can have such a big impact on your business so it’s definitely something to consider. Here are a few signs that creating an online course is a good next step in your business… Download the Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit at http://stephtaylor.co/amy Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Not all online courses are created equal. In fact, there are 5 different types of online courses and in this episode I’m looking at all 5 types, and when you might create them in your business. Download the Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit at http://stephtaylor.co/amy Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

I’m a huge fan of business books. I believe that no matter how much experience you have in business, there’s always something new you can learn. This episode, I’m sharing 5 business books that have changed the way I do business. Get your free Audible trial + FREE book of your choice at http://stephtaylor.co/audible Grab the FREE Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit at http://stephtaylor.co/amy

I just finished a new course launch and, believe it or not, I hadn’t yet recorded a single lesson when I launched it. Crazy, right? But, there’s a reason why I did this… Actually there are 4 reasons why and this episode I’m sharing them with you. Download the Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit at http://stephtaylor.co/amy Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Creating an online course changed my business completely. It took me from trading time for money with one-on-one client work, to giving me the freedom to travel more, create more and run my business on my own terms. This episode I’m sharing 5 reasons to create an online course. Download the Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit at http://stephtaylor.co/amy Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Passive income can be a game-changer in your business. It’s a great way to diversify where your money is coming from, and make sure you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket. This episode, I’m looking at how you can get started with passive income in your business. Download my free ebook, 79 Ways to Up-level Your Business: http://stephtaylor.co/79 Download the Ultimate Course Creation Starter Kit: http://stephtaylor.co/amy

I recently just came out of a BIG business rut. It was a challenging time and I very nearly considered throwing in the towel altogether, and going back to a “real” job. This episode, I’m sharing how I got out of my last business rut. Hopefully if you’re feeling a bit stuck, this will help you too. Take the free 28 Day Kajabi Hero Challenge to launch your first digital product or online course: http://stephtaylor.co/hero Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Every course launch I do, I learn a lot more than I did every previous launch before. At the end of each launch, I try to set aside some time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t work and what I learned. This episode, I’m sharing with you 5 lessons that I learned from my last online course launch - the launch of InstaBAM. Take the free 28 Day Kajabi Hero Challenge to launch your first digital product or online course: http://stephtaylor.co/hero Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Creating an online course completely changed my business - I suddenly realised that I could stop trading my time for money AND help more people at the same time. This episode, I’m looking at how to create an online course - because it’s really not that hard! Take the free 28 Day Kajabi Hero Challenge to launch your first digital product or online course: http://stephtaylor.co/hero Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

I’ve been through a couple of course launches so far in my few years in business, and most people think I’m weird when I say that I LOVE launches. This episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how I grew my audience prior to my course launch, how I started preparing them for the course launch and how I finally launched the course. Take the free 28 Day Kajabi Hero Challenge to launch your first digital product or online course: http://stephtaylor.co/hero Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

I recently launched my brand new Instagram course, InstaBAM. I was at a pretty low point in my business before the launch because I felt like I was just slogging away and not really getting anywhere. I had big hopes for this launch and everything looked like it was going to plan. This episode, I’m sharing the massive fail that happened and how I dealt with it. Take the free 28 Day Kajabi Hero Challenge to launch your first digital product or online course: http://stephtaylor.co/hero Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Today, I’m chatting with Emma Lewis, the founder of Canvast, about how she launched her business, how she’s marketed it so far, what’s worked well, what hasn’t worked well, and the things that she’s learnt along the way. If you’re also running a side hustle alongside your full-time job, you’re going to get a TON of tips from Emma on how to balance both. Find out more about Canvast: https://canvastco.com/ or @canvastco on Instagram. Download my free ebook - 79 ways to up-level your business: http://stephtaylor.co/79

You’ve put in the time and effort to build your email list using a free lead magnet or opt-in, you’ve created a nurture sequence and you’ve promoted it to your audience. Now you have real subscribers who actually care about what you have to say! But, how do you know what to send your email list? This episode, we’re looking at how often to email your list, what to send your email list and the real truth about unsubscribes. YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS: The simple answer to your question “how often should I email my list?” (and it’s probably not the answer you were expecting!) Why you MUST avoid this common email marketing mistake that most small business owners make. What the heck to actually send your email list - because everyone seems to assume that you already know this, meanwhile, you’re staring at a blank email with zero clue what to write. Some quick tips to improve your subject line and boost your email open rates. What it means when someone unsubscribes from your email list and what you need to do about it. Register for my email marketing kickstarter at http://stephtaylor.co/email

Let me guess - you’re too busy to spend time marketing your business, right? Well, here’s a fact for you: If you don’t spend the time working ON your business, nobody else will. If you’re only marketing your business when things are a little bit quiet and you need a few more clients or customers, then your audience is going to see right through that. This episode, I’m sharing my 5 top tips to find more time to work ON your business, instead of IN it. Download my free cheat sheet - 7 Savvy Strategies to Ignite your Instagram from https://stephtaylor.co/ig Follow my travels on Instagram at @stephtaylor.co

I use a ton of marketing tools in running my businesses - in fact, I reckon I’ve tried and tested a few hundred small business marketing apps over the past few years. This episode, I’m running you through the key apps I use, love and recommend. Yes, this episode does contain some affiliate links, but you can rest assured I’m only recommending tools that I genuinely love. See the full list of marketing tools I use at http://stephtaylor.co/30 Follow my travels on Instagram at @stephtaylor.co

Organic social media marketing used to be enough on its own. We've all heard the success stories: Multi-million dollar businesses built off the back of free social media marketing alone. But, times have changed. Is it still enough to just market your business using organic social media marketing alone? Download my free cheat sheet - 10 tactics to transform your Facebook Ads from http://stephtaylor.co/fb Follow me on Instagram at @stephtaylor.co

Pru Chapman is the founder of the Owner’s Collective. She is a business mentor, strategist and speaker, with over 15 years experience in business strategy, psychology and leadership development. Today, we’re chatting about how to find a good business mentor (and how to avoid choosing a dud), how to get the most out of business coaching or mentoring, and the pros and cons of group coaching, vs one-on-one. Find out more about Pru and Owners Collective at http://www.theownerscollective.com or @ownerscollective on Instagram.

InstaBAM is your complete A-Z game plan to ignite your business with Instagram, minus the fluff. It kicks off on 8 July 2019, but doors close on 5 July 2019 - and won't reopen until September at the very earliest. Find out more + enrol at http://stephtaylor.co/enrol I hope to see you inside the community!

Just because a business has more Instagram followers than a competing business doesn’t mean it’s a more profitable business. The follower count on its own really doesn’t mean much. The quality of your followers, on the other hand, that means a lot. Here are a few reasons why it’s important to attract the right followers. Download my free cheat sheet: http://stephtaylor.co/ig Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Instagram marketing looks simple. You sign up for a free account, pop up some posts and people will follow you. But, it’s not quite that simple. I keep seeing the same mistakes over and over again on Instagram, so in today’s episode I’m looking at just that - the 5 reasons you’re not seeing results from your Instagram marketing. Download my free cheat sheet: http://stephtaylor.co/ig Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

A huge part of successful Instagram marketing is having a drool-worthy Instagram feed. But, did you know that getting a beautiful Instagram feed is actually easier than you think? This episode, I’m sharing some of my favourite tools for making your Instagram content look spot-on. The best part? They won’t break the bank! YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS: My absolute favourite Instagram scheduling tool, and how it’ll help you streamline your Instagram marketing and keep your Instagram feed on-brand. My two favourite image editing apps that will probably change your life (or at least make editing your photos a helluva lot more fun!) The free graphic design tool that you need to be using, like, yesterday. A fun new app for creating gorgeous quote tiles and Instagram Stories. Make sure you download my free ebook, 7 Savvy Strategies to Ignite Your Instagram, from http://stephtaylor.co/ig Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Creating Instagram content all the time can be really difficult - not to mention time-consuming and/or expensive! So, naturally, you’re going to want to curate Instagram content from different sources. This episode, we’re looking at some good places to source and curate Instagram content from (plus the pitfalls to watch out for!) You don’t want to miss: My favourite free and paid stock photo websites that are GREAT for Instagram content. The one thing you need to be careful when sourcing photos from Instagram accounts (and how to avoid this). The website I cannot live without when it comes to social media templates, designs and stock photos. An amazing free app for designing your own social media graphics - even if you’re a total design newbie. Why I think every small business owner should get a brand photoshoot done (and how you can do this when you’re on a budget). Download my free cheat sheet - 7 Savvy Strategies to Ignite Your Instagram - from http://stephtaylor.co/ig Follow me on Instagram at http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co

Instagram has changed a lot in the last 5 years. I recently reflected on how marketing on Instagram is a vastly different landscape to what it was back when I first started. This episode, I’m sharing 5 massive differences between Instagram marketing in 2019 vs in 2014. Download my free cheat sheet: http://stephtaylor.co/ig Follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/stephtaylor.co