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Juliann Nichols

Sara Ferrera, Veteran and CEO of Floaty’s Farm – Providing Locals With Home Grown Microgreens

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If you have never heard of microgreens, they are young vegetable greens that fall somewhere between sprouts and baby leaf vegetables. They have an intense aromatic flavor and concentrated nutrient content and come in a variety of colors and textures. Although fragile, microgreens are versatile and flavorful and can complement or shine in any dish. And yes, they make powerful and delicious garnishes – but they are more than just toppers. Despite their small size, they pack a nutritional punch, often containing higher nutrient levels than more mature vegetable greens. This makes them a good addition to any diet.  

If you are looking for these fresh greens, Sara Ferrera, Founder and CEO of Floaty’s Farm has you covered. Sara provides local residents with these tiny but beautiful plants and does it all in her own backyard! 

Sara Ferrera spent most of her childhood running through cattle farms with friends in Russellville, Arkansas. Born in her grandparent’s cabin in the Ozark Mountains, Sara is no stranger to the wilderness and still finds solace when surrounded by nature. 

In 2011, Sara followed her grandfather’s footsteps and joined the Army as an Intelligence Analyst. She spent her days working in an office conducting research and processing Soldiers for the Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Riley, Kansas. Office life was a challenge, but Sara met the love of her life – in the next cubical over, and within a year, they were married. 

In August 2014, Sara left active duty to pursue the Army Reserves and experience what life was like on the “civilian side.” She soon moved to Florida to eventually become a contracted intelligence analyst until February of 2019, when she decided to pursue her passion and work toward a Fish and Wildlife Management degree. However, due to health complications, Sara put her education on hold. 

In January 2020, Sara joined the Veterans Florida Agricultural internship with the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center.  This hands-on opportunity gave Sara just what she needed, a chance to learn the ins and outs of commercial agriculture. 

Sara expanded her knowledge by learning how to research chemical impacts of produce yield, identifying plant disease, identifying nematodes, and more. However, her internship was cut short due to COVID-19, and she was unable to continue lab rotations. Instead, Sara moved to the Farm Crew, where she transitioned from intern and eventually to a permanent employee. Sara’s time on the Farm Crew has been invaluable. She has learned managerial techniques, equipment logistics, and chemical operations. But the biggest lesson learned was that it is okay to make mistakes as long as you fix them and move forward. 

Sara has taken this lesson – along with her husband and team members’ encouragement and moved forward with starting her own urban farm, Floaty’s Farm.

She attended our CEO Mindset course to have a solid business plan and information on how to move forward to be successful. “I learned that I have a fear of failure but also success. I couldn’t start my business or begin to sell until I was confident in myself to get customers.” While focusing on produce, she still didn’t have a niche,  therefore, she wasn’t going anywhere with the product. Encouraged by peers, she decided to focus on microgreens and when she put out there what she was selling, she sold out in ONE DAY. She managed her time better by incorporating an assistant to handle tasks so she could focus on her produce.   

Floaty’s Farm began as a multi-produce urban farm, but after going through and utilizing what she learned from JULO Strategy, Sara now produces a microgreen specialty farm. Soon after, she began raising Barred Rock chickens and vermicomposting to assist with fertilization. 

Sara has vivid plans for Floaty’s Farm’s future, including expanding produce offerings, raising livestock, and an education center to teach others about responsible farming, wildlife conservation, and how agriculture can help others battling PTSD, much like her own internship. 

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Juliann Nichols

Kathy Smith, CEO of Chandelier Transformations Youth Mentoring Inc. – Empowering Young Women Through Mentorship

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Children’s opinions of their bodies form at an incredibly early age, especially young girls. With social media and apps like TikTok, girls become consumed with how many likes they get, how popular they are, all while trying to be their own person and stay true to themselves. With these young minds still developing, it can be exhausting and overwhelming to stay positive. It is difficult to escape the “ideal” body image that is promoted in today’s media and no matter how much you try to shield your child from it, the message is likely to come through.  

Kathy Smith, Founder and President of Chandelier Transformations Youth Mentoring Inc. 501c3 Nonprofit organization in the Tampa bay area, mentors young, brown-skinned girls to embrace their individuality and live boldly and confidently in who God created them to be. By transforming their mindsets to illuminate their path and the path of all they meet, it empowers them to be trailblazers in the world through coaching, speaking, community involvement, mentorship, adolescent scholarships, and social activities.  

Kathy is a veteran of the U.S. Army serving 17 years as a Human Resource Specialist. In the military she served various roles that required her to be the voice for many Soldiers as an Equal Opportunity Specialist and Sexual Assault Victim Advocate. Kathy holds a BSBA, MSHRM and is currently pursuing a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.  

Growing up in Hillsborough county schools and raising a daughter and two sons of her own, Kathy felt that our younger generations needed real life role models and someone to teach them how to not only lead but communicate effectively in all aspects of their lives. She strives to instill excellence in young minority females by mentoring them on leadership, self- esteem, healthy relationships, boundaries as well as educational and Christian values to become pillars of success in their communities.  

As a Life Coach and Motivational Speaker, Kathy is the Transformation Strategist to professional women serving in the Armed Forces, female veterans and career-minded, goal-oriented women in the civilian sector needing to move from overwhelmed and undervalued to illuminating the path for themselves and others. She walks women through tearing down walls and strongholds of generational curses and self-sabotage that have plagued women for years. Kathy trains her clients to tap into their spiritual consciousness by removing the mask that they have built their lives around and to live life boldly and confidently in their God-given purpose. Through her support, clients can unlock their identity and potential to live a life of abundance and prosperity without fear, worry, anxiety or self-doubt.  

She enjoys meditating, studying ministry and natural health remedies, as well as spending time with her family and friends. She loves seafood and her favorite verse is Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

Kathy joined our CEO Mindset course to have a solid business plan, qualify and secure the funding to run Chandelier Transformations Youth Mentoring on a full-time basis and to be an essential business in her community. She wanted to network and build solid relationships with various individuals and form partnerships throughout the Tampa and St. Pete communities. 

She learned there were a lot of things she could delegate or eliminate to maximize her potential and run the business more effectively. She put strategies in place to avoid pitfalls and created tasks to get things done. A big “a-ha” was the difference of an end user client and a target client/market. “I learned that with my mentoring organization, my clients are my sponsors and donors. The girls and families that I serve are the end users.” 

Why would she recommend this course? “CEO Mindset gives you a clear strategy and develops the mindset to help you to get things done in your business. My practices, clients and tasks are clear and defined. No other training program has helped me with these things and in such a short amount of time. The pace is fast but knowing to brain dump and start with a fresh mindset, begin with the end in mind and Automate, Delegate and Eliminate! I feel that CEO Mindset has allowed me to navigate the pitfalls of starting and running a business. It has shown me I can run a business in a manner that will allow for success at the current moment and well into the future.” 

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Juliann Nichols

The Ultimate Guide to Remote Work: Secrets to Thriving When You’re Not in the Office

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The New Normal

  • Twenty years ago, only a very small percentage of people worked remotely. Now we have broadband internet, smartphones, and videoconferencing. The way we work has fundamentally changed. The result is that it’s much easier to work from home, which large numbers of people now do.
  • Covid-19. 2020 was a hit on all businesses, but especially small businesses. Having to transition almost immediately during a pandemic had most of us wondering how ourselves and our businesses would survive. Having processes and systems in place for the “what if” is extremely important.
  • What many people don’t realize, however, is that working remotely is very different than working in an office. Many of the rhythms and routines that help you thrive in the office don’t work as well at home. If you’re going to thrive as a remote worker, it’s important to learn a new set of skills and strategies.
  • In this guide, we’re going to give you proven tips, tactics, and strategies that will help you work effectively from home. Ready? Let’s dive in.

 

Avoid Doing These

  • Avoid: Trying to prove you’re always working. With remote work, you may feel the need to prove to your boss that you’re working by immediately answering every message that comes your way. The issue with this is that it prevents you from being able to focus for extended periods of time.
  • Avoid: Always being available. You may feel like you need to be always available to your boss and coworkers. You feel obligated to respond to messages even if they come in during non-work hours. As much as possible, try to avoid responding to messages when you’re not working.
  • Avoid: Being hard on yourself. If you’re new to remote work, it’s especially important to cut yourself some slack. It’s very different than working in an office, and it’s going to take you some time to get your bearings. Over time, you’ll get better at working from home. In the meantime, don’t be hard on yourself.

 

Stick to a Schedule

  • One of the great advantages of remote work is that you have more flexibility to set your schedule. However, the absence of a defined schedule can also be a downfall. It can be tough to get motivated to get started.
  • To keep yourself on track, try to maintain a schedule as much as possible. Determine in advance:
  • When you’ll start work
  • Break times
  • Quitting time
  • Maintaining a predetermined schedule will add much needed structure to your day. Communicate your schedule to all the relevant parties, like your boss, family, friends, and anyone else who needs to know. Establish clear boundaries regarding when you will and won’t be working.
  • Consider creating pre-work routines that will get you in the right mindset to be productive. Think about the things you do prior to starting work at the office. Consider how you can duplicate these routines at home.
  • As tempting as it may be to spend all day working in your pajamas, take the time to actually get dressed. When you get dressed, it’s a signal to your brain and body that you’re transitioning out of relaxing and into work.
  • It’s essential to take breaks while working from home. If you’re not careful, you can end up working for hours without giving your mind a rest. Schedule activities that will refresh you mentally, like going for a walk, drinking coffee on your porch, or calling a friend.
  • It’s also important to establish clearly defined boundaries about when you will and won’t be working. If you don’t have a clearly defined quitting time, work will quickly take over. Your goal is to be fully present whatever you’re doing.

 

Create a Working Space

  • A designated working space can help keep your work life and home life apart. When you enter your working space, you know that it’s time to get down to business. When you leave, you know that it’s time to relax.
  • As much as possible, try to make your workspace feel separate from the rest of your living quarters. This doesn’t mean that you must have an entirely separate room to work in. It simply means that you primarily use that space for working and not leisure.
  • The more you work in one area, the more your brain will associate that area with your job. As the association in your brain strengthens, entering your workspace will act as a trigger, signaling to your brain that it’s time to work.
  • Ideally, your workspace should be as free from distractions as possible. If you can’t physically separate yourself from others, using noise-cancelling headphones can also reduce distractions.
  • Make your space comfortable. Get a comfy chair and maybe put a few decorations around you. If you can, work in a well-lit area, preferably illuminated by natural light.
  • When the day is over, “close” your working space. Shut down any work-related items on your computer (browser tabs, email) and tidy up your space so that it’s ready for tomorrow.

 

Use a Task List

  • Consistently maintaining a task list helps you focus the lion’s share of your attention on the things that matter most. You also gain a sense of progress as you check items off your list.
  • At the start of each day, take a few minutes to review the items on your list. Rank your three most important tasks and then focus on getting those things done that day. Don’t move on to your second most important task until you’ve completed your first.
  • There are a number of effective ways to keep a task list. There are a number of planners that are specifically designed to help you identify and accomplish your most important tasks, including:
  • Full Focus Planner
  • Best Self Planner
  • Bullet Journal
  • If you want to maintain your list on your computer and smartphone, check out these apps:
  • Todoist
  • Microsoft To Do
  • Omnifocus
  • Google Tasks
  • Things

 

  • If you simultaneously want to stay on top of your schedule and your task list, you may want to try using the Pomodoro technique. It works like this:
  • Identify your most important task.
  • Set a timer for 25 minutes.
  • Work on the task for 25 minutes (one Pomodoro session).
  • Take a 5-minute break.
  • After four Pomodoro sessions, take a 15-20-minute break.

 

Stay in Communication With Coworkers

  • Even though you’re working from home, it’s still essential to stay in touch with your boss and coworkers. With remote work, there’s an increased risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding. To keep this from happening, work hard to keep all the channels of communication open.
  • Your company may already have tools in place to keep everyone connected. If they don’t, consider using the following.
    • Chat tools. There are times when you want to fire off a quick question to a coworker without getting into a full-fledged discussion. In these moments, chat applications are incredibly useful.
    • Video conferencing tools. Video conferencing tools are essential for when you need to have a meeting but aren’t in the office. Everyone can come together in a “room” and hash things out.
    • Collaboration tools. The best collaboration tools allow you and your coworkers to easily work on projects together. Changes can be easily made and tracked, and notes can be attached to any item.
  • Project management tools. Project management tools ensure that projects keep moving and that the right people work on the right tasks at the right times. The best project management tools allow tasks to be assigned, deadlines to be set, reminders to be sent, and more.

 

Reduce Distractions

  • When you work from home, distractions are everywhere. These distractions can make it difficult to get things done. The more you can reduce distractions, the more productive you’ll be.
  • Know yourself. Most distractions arise internally, like getting bored, hungry, or tired. If you know when these kinds of distractions tend to arise, you can plan accordingly. For example, if your energy starts to flag in the afternoon, schedule a brisk walk.
  • Shut things down. An abundance of incoming emails, Slack messages, and texts makes it hard to focus. Sometimes the best solution is to shut all of these things down for set periods of time. Consider only checking your communication tools at designated times during the day.
  • Block distracting websites. There are a million time-wasting distractions on the internet. One of the most effective solutions is simply to block all the websites that tend to suck you in. Physically prevent yourself from wasting time.
  • Work during your peak times. There are certain times of the day when you’re more energized, focused, and productive. As much as possible, use your peak periods for your most important work. Avoid wasting these times on things like email, which you can do even when your brain is tired.

 

Get Moving

  • When you work from home, you’re in one location much more than normal. To combat claustrophobia, try to get outside each day. Simple outdoor activities you can do include:
  • Walking
  • Biking
  • Playing a sport like basketball
  • Fishing
  • Picnic
  • Garden
  • In addition to just getting outside, try to exercise several times per week. Consistent exercise helps you keep the pounds off and increases your overall sense of well-being. If you don’t have access to equipment, there are a number of apps that can provide you with guided workouts.

 

Connect With Others

  • Isolation and loneliness can be big challenges for remote workers. After all, your office mates are a big part of your social circle. That all goes away when you work from home. It takes concerted effort to ensure that you get consistent time with others. But it can be done.
  • Working at coffee shops or a coworking space can make you feel like you’re part of society, even if you’re not directly interacting with others. Taking social breaks can also be helpful. For example, you could work several hours in the morning and then grab lunch with a few friends.
  • Another option is to join local organizations like the Chamber of Commerce or a softball team. You may also want to think about volunteering, which enables you to socialize with others and make a meaningful contribution to your community.
  • The big takeaway is simply to find ways that you can spend time with others. Generally speaking, extended periods of isolation aren’t healthy. So, it’s important to make the effort to be around other people.
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Juliann Nichols

Options for Small Business Owners to Fight Health Care Costs

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Health insurance is a huge cost of business for any company, but especially for small companies. As a small business ourselves, we understand how stressful it can be to provide coverage to your employees. Premiums continue to increase and many smaller firms are forced to require employees to shoulder the financial burden.

Many employers have been forced to eliminate medical coverage all together. Over 60% of those without health insurance are employed by small businesses. This is a pervasive problem in the United States. The costs are greater per employee for a smaller company than they are for a larger one; some authorities cite a difference of 18 percent.

As a small business owner, what can you do to mitigate this issue?

While there aren’t any complete solutions, here are several ideas that can help to reduce the cost of providing medical coverage in your small business:

  1. Keep your employees healthy. Offering a wellness program can be very effective. Investments like flu shots, stop-smoking groups, cancer screenings, and more have been shown to return as much as $4 for every $1 invested. In the long-term, some larger companies have claimed a total savings of over $700 million from their wellness program!
  • Most of these types of programs aren’t going to be free, but can be an excellent tool for some small businesses.
  1. Reduce the coverage. Though this option is unpopular with employees, reducing the amount of the coverage or requiring employees to pay a greater share of the premium may be necessary.
  • Talk to your employees. Maybe they’re willing to give up dental or vision insurance in exchange for keeping the cost to them the same. See if a compromise can be reached.
  1. Health savings accounts. These accounts are available to those in plans with relatively high deductibles. In a nutshell, these accounts allow workers to deposit earnings in an account that can then be used to pay for medical expenses. Contributions and withdrawals are both tax-free. Employers can also make tax-free contributions, but are not required to.
  • The deductions can even be made on a 1040 form without having to itemize.
  1. Join or start a group. Insurance premiums for businesses with over 25 employees are less than for those with fewer than 25. Essentially, the more people the better. Depending on state laws, it may be possible to join with other businesses and get a lower rate. The savings can be significant depending on the group size.
  2. Shop for the best policy. Different insurers will have different offerings. Look around and see what you can find. A new insurance company might be just what you need to find the perfect policy for your employees. Talk to other small business owners and see what coverage they offer their employees. Live in the Florida area? We have a great recommendation for you, our own JULO alum, Carrie Roberts with American Trustee of Florida, LLC.

While offering medical insurance is very expensive, if you can find a way to provide this at an affordable rate to your employees, employee retention will improve. You’ll also be able to attract better talent.

One of the most powerful things you can do to obtain affordable health insurance is to pool your resources with other small business owners and qualify for a larger-group rate. In some cases, you’ll save $100 or more per employee. Investigate your state laws to see what’s permitted.

Medical insurance isn’t an easy issue for small business owners, but you can usually find a solution with a little searching. Take good care of yourself, your business, and your employees; see what you can do to offer affordable healthcare to your workers.

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Juliann Nichols

Carrie Roberts, CEO of American Trustee of Florida LLC – Helping Small Business Owners Find Affordable Insurance

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In this ever-changing world of insurance, it can be difficult to know what type of coverage is right for you and your family. Health insurance is so important, especially these days, and having an experienced professional to assist with your needs can be helpful in finding the right program for you. 

Carrie Roberts, CEO of American Trustee of Florida LLC, helps employers and individuals‘ source affordable insurance solutions. They offer a wide variety of options for Health, Life, Supplemental, Annuities and so much more.  

A Florida native, Carrie was born and raised in the great city of Jacksonville. She left to explore the “Wild Blue Yonder” in 1989 and joined the United States Air Force where she met her husband and had two children. Carrie served 10 years in Active Duty and 3 years Civil Service as a Weather Forecaster. 

Carrie went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and her MBA with a focus in Marketing while working full-time retail management. After some time, she knew it was time to make a change as her season was over in retail. After much prayer and consideration, she entered the world of Insurance in 2016 and has not looked back.  

Carrie cut her teeth in the insurance industry as an Aflac Agent with a rapid succession to District Sales Coordinator. Wanting to provide her clients a more well-rounded suite of insurance options, Carrie became an Insurance Broker. She recently started American Trustee of Florida, LLC, where they help employers and individuals‘ source affordable Insurance coverage to meet their needs. It is Carrie’s vision to become “THE” go to Broker for small business owners! 

Don’t ever feel like it is too late to follow your dream! In addition to running her business, Carrie is now living her lifelong dream of performing in musical theatre. After raising two children, graduating from college and two careers, her very first show was in 2019 casted as Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. She has since done two more shows and is looking forward to many more.

Carrie heard about our CEO Mindset course through one of our JULO alums, Trish Murphy. She wanted to be more of a savvy business owner, and well, learned she has a lot to learn about being a CEO! After implementing the knowledge gained, she realized she spent too much time doing things that were not income producing, therefore becoming counterproductive. She also needed to get her processes and systems in place in order to hire. Brain dumping was a huge takeaway and allowed her to allocate her time more efficiently. “At the end of each day, I can get it all out and help myself prepare for the days to come instead of spending that time spinning my wheels.”  

For Carrie, being a CEO means to own a business, with the processes, systems and a team that she puts into place to achieve her vision. “As a CEO, I am the face and cover of the business supported by a team that works together.” 

Why would she recommend this class? “This particular course is different than other business coaching classes. You walk away with the means and tools to run a practical business. The lessons are real life and real world and that’s important.”  

We couldn’t agree more Carrie. We look forward to seeing your continued accomplishments! 

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Juliann Nichols

16 Empowering Morning Rituals

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What you do in the morning can set the tone for what happens until you go back to bed. Start your day with rituals that make you feel powerful and alive.

Mornings are a busy time for many families just getting everyone out of the door on time.

On the other hand, you and your kids may be spending your days at home. That can be just as stressful as commuting, especially if you’re concerned about your health and finances.

The specific habits you choose will depend on your values and goals. Start small and have fun experimenting. Consider these ideas for morning rituals designed to help you thrive.

Empowering Morning Rituals for Your Body:

  1. First and foremost – BRAIN DUMP! We cannot preach enough how important it is to get everything you are thinking down on paper. Take 15 minutes out of your morning to jot down your thoughts.
  2. Skip the snooze button. Do you feel groggy even after 8 hours of sleep? The trouble could be your snooze button. It interrupts your body’s natural waking process. That can cause sleep inertia that lasts for hours.
  3. Drink water. You may want to postpone your first cup of coffee. Plain water will rehydrate your organs and make you feel more alert. You can add a little flavor with berries, herbs, or cucumber slices.
  4. Eat breakfast. You also need to refuel. Enjoy a balanced meal of traditional breakfast foods or heat up some leftovers. Smart choices include Greek yogurt with fruit or a fish taco.
  5. Work out. Complete your main exercise session or move around a little, especially if you’ll be sitting at a computer for hours. Choose an activity that you love, like yoga or swimming.
  6. Weigh yourself. If you’re trying to lose excess weight, stepping on the scale each day may help. Keep in mind that daily fluctuations are natural, so look for upward or downward trends.
  7. Go outdoors. Morning light wakes up your body and starts a hormone cycle that prepares you for restful sleep at night. Sit on your patio or bike to work.

Empowering Morning Rituals for Your Mind:

  1. Avoid technology. Resist the urge to lose yourself in social media. Turn off your phone or check for urgent messages only.
  2. Be prepared. Starting on tasks the night before can make your mornings more pleasant. Lay out your clothes and pack your briefcase.
  3. Meditate and pray. Nourish your spirituality. If you’re a beginner, start with a few minutes of meditation and build up your time gradually.
  4. Repeat affirmations. Give yourself loving and motivational messages. Speak in the present tense and keep your statements brief. Looking in the mirror can help you focus.
  5. Connect with loved ones. Enjoy family time. Play a word game with your kids while you’re helping them get dressed. Tell your partner that you love them.
  6. Cultivate gratitude. Count your blessings. Think of someone who you need to thank today.
  7. Continue learning. You could use your mornings to complete your degree online or study more informally. Listen to history and economics podcasts. Read high quality fiction or nonfiction.
  8. Have a project. Do you struggle to find time for yourself? The early hours may be an opportunity to engage your personal passions or expand your side gig.
  9. Listen to music. Research shows that listening to music reduces anxiety and enhances mental alertness and memory. Put together a personal playlist or turn on your favorite radio station.
  10. Plan your day. Set goals and block out your time. Otherwise, external events can keep you from focusing on your true priorities. Remember to leave yourself adequate downtime for refreshing breaks.

Kick off your day with a morning routine that will make you feel more productive and fulfilled. Adopt positive habits and jump out of bed with a smile.

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Juliann Nichols

SEO vs. Social Media Marketing – Which is Better?

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With online marketing, there’s a debate raging among experts over which strategy is best to grow your business.

Would SEO or social media marketing be the better option?

Often, businesses will hire an SEO expert or agency to increase their visibility in the search engines without even thinking about social media and the traffic that it can bring to their business.

Similarly, there are those who focus their attention entirely on building a social media following without spending any time on SEO.

Let’s compare both strategies to see which option is best.

 

Targeting an Audience

To bring in relevant traffic and sales, it’s important to be able to target a specific audience. It is definitely easier to target an appropriate audience on social media platforms.

Most social media platforms allow you to create ads that specifically target people within a certain demographic who will be interested in your niche.

SEO is not quite as targeted. Although you can certainly target those interested in your niche, you generally cannot target a specific demographic.

 

How Much Effort Is Involved?

To ensure a return on investment, you’ll want to consider how much effort is required to promote your content via social media and SEO.

With social media, you’ll have to plan and post regular content on the various platforms. While there are tools available that can make this process easier, you still have to do this on a consistent basis.

Social media marketing is not something that you can rely on to work without your own efforts. Each post you make will only have a short shelf life, so you’ll need to make an effort each day.

SEO, on the other hand, will require work, but once you start to rank your web pages, there will be less ongoing work involved.

 

Which Content Should You Use?

Whether you are performing SEO or social media marketing, you’ll need to create content. The type of content you create will make a big impact on your traffic and whether your audience engages with it or not.

When writing content for your website or blog, usually long-form content will work best. This means that you may need to create articles of a few thousand words, rather than a couple of hundred.

For social media, images and videos will work best and will be shared across the community if they resonate with the audience. When this occurs and your content starts to be shared, you’ll also see an increase in traffic to your website.

 

So, Which is Better – SEO or Social Media Marketing?

You’ll see the most benefits from incorporating both SEO and social media marketing into your online marketing efforts.

Write long articles and embed images and videos into your content. Doing this will increase engagement and time spent on your website, therefore showing the search engines that your content is good and can be trusted. Plus, people will share content on social media that they find to be interesting and valuable.

Search engines nowadays use social media as a ranking factor, so it’s worth building your social media presence as it will help with your SEO. Building traffic via SEO to your website will also help people to engage on social media too.

So, while SEO and social media marketing are different, they each help the other and the end goal of both is the same – to help increase traffic to your website, products, or services.

The answer is easy: do both!

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Juliann Nichols

Micro-Famous: How to Become Well-Known in Your Niche

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It’s not necessary for the whole world to know who you are to be highly successful. You only need the right people to know who you are.

For example, if you’re a real estate broker, you want the people in your area to know who you are. If you own a company that provides web links, you want all of the SEO business owners to know your name.

If you’re a realtor in San Diego, it won’t matter much if you’re a household name in Portugal. However, being famous to the right population can make all the difference in the world.

Luckily, being famous on a small scale is easier than you think!

Follow these tips to ensure that the right people know who you are:

  1. Specialize. It’s easier to become well-known if you’re extremely good at something. It’s easier to be extremely good at something specific.
  • For example, keeping with our San Diego real estate example, you don’t want to be a general realtor in San Diego. You want to be the realtor that specializes in high-end San Diego beach properties.
  1. Identify your target audience. Who are you trying to serve? What does your ideal customer look like? Develop a composite of the people that you want to know you. Are they a certain age? Male, female, or both? What income level do they have? What profession are they in? What hobbies do they have?
  • Be as detailed as necessary, but not more detailed than necessary. It’s important to know who you’re trying to reach.
  • Avoid wasting your time with those who aren’t in your niche.
  1. Rise above the noise. What does your audience need? What is the common problem they all have? Center your message around this need and your ability to solve it.
  • Noise is simply non-meaningful messaging. Be meaningful to your audience.
  1. Become an authority. When people want to solve a problem, they want an expert. But how does the average person spot an expert? They aren’t experts themselves, or they wouldn’t need you. Consider these ideas to be looked at as the expert:
  • Put content in front of ready-made audiences. There are others who already have the attention of those you want to reach. Write a guest post for a blog. Be a guest on a podcast.
  • Teach an online class. Create a class and put in on one of the several websites that specialize in that sort of thing, such as Udemy.com. Everyone will assume you’re an expert if you’re teaching a course that you created.
  • Put content on social media and on your own website regularly. It’s important to be consistent with your postings, so stick to a schedule.
  • Use linkedin.com. Keep your profile up to date and use all the features that are supplied on that platform to post content.
  • Write a book. It’s not as daunting as it seems. It only takes a few pages a day to write a book in six weeks. There’s no expense for creating a Kindle book. It’s hard to find a respected expert that hasn’t written a book.
  1. Make friends with the well-known experts in your fields. You can become famous by association. Interview these experts. Contribute a guest post to their website. Ask them to write the introduction to your book.

Being famous has its advantages. This is especially true within your niche. The world within your niche is quite small, so it’s not nearly as challenging to be famous within your niche as it is to be famous in general.

A little fame can go a long way toward building your career or business. You don’t have to be a household name. Just a little fame will do.

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