Accounting and finance aren’t my strong suit…it’s boring and it’s one of the first things I delegated as we grew. Because…why are we using ME to make big important financial decisions?
Here are some big marketing expenses that I wasn’t prepared for.
💰️ A re-brand or website update will take 50% longer and be 50% more expensive than you think. I don’t make the rules but be prepared. It’s part of what got me into a scary situation last year. I went into a rebrand with cash reserves and a plan…but when it didn’t go according to plan I was in big trouble.
💰️ Taxes. Look, many of you will not have this problem and even though finances aren’t my strong suit I’m not a total idiot. I always put money aside for taxes but there have been years where I have been totally blindsided by new expenses or entering a new tax bracket.
💰️ The scale of the expertise. EVERYTHING just gets more expensive as you grow because you need higher levels of expertise. I’m talking marketers, ad budgets, coaches, etc. As your business grows you need to expect your costs to grow with it…even the small things like needing to pay for more email addresses every year!
💰️ Turnover. I am lucky to have really low turnover but it’s a part of business. Make sure to have some money set aside or budget for double the labour when onboarding someone new.
💰️ Mistakes. I have had to eat some BIG costs because we f*cked up or because we didn’t deliver. I’d rather pay to fix it than pay with my reputation.
What other BIG mistakes were you not prepared for? HELP ME I NEED TO KNOW WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE!
😎 LinkedIn is having a moment. Or, as the kids say, ‘LinkedIn is the moment.’
I’ve been talking about LinkedIn a lot lately, and it’s because audiences are losing interest in faceless brands. Building a personal brand is a smart way to leverage your brand for your own profile and vice versa.
LinkedIn is so straightforward and easy! You can maintain it for just 5 minutes a day—really, really.
So, I compiled a checklist for your profile and best practices for posting content.
Why LinkedIn?
🍋 LinkedIn has more than 1 billion users around the world.
🍋 LinkedIn continues to grow.Premium memberships have gone up 55% year after year.
🍋 Americans aged 30-49 use LinkedIn the most.
🍋 1.6 billion LinkedIn users log in at least once a month. (source)
More info on LinkedIn and how to use it is in my handy PDF!
A PQ Design Case Study: Missteps and Lessons Learned
Are you thinking of a full rebrand? Even as rebrand marketing experts, we learned the hard way that we really underbudgeted for our own project. Here are some lessons from our own experience. We use that knowledge to make sure our clients have a smoother ride with their graphic design, whether it’s a logo design, CPG packaging, or just a consultation from PQ as a graphic design agency.
Moving beyond our original look
At Piquant Marketing, we had known for a long time that we wanted a brand refresh. As Brand Marketing Strategists, we knew we weren’t highlighting our skills as a graphic design firm, and we needed to turn that all around. By this time, our company was already six years old, and we felt constrained by our branding. Our logo and website were dated, and Piquant’s brand guidelines were extremely limited in terms of colours and icon options. We put off the brand refresh longer than we should have. By then, we were significantly beyond where we started and needed a complete rebrand. We were ready to make a splash!
The process started simply enough that we knew we needed a new logo, more colour, and a brighter, bolder look to capture our energetic feel.
Positioning
We first worked with our creative consultants to examine our competitors, brand strategy, and to determine our place in the market. This included the discovery process, which included interviews with our team, current clients, and former clients of all types.
Best Practices
Then, we created best practices to ensure successful brand marketing. We would convey our new brand at every opportunity—when to use which logos, consistent branding and typography, and guidelines for colour use. And, perhaps most importantly, educated our entire team on these practices. It’s no good to have a design agency create a brand guide if someone on your team is digging their heels in and still using Canva
We examined our values to see where we aligned with our clients and where we were missing the mark. We took notes on adjusting our brand strategy and built everything again from the ground up. We were so far beyond a refresh with an updated logo; this was now a full marketing rebrand – a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Design strategy
As half of our team mapped out our future website, wireframes, and logistics, our Creative team worked on the logo, colours, brand guide, illustrations, and typography. We poured over different mood boards to nail down the exact feel we wanted to convey, ensuring that Piquant leaned into bright, bold colours, playful typography, simple yet unique illustrations, and a feeling of lush abundance.
The new website required specifics, not only visually but functionally. We wanted movement, contact forms, and to highlight the many types of services we offered including showcasing our talented designers. This meant a developer would be required to bring it to life. We had a talented creative director, but he couldn’t code an entire site, so we brought in outside help. Though this was another expense, it was one we could not avoid. We found a developer that seemed really affordable for her diverse skill set. Unfortunately, that meant no support or aftercare was offered. She completely ghosted us once the main project was complete, and we needed to bring in emergency support to fix IT issues created by swapping out various platforms to get everything back online.
What good is a gorgeous new website if incoming email for the entire company is not properly routed through the new site host?
That was a valuable (but expensive) lesson. We now have an IT specialist on retainer, but that is an ongoing expense we never budgeted for with the original project.
Capturing images
Once the website structure was clear, we knew we would need lots of fresh photography to make our new site pop. Planning out those shots, finding the right photographer, gathering props, and conveying the exact look in the studio was a huge undertaking; we had budgeted for photography, but not all the labour hours our team spent.
Due to various factors, the rebrand dragged on long enough that by the time everything was completed, we were on our third creative director.
Input from all angles
We could have tightened up the timeline in many places (the process of a full rebrand can be completed and ready to roll out within three months). But we had a few cooks in the kitchen, and a lot of input was considered. That’s the tricky part of having open communication in a small organization. Everyone wants to be heard, and we want to include them because their input is valuable. But there is a stage at which to get that input – and it’s not from start to finish with a big project like this.
Design process for clients
At PQ, we dive deep because we want to get it right. We follow the same rigorous steps when rebranding for a client. Here is the step-by-step process we work through with PQ clients looking for branding, design, and/or a website.
Branding & Design
1. Client Questionnaire
2. Discovery – where we go over the questionnaire in more depth and get insight from the team and customers.
3. Research (Competitors, Target Audience, Brand strategy)
4. Moodboarding
5. Creative Direction & Logo Concepts
6. Finalise
7. Output delivery of the Logo files, Brand guidelines, etc.
Website
1. Research (Competitors, Target Audience)
2. Moodboards
3. Wireframes + SiteMap
4. Design
5. Developer
6. Finalise
We give every design client an estimated timeline and cost in advance. We try our darndest to stick to that. If any issue or expense comes up along the way, we either roll with it or let our client know in advance what their options are going forward so they still have some control over the project. Because, we know that having a four-month project drag on for over a year can seriously impact operations and finances.
We use what we learned from our experience to ensure our clients have a smoother and more predictable ride.
🥴 How do I network at trade shows? I don’t really.
👉️ People are busy, and they don’t want to be sold to by a marketing agency.
I catch up with my friends, peers, and IG friends I’ve never met in real life.
📸 I make a note of trends, packaging, branding, and awesome booth ideas (that’s coming up next!) and take as many pictures as I can.
I gather a ton of business cards, meet the owners, and then make a plan to follow up with something of value when they aren’t in the middle of tradeshow chaos.
CHFA is a bit of beast in terms of events, I spent 3 hours there and barely walked the whole floor, but seeing some of my friends, current clients, and past clients was worth it.
It was a cold, rainy night in Vancouver for networking on February 29th. But Conscious Lab in Gastown offered a cozy place for us to connect, stuff our faces with food (maybe that was just me) and listen to one of Vancouver’s most successful foodpreneurs speak.
Sure, it was also to celebrate Lindsay’s 40th birthday (even though she doesn’t look a day past 27), but it was also a night of inspiration for food brands and entrepreneurs.
We also had outstanding contributions from Oome Tofu, including their Greek, Maple Soy & Just Smoke and chilled beverages from Ole Cocktails & Kindred Cultures.
After a bit of mingling, we listened to a Q&A from Karen Danudjaja, co-founder and CEO of Blume. We learned about her raising capital initially from her own friends and family before expanding with further investments (including from the Dragon’s Den), which is a reminder that with our own businesses, we need to put our money where our mouth is.
Karen really believed in her business, was willing to raise money, and seriously invested in it. And it worked.
We even brought in a tarot card reader to give us fresh insights into our professional futures and a goal-setting exercise to help us break down the steps in our next big goals.
With our hard-working team, including Lynn (our VP) and Katie (our influencer specialist), the event went off without a hitch! We connected and strengthened bonds with peers, friends, clients, and even family. It was a wild success in terms of connection, inspiration, and an experience we’re looking to replicate in the future.
So keep your eyes and ears open for the next live event with Lindsay; these experiences are too good to miss!
Special thanks to our vendors:
Kula Kitchen – delicious African inspired plant-based catering was a feast not only for the eyes, but also for the belly.
I’ve had some tough months and years with my business, and I see so many of you feeling the pinch, confusion, fear, and frustration. I’m hearing about soaring prices, changing demographics, and things being noisier and crowded in the marketplace. And 2024 is going to be an excellent year for us.
It’s a weird place to be in for me, too. I’ve settled into a place of peace, abundance, and happiness. I don’t want to brag or make it seem like my life is perfect. But, looking back, I can tell you what I’ve learned.
These ‘back up against the wall’ moments are a gift because you tend to have a ‘fuck it’ attitude with your business. You plant a ton of seeds, you take some bigger swings, and you’ll overthink less.
Here are some things I’ve done when I’ve been stressed in my business.
🍋 Get help. Invest in coaching, a mentor, and networking. It has never failed to help me level up.
🍋 Clean up and come up with a plan. Something about cleaning your workspace and your home before sitting down to make a plan of action is incredibly empowering and soothing. Laying out a roadmap helps me remain grounded when I’m spiraling and brings me back to the joy I get from running a business.
🍋 Make some tough choices to cut back. Often, stress stems from high costs and revenue not being high enough. Stop making excuses, putting it off, and cut out some of the expenses you don’t need right now. You might be surprised how little you miss them or how easy it is to rip the band-aid off. There have been times when I cut out anything other than essentials, and although I missed some of it, it was empowering and made me hyper-focused on getting to a more comfortable place.
🍋 Map out your values. This is the most important one. Take some time to list out what you value the most. Is it freedom? Money? Connections? Then, review your decisions and see if they align with your values. If family time is at the top of your list, but you’re spending all day and night in your business, then you must re-align your life with your values.
Finally, I want you to see advice from your peers and trusted loved ones, but take time to set in and trust your own guidance. Remember who is giving you advice. If you don’t want the life they are living, then don’t worry too much about the advice they’re giving.
But don’t you dare break these marketing rules in 2024:
💕 Always KNOW the rules before you break them! So you can decide how you’re deviating from the norm.
💕 Your marketing can be ANYTHING but boring.
💕 Your marketing should repel people. If people don’t strongly dislike you, then there aren’t people who strongly love you.
💕 There is no one way to grow. Take expert opinions with a grain of salt. They have a different audience and product.
💕 Copying will give you diminishing results. Don’t do it.
💕 Marketers SHOULD be annoying. Because you should have a vision you’re fighting for, a gut feeling you’re trusting, and be willing to take risks.
💕 Also, do whatever the f*ck you want.
Last week in our membership for food entrepreneurs, we not only went over auditing your social media channels and but also what is trendy now, what HAS always worked and what WILL always work.
My goal was to ensure that these foodpreneurs know how to audit their social today or in five years. Because I can teach them trends but what’s really useful is how to look critically at the purpose and goals of each of their channels.
So, what always works?
💥 Collab content always performs the best; you’re able to share an audience of shared interests.
💥 Newsjacking. Try taking advantage of current news and topics and integrate it into your content. (Is there a way to tie in your content to Beyonce’s new country album?!?)
💥 A really, really great giveaway. Yes these are still effective for reaching new people but you want to make the most of new traffic. We’ve been using an app like Many Chat to collect emails from people who enter and send them a coupon or an offer.
I think social media has never been more crowded, but it’s also never been more dynamic or exciting!
I know after doing this lesson I’m due for my own audit!
