Something I’ve always loved to do, is to find out how other successful people have achieved what I want to do myself.

I love to hear their stories and learn about their journey, including the mistakes as well as their achievements.

It’s a powerful way to learn.

And so this week, I’m really excited to share another interview with a friend and client, who actually also used to be a competitor of mine about 6 or 7 years ago.

Vicki Simpson founded Bubblebubs modern cloth nappy brand about 15 years ago.

She designs and manufactures a huge range of reusable nappies and other eco-friendly products for babies and new Mums. 

She sells both Ecommerce as well as wholesale, and these days is a hugely successful brand. 

It definitely has not been a straight line from the start-line to success, though, and she’s extremely candid about some of the massive difficulties she’s had along the way.

She also shares an incredible social media marketing strategy that is totally free and you can all use in your business RIGHT NOW.

Normally, trade shows and expos are one of Vicki’s major marketing strategies. In a year, she would usually do at least 9 shows!

Clearly, those have all been cancelled for the immediate future, as the COVID-19 pandemic has closed down all major events around the world. 

So, Vicki did a quick pivot and rolled out a really cool social media strategy instead, that you should definitely listen to and implement yourself.

Vicki shares so many nuggets of gold in this episode though, so do yourself a big favour and set aside the next 45 minutes to listen to what she has to say.

Listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Free Guide Download, “How to Double Your Customers”

Klaviyo email marketing platform for Ecommerce

Bubblebubs website, Facebook and Instagram

Join our FREE Rockstar Productpreneur Facebook group

Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode:

Read the Transcript

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Spotify

CONTINUE READING

This week’s episode was recorded as the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has continued to heighten. State and national borders have been closed, shops are shut and we’re all bunkering down at home.

Yet my eCommerce clients are experiencing their best ever weeks in sales revenue! 

Why is this? 

Well here’s the silver lining… 

#1 – just because the shops have closed, doesn’t mean that consumers have stopped shopping for essentials (or retail therapy). 

#2 – customers are spending far more time online, especially on social media.

#3 – my clients have absolutely nailed their Facebook ad strategy!

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Diana Swadling, founder of Milkbar Breastpumps. 

Listen as she shares some details about the marketing that’s working right now to drive traffic and sales in her online store.

In fact, she describes how Facebook advertising is THE most profitable traffic source in her business! 

I know it can feel risky to spend money on marketing right now. 

But if you were able to spend $1 and get $8 or $10 back in sales revenue, you’d probably go for it, right?

Because that’s what’s happening in eCommerce right now!

Listen now.

Or click here to view the full Case Study of the exact Facebook Ad strategy we used for Milkbar Breastpumps.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Read/View the Case Study to see the exact Facebook Ad strategy we used for Milkbar Breastpumps

Download your copy of our free guide, “5 Must Have Facebook Ad Strategies for eCommerce”

Milkbar Breastpumps online store

Follow Milkbar Breastpumps on Facebook and Instagram

Rockstar Productpreneur Facebook Group

Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode:

Read the Transcript

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Spotify

CONTINUE READING

Right now, as I record this episode, it feels like every minute there is a new piece of news or a new announcement or a new rule or shutdown in relation to Covid-19. 

It feels like at least a month ago that I recorded my episode about how to survive in business during a recession, yet it was only two weeks.

We’re living through unprecedented times now. Beyond the fact that there hasn’t been a pandemic of this size and scope in living memory, the efforts to contain it are wreaking havoc on our economy. 

As tempting as it might be to panic, the best thing to do now is plan for the crisis and keep moving forward, because it’s not as impossible as it seems, and the alternative is giving up. 

But how do you plan when nobody even knows what tomorrow will look like? You may well ask. 

Well, that turns out to be something we do have some experience with. If you were running a business during 9/11, or the 2008 financial crisis, as I was, you know how rapidly situations can change: head-spinningly so. 

You’ll also know for a fact that: this too will pass. 

We will need to be proactive in order to survive, which is what we’re going to talk about in today’s Podcast episode.

So let’s draw from the lessons we learned during those past calamities. And I want to focus on four main areas: stay calm, cut costs, keep marketing and innovate.

Listen now as I share some strategies you can implement right now, to survive this Coron-economy, and put yourself in the best position to thrive later!

Listen now.

Next, be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

How to Develop a Winning Business Mindset Podcast Episode

7 Tips to Growing Your Store During a Recession Podcast Episode

FREE Cash Flow Forecast Template Download

Rockstar Productpreneur Facebook Group

Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode:

Read the Transcript

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Spotify

CONTINUE READING

Not getting enough sales through your eCommerce store? Whether this is a sudden thing or a long term issue, you may be keen to boost your eCommerce sales – FAST!

Unfortunately, all businesses go through periods of time when their sales slow down or decline.

I remember that feeling. 

Sometimes it was just a crap time of year for sales. Like, February and school holidays were always horrible for me in terms of sales in my online store. 

Sometimes sales would dip because I’d run out of stock, or sold out of most popular products. 

And of course, sometimes it was because times were just tough. Like I said in my last podcast episode, I managed to grow my business through the 2008 GFC, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t sometimes really tough.  

The journey from here to success is never a smooth, upward line! If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it, right?

So if you feel like you’re the guy wearing the sandwich board standing outside the empty café spruiking a meal deal while the joint across the road is absolutely pumping – this is for you.

Here are my 12 best ways to boost eCommerce sales FAST!

Listen now.

Next, be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Product launch blog #1 – “7 Steps To A Successful Product Launch”

Product launch blog #2 – “How To Run A Successful Ecommerce Product Launch”

FREE Marketing Campaign Planning Guide + Template Download

Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode:

Read the Transcript

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Spotify

CONTINUE READING

(When You Want To Thrive, Not Just Survive…)

As I record this episode, things around the world are feeling pretty crazy, scary and chaotic right now with this Coronavirus being labeled a Pandemic! 

Schools are being closed, events are being cancelled, people are self-isolating, and anyone who works in industries like travel or events is going to find it really tough over the coming months. 

And I know so many of you are fearful of how you’ll manage to survive in business in this sort of climate, so I wanted to create an episode for you to give you some ideas about how you can survive and hopefully thrive even if the economy does start to struggle in the coming months.

So in this episode, I’m going to share some ideas stem from my own experience growing my first business during the 2008 global financial crisis.

I’ll share with you how to get creative and a bit scrappy with your marketing, so you still generate revenue in your online store.

I want to highlight the fact that all of you who are running Ecommerce businesses actually already have the ideal business model to take advantage of this Coronavirus situation. 

Consumers will still need to buy – sure they may not be buying things like travel-related products and services or going to events, but more people will shop online in the coming months than normal because they either can’t or don’t want to leave the home!

So here goes…

Let’s go over 7 Tips To Growing Your Store In A Recession (When You Want To Thrive, Not Just Survive…)

Click here to listen!

Next, be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

FREE Cash Flow Forecast Template Download

Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode:

Read the Transcript

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Spotify

CONTINUE READING

Here’s How To Know What To Do At Each Stage Of Your Business’ Growth

A lot of people struggle with trying to work out what they should be focusing on. Or figuring out what strategies will help move them forwards in business.

Working out what you should do to grow your business isn’t always easy. The vast number of options to choose from can be overwhelming. 

So if you feel like that, or worry that you don’t have what it takes to succeed in business…

Let me reassure you that all this stuff is totally figure-outable!  

In today’s episode, I share exactly what you need to focus on at each stage of your business, in order to scale and grow to the next stage.

I tell you what DOESN’T work if you want long-term growth: doing the same thing as you always did.

If you keep doing the same thing over and over, you’ll always get the exact same result!

Or, put it another way – what got you to where you are right now, will not get you to where you want to go. 

Scaling from one level to the next always requires different inputs. 

So in today’s episode, I detail what you need to focus on during each of the 5 stages of business, from launching to scaling up profitably.

Click here to listen to the episode

be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

FREE Tutorial – my 3 Essential Pillars for Ecommerce Sales Success

BLOG: How To Write A Simple Business Plan

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast…

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Read the Transcript

CONTINUE READING

Have you ever heard someone successful tell you their overnight success took several years in the making?

This doesn’t quite play into our desires or expectations of instant gratification does it!

Sadly, the line from here to success is never straight, no matter what your endeavour. And it rarely happens overnight!

I remember when I started my first business, I was so utterly determined to make it a huge success that I pretty much worked day and night, and on weekends. 

I literally thought Hard Work was what would make me productive. 

And sure, sometimes working really really hard can get some big things done. But it’s impossible to sustain that level of effort and hustle in the long term. 

Pretty soon you’ll burn out, and that’s what happened to me. 

So today I want to talk about a topic that has become incredibly important to me, and that is… 

How to maintain a positive, confident mindset as an entrepreneur. 

Personally, over the years I have experienced the wild roller coaster swings of emotion, stress levels and overwhelm. 

Whenever this used to happen, I would swing crazily between feelings of elation and like I was absolutely nailing it, to the complete opposite where my confidence was at rock bottom and I would feel like what the heck am I doing? Why would I ever think I’d be any good?

Thankfully, I learned a few skills to moderate these crazy emotions!

I now have a daily practice that helps me to maintain a positive mindset. 

So that’s what I’d like to share with you today.

Click here to listen to the episode

Be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

FREE Tutorial – my 3 Essential Pillars for Ecommerce Sales Success

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast…

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Read the Transcript

CONTINUE READING

Generate Over 1300% More Revenue Per Email Subscriber

On average, as an eCommerce store, around 20% of your total revenue is generated by email marketing.

Does that sound high to you? Or are you doing even better than that?

Where does email automation fit into this?

For most online stores, only about 2-8% is coming from automated triggered emails, such as an abandoned cart email.

Not so great huh.

You may be wondering why on earth I get so excited about this sales automation stuff then….

That low percentage makes absolutely no sense at all when you consider that automated emails out-perform broadcast or newsletter-style emails by pretty much every metric that matters.

• Open rates are 165% higher.
• Conversion rates are over 1500% higher.
• And revenue per recipient is over 1300% higher!

Automated emails are true revenue-generating power houses when you put them to work.

So in today’s Podcast episode, I’m going to teach you how to leverage email automation to build stronger customer relationships and make more money.

Listen as I walk you through my 3 easy steps to automating your new and repeat eCommerce sales. 

(A.K.A setting up email funnels!) 

Click here to listen to the episode

There are only 3 ways to increase your sales and profits online:

1. Increase the number of customers who buy from you,
2. Increase your average order value, or
3. Increase the frequency your customers buy from you.

By attracting the right people to your website, growing your email list and presenting the right offer or incentive in your follow-up email campaign, you can increase the number of customers buy from you AND potentially increase your average order value.

That’s sales automation in action right there!

Now, be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

FREE Tutorial – my 3 Essential Pillars for Ecommerce Sales Success

Klaviyo email automation for eCommerce

Rockstar Productpreneur Facebook community

CONTINUE READING

Today I want to talk about one of my favourite subjects – paid ads. Specifically, paid Facebook ads. 

I want to walk you through the case study of a project we’ve been working on for our client MadMia.

MadMia is one of the most colourful and fun clothing brands I’ve seen or worked with – definitely check them out if you have kids!

When we started working together, we helped increase MadMia’s revenue from Facebook ads by 100% in 2 months.

Sounds pretty good, right? 

We’ll let’s break down how we did that for you. 

How Facebook ads DON’T work

As business owners, we like to think that everyone who needs a product like ours will automatically be interested when they see our ad. We talk our product up in the hope that people will recognise our product as being exactly right to suit our needs.

Unfortunately, that’s not how advertising works.

Most people do not login to Facebook with the primary intention of making a purchase. 

Bottom line is this: What looks like the fastest route to getting a purchase is, in fact, a direct line to losing the attention and interest of the people you want to reach.

You simply won’t get the clicks.

What’s the purpose of your ad?

Too many advertisers are trying to do too much with their ad. Specifically, they are trying to attract a cold audience AND sell, all in one ad.

So if the purpose of your Facebook ad is not to get the purchase, what is it?

Think of a sale as being a series of small actions or steps. Step 1 is to get their attention (ie stop scrolling their newsfeed long enough to look at your ad). Step 2 is for them to read your text. Third is for them to click on your ad.

Once they’ve clicked on your ad it’s up to your website to complete the process. This may be a two step process – sign up to your email list and then retarget them to get them to buy your product.

So you see, the purpose of your ad is simple: it’s to get the click.

Click here to listen to the episode to find out how…

Hopefully this makes it really easy and actionable for you to start running more effective and profitable Facebook ads in your own business!

Now, be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

MadMia store

FREE Ultimate Ecommerce Marketing Starter Course

Rockstar Productpreneur Facebook community

CONTINUE READING

“I don’t want to email my list too often because I don’t want to annoy them…”

“I don’t want to constantly ask my social media followers to buy my products because I don’t want to come across as pushy or like all I want is their money…”

“I want people to buy my stuff but I don’t know how to ask for the sale without sounding super salesy…”

I’m sure there are other negative thoughts and feelings that are common when it comes to sales as well.

Fear of selling, or feeling unsure about how to sell without being seen as pushy or salesy, is incredibly common.

None of us want to feel like we’ve been “sold” – pushed into making a purchase decision that we don’t really need or want.

And we don’t want our customers to feel like that’s what we’re doing to them either.

In today’s episode, I want to introduce you to the concept of selling through storytelling.

Storytelling is an age-old, effective method of communicating

Stories are engaging. They’re easy to remember, and easy to re-tell. 

Stories help your customers to self-identify themselves in the story, and if they see themselves in your story then it makes it easier for them to make a buying decision.

Listen to the episode where I break down this story sales format step-by-step.

Hopefully this makes it really easy and actionable for you to start using this technique in your own marketing – from your website, to your emails, to your social media content and your paid advertising!

Now, be sure to head to our Rockstar Productpreneur community to ask your #askcatherine questions! I can’t wait to hear them.

Click here to listen now! 

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Rockstar Productpreneur Facebook community

CONTINUE READING