1 00:00:10,710 --> 00:00:12,340 Hey there, welcome to On Your Terms. 2 00:00:12,340 --> 00:00:13,670 I'm your host, Sam Vander Wielen. 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:19,110 I'm here with another episode about how to create all different kinds of content in your business. 4 00:00:19,110 --> 00:00:27,660 If you're bored of talking about what you talk about in your business, if you're not sure what other areas that you can talk about, then today's episode is totally for you. 5 00:00:27,670 --> 00:00:35,200 This is a very popular topic that came up in a master class that I hosted back in November, where I talked about my umbrella content strategy. 6 00:00:35,220 --> 00:00:45,180 It's where we provide value to our customers in other areas other than the exact thing that we sell or do or talk about by providing value to our customers and showing them that 7 00:00:45,180 --> 00:00:53,750 we really, truly understand where they are, what they're going through, what they're confused about, what else they need from us other than just the very thing that we sell. 8 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,230 So, I'm hoping that you're going to love this episode. 9 00:00:56,250 --> 00:01:01,820 I love recording it, and I particularly love the mattress conversation that we're going to have towards the end. 10 00:01:01,830 --> 00:01:04,220 So, send me a DM on Instagram as you're listening. 11 00:01:04,220 --> 00:01:06,720 Let me know if this episode was helpful. 12 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:16,710 And, I said it last week, but starting now - starting last week, I guess, I'm going to start doing a little coffee talk segment before we get into the episode, where it's just a very quick catch 13 00:01:16,710 --> 00:01:26,460 up. So, if we were getting coffee now, what I would tell you is that I am planning for the business and hiring like crazy. 14 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:36,600 I have been working a lot behind the scenes on my organizational chart, which is just really funny, like, bizarro world for me, because if you don't know, an organizational chart is essentially like - it's like 15 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:42,510 literally a chart of bubbles that has the company's, like, the organizational structure of the company, right? 16 00:01:42,510 --> 00:01:45,600 So, it has a COO or a CEO with you, right? 17 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:47,150 That's the main person, the founder. 18 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,770 And then, there's a chief operating officer. 19 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,560 Some companies have a chief marketing operator. 20 00:01:52,590 --> 00:01:55,110 Some people have a chief financial officer. 21 00:01:55,110 --> 00:02:00,240 Like, there are all these different, essentially, departments and there should be a head of each department. 22 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:06,050 And then, there are people under them that might be managers or executors, executors of the people, like implementing. 23 00:02:06,060 --> 00:02:08,160 So, that's what I've been working on. 24 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:18,180 And it's really bizarre for me because when I was an attorney, I was actually not only creating organizational charts for other companies, but I was always, like, referencing them, like when we 25 00:02:18,180 --> 00:02:21,390 would go to sue and when we were figuring out what to include in it. 26 00:02:21,630 --> 00:02:31,620 You would look at the organizational chart, and I remember being a young attorney and I just told my friend this the other day, like the first big law firm that I worked for, and the senior partner 27 00:02:31,620 --> 00:02:41,280 was like, "Go get me the organizational chart." And I was like, "Okay, cool, I will." And then I went, you know, a couple of doors down to my colleague's office who was like a 28 00:02:41,670 --> 00:02:44,100 youngish attorney, you know, older than me, but a lot younger than the senior partner. 29 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:49,950 And I was like, "Gus, what's an organizational chart?" And he was like, "I'll show you." 30 00:02:50,490 --> 00:02:58,740 So, I remember not even knowing what it was to, you know, fast forward, like, I don't know, a little less than 10 years later, and I'm creating one for my own business. 31 00:02:59,100 --> 00:03:01,020 So, it's bizarro world over here. 32 00:03:01,470 --> 00:03:03,390 It's pretty weird, but at least I know how to make it. 33 00:03:03,390 --> 00:03:04,560 I guess that's the upside. 34 00:03:04,590 --> 00:03:09,280 So, yeah, I am looking for all the help over here at Sam Vander Wielen. 35 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:14,280 You can always head to samvanderwielen.com/hiring to see if we're hiring for any positions within the company. 36 00:03:14,430 --> 00:03:22,860 I would love to work with you if you want to work for us, but I'll make sure I include that link below just in case anybody is looking for a job or, you know, somebody is looking for a job. 37 00:03:23,460 --> 00:03:27,660 With that, I want to give a shout-out to the reviewer of the week. 38 00:03:27,660 --> 00:03:37,380 So, in case you don't know already, if you leave a review for On Your Terms on Apple iTunes podcast, then I will give you a shout-out in a future 39 00:03:37,380 --> 00:03:39,330 episode by reading your review on air. 40 00:03:39,330 --> 00:03:48,510 And if you tell me what your IG handle is by screenshotting me your review and DMing it to me on Instagram, @samvanderwielen, then I can share about it on social 41 00:03:48,900 --> 00:03:52,350 media. So, Liz wrote, "I love this podcast. 42 00:03:52,350 --> 00:03:56,700 Sam knows her stuff, and it's obvious that she genuinely cares about her listener's success. 43 00:03:56,730 --> 00:04:00,960 She keeps it real and shares incredible insights that are so helpful for business owners like me. 44 00:04:00,990 --> 00:04:02,750 Thank you, Sam." Well, thank you, Liz. 45 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,310 I really appreciate you for leaving a review. 46 00:04:05,340 --> 00:04:15,220 Thank you so much for listening to On Your Terms, and I'd love to give you a shout-out if you want to leave a review on Apple iTunes podcast, and I will read your review on air. 47 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,690 So with that, let's get into my umbrella content strategy. 48 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,530 This is a good one, and I can't wait to hear from you and what you took away from this episode. 49 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:32,290 So, I don't know about you, but I need more than one thing to talk about my business or I think I would lose my mind. 50 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:42,280 Like, pretty early on, I realized I do not just want to talk about legal stuff because it feels limiting and stifling, and I know that my ideal customer 51 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:43,630 is struggling with other stuff. 52 00:04:43,780 --> 00:04:47,290 They're not just confused about how to legally protect their online business. 53 00:04:47,290 --> 00:04:49,130 They're not just looking for contracts. 54 00:04:49,130 --> 00:04:51,810 They're also trying to figure out, how do I build my email list? 55 00:04:51,820 --> 00:04:53,950 How do I build my audience on social media? 56 00:04:54,370 --> 00:04:55,600 How do I get more clients? 57 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,460 When's the right time to raise my prices? 58 00:04:57,490 --> 00:05:03,010 People have the same questions in my community beyond just like what kind of contract do I need. 59 00:05:03,010 --> 00:05:12,980 And, I know that we can get bored of our straight-up content, like whatever it is that relates directly to what you do or like the very specific niche of 60 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:14,860 the area of what you do. 61 00:05:14,860 --> 00:05:17,320 And, that was definitely the case for me. 62 00:05:17,470 --> 00:05:25,570 But we also are losing, I think, a big opportunity when we don't speak to other concerns and questions that our ideal client has. 63 00:05:25,660 --> 00:05:27,430 But there's a way to do it. 64 00:05:27,430 --> 00:05:37,270 I think there's a way to do this right so that you don't confuse people, so that you don't spend too much time talking about this other kind of content and so that you can still, at the end of the day, become known for something 65 00:05:37,270 --> 00:05:44,190 because that's really important when we're marketing our businesses that we become known, our name becomes synonymous with what we do, right? 66 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:51,640 So in order for us to do that, we have to consistently show up and talk about the area in which we teach on, what we sell about. 67 00:05:51,700 --> 00:05:58,240 But you are not limited to talking in your business just about the very specific thing that you do. 68 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:07,300 I think it's a great way to show that you really get your ideal clients and talking about your content in an umbrella method fashion. 69 00:06:07,300 --> 00:06:17,230 And, that's really what I'm going to focus on today, is teaching you what I call the umbrella method of content, talking about how I integrate this in my own business, what this looks like, how you can go about sketching this 70 00:06:17,230 --> 00:06:18,580 out in your own business. 71 00:06:18,670 --> 00:06:25,210 So, this is something that I actually brought up and taught in November from start-up to sold-out masterclass series. 72 00:06:25,210 --> 00:06:34,990 And, I felt like there was almost like a collective sigh of relief in the virtual room when people were like, "Oh, I don't 73 00:06:34,990 --> 00:06:40,210 just have to talk about exactly what I do." And it felt like such a sense of relief, right? 74 00:06:40,690 --> 00:06:44,050 So, I'm really glad that you might feel relieved. 75 00:06:44,050 --> 00:06:49,690 And, I hope that today after this episode, you'll walk away feeling like you at least have a strategy, right? 76 00:06:49,690 --> 00:06:55,370 You know me. I'm always thinking about the business strategy here, so everything has to make sense when it comes to your business. 77 00:06:55,390 --> 00:07:02,740 But there is a way to do this that actually supports your business not just like, "Oh, this isn't going to hurt my business." It will actually help your business. 78 00:07:03,790 --> 00:07:10,960 I don't, however, and I'm going to get into a second what the umbrella content method is and how you go about designing it and all that kind of stuff. 79 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:20,740 But I want you to remember that when I'm talking about talking about other things in your business other than the very core, you know, offer that you have, like me not 80 00:07:20,740 --> 00:07:30,610 talking only about legal, for example, I don't want you to be interested in talking about other things because you feel like you're just saying the same thing over and 81 00:07:30,610 --> 00:07:34,030 over. You've probably heard people say this before, but it is true. 82 00:07:34,030 --> 00:07:35,140 So, bears repeating. 83 00:07:35,650 --> 00:07:38,080 If you're repeating yourself in your business, then you're doing something right. 84 00:07:38,770 --> 00:07:41,630 If you're saying the same thing over, it means you're being consistent. 85 00:07:41,650 --> 00:07:47,470 That's how we're really going to set the foundation for you in your business, for you to become known for something. 86 00:07:47,650 --> 00:07:57,400 And so, I remember a mentor of mine about a year or two ago had said, you know, you become synonymous enough with what you do in your community that people know that you sell 87 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,950 legal stuff that that's what you're there to talk about. 88 00:07:59,950 --> 00:08:09,880 That if you want to do a training on, like, building your email list or a little, like, quick tip on Instagram Stories, it's not going to impact your business, the actual thing that 89 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:11,650 you sell and that makes you money. 90 00:08:11,710 --> 00:08:21,040 So, it's really important that we spend the time actually cultivating and building and strengthening this foundation of really getting comfortable with repeating 91 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:27,620 ourselves with becoming known for something and for really coming at it from so many different angles. 92 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:36,770 So, I just wanted to be clear before we get into this today that, you know, this is not a way to get out of showing up and talking about your offer. 93 00:08:36,790 --> 00:08:44,740 This is for those of you who are doing the work, being consistent, showing up, building your foundation, becoming known for this area. 94 00:08:44,770 --> 00:08:54,520 But you also know that your clients have other interests and concerns, and you have other interests and concerns and maybe just want to spread your wings a little bit and show really what you 95 00:08:54,550 --> 00:08:57,250 know, the full depth of what you know. 96 00:08:57,700 --> 00:09:03,240 So, it means you're doing something right if you're sick of - if you're feeling like, "Oh, I'm repeating myself. 97 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:04,570 You know, I'm saying the same thing over. 98 00:09:04,570 --> 00:09:07,520 I feel like I've already talked about this." That means you're doing something right. 99 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:08,980 Keep going. Keep saying it. 100 00:09:09,710 --> 00:09:11,160 Teach it from a different angle. 101 00:09:11,210 --> 00:09:14,980 Look at what people's questions are still. 102 00:09:14,980 --> 00:09:20,200 Read a recent testimonial and then dig into that person's story about what they were struggling with. 103 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:25,240 Because the truth is, someone else in your audience is also going to be still struggling with that. 104 00:09:25,570 --> 00:09:27,160 And keep doing that. 105 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,890 This umbrella content method that we're going to talk about today is just an additional layer on top of all that. 106 00:09:31,890 --> 00:09:33,430 It's not a substitute. 107 00:09:33,700 --> 00:09:39,570 So, we are going to transition into talking about what is the umbrella method. 108 00:09:39,570 --> 00:09:43,210 What the heck am I talking about when I say the umbrella method of content? 109 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:45,780 So, I am super visual. 110 00:09:45,790 --> 00:09:47,880 I don't know about you. Are you a visual learner? 111 00:09:47,890 --> 00:09:51,160 I don't know. But for me, I have to, like, think of something. 112 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:52,420 I'm the queen of analogies. 113 00:09:52,420 --> 00:09:55,240 I'm always thinking about those kinds of things in a visual way. 114 00:09:55,420 --> 00:09:58,840 So, here's the way that I think about creating content for your business. 115 00:09:59,470 --> 00:10:07,170 I think that your ideal customer is like a person standing holding an umbrella and your business is essentially the umbrella. 116 00:10:07,170 --> 00:10:09,440 And the spoke of the - sorry. 117 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:14,960 The main handle of the umbrella, right, is really the core content pillar. 118 00:10:14,980 --> 00:10:21,280 So in my case, this would be legal for online businesses, for online coaches, and service providers. 119 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:27,260 So, we'd be talking about contracts and website policies, registering your business, business insurance, taxes. 120 00:10:27,260 --> 00:10:36,280 All of that stuff would be under the main foundational handle type thing, you know, the strong wooden handle of the umbrella. 121 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,260 And, the person that's standing there is my ideal client. 122 00:10:39,290 --> 00:10:46,850 I have a very, very good idea of who that person is and what they're struggling with and what they want instead and what their hopes and dreams and desires are, and all of that kind of stuff. 123 00:10:46,870 --> 00:10:56,470 And, I'm really there to be that umbrella, to be there and to cover them and to get them that foundational knowledge that they're primarily coming to me for. 124 00:10:56,770 --> 00:10:59,140 They probably have other problems in other areas of their life. 125 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,110 They definitely have other problems in other areas of their business. 126 00:11:02,110 --> 00:11:04,090 But that's really what they're coming to me for. 127 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:05,350 Right? 128 00:11:05,350 --> 00:11:15,340 But the reason that I started thinking about and creating this umbrella content method is that I felt limited by that, by just talking about legal every single day because 129 00:11:15,370 --> 00:11:21,290 I am interested in so many other things, and I've learned a lot over the way, you know, during the time that I've built my own businesses. 130 00:11:21,310 --> 00:11:31,300 And, I also know that when my ideal client is standing there holding that umbrella, yes, they are holding that handle and I am that main pillar for them that hopefully 131 00:11:31,300 --> 00:11:34,060 , they're coming to for legal information about their business. 132 00:11:34,090 --> 00:11:37,690 But I know that there are other spokes on the umbrella that are covering them, right? 133 00:11:38,230 --> 00:11:45,910 And so, some of these other spokes, like I've alluded to, might be social media or like how to build on social media, how to get more clients from social media. 134 00:11:46,300 --> 00:11:47,620 It might be copywriting. 135 00:11:47,620 --> 00:11:49,570 It might be building an email list. 136 00:11:49,570 --> 00:11:52,620 It might be all different kinds of things, how to run group programs. 137 00:11:52,620 --> 00:12:02,560 Like, there are all different kinds of topics that are still under this umbrella that my ideal client is struggling with or has questions about or wants to 138 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:11,140 learn more about that aren't related to anything that I offer, necessarily, but they are related to my ideal client. 139 00:12:11,140 --> 00:12:15,940 My ideal client is still struggling with that while also struggling with the legal piece, right? 140 00:12:16,150 --> 00:12:19,480 So, I like to think about related areas. 141 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:28,060 Now, the closer the spokes are to the handle, I can like to consider that those are even maybe a little baby umbrella branches off of the main handle. 142 00:12:28,070 --> 00:12:36,910 So, for me, for example, being a legal educator for online entrepreneurs, maybe one of the spokes to the left or the right of me is taxes or money. 143 00:12:36,910 --> 00:12:42,390 I've started to talk a little bit about money and investment, and I can kind of relate that back to legal stuff too, right? 144 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:52,330 Like, I could talk about investing in retirement as an entrepreneur and how you can put money in like a SEP IRA or individual 401(k) or 145 00:12:52,330 --> 00:12:55,470 something if you own your business and you set it up properly. 146 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,100 And, what does that do for you legally? 147 00:12:57,100 --> 00:12:59,110 What do you have to have in place for you legally? 148 00:12:59,350 --> 00:13:01,240 And then, what does that do for your taxes? 149 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,840 Those are, to me, the closest umbrella spokes. 150 00:13:05,350 --> 00:13:15,340 If I take one step out, one more notch over, then I might start to get into like, "Well, how do I build my email list?" So, I give little tips about, well, when you do build your email 151 00:13:15,340 --> 00:13:20,260 list, by the way, you can only put people on it who have legally signed up to be on it. 152 00:13:20,260 --> 00:13:24,350 But here are some tips as to how to get more people to sign up for your email lists. 153 00:13:24,350 --> 00:13:26,200 Like, I've got you covered on the legal side. 154 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,480 But how do you get more people on your email list? 155 00:13:28,510 --> 00:13:30,580 So, I can start to teach about that. 156 00:13:30,910 --> 00:13:40,330 And so, it gives me this opportunity to step out a little bit and also show my ideal client that I've got them in other areas of what they're struggling with. 157 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,490 This is not where you should spend the majority of your time. 158 00:13:43,490 --> 00:13:49,630 It shouldn't even be a high, high percentage of your time or your content amount if we were quantifying it. 159 00:13:49,780 --> 00:13:55,510 But I do think it's something that you can start to splice in once you're building that foundation that we talked about. 160 00:13:55,510 --> 00:14:05,470 Once you feel like you're really working and you're spending the majority of the time on setting that foundation and being the handle, you can start to kind of go out to what these other spokes 161 00:14:05,470 --> 00:14:10,690 are and start addressing what else your ideal client is struggling with. 162 00:14:10,870 --> 00:14:20,830 And I think that this is a really cool way to bring in other content and to mix things up, to look even to different purposes of this content. 163 00:14:20,860 --> 00:14:28,500 So, for example, maybe some of this content is merely meant to get people's attention and kind of bring them into the fold. 164 00:14:28,530 --> 00:14:38,370 I see this a lot in my business where somebody might not be necessarily super pumped about following somebody on Instagram who gives legal tips, you know, especially 165 00:14:38,370 --> 00:14:44,810 once they get their legal stuff in place and they're like, "Well, why would I continue to follow this person?" It's kind of like a one-and-done situation. 166 00:14:44,820 --> 00:14:54,810 But not only do I continue to give additional tips that they might not have thought of, and I showed that to them on Instagram or elsewhere, but I'm also then talking about this other stuff which keeps 167 00:14:54,810 --> 00:15:02,650 them in the community, which keeps them top - just keeps our company on top of mind, and then it keeps you top of mind for referrals to other people. 168 00:15:02,670 --> 00:15:12,150 So, I think that that can be a really, really helpful tool in growing and deepening this connection with your community, which I actually talked about last week in last week's episode about continuing to nurture your 169 00:15:12,150 --> 00:15:17,250 customers. This is another way that you can continue to nurture your customers by talking about other things. 170 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:26,660 Have you ever felt lost about where to begin with the legal side of protecting your online business? 171 00:15:26,690 --> 00:15:30,200 Some people say you can just wing it at the beginning and get officially set up later. 172 00:15:30,830 --> 00:15:32,830 Not a good idea, by the way. 173 00:15:32,830 --> 00:15:42,530 Whether you're afraid to even start working with clients because you don't want to do something wrong legally and then get in trouble or your business is growing and you sort of forgot to take care of the legal 174 00:15:42,530 --> 00:15:44,330 pieces, I've got you. 175 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:54,140 I don't want you to live in fear of the internet police coming after you and your business, but you do have to do certain things and get certain things in place in order to legally and safely run your business 176 00:15:54,140 --> 00:16:01,250 online. As much as it just feels like an unregulated Wild Wild West online, that is very much not the case. 177 00:16:01,250 --> 00:16:06,630 As an attorney-turned entrepreneur and former corporate litigator, I can assure you that there are rules. 178 00:16:06,630 --> 00:16:11,540 There are real steps that everybody who runs or starts an online business needs to take. 179 00:16:11,810 --> 00:16:13,670 And you're not behind at all. 180 00:16:13,670 --> 00:16:16,060 We can get you set up in following the rules right away. 181 00:16:16,070 --> 00:16:17,930 In fact, we can even do it today. 182 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:23,150 I want to teach you the five very simple steps to take to legally protect and grow your online business. 183 00:16:23,180 --> 00:16:32,420 You don't need an MBA to be a successful entrepreneur and stay out of legal hot water, but you do need to dot your legal i's and cross your t's in a few key areas that can't be skipped. 184 00:16:32,450 --> 00:16:38,870 That's exactly what I'll teach you in my free one-hour legal workshop called Five Steps To Legally Protect And Grow Your Online Business. 185 00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:47,210 Just head to mylegalworkshop.com, drop in your email address, pick the time, and I'll send you a link to watch the workshop video whenever you have time. 186 00:16:47,450 --> 00:16:51,710 This is the best place to begin if you're just getting started legally legitimizing your business. 187 00:16:51,710 --> 00:16:58,430 So, head on over to mylegalworkshop.com and sign up to watch Five Steps To Legally Protect And Grow Your Online Business now. 188 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:11,110 One of the best examples that I love about this, too, is that, you know, if you're ever feeling a little dry on content, you're having writer's block, you feel like 189 00:17:11,110 --> 00:17:17,380 you've explored something from every angle, I like to take a look at what other companies are doing. 190 00:17:17,380 --> 00:17:25,270 Overall, in general, I would like highly recommend for you to, as much as possible, absorb business knowledge and information from people outside the coaching space. 191 00:17:25,900 --> 00:17:32,060 For one, there are way more highly qualified and skilled people operating in other ways. 192 00:17:32,060 --> 00:17:41,890 Like, they are actually focused on business, not just like, "Oh, I did a launch that was successful and now I have a business." So, we want to actually, like, take stuff from people who are way, you 193 00:17:41,890 --> 00:17:44,020 know, doing this on a larger scale. 194 00:17:44,170 --> 00:17:51,230 But the other thing is that sometimes this is helpful to get out of this bubble, you know, and kind of see that things are done a bit differently. 195 00:17:51,250 --> 00:18:01,090 So, I read this article once that, and if I can find it, I will link it, I swear, but I read this article, and so it was super helpful, that was talking about one of the mattress companies. 196 00:18:01,090 --> 00:18:10,060 I don't recall if it was like Avocado or Purple or whatever, but it was one of these mattress companies that send you the mattress all rolled up in a box, and they were talking about 197 00:18:11,110 --> 00:18:13,700 how brilliant their content strategy was. 198 00:18:13,700 --> 00:18:17,840 Because nobody wants to be on an email list for a mattress company. 199 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:27,580 Like, if I bought a mattress and I got the mattress and then I was just sleeping on the mattress, I would unsubscribe from all their future emails because it's like, this is kind of my point about somebody having 200 00:18:27,580 --> 00:18:29,860 bought and then like moving on and be like, I got my mattress. 201 00:18:29,860 --> 00:18:31,630 I don't need to hear about more. 202 00:18:31,750 --> 00:18:33,460 Like, how many mattresses can you buy, right? 203 00:18:33,580 --> 00:18:43,450 But the cool thing about this company that was featured in this article was that they were saying that what this company does is that they have - this is not the term that they used, 204 00:18:43,450 --> 00:18:52,900 but when I read it, I was like, "Oh, they're following an umbrella content strategy." So, what they're doing is that they're talking about issues that are related to sleep without talking about 205 00:18:52,900 --> 00:19:02,500 mattresses. Or, I should say, issues that come from that are related to somebody who would need or want a mattress or maybe who just upgraded their mattress, 206 00:19:03,790 --> 00:19:05,710 but not the mattress. 207 00:19:05,710 --> 00:19:14,520 So, instead of sending out content about like, "Our mattress has six springs instead of nine and it has a 3-inch gel instead of a 2-inch gel. 208 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,410 Buy our mattress." It was super boring, right? 209 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:18,910 Nobody wants to read that content. 210 00:19:19,330 --> 00:19:29,320 But what you do like to read is the kind of content that this company was sending out, which was more like, "Here are the top five Spotify playlists to have on your nightstand for a 211 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:39,070 good night's sleep." "Here are six ways that meditating before you go to sleep helps you have a deeper sleep." They would have interviews with sleep experts about how to get better 212 00:19:39,070 --> 00:19:42,730 sleep. They would answer the age-old question of, can you sleep in on the weekends? 213 00:19:43,930 --> 00:19:47,590 They would have articles featuring the best bed sheets. 214 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:51,280 They would talk about the best pillows for you based on how you sleep. 215 00:19:51,310 --> 00:19:53,110 "Are you a side sleeper? Are you a back sleeper? 216 00:19:53,260 --> 00:20:02,680 Here's the best pillow for you." They talked about, with interior designers, about cleaning up your room and your space and rehabbing your sleep space so that it's more 217 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,770 of, as my mom calls it, a sleep sanctuary. 218 00:20:06,820 --> 00:20:08,880 It sounds insane but true. 219 00:20:08,890 --> 00:20:12,040 So, you know, that's like what I'm talking about. 220 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,100 It's like as soon as I saw this article, I was like, "That's it. 221 00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:24,700 That's exactly right." Because maybe somebody, for example, doesn't want to get, you know, just hear about legal stuff all the time, or maybe they don't want 222 00:20:24,940 --> 00:20:28,510 to get your email about your widget constantly. 223 00:20:28,510 --> 00:20:33,370 You know, in law, for some reason in law school, whenever they talk about goods like products, they call them widgets. 224 00:20:33,370 --> 00:20:35,970 And, like, every case that we talked about was like widgets. 225 00:20:35,980 --> 00:20:37,990 So, for some reason, that's still in my head. 226 00:20:37,990 --> 00:20:42,670 But point being like I still get all these emails, you know, from different places. 227 00:20:42,670 --> 00:20:45,010 Like, there's this place I love to buy tea towels from. 228 00:20:45,010 --> 00:20:46,780 I got a love of tea towels from my mother. 229 00:20:46,780 --> 00:20:53,630 I don't know why. So, I get their emails every month and every month or every week or whatever, however often it comes, it's just like, here's a new tea towel. 230 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,960 Here's a new tea towel. Here's a new tea towel. 231 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:57,090 And you ignore them, right? 232 00:20:57,100 --> 00:20:59,470 I just ignore it, and I don't ever look at their emails. 233 00:20:59,470 --> 00:21:02,920 I delete them. I think I might have just even unsubscribed, and I love their tea towels. 234 00:21:03,370 --> 00:21:08,620 But the point is like, that's like straight-up e-commerce content, right? 235 00:21:08,620 --> 00:21:15,520 But we could do better in terms of providing this kind of umbrella content to keep people interested in the fold. 236 00:21:15,910 --> 00:21:25,030 I feel like if you're listening to this episode after listening to episode 24 last week, then I would definitely pair this together 237 00:21:25,030 --> 00:21:34,120 by, you know, thinking about how even the strategy could nurture and further and deepen that relationship with your customers, right? 238 00:21:34,150 --> 00:21:43,510 I could see, like, if you're kind of stuck on like, well, if I create some sort of specific content for my customers after they've purchased for me, what kind of content do I send? 239 00:21:43,630 --> 00:21:46,490 And I feel like umbrella content would be a great thing to do. 240 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:56,510 So, the mattress company sending out emails to people who have already purchased from them to say here's the top Spotify playlist, you should have to have great sleep. 241 00:21:56,510 --> 00:21:57,800 That's just a bonus ad. 242 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:03,710 It's like additional content, valuable content to a customer who's already paid them, and they can use this content elsewhere. 243 00:22:03,710 --> 00:22:06,830 First of all, it's going to drive traffic to their site, which is smart, right? 244 00:22:06,830 --> 00:22:10,370 Because otherwise, they're just competing against people searching for mattress companies. 245 00:22:10,970 --> 00:22:20,750 But now they can also capture people and get brand recognition and brand loyalty, people having positive associations with this brand by posting this valuable 246 00:22:21,290 --> 00:22:29,210 content that's not directly related to their actual product but it is, right, because we need good sleep and a mattress is just like one element to a good sleep. 247 00:22:29,900 --> 00:22:31,230 There are many other elements to it. 248 00:22:31,230 --> 00:22:34,590 And so, they're kind of hitting all of these elements, just like in whatever you do. 249 00:22:34,610 --> 00:22:37,400 So, you might be able to think of this from your perspective in your business. 250 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:43,160 Like, whatever you do, you might not use all mattresses, but what are the other elements to having a good night's sleep? 251 00:22:43,190 --> 00:22:49,860 You talk to people about food, but what are the other elements to living a healthy lifestyle? 252 00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:56,850 Movement, mindfulness, their work-life balance, stress, you know, nutrition, vitamins. 253 00:22:56,850 --> 00:22:58,080 I don't know, all kinds of things, right? 254 00:22:58,100 --> 00:23:08,060 So, there are many different spokes under your umbrella of what you're helping clients learn more about, get in touch with, improve upon that 255 00:23:08,060 --> 00:23:10,870 you can talk about that still help them, right? 256 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,160 Because you understand. 257 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:19,110 If you truly understand really where they are and what they're struggling with, then you're also going to be able to be like I know what else they're struggling with, right? 258 00:23:19,130 --> 00:23:28,790 I have lived my customer's shoes, not from the legal perspective, but I know what it's like to start your own business and I know what it's like to be 259 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:34,370 Googling everything, to be collecting all the freebies, to feel like is this ever going to work? 260 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:36,820 Should I invest in a business coach? 261 00:23:36,830 --> 00:23:38,570 Should I focus on my email list? 262 00:23:38,570 --> 00:23:40,670 But everybody's saying that reels are really important. 263 00:23:41,060 --> 00:23:49,140 It's confusing and it's overwhelming, and I understand all of the different aspects as best as I can this, you know, now that people are struggling with. 264 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,860 So, those are my spokes and that's what else I talk about. 265 00:23:52,220 --> 00:24:02,180 So, I want to give you the freedom to create other content that still makes sense for your business that doesn't dilute your messaging, your branding, what you're 266 00:24:02,330 --> 00:24:09,880 known for. I really want you to be known for whatever it is that you do and have your name be like, you know, Sam, that legal templates woman, right? 267 00:24:09,890 --> 00:24:13,910 So, I want - that's what I'm working towards, that's what my hope and my goal is. 268 00:24:14,330 --> 00:24:17,510 And, I want the fact that I offer other stuff to be a bonus. 269 00:24:17,510 --> 00:24:24,160 So, I want your name to be synonymous with what you do, but I also want you to be seen as a real expert in your field. 270 00:24:24,170 --> 00:24:34,010 Somebody who's like, "Man, she can, like - she can help me with all kinds of stuff." And, also somebody who they see as a trust, you know, a trusted leader in the space, in 271 00:24:34,010 --> 00:24:41,720 what you do because there are a lot of people - the truth is, there are probably a lot of people who do what we all do, right, but not everybody does it like you do. 272 00:24:41,930 --> 00:24:51,560 So, I want you to lean into this umbrella method as much as possible, and I would love for you to send me a DM on Instagram and let me know that after listening to this 273 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:55,400 episode, what do you think some of the spokes on your umbrella could be? 274 00:24:55,430 --> 00:24:57,740 Did this episode illuminate anything for you? 275 00:24:57,770 --> 00:25:01,220 Did it help you to just get permission to be able to talk about other things? 276 00:25:01,230 --> 00:25:08,300 Did it make you realize that you've got to work harder to be known for what you do so that you will be able to talk about these other things? 277 00:25:08,510 --> 00:25:17,630 Do you see a place in your business where you could add value to your customers, to your potential customers, by talking about these other things that they are 278 00:25:17,630 --> 00:25:21,210 experiencing, struggling, confused about? 279 00:25:21,230 --> 00:25:22,580 So, think about it. 280 00:25:22,580 --> 00:25:23,930 Send me a DM on Instagram. 281 00:25:23,930 --> 00:25:25,130 Let me know what you're thinking. 282 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:26,900 Let me know what this episode brought up for you. 283 00:25:27,170 --> 00:25:30,980 Until then, thank you so much for listening to On Your Terms, and I'll see you next week. 284 00:25:34,790 --> 00:25:37,530 Thanks so much for listening to the On Your Terms Podcast. 285 00:25:37,550 --> 00:25:42,230 Make sure to follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. 286 00:25:42,260 --> 00:25:49,250 You can also check out all of our podcast episodes, show notes, links, and more at samvanderwielen.com/podcast. 287 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:56,240 You can learn more about legally protecting your business and take my free legal workshop, Five Steps To Legally Protect And Grow Your Online Business at samvanderwielen.com. 288 00:25:58,100 --> 00:26:03,800 And to stay connected and follow along, follow me on Instagram, @samvanderwielen, and send me a DM to say hi.