Not Converting Instagram Followers into Email List Subscribers? Here’s What You’re Missing Out On. (Hint: It’s HUGE.)

You put a lot of time into creating social media content. But with the constant changes to Instagram and the chronic algorithm shifts, Instagram growth and engagement can be a rocky road.

And for small businesses who rely on Instagram to reach their audience and make money, it can be detrimental to your income.

There’s no telling what Instagram will toss our way next, so we need to be prepared for anything.

If you’re wondering what is the best way to ensure your business doesn’t get forgotten, it’s simple:

Prioritize growing and nurturing your email subscriber list alongside Instagram.

It can take as little as 30 minutes a week to implement this incredible business strategy, so you really have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

If you’re just starting out with your newsletter list, or if you already have a steady stream of subscribers, this blog post will show you exactly how to start gaining significant traction with your email marketing list today.

This way, you’ll always be able to reach your followers—whether Instagram decides to show your content or not.

Instagram, Marketing, Strategy, BusinessSarah ForestMay 18, 2022small businessComment

5 Business Strategies I’m Prioritizing for Online Growth this Season

Just like life, businesses go through different seasons. Some months are jam-packed. Some have a slower pace. Some are exciting. Some are a little less interesting.

But it’s often overlooked that we actually have so much control over this.

I’ve switched some things up inside my business over the last several months to keep it fresh and to help serve me and my clients better. Plus, these changes play into my long-term goals even more.

I thought it would be fun to share this inside look on the blog, so today I’m diving into 5 strategic areas I’m prioritizing in my business this season.

I hope these ideas offer you inspiration if you’re looking to give your small business a backstage spruce too.

A few key changes can really amp up your productivity and build more strategy into how you run things as an entrepreneur. Let me show you around…

Business, Content Marketing, StrategySarah ForestMay 9, 20222022, small businessComment

How to Create an Unbeatable Brand Strategy for Your Small Business

Ever feel like something in your business is missing? Maybe you have questions about the tasks you should prioritize. Maybe you wonder if your content is reaching the right crowd. Maybe you aren’t seeing the results you wanted despite working those extra long hours on your side hustle.

Can I let you in on a little secret? All of those thoughts can find their answers in a comprehensive strategy. And if you think there’s more that your brand could be achieving, it’s time to create a solid brand strategy and put it in the driver’s seat.

Real talk. Are you missing out big time by leaving your strongest tool by the wayside? Is your brand trudging forward while your straightforward action map is right there waiting in your back pocket? Have you given your business the best shot by tapping into the life-giving world of brand strategy?

It’s possible that you’ve tried strategy before, or perhaps you haven’t given it much notice, but if you aren’t getting the results you want in your business, I guarantee you that a lack of strategy is to blame.

So can you guess what today’s article is about? That’s right: brand strategy for creative entrepreneurs.

Brand Strategy, Strategy, BrandingSarah ForestNovember 12, 20212021, small businessComment

An Inside Look at My Brand Strategy Coaching Program

Over the last several years, I’ve had clients come to me with business strategy questions despite them being enrolled a coaching program.

What tasks should I work on? Where should my focus be? What’s the fastest way to grow an audience? How do I create a marketing plan that works? How do I follow these ideas in a way that sets my brand apart? I have a limited amount of time each week, what strategies are most important for my goals? I’m posting consistently to my social media, but I’m still not getting any traction; what am I missing?

Clearly, something was missing in the instruction they were getting.

While they were getting standard business advice, creative entrepreneurs were often left wondering how to tie it into their own unique business and how to keep their brand consistent.

So I designed my coaching program to help small business owners take their businesses places without all the guesswork. Instead of vague business coaching, I decided to offer something vastly more helpful: one-on-one custom-tailored brand strategy coaching.

I created this service to help creative entrepreneurs work through the hurdles of running a business. There are so many ways to get stuck along the way, and it can feel like a lonely journey at times with new questions rising daily. Let’s take a look.

Strategy, Business, Brand StrategySarah ForestNovember 11, 20212021, small businessComment

5 Signs You Need a More Effective Planning Strategy

Do you know what’s the most valuable asset to get you from point A to point X-marks-the-spot where your goals are? An effective and easy-to-execute plan.

A strategic plan is the difference between sitting at your computer with a blank stare trying to figure out what to work on today vs. jumping into action each day to conquer effective to-do’s that make progress.

Most people agree that planning is important. But many people also recognize that planning can be a pitfall. Like with any task or method, there’s often a best and a not-so-great way to do something. And planning is no exception.

When it comes to planning, there are countless ways to get hung up. From not knowing how to create a plan, to staying in a planning stage for too long, to not being able to follow through on a quality plan.

As creative business owners, we have a lot on our plate. New ideas and opportunities seem to flood our notebooks and calendars, overwhelm sometimes knocks on our office doors, and at least a few of last month’s tasks are looking for a place to fit into our busy schedule. In fact, entrepreneurship brings so many hats that we either try to stack them in order of priority or shrink them to wear multiples ones at the same time.

With everything going on, our original dreams and goals can feel out of reach all too often. Like a distant memory, our long-term goals get buried, and our short-term goals feel impossible to work towards.

Thankfully, there’s a solution. And a simple one at that.

It’s called an effective plan. And if you’ve tried planning before with less-than-desired results, I’ve got you covered. This month in the Brand Strategy Treehouse, I’m going to show you how to turn those efforts into an easy-to-follow plan that takes your business places—rather than one that runs you ragged and yields no progress.

With videos, guides, and workbooks to walk you through each step, you’ll come away with a fresh perspective and a new approach to planning.

Brand Strategy, Goal-Setting, Planning, Productivity, Strategy, Time ManagementSarah ForestJuly 2, 2021Treehouse, 2021, small businessComment

Exciting Updates to the Ponder Trail Website

If you read my blog post about how I’m changing up my approach to planning out my year, you might know that a big website refresh was on my list for the first half of the year.

As a brand and website designer, I often talk about how it’s important to update your site every year or so to keep things prioritized and relevant, but it had been quite some time since I had switched things up on the Ponder Trail website.

I officially published the site updates last week, and I’m excited to return from my blogging hiatus to walk you through what’s new.

I think you’ll find some of the new content helpful—especially the new free jam-packed resources. Let’s dive in!

Strategy, SquarespaceSarah ForestJune 25, 2021Website, 2021, small business Comments

Not Attracting Enough Customers or Clients? Your Blog Strategy Might be to Blame

I find the most difficult part of being a creative entrepreneur is managing the constant flow of new ideas. Everyday, I think of more and more possibilities and directions to explore for my business, and it can be quite a task to manage, analyze, and sort through them all.

The largest stream of ideas is usually for my blog content. There are so many things I want to share on my blog, but it often seems impossible to check each one off my never-ending list. Which posts should I write first? Which ones will be most strategic for my business? Which posts will be most helpful for my audience?

With a huge number of tentative posts, topics, and tips to create, it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out which blogs to write—especially while juggling other areas of business, such as client work, social media marketing, newsletter content, product development, and so on.

It takes a lot of time and energy to think through every blog post possibility, decide which ones to write each month, and map out titles into an editorial calendar.

In a panic, it can be easy select and write posts on a whim because we know creating content is key to growing a successful business. Gotta stay consistent. Gotta show up. Gotta build that SEO.

But this frantic approach leads to “idea clutter,” and it can quickly cause your business to crash and burn. Your posts are all over the place. They’re hard to write. They don’t grow your readership. They feel like a complete and utter waste.

And yet, you keep on blogging because you’re still hoping to strike gold one day.

But take a deep breath because today I have a simple solution to make blogging easy again. In this post, I’m going to show you how to cut the clutter, get to the point, and create blog posts that convert.

It’s time to whip your blog into shape so it can become a powerhouse for your business—instead of a burden.

Let’s begin!

Goal-Smashing Planning Techniques for Creative Business

Going into the new year, I had a refreshed perspective about planning.

Because in 2020, I let some of my goals go without stressing about it. I took some time off to enjoy several other creative hobbies I hadn’t done in a while.

After a few months of making polymer clay earrings, doing home decor projects, and working on my fiber arts brand, I dove back into my Ponder Trail business tasks. But this time, with a different mindset.

It was still 2020, after all, so I decided to just take it day by day without planning or setting too many goals.

But what happened surprised me: I ended up checking off more things on my to-do and projects list than I had expected. My productivity somehow increased, and I achieved several goals earlier than I’d originally intended.

I launched my first few digital products for Ponder Trail, officially opening the entrepreneur resource shop that’s been on my list for a while now. I brought on new clients. Blogging became easier than ever. And all without following a rigid schedule or routine. It kind of blew my mind.

After some reflecting, I realized what had changed: I spent less time over-thinking, balancing all the things, and maintaining the status quo. And instead, I spent more time doing high-impact tasks, focusing on only 1-3 goals at once, and prioritizing project-creation.

I had much more clarity, and my productivity increased drastically once all of the extra things were off my plate and weren’t competing for my attention.

So going into January this year, I knew I wanted to restructure the way I tackle tasks, using my 2020 findings as a jumping-off point.

The main hang-ups that linger in the background of managing business to-do’s are typically (1) not feeling prepared enough (hence not taking action), and (2) feeling torn in too many directions (hence not being able to stay focused).

I knew plans and strategy were still they key to getting things done, but I wanted to simplify things and be more efficient.

I needed to find a way to still work towards my desired goals while also have less to manage at a time—and fast: I had no plan, and it was already one week into January, and my first launch for the year was fast approaching.

And then, I had an idea . . .

How I Planned My Subscription Membership Area on My Squarespace Website: Part 1

Last month, I published a post all about Squarespace’s new, long-awaited feature that allows you to create a built-in membership area on your website. It’s called Member Areas, and in my recent blog post, I mentioned how I was using it to build and house the latest addition to Ponder Trail: Treehouse: a brand strategy subscription.

I wanted to create a service that was chalk-full of content and value each month. I structured it to include written and video components to provide education and support, while also including downloads such as graphics, photos, and templates that creative entrepreneurs could use as helpful tools for their businesses.

Rather than being a simple library or gallery of downloads, my new membership area is made up of actionable weekly lessons, with an all-new topic each month. My goal was to create a format that feels part-course and part-service, all while having a self-paced approach for each 30-day span.

I also included a live webinar component so I can answer members’ questions directly and help them work through each step of our current topic.

If you’re looking to create a membership website using Squarespace, this is the post for you. Because today, I’m going to walk you through my exact step-by-step process for how I created my new members-only area on my site.

I’m unpacking my entire method, and I wanted to make it easy for you to work through, so I’ve decided to break it down into a 4-part series.

Today’s step is focused on the planning phase where I’m sharing my strategy and approach for how I came up with my subscription service idea.

In this post, I’m sharing how I created a plan for my signature membership, how I mapped out the details, and how I determined what it would include.

Here’s what I did:

How to Avoid and Defeat Overwhelm in Creative Business

When overwhelm starts to show it’s ugly head, it’s time to take action and stop it in its tracks.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might be a sign that something isn’t quite right.

Sometimes it can be out of our control, but often times, it’s tied to how we are approaching our business and managing things. If you’ve been spinning your wheels or find yourself stuck in a cycle of trying-and-failing, it’s time to take control.

Overwhelm can quickly lead to burnout if it hasn’t already.

But not to worry, I have your back with some tried-and-true strategies.

Try these tricks to put overwhelm at bay.

5 Simple Steps to Create a Mobile Office Kit

We’re all spending more hours working in our houses these days.

But it isn’t always possible to dedicate a space in your home for your business. Sometimes a work area looks like a the kitchen counter, coffee table, or couch, and with a little creativity, your home probably has a few great places to hunker down and get work done.

The goal of any workspace is to be a productive setting to get work done. And when we’re hustling hard or working on a project, it’s usually best practice to create some sort of setup to help your work sessions be efficient.

But when you don’t have an office or a desk, you might not want to leave your stuff set up round the clock.

The key is finding the right balance. You want your workspace to be quick to set up and easy to tear down. Otherwise, the process takes time away from your day and creates a hundred extra steps between you and getting to work.

What’s the solution? You need a mobile office system.

This summer, I came up with a simple way to pack up my office to work productively from anywhere.

My friend and fellow creative, Caitlynn, requested this blog post, so I made it a little extra special by including lots of images. In fact, I did a photoshoot so I could show you exactly what I use. I hope you enjoy the tutorial!

Welcome to the Treehouse: the Brand Strategy Membership for Creative Entrepreneurs

Over the past few years, I’ve discovered the value of adopting a laser-focused mindset. It creates clarity and an open runway to brainstorm and bring your ideas to life. It gives you space to think strategically, create a plan, and stay on track. It cultivates productivity, action, and progress like nothing else.

Once I switched my approach and dedicated my attention to one part of my strategy, I started saving time, seeing more progress, and finally getting in the groove. And I haven’t looked back since.

I started seeing the difference it made in my business first-hand, so I set out to help other creatives do the same. And after coaching brand strategy clients one-on-one for over a year, I wanted to find a way to help even more creatives.

So I landed on the perfect idea: a self-paced membership program. It’s a brand strategy subscription that’s part-course, part-service, and part-library, so it meets the best of all worlds for entrepreneurs who are looking to take action in their businesses.

I’m calling it the Brand Strategy Treehouse.

It’s my all-new signature membership, and it’s available to you today!

Simple, Proven Methods to Grow Quickly and Authentically on Instagram

As we approach the new year, we start to plan and dream about where we can take our business in 2021. At the top of that list for many creative entrepreneurs is growing our Instagram accounts.

With all of the users on Instagram, most brands have thousands of potential clients and customers hanging out on the social media platform. But it seems to become ever more difficult to grow our accounts due to industry saturation, algorithms, and just plain overwhelm.

Despite the odds, we sometimes discover new accounts who are surging with popularity.

How are they getting so much traction? What are they doing to gain followers so easily? How are they completely sold out after each product launch or shop update? What magic beans do they have that my brand is missing out on? There must be strategies they follow.

Can you relate to some of these questions and thoughts?

Well, today, I’m sharing the best methods for growing quickly and authentically on Instagram. They’re the simple techniques that all thriving accounts utilize, and I can’t wait to spill the beans with you in this blog post!

P.S. I’m hosting an Instagram Challenge starting January 4th. Sign up to grow your account and reach your Instagram goals in 2021.

Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, InstagramSarah ForestDecember 23, 2020Instagram, creative entrepreneur Comments

New Tool for Instagram Growth: Marketing and Content Strategy Planner

I am so excited to launch my new social media planner for Instagram. I’ve been working on it for quite some time. I wanted a straightforward tool that would . . .

help with staying on track with Instagram goals
take the guesswork out of posting
make connections that help build a profitable account
grow an audience without frustration
create a clear step-by-step routine with daily actions
save hours and hours each week

Enter the planner!

How to Show up Consistently for Your Audience (because it’s the Key to Online Business Growth)

If I could only give you one tip for growing your business, it would be to show up consistently. Throughout the years of entrepreneurship, I have been convinced more and more that one of the top keys to growth is to simply show up for your audience each day.

Consistency gives you a steady stream of value to share, it demonstrates your expertise, and it shows that you truly care about your followers, thus building a trustworthy brand.

It sounds simple enough, but it isn’t always easy to show up every day. In fact, it’s quite difficult at times. And with all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running an online business, it can be easy to prioritize the front-end of your brand—especially for those of us who are on the introverted side of things. (Can anyone else relate?)

However, the audiences have voted, and it’s confirmed that you can’t grow a business without showing up consistently.

So today, I’ve narrowed down 3 easy ways to revolutionize your consistency. These simple things will help you get rid of the road blocks and keep you ahead of the game so you can show up each day and build a loyal and engaged audience.

Branding, Business, Marketing, Planning, Strategy, Goal-SettingSarah ForestAugust 21, 2020creative entrepreneurComment

How to Stay Productive while Working from Home

During the hiatus I took this spring, I spent some time brainstorming new content ideas for the rest of the year.

And today, I’m excited to introduce the latest resource to Ponder Trail: videos!

I wanted to try switching up the format for how I give tips for creative business and brand strategy, and what better way to share it that with video?

I will be uploading to the blog and my YouTube channel twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. Each time I upload a video, I will add it as a new blog post with all of the info mentioned in the video.

Since I love talking about productivity and working from home, I figured it would be the perfect video to start with. I hope you enjoy!

Motivation, Productivity, Time Management, Youtube VideoSarah ForestAugust 12, 2020creative entrepreneurComment

How to Stay Productive while Working from Home During Isolation or Quarantine

While many creative entrepreneurs have already been working from home, in recent months, people around the globe have faced strict social restrictions and isolation orders. This has taken away the much-needed work days at coffee shops that entrepreneurs often rely on to stay productive and to get out of the house throughout the week.

With productivity in jeopardy from being stuck at home for months on end, it's easy to slow down, get behind, or take days off unintentionally—simply because your drive to work has dwindled. But when starting, running, or scaling your own business, it's critical to keep working and getting things done.

So what is an entrepreneur to do when their livelihood is tottering at the top of a mountain along with their close-to-plummeting motivation?

You've got to push through and boost your productivity so you can get tasks done!

So here are 11 of my favorite work-from-home essentials to stay motivated and get back into the groove.

How I Work from Home and Stay Productive

Working from home is a huge blessing that comes with having my own business. And while most of the time it’s amazing, it does pose its own challenges.

Common struggles among creative entrepreneurs living the work-from-home life often include managing time, limiting distractions, and avoiding the dreaded cooped up feeling.

Over the course of five years of working primarily from home, I’ve tried countless methods to overcome these hangups—and boy did they plague me when I was first starting out.

After all of the trial-and-error, I’ve honed in on the top strategies that made running an online business from home a magical experience.

So here are 11 simple practices I follow to help me stay productive each day.

The latest insights for creative entrepreneurs