Company Name

To be honest it really just came to me. I wanted to try and use my name to make it easier for everyone. I’m a creative person so adding that at the end of my name clicked! What I didn’t realize at the time was the initials would be ETC which everyone knows as etc. It fits me perfectly given my wide range of specialties, hence wrapping it all up as a multimedia specialist.

Tip: Write everything that comes to mind down, no matter how crazy or far out there the ideas are. Be sure to check Google and do a Trademark search to help narrow the options down. Think of acronyms as well.

Logo

While I am still working on creating an actual icon for my logo, I made what is currently up on my site which is also used on my business cards. This was the second design I created. The first one that I went with temporarily was ok at the time, but now looking back my current design blows it out of the water.

You don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to create your logo. While I do have the creative eye, I just started playing around on canva.com and the next thing I knew I had my logo. I also use Canva for creating the majority of my graphics.

Tip: When handed a business card, browsing websites, flipping through magazines or whatever you come across, make note of what you like. Save it to Evernote (*this is an affiliate link) or Pinterest that way you can go back to it. This will help when it comes to designing whether you do it or hire someone to.

Domain and Web Host

I use GoDaddy to secure my domain name (this is the URL also known as yourwebsitename.com). There are plenty of other sites out there for securing a domain name, this is just the one I started with and, to keep it simple, I use it for all of my domains.

As for hosting, I use SiteGround which is amazing! I use to use Bluehost, but now I only use SiteGround — amazing support! If you need a web host check out SiteGround (*this is an affiliate link, but my review on SiteGround stands true!)

Tip: Do a Google search for “GoDaddy coupons” prior to buying your first domain name. Most of the time you can get a coupon to buy a domain name for $.99.

Social Media

First thing to know, you do not need to be on every social media site. As you do your research, see which social media site would be best for you and your brand. I suggest picking 1-2 that you will really focus on. If you want to be on more, great — just know you will need to dedicate more time to have some kind of presence on those sites. You will need to dedicate time to building your following by not only posting but engaging on other social media sites. You want to engage with others by commenting and asking questions on their feeds. Social media is one big networking party. You have to show up, be present, be active, and be consistent!

Tip: Get a better understanding of the role social media and your website play here. For scheduling posts (be careful here) I use Buffer. Just remember, you will still need to make time for coming up with and sharing these posts.

Website

A website is always a work in progress. That being said, I set my website up using WordPress.org (this lets you customize your site & use Plugins). I purchased a theme from Elegant Themes and designed my own look for the website from it. What’s great is after you set up your hosting (I am going to use SiteGround for my example since I use them) there is a 1-Click WordPress install that allows you to install your theme quick & easy.

Tip: Browse through different websites you frequent and look at the various WordPress themes to get ideas of what you want for your site. Make notes and save links to refer back to later.

Content

Being a photographer, having worked in marketing, and having created my first business MIX IT UP Magazine I had plenty of experience and content to work with. Given that, I did purchase a new camera (old one did not have video recording) along with some lighting equipment (*Amazon Affiliate store) to  create new visuals to go along with my content.

I record my courses using my Cannon Rebel camera (*Amazon Affiliate store), everything else I record using my iPhone 6s Plus, and edit my own videos in iMovie (comes on your Mac & available for free on your iPhone/ iPad). If you look at Scope School you will see most of my content comes from my Periscope (new social media site offering live broadcasting) broadcasts.

When creating content I start with Periscope as it is live and interactive with the option for anyone to join in and comment. Then I save that video to my iPhone or iPad (depending on what device I use to broadcast) and edit it in iMovie. I edit it down so I only have the key parts — short & sweet is key! I can take a 30-minute Periscope broadcast, turn it into 8-10 short clips, and then put on my website as well as push it out to my social media channels, I love it!

Tip: Use your iPhone or Android phone to create great visuals as most have amazing cameras. Lighting will be key! Make sure you get as much light as possible, natural is always better. Here are tips on what to do before shooting your next event.

Marketing

The first thing to note, your marketing will continue to evolve as you develop your brand. Start with defining what your brand stands for. What is it that you enjoy doing? What do you want your message to be? Research what others in and out of your specific industry are doing to give you an idea of what works or doesn’t work. I say out of your specific industry because it’s important to be aware of what else is going on. Plus, it helps you stand out. The goal here is to attract people who believe in your brand, in what you say and do. You want people to consider you as an “industry leader.”

Tip: Always write down your ideas (all of them) then go back and prioritize as they relate to your marketing efforts.

Focus on doing your Research, being Consistent & delivering Quality (over quantity) content. I call this the RCQ method.