Imagine in Color 2023"Head of the Table"

The Think In Color 2023 has officially been concluded! We're thankful and pleased that you took the time to hear our speakers of amazing women and BIPOC creators and innovators in the field. We're hoping that, at the time you've finished the conference you were impressed by our speaker's experiences and gained insight into how you can build a powerful virtual community, diversify your services, and scale your company and expand your reach, among other things.

Although many topics were covered in the forum, we've done our best to present the best of them to our readers. Find out our key takeaways from each of the speakers.

Skip ahead:

•    Creating Cozy & Collaborative Virtual Communities
•         Funds Inside The Funnel: How to Maximize Sales With a Customer-Focused Funnel
•         growing both B2B and B2C businesses for Multiple Revenue Streams
•         Making a visible Personal Brand with Video
•          memberships Memberships The Good, The Bad The Ugly, The Good and The Ugly    
•         the Head of Table Panel Discussion

Creating Cozy & Collaborative Virtual Communities

Cicely Blain the Anti-Racism Specialist & Founder Bakau Consulting. Bakau Consulting

Description of the session: While remote work existed before COVID-19, the epidemic accelerated the need for businesses to move to a digital location. In turn, companies that wanted to maintain a close relationship with their customers set up virtual communities where like-minded people can learn from and assist each other. It can, however, be difficult to build it as tight-knit as one that is physically.

In this talk, Cicely Blain shares their experiences in creating their online community, Living Room. They discussed their approach to creating a cozy and welcoming vibe in a digital space creating safe and inclusive communities and utilizing the internet to cater to individuals' needs.

  Principal takeaways  

  Find out who your customer is and what they want  

Before creating Living Room, Cicely had determine who they wanted to build the digital space to. Because their work is rooted in the fight against racism and oppression, Cicely realized that this group will mostly be a target for those such as DEI practitioners, consultants, and HR professionals who do similar things.

Then, Cicely had to figure out what they really wanted.

      "I was thinking about"What do these people looking forward to, in particular at these crucial times when so numerous things are changing and they're being called by different names?    

      The people are clearly looking for community, a sense of belonging, solidarity and connections in times of isolation. People are also seeking ways to connect and learning."  

  Be relevant to the people you are targeting.  

One of the best ways to attract members to join your virtual community is to provide them with something they can connect with. For Cicely, that relatable thing was their living space. They were looking to recreate exactly the identical cozy and welcoming feel that their actual living space gave them.

      "I wondered, "What is it that I want people to experience in the space?' I thought, well I'd like them to feel the same how they would feel if they come into the physical space. It should be comfortable and warm, and inviting. I wanted people to be relaxed, happy as well as supported, connected and seen."  

Cicely incorporates this spirit to the world by:

• The beginning of every virtual conference begins by allowing 10 minutes for reflection. They ask a simple questions on the screen in order to help attendees do self-reflection.
• playing a soothing music playlist based on R&B to help listeners relax and get comfortable with the phone call.
• Engaging in each conversation as though you're enjoying a casual conversation with the closest people. Even while recording footage for their on-line class, Cicely might be doing their makeup or making a cup tea at the table.

  Provide a variety of ways for members of the community to obtain what they need  

Although members of an online community tend to be similar to each other, they will have their own needs as well as strengths and weaknesses. For your business, you'll need to find different methods by how you can satisfy the requirements of your community members, despite the differences.

With Living Room, Cicely met their community members' needs with:

• Engaging in various ways (e.g. live chat, forums for discussion as well as online-based courses that provide comprehensive information and so on. );
• The definition of the community's values and guidelines;
• Lets people show up as their true selves;
• Removal of unnecessary stressors for example, time restrictions and agendas for meetings;
• Consider accessibility requirements (e.g. disability and neurodivergence), etc.

Funds In The Funnel: How to Maximize Revenues Using a Funnel that is focused on customers.

Ellie Diop, Content & Funding Coach in Ellievated Academy

Description of the session: In order to build your business to be successful, you need customers to take a purchase or use with your offerings. However, many enterprises make the mistake of creating content that they believe the ideal customer would prefer and not what customers really want. In this talk, Ellie explains how you will grow your business and boost sales by establishing an effective funnel to attract your ideal customers and caters to their desires and requirements.

  Principal takeaways  

  Every piece of content is important.  

A funnel that is focused on the customer is like forging a relationship with your clients. The best way to do it is by creating material that is educational, useful, relevant and beneficial for customers. A funnel that is focused on the customer has five stages:

• Awareness
• Discovery
• Consideration
• Conversion
• Retention + relationship + REPEAT

In regards to the importance of creating material, Ellie says, "Every piece of content you write is an integral part of the sales staff. Therefore, whatever you published just three months ago, is performing the task of moving users through the funnel... Showing up regularly with the same tone creates something predictable for customers to comprehend so they can move through the sales funnel."

  Define your brand  

If you're not aware of who your products or services target, no one's going to buy from you or work with your services. Therefore, before you build an online funnel, you need to clarify your business's purpose and goals by starting with your ideal clients. You can ask yourself:

• Who do I serve?
• What can I do to help them with their problem?
• What do I need to do?

These answers are the basis of every business decision. Ellie offers a straightforward template that can be used to assist [YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE] to fulfill [YOUR PURPOSES] through the use of [YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE]

Based on her experiences in growing her business Ellie states, "For me, it could be "I support women to create profitable businesses through providing them with strategy and financial techniques '... In the past I wrote this down in a post-it note in a corner, so whenever I decided to create a video, I knew who I was speaking to."

  Create your social media followers  

Social media is considered to be one of the most effective ways to build branding awareness as well as generating leads for your company. It's so efficient that the majority of users will look through your brand's Instagram profile (or the other social media sites) prior to visiting your website.

Hence, you need to spend your time (and maybe even money) to your content for social media in order to boost its exposure. Some ways you can do that is by:

• creating engaging, educational and easily shareable video content (especially video)
• Running paid ads
• Working with influencers that have an identical target audience to you

  Use lead magnets to grow your list of email subscribers  

While you're creating content you want to bring as many people off of social media to your mailing list. If people sign up to your mailing list, they're giving you a way to communicate directly with them -- which is more valuable rather than just hoping that they stumble upon your content and videos as they scroll through Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). This is where lead magnets are useful.

In the ideal scenario, when you use lead magnets you're handing out value for free in exchange for people's contact details (usually their email and name address). You can also request other items as well. As an example, at the start of her business, Ellie offered free 1-on-1 training to clients in exchange for testimonials. Ellie used the testimonials she received to secure her first set of paid clients.

      "You've gotta look at, 'What is an area that I can deliver great free value that'll get someone excited?' Make that your primary draw. In my company, I've recently implemented a new strategy where instead of pushing you directly to a product, we push you to a free offer such as the free masterclass. We then sell it on the back end. We have had great results."  

  The process of keeping existing customers easier than acquiring new ones  

Each new lead you acquire You go through the process of pushing them down the sales funnel. It is a lot harder than convincing an existing customer to buy from you again. So focus on customer retention at the same level, if not more, than customer acquisition.

To retain your customers, here are some tips to follow:

• Provide high-end customer service
• Conduct surveys with customers to collect feedback
• Collect testimonials from pleased customers (offer incentive programs, when you can)
• Create a second offering that can fill in the gaps in the market

In creating the second deal, Ellie shares, "I made my first credit for business class for $15. In the meantime, I was getting feedback on what [my customers] need the next. This led me to create Business Credit, which is Business Credit revamped. After that, I developed the Business Credit masterclass, and after that, the whole package. What happened is, a majority of people who had purchased the initial one then bought the next one to make up the missing pieces. Then, they purchased the third because they advanced in their knowledge, they needed more."

Growing both B2C and B2B Companies with Multiple Revenue Sources

Jessica Chen, Global Communication Expert & CEO at Soulcast Media

Session description: Businesses, in general, have three major sales and revenue determinants: their products/services, the content they create to explain their products and services and the channels by which they disseminate their content. In this presentation, Jessica discusses the power of LinkedIn to assist businesses in connecting with clients (B2C) as well as to other companies (B2B), how to create content that appeals to both audiences, and ways to enhance the range of services you offer in order to meet the needs of both groups.

  LinkedIn is an effective platform to distribute content and boost your profile  

Although many business owners and professionals have profiles on LinkedIn however, they aren't considering it as a platform through which they are able to increase your reach and distribute content. Instead, they see it as a platform to update resumes, find job opportunities, and connecting with people you know.

In reality, LinkedIn is a social media platform, just like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), and must be treated like such. The only difference is in the kind of content that you post.

On LinkedIn's appeal, Jessica says, "The beauty of the platform is that it reaches a certain set of audience who is engaged in the process that is focused on professional growth and an eagerness to grow."

Jessica also explains how she grew from talking about her experiences as a reporter in 2018 to becoming a accredited Top Voice and a LinkedIn instructor in just five years. The reason she explains this is regularly posting on LinkedIn as well as connecting with a variety of audiences that can benefit from her offer of helping others improve their communicating skills.

  Tweak your messaging to meet the needs of both B2C and B2B audience  

Many business owners believe that they can only gain visibility when their content is targeted at consumers on a personal basis. It's not the case.

The advantage of LinkedIn is that it allows users to modify their messaging so that it can be tailored to B2C and B2B customers. Your offer doesn't need to be changed, however changing your language used to describe your business can improve your visibility and attract both individual consumers and businesses.

"I discovered that if I want to speak to my audience B2C, I employ words like 'you', 'your' Have ever considered this? ...?'" says Jessica. "My style of speaking is clear, so anyone who reads my material feels as if it's a personal message.

      "[With a B2B audienceInstead of using  the words 'you' and "your", I'm structuring my presentation by using phrases like 'the team' and 'the organization'. It's more positive-driven and [less personal]."  

  Make yourself known as an thought-leader to appeal to B2B audiences  

In contrast to individual buyers who want a great product, B2B customers want to be sure they're getting the best. So to get the attention of B2B customers, you'll have establish yourself as a professional or thought leader in your industry, even if the product you offer is designed towards B2C audiences.

For example, if you're an artist, you could develop and market a photography course to your B2C audience. But to get B2B prospects, you may create thought-leadership content working in the field of arts or about establishing a career as an artist. Also, if you are offering 1-on-1 workshops that teach people how to be more productive, you can appeal to B2B customers by releasing articles about improving productivity in the workplace.

In this way, you could move from offering B2C items like e-courses or 1-on-1 classes to offering talks and workshops.

Making a personal brand using video

XayLi Barclay Expert as well as Visual Content Coach with Start Shoot Develop

Session Description If you're the owner of your business you can be viewed as unimportant, particularly if you're in a highly competitive sector or market. But you can overcome the feeling by establishing your personal brand with video content, be it short TikTok clips, Instagram Reels, or longer-form YouTube videos. In this session, XayLi explains how you could use videos to promote your online course as well as to generate sales. solidify your brand in the minds of the people who purchase from you.

  It doesn't take much to get started  

In the process of creating your first video or doing your debut livestream, not everything has to be flawless. You can start with what you have. At the start, people will accept your poor quality video and editing skill since they are aware that with time, you'll get more proficient.

XayLi herself started with her laptop, an easy white background, and a run-off-the-mill ring light.

"This was where I began and even got approached to be one of their experts," she states. "I did not wait until I was able to set up the newsroom for my first lesson to teach people. I made use of the equipment I had since I was aware that what I wanted to share did not revolve around just how beautiful your setup could be.

      In the present I'm using a Studio built into my house However, this is the place my first attempt at HTML0 a couple of years ago."    

  You will receive more resources as you get more  

If you start to see increased visibility through your video content and earn money, it's possible to begin expanding your equipment and improve your video equipment. You can, for instance, get a better camera/webcam and tripod stand (worth around $500-$1,000) as well as a green-screen as well as eCamm Live, a teleprompter app, and a Adobe Premiere subscription for editing.

Speaking out equipment and set upgrades, XayLi explains, "[At this stage] it is possible to have multiple camera angles, and so on. You can start investing in those things because you're earning cash. It's common to think it's important to appear good prior to the cash comes in. No. You need to get on the market, and after that you will get the cash."

When you start making enough money, you could outsource your video recording, editing, and distribution to freelancers or an in-house team.

  Focus on one thing at a moment  

It's common to think that you need to be doing everything you can to increase the size of your business. You must post on every channel, hop into every trend and discuss a variety of topics. This isn't necessarily true. It's better to concentrate on one thing one at a time while you build your personal image. Not only does this prevent you from burning out however, but also let the viewers know what they can be expecting from you each when you upload the video.

In accordance with XayLi Barclay's "Rule of 5 Ones", here are the five things to focus on when defining your digital strategy:

• One item or service
• One market to target
• One lead converter tool
• The most important traffic source
• One objective for business

Memberships -- The Good, The Bad as well as The Ugly

Teri Ijeoma the founder of Trade & Travel

Session description: When done right, memberships are an excellent way for companies to build stronger relationships with their customers in addition to generating additional income. Teri Ijeoma created the membership program that she developed that focuses on Trade & Travel and she currently has more than 35,000 participants in her courses and 185,000 email list subscribers. In this session, Teri shares the benefits of creating a membership program and provides a step-by-step guide on how companies are able to set up and manage members in the best way.

  Know when to transition from a no-cost group to a paid membership model  

If you're not a very popular business, chances are that you'll have to begin your own membership program, offering worth for nothing. Teri began her membership program using a group on Facebook that was free. But, as you build your network, it is important be aware of when you should transition from a no-cost community to a paid membership model.

These are signs you should be looking for prior to turning a corner:

• Your organization is expanding in size but the members pay an annual fee to receive the service you offer, instead of paying to cover the other benefits your organization offers, e.g. year-long customer support, etc.
• The group members begin their own meetings or sub-groups, making it harder to manage the group administration.
• Group moderators are hired as coaches who provide coaching to group members, without generating additional revenue through your group members.

  Your Membership program is an item that is an item in and of its own  

Many businesses that create online courses also create membership plans as an add-on to the courses. While membership programs are an effective way of making your courses more effective however, it should be treated as a complete productand not just an add-on.

Speaking about the benefits of her Trade & Travel membership, Teri confesses that "In my initial stages, I believed that the membership was an extension of my education. It's not the case -- the membership is a product completely on its own. It needs its own marketing team, promotional, marketing schedule... You should be thinking of it as a product itself."

  Be intentional with your pricing  

If you're transitioning from a free group to a paid membership model, think about the income goals you have and set your price on the basis of this. It's possible to make your offer lower in order to draw more people. But if you're sure that your membership program is full of quality, then don't hesitate to set a higher price for it.

If, for instance, your goal is to make 10,000 per month, you'd better have 500 people pay $200/month than to get 1,000 people to pay $100/month. It's true that the higher your rates are, the less potential customers would sign up. This also means you'll be able to meet your earnings goals quicker, and find it easier to handle your program.

Head of the Table Panel Discussion

Diandra Marizet (Host) The Executive Director and co-founder of Intersectional Environmentalist

Session description: This panel discussion will feature the panelists Cicely, Ellie, Jessica Cicely, Jessica XayLi giving their opinions on the importance of inclusivity and representation in the business space. They will also discuss the difficulties women as well as BIPOC business owners confront as they enter the creator economy as well as how they can determine the right price for their goods ethically in the capitalist market.

Here are a few of the poignant questions and answers in this debate:

  Women of color who are entrepreneurs are gaining financial stability for the very first time. What are the challenges, new problems, and opportunities do the future hold for them?

Ellie Diop: Just like the trauma of poverty, there's wealth trauma, too. If you're one of the few within your family to have an e-commerce or a seven-figure company, there's not many examples to follow. There's still a stigma around speaking about money, specifically for people with a different race earning more than what most people can imagine in a lifetime.

As an example, after I earned my first million dollars, I was scared to get out of my mom's home. I was reluctant to invest the money because I didn't know what I'd be doing if I lost it. It was also a bit scary to inform my family members because I was afraid they'd see differently of my character.

What I'd love to see more of is collaborative areas like this, which can eliminate this stigma, and state "Hey, what's going on? If you're stressed about making money, and what you should use the money, don't be afraid to talk about it". Allowing that stigma to continue is part of why we see people make quite a bit of money only to later return to the point at which they began.

  Oftentimes, in business settings, we feel the need to assimilate, code-switch, remain silent, or put parts of ourselves out. We may not always think that we belong to the concept of professionalism. Has that experience shaped how you serve your community and how do you incorporate that into your work as an DEI professional?

Cicely Blain: With the system we grew up in and where we are seeing a particular type of person represented in media, TV, and social media, and when certain online creators gain traction, while other creators are banned from shadows, it is easy to think that you have to adhere to a particular style of living and how you speak.

When you find a space in which you're seen as what you really are by those around you and the people in authority (even when they may not have similar experiences to you) it's a great feeling. However, although the number of people represented is growing and opportunities are more readily accessible, there's an unwritten rule about what people are expected to do. It's not uncommon for us to internalize the two rules (even when they could not be true) which can hold us back.

As an example, on TikTok there are a lot of people who don't show up neat and well-dressed all the time. Although it's a relief but I'm of the opinion that that possibility is limited to a select few, and there's a higher expectations for other people and the way they portray themselves.

  When do you decide that the direction you're taking isn't in line with the direction you're able to go and where your passion can be, and make the decision to transition into full-time entrepreneurship?  

Jessica Chen: All of us have a point we arrive at where we recognize that what we were hoping to attain is done and we're now ready to try an entirely new experience. For me, I was in an excellent job that I enjoyed, however after ten years, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more out there. I've always been the type that creates my own career path. Therefore, I began to think about ways I could pass on the knowledge I've learned to other folks.

I started out in journalism, which you could say is an "proper" profession where you can't share opinions. You do not have a voice of your own, and you're just reporting on other people's experiences. It was a jarring transition to begin creating my own voice and showing my personal style. That was definitely a learning steeple.

  What is the best way to price your offerings or services in order to attract people that are in the same boat, eager to take a lesson from you and recognize the value of your offering?

XayLi Barclay The majority times, we set prices low, but we overwhelm those who are investingin turn, doing a shame for the investor. It's tempting to believe that you'll get a lot of buyers if you sell cheap, but the reality is, you're getting overwhelmed people that are not ready to take action.

I hired a coach for my business to map out how much I would be earning which then determined my prices based on volume. There are many creators that launch the course at $7, and then make 6 figures off that course and yet they lack an amount. If you're a less experienced creator, it's important be aware of the goals you have as a company so that you're able to set prices accordingly.

If I sell 5 online courses at $1,000 per course, I'll earn $5,000 -- versus selling 500 courses for $10 per course. Imagine it in this manner. That's the process I had to experience.

Watch the sessions of Think in Color 2023 on-demand

Here's the scoop -- the key insights from the three-hour-long event created for budding as well as established entrepreneurs working in the creation economy. We invite you to dig deeper into any of those topics that caught your interest.