Building a Story Brand

May 23, 2025

What's your story?

Guest/Host

Amy Smith, Power Hour Editing, amy@powerhourediting.com

Cyndy McDonald, The College Counselor's Coach, cyndy@cyndymcdonald.com

Show Notes

Show notes from the conversation with Amy and Cyndy.

Resources from Amy Smith

 Amy’s website

 How do I reinforce MY branding? See links below…


Socials

I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.

  • On your website, make it EASY for people to find/connect with you!


Classes

 Such a great way to not only market but ALSO serve students who can’t afford private coaching.


Blog

Be the expert your clients expect you to be! Write articles and then SHARE them in your newsletter and on your socials.


Professional Development

Remember, lifelong learning is KEY in any business, especially the college space that is constantly evolving! Evaluate options, and pick the one/s that work best for your needs. I joined these:


Newsletter

An amazing marketing tool!!! Such a great way to talk to prospects and current customers in a visually-appealing, interactive way. I like Aweber, because it’s super user-friendly, and they’ll do a “Blog Broadcast” which sends one automatically if you want. Plus, they include phone support, which is HUGE. Aweber offers a free 14-day trial – Click here to check it out (*Full disclosure – this is my affiliate/referral link)

     

Visuals

Super easy to create on Canva.com – I like the Pro version, because you can get many more options/features.

Automation is KEY, but do it thoughtfully & slowly. This takes time. The year I added Calendly scheduling was so scary but such a game-changer. I went from emailing/texting/calling to make appointment times to having my Virtual Assistant (aka CALENDLY!) not only do it for me but send reminders, etc. Saved me HOURS of time and added a level of professionalism to my brand AND ease for my students. I added my SCHEDULING link to my website as well & password-protected it.


More of Amy’s Tips: The Four "R"s.

  • REDUCE friction – make it EASY for prospects to find, engage, and interact with your business!
  • REMIND – it often takes MULTIPLE reminders and MULTIPLE channels (email/text/etc.), especially when you’re trying to reach teenagers
  • REUSE – Develop a plan for your students in terms of how you guide them through your process, how you manage the business operations/backend, and how you consistently add value. The reminders you want to share will be very similar year-to-year, so take some time to develop them in your off-season, and then tweak as needed.
  • RELEVANCE – If your messaging & offerings make SENSE and are RELEVANT, you make it EASY to say YES!


Advice

Bottom line, GO FOR IT! Thank you so much to the AMAZING Cyndy McDonald for hosting me on her Friday Forum. She is a superwoman in our industry and is teaching IECs how to run their businesses after DECADES doing it herself!


Resources from Cyndy

Articles of Interest

Friday Forums on Marketing

Marketing Workshops

Here are some relevent marketing workshops. Learn more and join me!


  • AI and the IEC
  • Elevate Your Brand & Master Marketing Strategies
  • Mastering Initial Client Meetings: Listen More, Close More
  • The Top 5 Business Mistakes to Avoid


LEARN MORE & CHECK DATES



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