Growing An Herbal Business: House of Hens And Grit
When Adrianne first contacted me about growing her herbal medicine business with a website, did what I do with all my clients: I asked her questions she probably hadn’t considered, and advised her on her options based on her responses. With just a couple emails back and forth, she realized that her business wasn’t ready yet for investing in a website, and thanked me for my time. I’m always happy to help people get clarity. I was glad to help her, and through that was the end of our conversation.
But then, she reached out again, a year later. This time, she was ready. We started working together as COVID-19 shut down the US and small herbal shops across the country were being slammed with orders for products to boost immunity and ward off illness. It was the perfect timing for Adrianne to take her business to the next level, and she was prepared for the work it would take.
How I Helped Adrianne Launch Her Herbal Website
First, I helped Adrianne establish her goals. Getting clear on goals first is vital to the success of any marketing strategy. Without goals, how can you tell if your work has been worth it? Goals are what you measure your success against.
Adrianne’s marketing goals:
Grow her business by 5 sales per week (a very achievable number that fell within her capacity)
Establish a foundational message for herself as an herbal expert
Share her herbal knowledge through blog posts as a way to educate and connect with her audience
One key thing to note here is that Adrianne has other, longer-term strategies in place that were not covered by our initial marketing goals. Eventually, she wants to transition her business towards teaching, and knew that building her audience and platform was the first step.
Getting the Right Pieces Into The Right Places
In order to build Adrianne’s website to achieve her goals, I interviewed her over several strategy calls. Then I drafted her website wireframe, and got to work writing her personal story and homepage copy. I call this “Core Copy”— the foundational message and story of any business.
Here’s an example:
Copy reads: “About Adrianne // If ever anyone would ask me how I became an expert in herbal medicine, my answer would quite likely be this: you never stop learning, and you never stop focusing on people who know more than you do, so you never even think about calling yourself an expert. // Adrianne’s Story”
At first, it can seem daunting, or even downright uncomfortable, to put yourself out there in a whole new light. Adrianne wasn’t sure about writing so much about herself, or even including the word “expert” within close proximity to her name. But, when you find just the right perspective—your work shines like never before. Her copy comes across as personal, yet professional.
Here’s another example from Adrianne’s homepage:
Copy reads: “When it comes to health and healing, there’s an alternative. You can get complimentary approaches to modern medicine that are, in many ways, even stronger, while still being more gentle. // Shop Our Products”
This is Adrianne’s homepage headline and banner. Notice how this copy doesn’t focus right away on Adrianne and her business. Instead, it focuses right away on the client. It speaks to their pain points (frustrated with pharmaceuticals and harsh side effects) while inviting them to try an alternative and reap the benefits.
This copy is an example of how we used storytelling and simple connective marketing tools to develop a framework for Adrianne’s content—what to say and how to say it—in order to connect with her potential buyers.
The Best Part of Transforming Your Approach To Marketing
I saw Adrianne transform every aspect of her business while we worked together. Meeting weekly to focus on her business’s marketing lit a fire under her! She checked off item after item from her business “to-do” list, including upgrading her packaging and getting a branded photoshoot.
I love it when I get to work with clients in a way that motivates them to do the things they know they’ve been needing to do for a long time, but have been putting it off. When you start to see your marketing differently, it can change how you see other aspects of your business, and even yourself, so you can tackle the projects that have been holding you back.
The Results—A New Website, and A New Outlook
I’m thrilled with how Adrianne’s website turned out. It’s personal, yet professional. It establishes her voice and expertise in her field. And most importantly, it serves Adrianne’s clients well. It gives clients a streamlined purchasing experience and ample learning & connecting opportunities so they can go from finding Adrianne on instagram to repeat clients.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen my clients change their relationship to their business through working on their marketing. I love watching my clients gain the confidence and momentum they need to take action. It is a very special part of what I do.
See more at hensandgrit.com.
