Picture this: You've poured your heart and soul into building your brand. You've crafted compelling content, shared your story, and built a loyal following. But when it comes to actually asking for the sale, you hesitate. You don't want to come across as pushy or salesy, so you hold back. The result? Your audience remains passive, unsure of what step to take next. And, your business? It misses an opportunity for a sale.

While some may argue that blogging is a dying art form, I'm here to tell you that it's far from obsolete – in fact, it's more valuable than ever in today’s marketplace, where competition is fierce and attention spans are short, blogging has emerged as a vital component of any successful marketing strategy.

But here's the truth: marketing is non-negotiable. It’s when you are busy that you need marketing the most. Marketing is the lifeblood of our businesses, the fuel that keeps our business not only running but growing. Without it, our business will become stagnant while we watch our competitors race ahead.

I recently had a sorority sister from college reach out to me, seeking advice on marketing for her new business venture. Like many small business owners just starting out, she was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of marketing her business effectively without breaking the bank. So, I put myself in her shoes and asked, “If I were starting from scratch with a limited budget, where would I invest my money to get the biggest bang for my buck?”

The sales funnel is a model that represents the journey a potential customer takes from being just a visitor to your website to becoming a customer. It is divided into stages that include awareness, interest, decision, and action. At the top of the funnel, the focus is on attracting potential customers and creating awareness about the product or service. As the customers move down the funnel, they develop an interest, make a decision to purchase, and finally take action by completing a purchase.

Once you understand a few basics, Canva will be very easy for you to use and it will quickly become your “go-to” tool for creating anything! I am so passionate about Canva, that you’ll often hear me state that learning to use Canva is one of the best decisions you can make for your business.