Alyssa specializes in advertising, marketing, branding, lifestyle, select automotive, investigative, pop culture, interview-based, and self-help writing.
Literature, Marketing, Advertising, Business, Branding, Self-Development, Music, Arts and Culture, Pop Culture, and Entertainment
Alyssa wrote her former CEO's blog on LinkedIn for two years. She also helped him complete his book. She researched, fact-checked, and helped write and edit the text.
Alyssa has written blogs for several marketing agencies to help bolster their standings as thought leaders in the industry.
Alyssa writes self-help pieces on my own as both catharsis and to help reach out to others.
Alyssa has developed social media content, social media strategies, and written blog posts for one Cannabis company.
Example of a blog post for advertising agency:
What’s your, “why”?
It seems like a fairly simple question, but business owners rarely answer it for themselves. They know what they want to sell. They know where they’d like to be financially. They know their sales forecasts, their overhead, and who their customers are.
But they don’t know their WHY.
In Start With Why, Simon Sinek has a powerful statement about this very idea:
“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”
It’s been quoted again and again. Branding experts discuss it. Sinek even has an incredibly popular TEDTalk about this concept.
But, before we go further, let’s discuss why (see what we did there?) purpose is such a compelling marketing tool.
A Sense of Purpose
We all want to be a part of something. It’s in our nature as a species. It gives us community, comfort, support, a feeling of belonging, and — you guessed it — a sense of purpose.
How do brands find their way into this? By standing for something.
This purpose — or a brand’s why — works on two levels: For your customers (externally) and for your employees (internally).
Internally, your purpose guides all of the decisions surrounding your business. If your purpose as a juice company is to create a world where people are happier and healthier, every decision that is made will be guided by that principle.
Every. Single. One.
This means you’re able to delegate to your team. They know the beacon, the guiding light, the purpose. They understand that and they’re able to make decisions based on this guiding factor.
One of the most cited and talked about brands which incorporates this credo is Patagonia. Everything they do revolves around their mission statement: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And they mean it.
There was the time they donated all of their Black Friday sales to the environment. The time they decided to revamp their product line to use organically grown cotton because it was less harmful to the environment. Or the time when they advertised that they would repair your old Patagonia clothing instead of advertising for you to buy more from them.
That’s living your purpose. And their employees see it. And their customers see it.
Which brings us to the second, external level on which purpose works: In the hearts and minds of your customers.
In Patagonia’s case, people are getting behind a movement that’s bigger than themselves. That’s a huge motivator, especially for the Millennial generation and their $200 billion in buying power.
But now we know what you’re thinking: “I’m not a global brand. I’m not a Patagonia or an Apple. What does this have to do with me?”
Everything!
Ask yourself a few questions:
Whose lifestyle are you fulfilling?
What value are you adding to your customers’ lives?
Are you saving people time so they can spend it how they want?
Are you helping people make money so they can afford what they want?
Are you helping people be healthier so they can live a more meaningful life?
Figure out what that hook or niche or need you’re fulfilling. Then double-down with authenticity and honesty. No one likes a fake.
Example:
Visionboards.co and COTS partner to bring hope, goal-setting and sufficiency to Detroit homeless
DETROIT—Oct. 14, 2014—VisionBoards.co is proud to be partnering with the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS) for its fifth annual Leading Ladies fundraising event cocktail party from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 42 Degrees North located inside the Marriott Renaissance Center. COTS is a Detroit-based shelter that aims to combat homelessness through programs designed to promote self-sufficiency and empowerment while simultaneously advocating long-term solutions to the problem of homelessness.
This will be the first live demonstration of the long-anticipated beta product from Visionboards.co, the 2013 Global Startup Battle Winner. The fundraiser will mark the beginning of an ongoing, philanthropic partnership between COTS and VisionBoards.co, with the latter being continuously used in the shelter as a goal-setting and visualization tool for COTS’ clients.
This is the first year that the event will be a two-part series, including both the cocktail party and a breakfast on Oct. 23. Leading Ladies took on its new incarnation after COTS decided to take it from being a breakfast for women raising awareness to a full-blown fundraising event within the community. Last year it was able to successfully raise $25,000 for the cause.
“Every year the ladies pick a different cause,” said Frankie P., Major Gifts Manager for COTS. “This year we chose the Passport to Self-Sufficiency [program] which is why it is so important that we are aligning ourselves with VisionBoards at the event.”
The Passport to Self-Sufficiency project started after COTS’ CEO Cheryl P. Johnson returned from a sabbatical where she became a certified integral life coach. Johnson put her education to good use and coached 7 women over an 18-month period.
“Passport to Self-Sufficiency aims to assist the families in reaching their goals,” said Aisha M., Marketing and Media Relations Director for COTS. “[Their] housing [goals], their financial goals, their health and well-being goals, education and career goals through coaching and mentorship to be able to try to break the cycle of poverty from the current generation to generations to come.”
VisionBoards.co will be providing guests at the event a live demonstration of the new web application that takes goal setting and dream achieving to the digital world. There will be 20 iPads available for donors to use the Visionboards.co application in order to showcase their new partnership with COTS.
Tickets for the cocktail event on Oct. 14 are available now at eventbrite.com; $75 regular admission, $50 for attendees 35 & under.
About VisionBoards.co: VisionBoards.co is a goal-setting platform and resource center that helps people achieve personal and professional success with the proven power of visualization. Visionboards.co was started by two women entrepreneurs, Natalia P.and Stephanie D., who created the company and its initial technology in just 54 hours at the 2013 Detroit Startup Weekend. Their success earned them a 1st place finish and qualified them for entry to the Global Startup Battle, sponsored by Google and UP Global. After a public vote that earned them top-ten finishes in every competition category, VisionBoards.co was selected by a panel of judges as the winner of the Innovation Circle, beating out 2,300 teams from over 200 cities worldwide.
Newsletter for a weight-loss clinic, various funnel tracks.
Copy example:
Webinar Funnel #1 — Custom Health Centers
(EM1-1) Email # 1 — Did not watch webinar
Hi, there.
We noticed you didn’t make it to our FREE webinar with Dr. Jason.
People get busy. We understand. No hard feelings.
Because we like you oh so much (really!), here’s a replay of the webinar you missed.
No strings. No gimmicks. Still FREE!
We hope you enjoy what you see!
Best wishes,
The Custom Health Centers Team
(EM 1-2) Email # 2 — Reminder Email to watch Replay
Hi, _____!
We sent you a replay of our latest webinar which shares the dirty secret about dieting: IT’S DEAD.
No, really. There’s a reason why 99% of traditional diets fail. We’re excited to tell you all about it in the video. It’s only 15 minutes, but jam-packed with priceless information to help you jumpstart your weight loss journey.
Are you ready to finally take control of your body and unleash your greatest potential?
Let us know what you think about the video. We can’t wait to hear from you.
All the best,
The Customer Health Centers Team
(EM 1-3) Email #3 — Who We Are // Why You Should Watch
Hey, _____!
It’s Dr. Jason and the team here to check in and see how your weight loss journey is going.
What have you tried and found to be working?
Are you feeling confident?
Excited?
Nervous?
Whatever your feelings, we’re here to help. We sent you a replay of our webinar video a little while back. We understand if you haven’t gotten to it; you’re busy! We just wanted to pop in and remind you it’s here, if you need it.
If you’re still on the fence, we get it. People try to get you to watch stuff all the time. Everyone’s vying for your attention and time and you’re concerned about whether or not it’s worth it.
One thing we will tell you: it’s only 15 minutes. Plus, we’re going to tell you a few of the juicy secrets you’ll be exposed to in the video — just to show you we’re for real!
What You’ll Learn:
The surprising reason 99% of traditional diets fail.
Why customized weight loss plans have an unmatched success rate compared to traditional dieting.
Amazing tips, tricks, and strategies designed to help you reach your health and weight loss goals.
That 39% of adults worldwide register as overweight, and 13% as obese.
Diet is the number one cause of obesity. Health organizations report that most cases can be prevented with lifestyle changes.
The National Institute of Health reports that sugar has a similar effect on the brain as drugs: “Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward.”
The American Heart Association recommends 6-9 teaspoons of sugar per day however the average adult consumes 2-4 times that amount per day.
And that’s just the start!
Once you watch the video, let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
Best,
Dr. Jason and the Custom Health Centers Team
(EM 1-4) Email #4 — Last Push before Prenewsletter Funnel intro email
Hey, ______.
It seems you may have missed our Dieting is Dead webinar and training session.
If you DID watch the webinar, we’re sorry. Technology isn’t perfect, but it did get this email “done”.
And done is always better than perfect, right?
Funny thing: Most people don't take action when they attend webinars or trainings.
We like to think you’re different.
Scratch that, we know you’re different.
We’ve had some amazing people come through our 60-day program who are just like you. People who are action-takers.
People like Eddie Murray, who lost 33 lbs.
Or Eric Hipple, who lost 31 lbs.
The bottom line is this: You’re ready to take control of your weight. You know it. We know it. And we can’t wait to talk.
Watch the replay here before it’s too late!
Best,
Dr. Jason and the Custom Health Centers Team
(EM 1-5) Email #5 — Pre-newsletter; Non-webinar
Hi, again, _______.
We wanted to check in one last time and make sure you were comfortable missing our FREE webinar.
No hard feelings if you haven’t watched it yet. We’re giving you one more chance to find a mere 15 minutes of your time to watch and learn about the most innovative weight loss research, tips, and tricks.
We promise: you won’t be disappointed!
If you decide we aren’t your cup of tea, we want to leave you with a couple thoughts.
First, we want you to remember that you are not broken. Many weight loss programs are not customized for the individual and can leave people feeling frustrated with the results.
Second, we want you to know you are not alone. We’re on your side. We are your advocates. You can live more fully. You can have more energy. You can enjoy delicious foods. You can thrive.
No one should feel like being overweight is “who you are.” And everyone deserves to look and feel good about themselves when they walk by a mirror. Or go out in public. Or see themselves in their social media feed and in photos.
We’d love to help you on your journey. So, we’re giving you one more chance to watch the webinar or book your appointment with us.
We’re not offended if you say no, but we’d love to keep up with you during your journey. We’ll be sending you the latest research, tips, tricks, and all the helpful goodies we love sending to our friends.
As always, let us know if we can answer any questions for you!
Talk soon,
Dr. Jason and the Custom Health Centers Team
Alyssa helped write, edit, research, publish, marketing, and manage the launch of a CEO's book which is currently available for purchase on Amazon.