IS YOUR PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE WORKING FOR YOU?

Today I am writing about something I’ve been working diligently on for the last 6 months or so.

Starting from scratch, the long thought process and the scribbling on paper process to design and implement (still implementing!) a key aspect of my business.

What have I been working on?

My product architecture!

And some of you might be asking what that is exactly. It’s product design, it’s similar to income stream but the product of that income stream.

It really starts with the question “What do I want my business to look like?”

And, although that might sound like an easy question, for me, almost 9 years in, it’s been a HUGE question, and I guess that’s what has taken so much work.

After you decide on what you want your business to look like, then the next question is how much money I want to earn in X period (for example during 2024) and after you come up with that figure, the very next question is HOW!

“How” consists of what income streams you have to make that money goal and, in many cases, “how” then becomes what products do I have to sell.

It doesn’t matter if you yourself are “the product” – it doesn’t matter if you are a coach or mentor or course creator or whether you sell a physical product, there’s still a product!

To give you more insight, I’m going to go through a little about the process that I’ve been diving into.? (And side note: if you think this isn’t for you, as a small business owner, think again, because it SO is and if you think it’s not, this is probably why business isn’t moving for you like you want, because you don’t have your product architecture mapped out and working well!)

Ok, so this all started with my book – Small Town Big Impact.? If you didn’t know, I spent time last year writing a book that came out in December. It’s a marketing book and it’s based on 107 different marketing strategies. I was tired of seeing so many business owners ONLY having social media as their whole marketing strategy. You can get a copy here on my website or I believe now it’s available on Amazon and Booktopia etc but if you get it through my website, I can personalise it and send you a little cool gift!

Now writing a book in 2023 wasn’t originally on my goal list but it happened! It not being on my goal I guess is why it created such chaos in my business – at least in my head.

Obviously, my book is one part of my product architecture, one income stream now.

In the process of writing the book, I got to thinking about the passiveness of reading a book. You buy a book, you like a book but do you take action and follow the author on socials or listen to their podcast they’ve talked about throughout the book (obviously, I am talking about business books here), and importantly, as the author and business owner who now has this income stream, what action could the reader or would the reader take next.

Remembering, of course, that many people will buy this book and I will have no idea who they are. They might buy it at a bookstore, online – but not on my website where I can have their data (e.g./ name and email address) so I need to create something in the book that would get them, potentially, to come deeper into my world.

And that looked like more products! Either products to sell or products to giveaway like a Lead Magnet in exchange for an email address and name.

To build on my book product, I created the Nine Week Marketing Transformation program that small business owners can buy and do a self-paced marketing course that will transform their marketing – help them take their business to the next level.

So, now in my product architecture I have a book, and online course, me as the product as a marketing coach and digital marketing mentor, and of course, speaking.

Once I had my list, I asked myself what I wanted my business model to look like – and the answer was:

• Speaking
• Which leads to books sales
• Which leads to Nine Week Marketing Transformation Sales
• Which leads to marketing coaching and mentoring opportunities

Even though it’s not quite as linear as that and if I could show you my actual drawn product architecture, you’d see that it’s definitely not linear and there’s different pathways to each, but my current goal is that I really do want speaking to sit at the top and the rest derive from there.? (So, another side note, if you have a business group, Shire Council or Chamber that’s looking for a speaker this year, please pass them on my details – how great would that be, we could chat in person!).

What took me 4 months to get to there, the place where I had my product architecture created, well I actually then had to create it, didn’t I!

I didn’t have a Nine Week Marketing Transformation Program, so I had to write that, record that, create that.

I had to update my speaker bio, re-create my speaker kit, create a show-stopping speaker proposal document, update my media kit, re-design some website pages and create new ones, write and create email marketing sequences, lead magnets and so much more. I had to do the doing – and that’s what has taken the time.

And in true Jenn style, where I started, I did not finish, tweaking, polishing, second-guessing along the way.

My product architecture is my income streams for this year. Maybe not all of them, but most of them.

My income will come from speaking, keynoting, course sales, book sales, and coaching/mentoring small business owners around their marketing, strategy and of course, product architecture!

I can’t encourage you enough to take some time and sit back and think about your product architecture, your income streams. Are they REALLY going to get you to your financial goals this year or do you need to add more income streams, get rid of others (like I have) to make room for new ones, and if you do need new ones, what does that even look like – what needs to be created?

I hope this blog has got you thinking. I really, really want this year to be your best year yet and that’s why I am dedicating so much content on my blog and podcast to having you think differently about marketing, to stretch you a little bit and get you to design the business that will see 2024 being so freaking fantastic and so enormously profitable.? You with me? Great, let’s do this.

Of course, if you need any help with anything, feel free to book a Discovery Call with me and we can talk about how I might be able to help.? Here’s the link: https://calendly.com/jenn-smm/discovery

Or if you’d like a copy of my book or the Nine Week Marketing Transformation Program sounds just like what you need at this time, head to my website www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au and you will find them both there (you can also book a Discovery Call there if you want – the link is on the home page – just scroll a tiny bit and you’ll see it.)

Remember, you need to ask for help to get help!

I’d love to hear from you in the Like Minded Business Owners Facebook group! You can join the group here and then come tell me what your product architecture looks like and how it’s going – maybe you’ll inspire another business owner! The group is such a valuable place for business owners to be encouraged and supported! And you are welcome to ask any of your other marketing or business questions too!

Or if you want to chat, get in touch.? Email me [email protected] or DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn – I would love to hear from you.

CONTACT JENN:

I would love for you to book a free discovery call with me to talk about how I can help your nail your business goals, planning, strategy, marketing and social media! Simply click the link and grab a spot!

My Like Minded Business Owners Facebook group is also a great community to join – full of awesome people in small business!

Or you can DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn, or send me an email [email protected]

I wish to acknowledge?the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Yorta Yorta People, on which I conduct my business today and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples reading this blog post today.

About the Author:

Jenn Donovan of Social Media & Marketing Australia.? Jenn’s an expert marketing coach and mentor from rural NSW. She is all about empowering business owners to earn what they’re worth so they can make a bigger difference in the world.? Not only is she a sought after expert on all things marketing for Small Business, she is a keynote speaker, author of Small Town Big Impact, was the Founder of Buy From a Bush Business and a Co-Founder of Spend With Us e-commerce marketplace, and is the host of the very popular podcast Small Business Made Simple and Stories from the Bush. Jenn is all about community and humans interacting with humans!? H2H Marketing – human to human marketing. Jenn talks the talk but importantly walks the walk!

Get in touch – www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au

On Instagram - @jenndonovan_

On Facebook – Jenn Donovan

Or on LinkedIn as Jenn Donovan