We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ana Cristina Peña. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ana Cristina below.
Hi Ana Cristina, thanks for joining us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?
Marketing is a courtship dance brands perform to attract the right customers just like the Birds of Paradise. Have you seen them? They go through extraordinary lengths to attract their mate, and so do business owners.
It’s so much harder today to get your ideal client’s attention for more than 0.87 seconds as they doom scroll, let alone listen to a sixty minute sales pitch.
In the last three years of providing marketing and copywriting support for entrepreneurs – from fitness coaches to designers, to million-dollar beauty brands, I’ve discovered one thing that has better conversion (sales) than 99% of marketing efforts out there: The Webinar.
Why?
In a generic world of ChatGPT and watered-down messaging, people crave personal attention more than ever. The best thing you can possibly do to get sales is get your audience in a room together and do your magic in person. But realistically, live events are quite limited to a few dozen, if you’re not ready for big spending on ads, venue, tech support, etc.
A webinar solves that problem. A well-done virtual event can help you reach thousands of people in real-time. Let me make a point…
In the past, I was used to doing marketing activities on a teeny-tiny shoestring budget. I was brought up at my family’s small yet proud business selling premium aesthetic products, and just like everyone else during the pandemic, we struggled to keep going.
I needed to figure out a way to reach more customers, FAST. That’s when I learned one of the most valuable skills under my belt: Copywriting.
If you’re not familiar, “copywriting” is writing like you speak so that the other person feels like they’re having a conversation with you (like we’re doing just now, in fact!) with the ultimate goal of you inspiring them to take action.
During the process of studying copywriting, I learned about engaging webinars and how to create high-impact with low-cost, and quick ROI, while building brand authority. It wasn’t just about the event, but the user experience before, during, and after it.
I created story-worthy moments with the products that translated into organic content. I enticed people with value – whether that was bonus content, secret tips, or exclusive perks so that they have a reason to attend to the webinar.
And prospective buyers showed up. In the hundreds.
The three main principles of a successful webinar are to entertain, educate, and inspire to take action. You have to be able to deliver on the promise you made, and responding what’s in it for them and why they should listen to you early on. Some people believe webinars are just for showing what a product or services DOES rather than focus on the problem the ideal client has and coming up with the solution (aka your product or service).
I took these core values and built an entire step-by-step structure around webinars I created for clients to support them through the priming of the event (momentum build-up campaign), during (the webinar script for clients), and after (gathering testimonials, feedback, and sales messaging).
Important: most of the webinar prospects or leads won’t buy right away (they need more time to trust you can help them) but the effects of a live event are felt for months to come with an engaging follow-up strategy.
Does a webinar work for everyone?
Yes and no. You do need to build the audience before you decide to go down the webinar route. What I love about this model is that it works for audiences of all sizes – if you have an high-ticket product or service, all you need is 20 people to show up to your webinar. It could mean a six-figure result from a 60 minute live session.
Gone are the days when people walked through your door to buy your stuff. A well-executed webinar can be the powerful engine that kickstarts your sales into gear.
This is my favorite tool in marketing I’ve come across and leveraged in the last few years. I hope it got you excited, inspired, or at least curious if this is for you, too! And if you ‘d like to know more about live events, my DMs are always open.
Ana Cristina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I stumbled across marketing over twelves years ago, choosing a path that lets me blend creativity, psychology, education with business.
The bottom line, I help decision-makers save time, taking marketing activities off their plates.
From designing and writing engaging sales campaigns to guiding a team on ways to connect genuinely with their ideal client, I enjoy collaborating to deliver consistent on brand messaging.
A client once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
I’ll definitely help you plan strategize but in marketing, there’s always something unforeseen happening. I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and find ways to troubleshoot and solve so you can reach your goals.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
There are tons of fantastic marketers and copywriters with mad skills but it’s about the experience that makes the difference. Making the client feel like weight has been lifted and someone has their back no matter what.
Two years ago, I said yes to crypto and personal finance with ZE-RO experience from a referral. The startup company needed someone fluent in both English and Spanish to audit and translate their entire sales funnel. We’re talking over 50 emails, 20 ads, and dozens of landing pages. The deadline was tight, with no room for delays.
Over the course of seven consecutive weeks, I shared a system to manage feedback and edits across all the documents with consistent communication. Even though the ambitious project didn’t go as well (we were in the longest crypto bear market), the client spoke highly on the open joint effort when the pressure was high.
I’ve heard horror stories of colleagues and business owners working with creatives. Many service providers don’t follow through on their word and stretch out deadlines which add pressure to already high-stakes.
This is not what clients want. What truly builds trust is showing up with clarity, doing the work, and delivering what was promised. This is what you’ll find when we work together.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
How to build a personal brand online, understanding personal finance, and learning how to negotiate effectively (Never Split the Difference is one of those life-changing book people talk about).
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acpenap/profilecard/?igsh=d3htc3Ztd3Bwa2dx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acpena?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLmsMlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpxM7S85UtrNtik81ZOmFsiUq4Re1DdtLMYQlgDYA1Uk_y_pVpx0iNuZOMErz_aem_HYZqjfVkbkf5rTxUBBuvUw
Image Credits
Andrea Saro