Kristen VanderHoek | Cursor & Ink

Hi Reader, It always amazes me how many different, creative angles and approaches you can take to brand building. From design to messaging to data and search to automations to relationship management, there are so many levers that you can pull to create a brand experience that amplifies your expertise and creates a solid foundation of trust and authority. This week’s Brand Commons expert roundtable was full of these creative ideas and perspectives, and today I wanted to share a few of the...

Hi Reader, Quick reminder: our next expert roundable is next week! On June 23, join me and 5 brilliant brand and marketing strategists to talk about How to create a brand experience that sells (even when you're not in the room). It’s totally free and is going to be so fun. You can learn more and register here. Seth Godin once defined the term “brand” as “what people say about you when you're not in the room.” It’s true. But to take it one step deeper: what people say about you when you're not...

Hi Reader, Before we get started: Our next Expert Roundtable is on the calendar! On June 23, join me and 5 brilliant brand and marketing strategists to talk about How to create a brand experience that sells (even when you're not in the room). It’s totally free and is going to be so fun. You can learn more and register here. There’s a special kind of exhaustion that comes from working incredibly hard on your business without seeing the needle move. When things stall, our default instinct is to...

Hi Reader, Most of the decisions clients make about whether to work with you happen when you’re not in the room. Someone reads your website at 11pm. A referral looks you up before they reach out. A potential client skims your proposal, your pricing page, your last guest podcast appearance. And all of them form an opinion about what it's like to work with you — without you there to explain, reassure, or fill in the gaps. That’s where your brand comes in. When you’re an expert service provider,...

Hi Reader, I had new kitchen appliances installed last week. They’re a HUGE upgrade from the old basic white condo appliances I’ve had forever. They look super slick, my fridge opens at eye level, and the dishwasher sounds more like a purring kitten than a tank heading into battle. And while I like them a lot, I didn’t actually choose them for me. I’m getting ready to sell my condo — and so when I called Alex, my appliance guy, he made his recommendations accordingly: Stainless steel. Clean...

Hi Reader, It’s a weird time to be marketing a service-based business. Consumer trust is at an all-time low. Algorithms are unreliable and frustrating. How our audiences find information and solve problems is changing by the day. But for people who make a living from their expertise, there’s real opportunity, too. Because when your audience is overwhelmed and looking for a clear solution to their problem, the experts are the ones they turn to. They’re looking for reliability. Credibility. A...

Hi Reader, For a long time, I struggled to build community in my business. I’m not a social media person — it’s just not how I like to make connections — and I had built friendships with a few close business friends and collaborators over the years, but it was a small circle. And for the most part, that was fine! It allowed me to focus and block out the noise when otherwise comparison would have slowed me down. But as I grew and became more established, it got a little… lonely. My IRL friends...

Hi Reader, I just wrapped up discovery calls this week for a new project and was once again reminded why I will never, never trade in-person conversations with clients for a form or questionnaire. The first week of my 5-week brand strategy process is dedicated entirely to those calls: 2 of them, clocking in at 90 minutes each. I’ve even had clients say that those calls were worth the entire package on its own. Which is why anytime I see a branding package where the entire “strategy process”...

Hi Reader, Before we get started, I wanted to share a free event my friend Christine is running next week for coaches who want to build a lead magnet that delivers better leads rather than more of them. Lead magnets can still work incredibly well as a way to bring potential clients into your world — but it takes some serious strategy and thought to design something that is aligned with what your people need, ties to your offer, and generates sales. Christine is a pro at this. She’s super...

Pre-PS: I’m hosting a free branding event next Wednesday called “The 4 pillars of a sustainable brand”. No sales pitch, just strategy insights and a chance to build some community. You’re invited! Register here to join. Hi Reader, Here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately: What happened to making friends on the Internet? I was around when blogging just started. We had Twitter parties and Facebook groups that actually felt personal. You could genuinely connect with people, have real...