Why is marketing so scary?
Marketing, when boiled down to its purpose, is for growing your business.
So, being afraid of marketing poses a threat to your business.
Let me begin by saying that marketing is not scary. You've been syked out by "gurus" who want to sell you expensive services. Marketing is within your reach, and it's as learnable as any talent. The main reason I'd recommend outsourcing it is if you prefer not to learn, or do not enjoy it.
“I don't know where to start.”
“I've no idea what ‘good’ looks like.”
“It'll take too long to learn.”
None of these need to be true. I'll show you why not in the least arrogant way you've ever seen from a marketer. ??
Here are some things I love about marketing:
You can start by plotting a journey of 3-10 emails. What will they be about? That depends on who receives them.
If you plan to start a newsletter via Substack, LinkedIn, or Medium, you should write with authority on a topic your audience will be interested in.
On the other hand, if the journey is for your new subscribers or a drip campaign off any action taken on your website, provide highly valuable insights on your offering and share your skillset.
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Automations
While they have a reputation for being salesy and robotic, automations actually draw your audience in when done well. Here are some examples:
Automations will help you drive sales if they are well-written, thoughtful prompts, that speak to your target audience.
For those who have a website, you must set up a flow that takes the visitor from your home page → to more information about you → ending on a contact, sign-up, or purchase page. This might take many steps and is called a user journey.
Thought leadership content
If being a salesperson for your brand makes you feel dirty, content marketing is where I would start.
Begin by visiting Answer the Public to see what people are searching for, related to your expertise, and then write articles or record videos that answer the questions people have in your niche. You might publish this on a blog site, your own website, YouTube, or via a podcast.
While you might add mentions of your services within that content marketing, its purpose is to educate. As long as it is clear how to find you, prospects will reach out organically, without you needing to be salesy.
In my opinion, this last element of marketing is the most enjoyable to create ourselves, and equally fulfilling to manage hand-in-hand with a seasoned marketer.
If you hope to begin yourself, take a course in content marketing in just a weekend, and begin commanding your corner of the internet with ease.
Award-Nominated Freelance Writer, Copywriter, SEO Writer, Content Marketing Writer for Health, Wellness, Pet, Fitness, Finance, Beauty Brands | Teaching freelancers how to find better clients and run a freelance business
9 个月Just found this (and you) Nadine Heir. So much good advice in here. Thank you.
Founder Cancer Survivorship Advocacy Resources -> Collaboration and Advocacy for Expert Whole-Person Survivorship Care | Host of Everything Cancer Podcast | Content Creator, Author, Facilitator, Public Speaker
10 个月I so need this encouragement Nadine Heir! Thank you for the firm & knowledgeable push! I feel like this article was written for me - lol. It’s good to know I am not alone!
I am a jack of all trades when it comes to cloud engineering and I enjoy building tools or automating processes.
11 个月I think for myself at least, the truly scary part of marketing is the cost. Things like running ads or hiring SEO link services (the ones actually worth hiring) are extremely expensive and customer acquisition cost is through the roof if its B2B. Its easy to blow your entire startups budget in no-time if you are bootstrapping and have no clue what you are doing. If it cost nothing or very little it wouldn't be scary at all, but when you have a budget and you are trying to get that initial traction its truly frightening not because it may succeed or may fail but rather it may fail and leave you broke at the same time.
I help renewable energy & biodiversity leaders design pitches that take their big ideas straight to the bank | Linkedin Ghostwriter | Mad Men obsessed.
1 年I agree 100 percent with you, Nadine. Facing fear makes it look less scary. Look at it without flinching. Have a heavy book ready to hit it on the head if it looks back at you. —newspapers haven't worked so well in my experience. If I had done marketing when I started my pop-up restaurant things would have been different. This time, I am making sure I am learning as much as possible. Once you start that path, fear will creep up on you less. #1 is a great point. Nothing should be considered written on a piece of stone. It's a trial-and-error skill, like cooking, like parenthood, like life. #2 Absolutely. People buy from people. #3 Agreed. Marketing has become more about building relationships than selling so, in a way, it's easier to master than 20 years ago. With so many resources Thank you very much for bringing this to the table.
Founder @AI Writer's Lab I AI Digital Marketing Officer @ctcHealth | Newsletter: AI-Enhanced Writing Weekly | I'll help you stay ahead in the AI revolution.
1 年I use Answer the Public as well, SUPER HELPFUL when it comes to content ideas!Nadine Heir