Marketing Blog
Is Your Social Proof Building Trust or Borrowing It?
Social proof is the most natural marketing tool you have. But there's a meaningful difference between helping someone feel confident and engineering a perception that doesn't match reality. Keep reading to discover the difference and decide where you’ll draw the line.
The "Why" Behind Every "Yes" … And How to Promote Your Business Without Crossing Your Own Line
Every time someone says "yes" to working with you, psychological shortcuts played a role. You're already using these principles … the question is whether you're applying them as thoughtfully as you'd like.
The Repurposing System That Ends Content Overwhelm (Without Making You Feel Like a Broken Record)
Professional content creators don't create unique content for every platform. They reuse and repurpose proven content systematically. Musicians play their hits at every concert. Publishers revisit seasonal themes annually. You should too. Here's the repurposing system that ends content overwhelm without making you feel like a broken record.
When Marketing Feels Uncomfortable: Should You Push Through or Quit?
That uncomfortable marketing activity … your first video, LinkedIn post, or networking event … should you push through or quit?
The answer depends on one critical distinction: growth discomfort versus misalignment. Growth discomfort means keep going. Misalignment means change direction.
Keep reading for the simple test that reveals which one you're experiencing, plus a step-by-step framework to help you decide whether to push through or reassess your approach.
Why Most Marketing Advice Fails Purpose-Driven Business Owners
You've followed expert advice, implemented the must-do marketing tactics, but nothing's working. The problem most likely isn’t you. It's that most marketing advice assumes what worked for one person will work for everyone. Here's how to filter advice before you waste time and money implementing it.
The 10-Year Regret Test: One Question That Changed My Business (and Life)
Seven years ago, I stood at a crossroads between management safety and entrepreneurial uncertainty. My wife asked me one question that cut through all the fear and rational objections. Here's how that one simple question became the most powerful decision-making tool I've ever used. And how you can apply it to the choices you're facing right now.
Does Expensive Marketing Work Better? What a $100K Logo Teaches Us About Marketing ROI
A local school district spent $100,000 with a branding firm, then chose a free community design instead. This story perfectly illustrates the trap many business owners fall into: believing expensive marketing solutions automatically deliver better results. Learn what actually moves the needle and how to evaluate marketing investments before committing your budget to a solution you may not need.
Always Be Closing vs. Always Be Helping: Which Builds Loyalty Faster?
Are you chasing clients? Or creating relationships?
Most solopreneurs and business owners fall into the trap of "always be closing." On the surface, this common piece of sales advice seems like the right approach: push for the sale, optimize your funnel, hit your metrics and keep the business moving.
But would it be better for business to shift the focus away from selling. And instead focus on “always be helping.” What happens when you focus on genuinely helping your audience without expecting any immediate returns.
Let’s find out …
The Commodity Messaging Trap (And How to Escape It)
Your website says you provide "quality service with a customer-focused approach." So does every other business in your field.
And if any business could make your same claims, you're not being specific enough to ignite real interest. You’re falling into the Commodity Trap.
Keep reading to learn a simple test and a few simple questions you can use to overcome this and start standing out.
The Most Common Reason Your Marketing Efforts Aren't Igniting Interest
Many entrepreneurs who escaped the corporate system are exhausting themselves with marketing that doesn't work. They're posting constantly, networking endlessly, and trying every new tactic.
But they're missing the fundamental issue: their message has the firepower of damp kindling. And it won't catch fire no matter how much effort they put behind it.
How to Build a Complete Customer Profile Framework for Your Business
Marketing advice often tells you to identify customer problems. But problem-only messaging is like starting a campfire with half the kindling. You might get a spark, but you'll never create a sustained flame.
Here's the missing piece that separates messaging people scroll past from messaging that makes them stop and engage. And a framework you can use to build a complete customer profile to support your marketing efforts.
How to Transform Confusing Business Jargon into Messaging that Actually Connects
Corporate training and higher education teaches us to speak professionally. But entrepreneurial success requires authentic language that real people actually use.
Discover the simple test that transforms confusing business jargon into marketing messages that immediately connect with the people you want to work with.
How to Find Your Target Market Niche Using Patterns, Not Possibilities
For six years, I told people my target market was "small business owners who need marketing help." It worked while I was still discovering my market. But eventually that broad approach was keeping me stuck.
The breakthrough came when I stopped looking at who I could serve and started analyzing who I was actually serving best. Here's the 4-step audience intersection analysis that transforms guessing into precision...
Why Your Business Values are Your Greatest Competitive Advantage (Not Limitations)
Many entrepreneurs who escaped the corporate system worry their values will limit their marketing effectiveness. But here's what I've discovered: your values aren't constraints; they're the competitive advantage that separates authentic businesses from the manipulative noise flooding every market. Keep reading to learn why your "fire ring" is actually your superpower.
Why Common Marketing Advice Smothers Your Momentum (And What to Do Instead)
A lot of common marketing advice tells you to “be everywhere” and ‘do everything.” But what if this approach is smothering your momentum as a small business entrepreneur instead of building it?
I was reminded of this lesson watching my daughter make a classic campfire mistake that perfectly illustrates why many small business marketing efforts fail.
Here's the simple fix that builds sustainable growth without the burnout so many owners experience.