Marketing Blog
How Long Should You Stick With a Marketing Activity Before Moving On?
Most marketing doesn't fail because it doesn't work. It fails because in a world that wants overnight success, it doesn't get enough time to work. If you've ever abandoned a tactic and wondered if you made the right call, keep reading …
Why Marketing Often Feels Like a Lot of Work for Nothing
When it comes to marketing your business, you're posting, emailing, networking, maybe running ads. You're doing the things. But the results aren't showing up. Before you try another tactic, there's one question worth asking first.
Your Elevator Pitch Isn't About You. Here's What It's Actually For.
Every Friday morning, our local chamber hosts a coffee chat. Thirty, forty, sometimes fifty people in a circle, each getting thirty seconds to say who they are and what they do. I've heard a lot of introductions at this point.
And the same patterns keep showing up. If your pitch isn't landing the way you want, it's probably not what you're saying. It's what you think the pitch is supposed to do.
Why People Don't Remember You After Networking Events (And How to Fix It)
At a recent networking breakfast, a realtor stood up and introduced herself. Said she helped people buy and sell homes. Completely professional. Totally forgettable. If you want to be remembered (and referred) being accurate isn't enough. You have to be specific. Keep reading to learn how.
What the Allbirds Story Teaches Small Business Owners About Copying Someone Else's Marketing Strategy
Allbirds generated $297M in revenue at its peak and is now selling for $39M. The highlight reel and the balance sheet were telling completely different stories.
If you've ever been tempted to copy what looks like a winning marketing strategy, keep reading.
The Hidden Cost of Waiting: How Holding Out for the Dream Opportunity Stalls Your Business Growth
Ever find yourself holding out or slowing down on taking action because of a dream opportunity you hope to get? Keep reading to discover what a community theatre audition taught me about the hidden cost of those decisions.
How Reciprocity and Authority Work Together to Build Trust or Erode It
As an owner of a service-based business, your generosity and your expertise work together to build trust. But both can drift from helpful to pressuring without you realizing it. Here's how to tell the difference.
Real Deadline or Manufactured Panic? How To Draw the Line When Using Scarcity as a Marketing Tactic
Every "limited time" offer and "only a few spots left" claim falls somewhere on the spectrum between helpful and harmful. The question is whether the urgency you're creating when communicating scarcity around a product or offer is supporting a thoughtful decision or preventing one.
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.
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.
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.