Let me let you in on a huge secret. Marketing isn’t hard. Genuinely.
But it does take time. And I mean that honestly, even doing this for a living, a single social post takes me about an hour. An email, about the same. A blog, a couple of hours. And that’s before you factor in faffing with your website, or building out a strategy for the next few months.
It’s a lot. But my gosh, it’s worth it. The connections. The moments. The calls. The new people. It’s a joy to see, and I feel so proud of it. And the biggest time suck I see small business owners fall into is really knowing, like, really knowing, who they’re talking to.
Imagine you own a pub with some guest rooms. A large proportion of your clients are parents with primary school-age children. They have a great time in your pub, they recommend it to friends from out of the area, and they often enjoy meals with family in your establishment. But they don’t use the guest house part of your pub. Probably because they live locally and don’t need to, but they also don’t recommend it to their friends or family.
So, a lot of the friends that they invite to your pub for meals live further afield and often moan that they need to get a taxi home or stay sober to drive. You often say to them, ‘we have the guest rooms upstairs,’ but when they’re in your pub enjoying a meal, it’s too late. So, how do you speak to these people and get their attention without spending a vast sum on ads?
With marketing that hits the right mark. You could put a sign outside the pub saying ‘Guest rooms available,’ but let’s be honest, that’s a bit boring and easily overlooked. However, you change the copy on the sign to ‘Fancy a sleepover?’ and you instantly get primary school parents’ attention. Why? Because ‘sleepovers’ is a term they are using all the time. It’s a small change with zero cost implication, but it instantly gets their attention – because you are speaking their language.
So before you sit down to plan another post, email, or offer, I want you to put the time aside for something more important: getting properly, specifically clear on your audience.
Does it matter if you start in one place and end up somewhere else?
Honestly? No.
I spoke to a business owner recently who went through The Marketing Mix Lab. Halfway through, she pivoted, completely, to a different audience and strategy. One that actually aligned with her, her background, and what she felt called to do.
That’s not a wasted eight weeks at all, it’s all progress. Everything she had done before was part of her journey, she just learned as she went. We’re not aiming for perfection here. We’re aiming for progress.
If there’s one thing I want you to take from this, it’s that you will waste a lot of time marketing your business if you don’t know who you’re talking to.
A few prompts to help you work it out
Start with one or two people. Think of someone you’ve worked with before who really lit you up, or someone whose energy drained you (don’t work with people like that again, by the way). Either way, build that person in your mind. Really think about them and their life.
Ask yourself:
- What did they need?
- What would you be able to help them with?
- How will you feel when you help them?
- How will they feel?
If you get a whoop, that little flicker of “yes, them”, then you’ve found your person.
Why this actually speeds everything up
The tricky bit is, most people skip this step because it feels less productive than posting content. It isn’t. When you talk directly to the right person, everything gets quicker, the words come easier, the ideas land better, and people are drawn to you instead of you chasing them.
I’ve watched so many business owners skip this step, then wonder why their business isn’t taking off. I have a friend who does the most beautiful yoga. Marketing herself just wasn’t comfortable for her, and that’s fine, it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. But it’s a shame, because so many people would benefit from her teaching. We need to move past that discomfort, because it really is worth it.
You don’t need to do everything, be on every platform or scream from the rooftops all the time. You just need to know exactly who you’re doing them for.
If you need a hand
The Marketing Mix Lab starts at the end of September. Have a read of my 5-star Google reviews for the last few cohorts. Afterwards everyone says it’s underpriced, and right now you can grab it for £250.
You’re basically buying new solo founder friends, 1:1 marketing support, and a plan to move forward. What’s not to love?