I’ve been talking to people lately about why they hate marketing.

Maybe some of these reasons sound familiar to you…

Folks are especially frustrated with trying to do marketing on social media. Even if you manage to outsmart the constantly changing algorithm, you probably have realized that new followers don’t automatically translate into a bunch of sales. People who are new to our work have to get to know us before they will sign up for our class or buy our product.

Just think about how you behave when you’re looking for a solution to something.

Let’s say you’re planning a vacation and need to book a hotel. You say vacation and hotel enough in front of your phone, and suddenly you have ads in your social media feed for a hotel chain.

But just seeing social media ads for a particular hotel doesn’t usually lead to a purchase. Not immediately anyway. Before you book,

• You do some more research.
• You talk to your friend who vacationed at the same spot and ask what hotel she stayed in.
• You go on review sites like TripAdvisor, Google, and Yelp to read testimonials from other folks who have stayed at the hotel.
• You look at the hotel’s website to make sure they list the amenities you want.
• Maybe you visit their social media account to look for a discount code.
• You probably research several different hotels just like this. And eventually you choose one.

On average, it takes 7-10 marketing touchpoints like these for folks to be ready to make a decision about a purchase.

But we get frustrated when we send out one email and a couple social media posts and no one signs up for our thing. 🤔

Maybe you don’t need a bigger audience.

Instead, you need to build a relationship with the people already in your orbit.

I talk to yoga teachers about this frequently. Let’s say that you know someone who’s experiencing low back pain (their problem).

This person has a range of solutions they might try to help their back pain (Ibuprofen, physical therapy, surgery, heating pad, bath).

Even though yoga is also a possible solution to improve their back pain, this person may not automatically think, “My back hurts. I should sign up for a yoga class.”

Even if they do realize that yoga might help, do they know that your yoga class was the right one? 😯

Effective marketing is not always about more attention or finding new customers. It’s about connecting deeper with the people who already know you.

Take a moment and ask yourself:

• What does my existing audience actually know about me?
• Do they understand what I offer? Do they actually know what type of work I do?
• Are they aware of whatever problem I can help them solve?
• And if they do understand their problem, do they know that I have a solution to help them?
• Do they grasp why I am perfectly equipped to help them with their unique issue?
• And once they figure all this out, do they know how to plug in with my work? Is it easy for them to say yes?

If you feel unsure about any of your answers, you’re definitely not alone.

Building a network that will sustain your business even if you pivot or take time off is possible! And you don’t have to do it alone. In fact, there’s a community of folks like you who are working on this very thing, and we’re doing it together.

Learn how to do marketing that doesn’t feel like marketing

I’m opening enrollment soon for Social Media Dropouts: a peer mentorship cohort where we’re learning about:

Building a powerful network (without social media) – how to get referrals, sell without feeling gross, and talk about your work in a way that feels natural

Strengthening customer relationships – figuring out your ideal customers and bringing in new ones, learning things from your fans and getting better at serving them, and asking your community for things

Email marketing essentials – actionable, uncomplicated emails that really work (you can create some of these in our co-working sessions)

Hosting unforgettable events – creating community strengthens relationships between your people, and doing it well means gaining loyal fans for life

This is not just another online course.

This is a community of practice, grounded in peer mentorship. We’re meeting in 3 distinct containers:

Workshops: I’ll teach a little something, then we’ll discuss and do some in-class activities, with time for your questions

Peer Mentor Circles: Show & tell with real time feedback from other creators and business owners. Practice talking about your work, networking, and asking for stuff

Co-working: Peer accountability and body doubling. During these (mostly) silent work sessions, we’ll have dedicated time to implement what we’ve learned in the workshops.

Whether you are just starting out, have been self-employed for a while, or are going through a pivot, you’ll take away strategies you can use in your work right away. You belong here if you want to:

• Find strategy and inspiration in a community of peers who have similar goals
• Learn about marketing off social media
• Strengthen your existing network of resources and referrals
• Extend your reach: make new friends, grow your audience size, and collaborate
• Understand how to build community on and offline
• Spend less time on social media and more time investing in marketing assets that you own
• Interested? A cohort is forming soon. Get on the hotlist.

What students are saying…

The coworking sessions were so helpful to actually help me commit to myself to get the work done, helping my scattered ideas take shape into something concrete. I really appreciated the community support and working with other business owners that are adjacent to my field without being in my same direct line of work. This gave an opportunity for different perspectives and felt really fresh.

 

As a small business owner who typically works alone, it was such a breath of fresh air to come together in this way and work parallel to others. The accountability was immensely helpful.

 

Kathy, Registered & Licensed Dietitian