Author: Kirsty France

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Are you scared to put your personality into your content?

Images of me encouraging you to put your personality into your content

When you’re a one-person business, you might not think of yourself as having a brand identity, but you probably know that your personality matters. Your character and values affect how you work, sell, and treat people. If you’re scared to put your personality into your content, you risk blending into the background and losing out on the right customers.

Why does putting personality into your content matter? I’m glad you asked.

It builds trust

People need to trust you before they’ll hand over their money. Putting your face and voice into your marketing shows your audience you exist beyond a Facebook page or website, so they’re more likely to click a link to buy a product or send you a message to book an appointment.

It can also quell nerves about contacting someone they’ve never seen. Remember, you’re a real person (did anyone else hear that in Hagrid’s voice?), so let your audience know.

It helps people get to know you

Your content shows your audience who you are and what you stand for. You might offer a similar product or service to lots of other businesses, but when you put your personality into your content, you show people the difference. In the face of many options, people often choose your business because you seem like their kind of person. You might share the same values or have a similar sense of humour, so don’t be afraid to share it.

It helps you stand out

Writing with personality can help you stand out, but images do too. I hate having my photo taken, so using images with my face on them in my marketing is challenging, but it is worth it. If your followers are scrolling their social media feeds, they’re much more likely to stop if they see a photo of someone they know and like than another stock image.

You can filter people out

You don’t have time to spare on calls with people who’ll never work with you, so putting your personality in your content helps you pre-qualify people. If you’re not for them, they can scroll on by. If they like what they see, that could lead to a call, a message or a new subscriber to your emails. The filtering process works in two ways.

Images

Looking at my photos, you won’t see a young, trendy fashionista, a beach babe or a sharp-suited city dweller. I look like someone’s mum, mainly because I am someone’s mum. You’ll see me with a cup of tea, walking in the woods or working at my laptop. If you visited the website for a corporate company or surfing brand, the images would be very different. Working with a good photographer can help you decide how you want to appear and give you photos that reflect that.

Words

The language you use in your marketing works alongside your images. Your words tell your readers what it would be like to have a conversation with you and whether they’d get what they need. Put simply, if you like how I write, you might like me. If you think I sound weird, maybe not. I can still adapt my style to suit your business, but how I write can help you understand whether I’m your kind of person and care about the same things as you.

If you’re scared to put your personality into your content, I can help. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. Email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and you could win a free copy makeover.

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Why the F* would I write a cookbook?

Why the F* would I write a cookbook?

I had this food photography idea pre-pandemic and had just ordered ‘the’ dining table (to photograph on) when lockdown hit; so, I don’t even have that as an excuse! Looking back, it seems quite a strange thing to do. I wasn’t a food photographer, food writer or a chef; I just loved food. I do recall I was very open to finding something creative that was for myself. Being a wedding, event and commercial photographer, I found very enjoyable, however where did I really fit into it? I was always aware my creative soul needed more, and I needed to find myself somewhere in my creative practice.

A significant part of my photography workflow was sharing my client images on social media. I love my own work and quite simply wanted to show it off. I would share funny stories about working with clients and took the writing of this very seriously. Over years and years, I was writing more and more as it was also a valuable part of my marketing. I approached a lot of work with good humour to make my posts a little more personal, engaging and fun to read. I always felt social media needed livening up a little.

The cookbook

When I started taking and sharing snaps of my food with my phone, I utilised my writing skills that I hadn’t really acknowledged I had. I saw it as a fun thing that I did, but the idea that I could be considered a ‘writer’ was a totally alien concept. I literally just grabbed by book and sat it next to me now to remind myself that I did actually write a book. My name is Matt, I wrote a cookbook, and I am a food writer. I spent a good while in the 4.5 years it took me to publish the book to own ‘food writer’, and annoyingly; I am still a little detached from it. Please don’t shoot the messenger, I am just conveying the tedious facts!

Over the course of this project, my approach became:

  1. Obsess over the recipe. This could be hours, days, months or years.
  2. Make a mental plan of action to ensure that the outcome was pleasing (I’d say I had a 90-95% success rate. The 5-10% miss days were not very pleasing).
  3. Cook the food.
  4. Set the scene to photograph usually on my dining table but could be anywhere. This mainly involved ceramics, boards, and vintage cutlery.
  5. Style the food.
  6. Obsessively photograph the food.
  7. Eat the food (which was always secondary, so often it blew my mind how incredible a cook I had become).
  8. Sit down comfortably and reflect on the whole mad and sweaty but joyous experience and tell the story with delicious words.
Matt with his gorgeous cookbook!

Getting the cookbook out there

The bringing together of the project to publish came with challenge after challenge. The design element I found utterly excruciating, but now is not the time to delve any further into that subject. If I am totally honest, I didn’t think I could pull it off. I genuinely wanted to see how deep in myself I was willing to dig. I sold the idea to myself (and subsequently the Kickstarter campaign) in the form of ‘is it worth following your dreams?’. Being a romantic at heart, I knew that I would NEVER say no to that question. If the answer is no, what is the point in being? I basically tricked myself into pulling the impossible out of a hat.

In the months before I launched my Kickstarter campaign, I was at the doctors with severe anxiety and as if by magic, ADHD landed hard on my lap. It totally blew my mind and explained a lot, but certainly didn’t put me off. I needed to get this book over the finish line no matter the cost. In my new neurodiverse world, this project had become a wild, yet nourishing hyperfocus. 

In hindsight, would I do this project again? One hundred percent I would! Would I recommend others doing such a thing? I’m not sure I would like that on my conscience to be honest.

Finally, I dare you to ask yourself: ‘Is it worth following your dreams?’

‘Where the F* is my Dining Table?’ – available at https://mattgloverphotography.co.uk/cookbook/

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Can you talk about sensitive subjects in your blog?

Can you talk about sensitive subjects in your blog? It looks as if I'm hiding from the idea!

How do you deal with sensitive subjects in your content? Do you ignore them, skirt around the edges or share everything? You might wonder whether your definition of a touchy subject is the same as other people’s and worry about upsetting someone if you get it wrong.

The thing is, talking about sensitive subjects can help you connect with your audience. There’s no easy answer, but here are a few reasons why you might be avoiding some subjects and how you can approach them.

Maintaining client confidentiality

Maintaining client confidentiality is vital to every business, especially if you have a legal duty or signed an NDA. Alternatively, you might just not have permission from the client.

Anonymised case studies and posts can be a great way to talk about your work unless there are giveaway details. I’ve even heard about confidentiality agreements so tight you can’t even mention what you had for lunch. In some cases, you could tell the story and leave the confidential bits out.

Embarrassment

You might be reluctant to share a story if you messed up and don’t want to tell anyone. That’s natural, but we’re all human and make mistakes. The important thing is to reflect on what you learned from the experience and share that with your audience.

Sharing something a bit embarrassing humanises you. You’re not an invincible robot; you’re just like them. Depending on your audience, it could also help them avoid making the same mistake.

You’re worried about upsetting people

Some businesses have upsetting subjects at their core because of the services and support they provide. For example, mentioning bereavement can be upsetting, but if you’re a grief counsellor, you’re trained to help.  People often put off writing a will because they don’t want to think about death, but your posts can educate people about why they need to act instead of ignoring something.

You can’t always predict what people will find upsetting, but knowing your audience and choosing the right words all help.

There are experiences you don’t want to share

That’s completely understandable. If an experience is still raw, you may not be ready to talk about it, which may never change. If you have a connection with your audience that helps you understand each other, it can help to share. You don’t have to share all the painful details if you don’t want to, but thinking about what you can talk about will establish that connection and can be incredibly helpful to everyone.

Don’t make jokes about sensitive subjects

This comes with a caveat. I have a friend in the medical profession who has told me about the dark sense of humour she and her colleagues share. It’s a way of releasing the pressure when you have people’s lives in your hands. They all get it, but a casual observer would be horrified. They make the kind of jokes you can only make when you’re sure of your audience. If you’re sharing something on a public platform and don’t know who will read it, tread carefully.

I can help you find the right balance in your marketing. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business. I’ll suggest topic ideas if you need them, and we’ll spend half an hour a month (or longer if you prefer) chatting about your business and our latest topic. Then, I’ll write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. Email me to arrange a chat, or use this link to book a Zoom call and find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and you could win a free copy makeover.

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Do you want to tell a good marketing story?

Image shows a blank page waiting for a good marketing story

Once upon a time, our ancestors gathered around fires to tell stories that kept them alive. It bonded the tribe so they’d all look after each other and know to watch out for that scary-looking tiger that came ‘this close’ to eating the storyteller. (I imagine it as the prehistoric version of ‘the one that got away’ after a fishing trip.) Sharing stories still helps us connect with other people, and that’s what marketing is all about. So, here are my tips on how to tell a good marketing story.

Choose a structure

Good stories have a structure that helps you understand what to expect. Starting a story with ‘once upon a time’ can be comforting if it’s a bedtime story or unexpected if it’s a LinkedIn post. Your story structure depends on whether you share a case study explaining how you solved a problem and the process or a post about a personal decision.

Jumping in at the most dramatic part of the story hooks your reader, and you can fill in the details later. Writing bullet points can help if you’re unsure where to start.

What does your story say about you?

A good marketing story shares your expertise but can also let your customers get to know you. When you write, ask yourself what the story says about you. You don’t have to be perfect; it’s better if you aren’t. Telling your audience about a mistake or a challenge and what you learned from it makes you more relatable because we all slip up sometimes.

I once agreed to work with a client because I needed the money, ignoring the alarm bells that told me they weren’t trustworthy. After several stressful months in which I did far more work than we’d agreed, they disputed my invoices. It taught me to pay attention to the red flags and do better research into potential new clients.

The ‘so what?’ test

It’s a harsh truth that your customers care more about themselves than they care about you. You might tell a highly personal story in your marketing, and the response could be a resounding ‘So what?  Before you start, ask yourself what your audience will get from your story. Do you have shared experiences that will resonate? Have you solved a problem like theirs before? It could simply show them that you’re easy to talk to.

Start gathering stories

What stories could you share from your own life? They could be personal or business-related, but you should be able to create a business link to pass the ‘so what?’ test. I once set the satnav to take me to a shop on the outskirts of town. I’d visited before but was approaching it from a different direction. The satnav told me I needed to go straight on, but that felt wrong. Then, I looked up and saw a massive sign on the road to my left. It reminded me that sometimes, in business, you should follow your gut rather than a road map someone else has created.

If you want to tell a good marketing story, I can help.

When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business. I’ll suggest topic ideas if you need them, and we’ll spend half an hour a month (or longer if you prefer) chatting about your business and our latest topic. Then, I’ll write a post that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. To find out more, email me to arrange a chat or book a call here.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and you could win a free copy makeover.

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How can your marketing look after your existing customers?

Image shows a guest guidebook, which is one way of creating marketing to look after your existing customers.

You know that good customer service is vital to your business. You might think that marketing is all about bringing in new people, but it can also look after your existing customers.

It’s about going above and beyond basic information, like your delivery updates, booking confirmations and contact details. Here are my favourite ways to use your content marketing to look after your existing customers.

Product tips and tricks

Showing customers how to get the best out of a product they’ve already bought shows them you’re interested in more than their money. You want them to get the best results. Instructions on product use are essential, but you can enrich the experience with advanced tips or alternative uses. This could help you attract new customers and support existing ones with the same content.

Sudocrem did this in a recent advert. It’s famous as a nappy cream, but they showed how it can be used on injuries or for skin conditions.

Getting ready

Sometimes, the best way to support your customers is to help them prepare in advance. If they’ve booked a beauty treatment, you should provide safety information, but you can also offer advice on how to make their spray tan last longer or maintain their hair between appointments.

Holiday packing lists can reduce their stress, or if you sell meal kits, you could let them know what kitchen equipment they’ll need. You can use all of these as blog posts to give your audience a taste of the customer experience you offer. It’s even better if you recommend things you don’t sell, as it shows you’re not just looking to make another sale.

Destination guides

I love planning holidays and looking for fun things to do while I’m away with my family. We’ve had some holidays with Eurocamp over the past few years, and they send destination guides via email. Eurocamp design the guides for their customers, so they include details of the facilities and activities on site. However, they also tell you about other things to do in the area, how far away they are and what age group they suit. If I’d written something like this I’d put it on the website too, to attract people who haven’t chosen their destination yet.

I used to write blogs for a holiday park, where customers owned their static caravans. We got great feedback; customers felt the owners cared and wanted them to enjoy their time away.

User-generated content

Big brands often use user-generated content, which is a great way to generate social proof with minimal effort. Encourage your customers to use your product, take a photo of themselves and share it on social media with a hashtag that’s specific to your business.

If you’re sending a physical product, you could include an extra treat, like some sweets or a bar of chocolate, with their order. Alternatively, ask them to showcase the results they’ve achieved with your product by sharing before-and-after photos. You can offer an incentive, such as a discount or entry into a prize draw, for anyone who posts.

Repurpose everything

There’s more than one way to use your content. User-generated before and after photos can go into your emails, website and sales pages, as well as social media. Start with a simplified version of your destination guide on a sales page and create a longer one for customers who’ve already booked their holiday.

You can use almost anything in an email and a blog post. For example, if your customer’s meal kit is on its way, you can let them know what kitchen equipment they’ll need. It could also encourage people who are reluctant to try your product because they’re worried they’ll need lots of fancy kitchen gadgets.

If you want to create marketing content to look after your existing customers and speak to your target audience, I can help.

When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business. I’ll suggest topic ideas if you need them, and we’ll spend half an hour a month (or longer if you prefer) chatting about your business and our latest topic. Then I’ll write a post that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. To find out more, email me to arrange a chat or book a call.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and you could win a free copy makeover.

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Five reasons to repurpose your website copy

Blog writing packages page showing why it's a good idea to repurpose your website copy

Using the right words on your website helps you attract your ideal customer and make more money. You’ll also enjoy your life more. You can work with people who get you instead of those who complain because your service wasn’t what they expected.

When you’ve gone to the effort of creating stunning words, it makes sense to make them go further. Here are five reasons why repurposing your website copy is a great idea.

It’s written with your ideal client in mind

Creating great website copy involves thinking about who your ideal client is and what they want that you can provide. Considering your customers’ needs, feelings, and aspirations lets you create copy that makes them feel understood and shows them how you can help.

The user experience is also an essential part of the marketing process. Is there a clear path to follow for people who are ready to buy or want to learn more before they decide?

It’s designed to reflect your brand

The way you want your brand to be perceived works alongside the information you have about your customers. You need to show your customers who they’re working with, what you stand for and what that means for them. For example, I get to know you and write anything you need. It’s a different experience from a blog writing service that takes your topics and writes a series of posts or a full-service agency that does everything in-house.

When you’ve worked on reflecting your brand on your website, it makes sense to repurpose your website copy and use it in other ways.

It lets you create the same feel online and offline

Print marketing is fantastic and can get you in front of your customers in a way that’s becoming more difficult online. An advert in a magazine that comes through your customers’ letterboxes or a leaflet in their favourite café or community venue can hit the spot. To paraphrase my friend Debbie Heron, who runs two successful magazines, “There are hundreds of social media platforms, thousands of TV channels but only one letterbox”.

Repurposing your website copy gives your customers the same experience wherever they find you.

You can use it in different ways

When repurposing your website copy, you’ll need to rewrite it to ensure it fits the platform where you share it. However, as long as you do that, you can use it in loads of different ways. You can share it in brochures and leaflets, repurpose it to create new blog posts and emails and break it down into social media posts.

As a result, you might find the process inspires new ideas.

You worked with a professional to create it

I say this with a sense of optimism as I hope you worked with a copywriter on your website or plan to at some point. A lot of the things I’ve shared in this post work better when you work with a professional. A website designer and copywriter will take you through the process of understanding your customer, branding and user experience to create a site that helps you attract new clients. It makes sense to reuse those words wherever you can.

If you want to create marketing content that speaks to your ideal customer, I can help. I get to know you and your business and tailor everything I write to your needs. Book a call here, and let’s have a chat about how that could work.

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Five things I wish people knew about ADHD

Guest blog by Guy Walsh - what he wishes people knew about ADHD

As someone who found out he had ADHD aged 41, I’ve spent my life trying to live as a neurotypical and wondering why the advice given by society has never worked for me.

Because of this, people with ADHD often feel like they are failing. I guarantee that if you find it frustrating working with a person with ADHD, they are finding it three times more frustrating!

With that in mind, here are five things I wish were more understood about people with ADHD. One note: every person with ADHD is different. These may not apply to everyone with ADHD. As with any individual, make sure you talk to them about their personal needs and never make assumptions. 

We need to know why

If you ask us to do something, you’ll need to explain why. We’re not being obstructive; it helps us understand the bigger picture. We have an insatiable need for understanding, and by giving us this information, you will also allow us to work out alternative routes to the goal – which may well help you improve your processes.

Our working methods are not the same as yours

We don’t work in a linear fashion. A motivated neurotypical person, given a task and a deadline, will work steadily on the task until the deadline approaches.

People with ADHD can often seem to be procrastinating. Truth be told, sometimes we are. But more likely is that we’re using this time to work out a path to the goal in our heads.

This can manifest in the form of the person seemingly “not working”—spending time away from our desks, browsing on our phones, and making infinite cups of tea. As crazy as it may seem to a neurotypical person, this is part of our process. Most of us don’t understand why (oh, the irony!), but as long as this process isn’t interrupted, I promise you that we will get it done!

We may also need very specific working conditions. Some will need silence and space, others will prefer to have background noise and people around them. Providing the correct working environment will optimise our ability to work productively.

We need a deadline

In part because of our working methods, we always need a deadline. I finished writing one of my stand-up shows literally 20 minutes before I took to the stage to perform. This is standard for me.

A task without a hard deadline will never be completed. A soft deadline (“just get it to me when you’re ready”) isn’t a deadline. It’s optional.

This isn’t a conscious thought for us; it just happens. We find it as frustrating as you. Give us a deadline and some accountability, and you’ll get a finished product.

We’re not being lazy

People with ADHD are motivated by four factors: interest, challenge, novelty and urgency. If the task you’ve given us isn’t interesting or novel to us, then even if it’s challenging, the only motivating factor is urgency – hence the need for a deadline.

We’re generally not motivated by money or targets. I’m someone with a strong sense of responsibility towards others, and this can be either a motivating factor (if I’m interested in what I’m doing and/or the end goal) or a cause of stress and anxiety if I’m not.

Either way, we’re not being lazy—we suffer from something called executive dysfunction, which means that our brains will not allow us to do something if we’re not motivated by at least one of the four factors.

We can solve problems before you’ve even noticed them

Our biggest strength is that we can see into the future. We have this seemingly psychic ability to foresee bumps in road maps and to predict problems well before they occur. Rather than dismissing our concerns as negativity, a better idea is to talk these concerns through with us to a) make sure that we have a full understanding of the project in hand and b) help us come up with workarounds for these issues.

Guy Walsh is a neurodivergent multipotentialite and an empathetic distributor and is available to speak at events. Find out more at https://aguynamedguy.co.uk/speaker/

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What are your big marketing topics?

Does the phrase ‘content marketing strategy’ bring you out in a cold sweat? Yeah, me too and I write the content! It’s easy to overcomplicate things, but marketing only needs to tell people who you are, what you do and how that helps them. In practice it can be a bit more complex than that. So let’s make it easier. Thinking about your marketing foundations as the big topics helps you work out what you want to say.

Here are my building blocks for your big marketing topics

Why do your big marketing topics matter?

When I first started writing for a living my marketing had lots of useful tips and information about different types of marketing, but very little about how my services helped my clients. Working out what your big topics are helps you focus on what you do and how you help your customers. When your offer it clear your customers know what they’re going to get, so it makes it much easier for people to say “yes, I need that” and contact you to get started.

What products and services do you offer?

Your marketing can talk about different facets of the services and products you offer. For example, I might write about blogging, article writing, email marketing or website content. They’re all services I offer and my marketing can help people understand how they work.

You might have various products with different benefits. Identifying what they are or what groups they fall into helps you work out all the different subject areas you can talk about in your marketing.

Who are you?

I know you know who you are, but what do you stand for? What are your values? Think about the knowledge you’ve picked up along the way, the experience you’ve gained or how your story might resonate with your customers.

Sharing your stories can be a fantastic form of content in itself. However, you can talk about your values and share your experience in many different ways so getting clear on the fundamentals can make your writing better.

What do you want to offer?

You might look at your list of products or services and realise that while you could offer all of them, some of them leave you cold. Getting everything down on paper can help you create content but it also lets you review your business and what you want to offer. You might decide to offer a service if people ask but not include it in your marketing.

If it won’t light you up to offer the service or talk about the product, leave it out of your marketing.

What do your customers want?

Giving your customers what they want doesn’t mean offering services or selling products that you don’t want to. However, it is worth considering what they want or need that you can provide. For example, they might be overwhelmed because they’ve got too much to do and not enough time. They might have a problem that you can solve. Some of the benefits you offer could be tangible while others will be emotional. Think about who your customers are and how you help them.

I don’t do marketing strategy, but once you have a plan I can write the words that help you bring it to life. Book a call here and let’s have a chat about how that could work.

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The lazy entrepreneur 

Aime Ayrehart from Ninja HR writes about being a lazy entrepreneur

The title is a little cheeky.  My reaction to people telling me I could make so much more money if I worked more hours.

I nodded, then ignored them. If I can live a fabulous life and only work 16 hours a week, what more can money buy me? 

I’m writing this sitting on the beach in Scarborough.  The air is warm and calm and feels like spring.  The sound of the waves crashing is gentle, and I can hear the birds singing contentedly. 

Yesterday was an entirely different experience. There was wind, rain, and even hail. It was exhilarating and exhausting.

Life as a solepreneur

I have to be in the right head space to be creative.  Calm, playful, relaxed.  And being a solepreneur requires a huge amount of creativity.  Partly because my speciality as the employment genie is to solve impossible work-based problems, which each require an entirely novel approach, but also because running a business requires us to design products and endless social media and networking.

But life, emotions and the journey of a solepreneur are more like the sea than a motorway.  Endless opportunities but at times exhausting and scary.

Embracing creativity

In an attempt to fit into a man’s world, most women have tried to even everything out to be consistent and professional.  To always be able to deliver the same thing and to control our environment rather than live in harmony with it.

But ignoring the seasons and the ebb and flow of our emotions has led to increasing levels of conflict at work, at home and in the world generally. Not to mention it’s created global warming.

Noticing the ebbs and flows

Few people who know me would doubt I can be strong and confident, do maths and law and lead – typically masculine attributes.  And I’m glad I have these skills as part of my arsenal.

But my real breakthroughs in both business and my personal life are where I have begun to notice the ebbs and flows and more gently acknowledge them in myself and others.

When people ask me how I am, and I reply, “Fabulous,” they seem somewhat shocked – and of course, I have bad days.  But it’s true I’m in a good place.

Mmm now I’ve written this blog, I might go and make myself a hot chocolate and read for a bit.  Such a terrible life indeed 😊

Aime Ayrehart being a lazy entrepreneur after writing a guest blog

About Aime

Aime Ayrehart is a bestselling author, founder of a trade union, and offers HR crisis management through Ninja HR.  But her real passion is supporting female business owners to flourish.  She started a female-run collaborative that has launched the Entrepreneurs Mindset Development Tool to help identify strengths and areas for development in a kind way, and through the Sasspreneur Club, we offer unique, cost-effective and accessible support to help you flourish – however that looks for you. 

Ninja HR

Entrepreneurs Mindset Development Tool

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What do beginners need to know about what you do?

What do beginners need to know about what you do?

You’re an expert at what you do, so it might be hard to remember when you were a beginner. However, when new people see your content, a few of them will probably be completely new to the kind of work you do. It’s worth thinking about ways to talk to them, so ask yourself: what do beginners need to know about what you do?

What knowledge helps people work with you?

Does your business help beginners, or is there an entry point that makes your working relationship easier? For example, selling a product is often quicker and easier if your customers know exactly what they need.

I don’t do marketing strategy, so I love it when people come to me with plans or already know their customers well. I can help with topics, but they’ve done the groundwork and know what they want their marketing to achieve.

What information can you share?

If your business offers training, your content can share your knowledge and give your customers a taste of the training they’ll receive. Even if you don’t train people, your marketing can educate them about what will help them work with you. For example, I talk about ways to get to know your ideal customer even though it’s not part of my core service.

Sharing the basics in a short guide or quick tips can also give your audience the confidence to contact you without worrying they’ll sound stupid or ask silly questions.

Use lead magnets

Lead magnets encourage people to sign up for your email list and can work in the same way as the rest of your content. A lead magnet doesn’t have to be complicated; the shorter, the better. The idea is to offer your audience valuable information that gives them a quick win when they put it into practice.

Creating a lead magnet that helps beginners who may want to work with you also means you only spend time emailing people who could be genuine customers.

Create products

You don’t always have to give information away for free. You can offer products even if you offer a one-to-one service like I do. For example, if you have a craft business, you might write about different craft techniques, equipment and how to get started. You can also create a beginner’s kit with a simple project, materials, and instructions that help customers learn and build confidence.

My version of this is in my eBooks, which include ideas for your content marketing and your Christmas posts.

Team up with other businesses

This is one of my favourite ways to work. Collaborating with businesses related to yours but that don’t offer the same service helps you reach a wider audience. You can share guest blogs on each other’s websites and social media feeds, organise joint events, or refer your clients to each other.

This approach can make your clients’ lives easier. If you’re a wedding photographer with a network of other wedding professionals, recommending people can save your clients time and stress. I work with marketing consultants and trainers, graphic designers, and web designers so our clients don’t have to build a whole team from scratch when they start a new project.

If you have a plan but lack the time or energy to turn it into new marketing content, I can help. I’ll write blogs, posts, emails, and whatever else you need to engage your audience. Head to my shop for eBooks with marketing inspiration. If you’d like to chat about how it works, you can book a call here.