Marketing sucks for (most) WordPress developers.

Two major issues being there’s not enough time to do it, and there’s a certain stigma that it becomes to sales-y.  Throughout my travels, I’ve noticed a lot developers that have successful products — still — are afraid to really build up the marketing arm of their business. Even when they know they need to do it, they become paralyzed to take action.

Today I’m stoked to interview Tonya Mork, electrical engineer & software engineer since the mid-80’s, experienced with managing multi-million dollar robotic projects, and now recently launching Know the Code membership site on today’s show.

Hands down, this is one of my top shows of 2016. Tonya brings a wealth of knowledge and actionable advice that will inspire you to get out there and conquer your business — or at the very least — today’s to-do list.

Take action in your business with Tonya Mork

We wear many different hats as freelancers & boutique agency owners.

You might be developing and designing a website, but you also need to market yourself as the complete solution to continually attract customers. That is to say, you have no choice but to dive into some facet of marketing and promoting yourself, if you want to build a sustainable business.

What’s the best way to do that?

Tell your story. Be different.

It’s not about your framework or what your dev environment looks like, it’s what makes you — you.
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And guess what, it’s not which framework you use or what your dev environment looks like, it’s what makes you — you.

Here’s an example: At my studio, we’re just as capable as the next agency, but I don’t focus on that. I focus on the fact that we’re a family owned business with a small team, working out of the same office. That customer service comes before our development prowess, and that building a trusting long-term relationship is paramount to success.

Oh, and we also get the job done.

Sure, we sprinkle in our technical know-how and send over referrals, but I want customers to understand who we are and how we operate first and foremost as what sets us apart.

What makes you different?

Some might look at what I just mentioned as a weakness — and they very well could be to a variety of potential clients — but it works for us. It defines us and defines the vertical of clients we like to serve.

So what about you? What chapter in your journey can you polish off and display to your would-be customers? Dig deep and find the uniqueness in you and your organization.

Get the eyeballs on your (membership) website that you deserve

All of this boils down to trust.

As Tonya puts it in this interview, building trust is the first step to driving traffic. The more you can do for other people and serving them, the better you do at gaining that trust. Tell your story and take action — no one else is going to do it for you.

It’s also just as important to focus on your customer’s story as well. Listen to their needs and be open to working with them at a new capacity. I know that systemizing and productizing are all the rage right now, but sadly, we can’t fit every project into the same template.

The links

* Tonya on Twitter

* Know the Code

* WP Developers Club