Small Business Casual: Content Marketing, Productivity, Customer Experience for Entrepreneurs & Creators

Text Emily!

You’ve probably heard about building "the know, like, and trust factor" with your community, customers, and clients. Butttt, how on EARTH does one actually build know, like, and trust? 

What even does that MEAN!? 

Often mentioned in the marketing world, "know, like, and trust" (KLT) is vague and elusive (at best) and not many are explaining how to take actions that build it.

In this episode, I’m going to break each element of KLT down into tangible action steps to get you on your way to building it with your people right away.

Listen in to Start Building KLT: 

• What does it mean for them to know, like, and trust you?
• Why does your business need to build the know, like, and trust factor? 
• Keys to building the "know" 
• Consistent steps to building the "like" 
• Tips for cultivating the "trust" 
• And more! 

Resources Mentioned:
👉🏻 EXTENDED SHOW NOTES

👋🏼 Whalllleeeee, hello there! Let's Connect!

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Small Business Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I live in the backwoods of New Hampshire where I spend my time hiking, building fires (in the wood stove, don't worry!), reading, and learning all the useless trivia I can get my hands on. 

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Text Emily!

Pain point marketing is marketing that highlights a problem your audience is experiencing and positions your product or service as the solution.

It's easy, creates an urgency, lack, need, and reminds them of just how badly they hurt!

Pain point marketing works and often grabs attention or raises alarm, but at what end?

In this episode, I share my own thoughts on pain point marketing and why I don't rely on making them cry to get them to buy.

Inside this episode on pain point marketing: 

• Why pain point marketing is perpetuated and used often 
• My issues with pain point marketing and ethical red flags
• How to balance emotions, benefits, and empathy in your marketing without tapping on pain points 
• and MORE! 

👇🏻 EXTENDED SHOW NOTES 👇🏻

Why Pain Point Marketing is so prevalent:

1. We’ve been taught that pain point marketing leverages human psychology.
2. People tend to be more motivated to avoid loss, pain, and discomfort rather than pursue gain.
3. Pain point marketing taps into our primal instincts: pain = death. Don’t die.
4. Highlighting problems is a relatively easy formula: You identify the pain points, exaggerate the impact, and position your offering as the clear way out. Easy peezy.

 Pain point marketing works. At least. In the short term…

It often grabs attention charges emotions, and triggers a reaction.

It’s widespread and often used because the perception is that it delivers fast results and urges people to BUY NOW.

Why Pain Point Marketing isn’t always the right choice for businesses: 

1. Fast results can equal short-lived results. Often those who buy based on urgency and pain are more likely to be in search of fast solutions. They may be resentful down the line when the solution barely scratched the surface of fixing their problem. They may be less committed to the process and less likely to play an active role in achieving results. 
2. Benefit-focused marketing, relationship-building, marketing focuses on transformation, future outcomes, and positive changes. In most cases, this leads to stronger and better, long term relationships and longer-lasting success.
3. Feeding fear, urgency, and lack isn’t how I want to be showing up in the world. I don’t enjoy reminding people of their pain, using fear, frustration, anger, or stress as a motivator. People are in enough pain.
4. As consumers get savvier, pain point marketing becomes more and more outdated. We know when we’re being marketed and sold to. More than ever, people are looking for positivity, honesty, and authenticity from brands and businesses. Pain point marketing is a tired approach and many people will skim right by because it blends in with everything else.
5. It raises an ethical yellow flag. Blurry at best, pain point marketing can get dicey and sheisty.

Resources and Links Mentioned:
Alice Karolina's episode on She Built This: How We Sell Matters
Content with Character episode on Features vs. Benefits

Let's Connect!

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Small Business Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I live in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
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Text Emily!

On Christmas Day, I wrote a poem. Not to be confused with a Christmas poem, it was a poem about a zipper. An underrated, underestimated piece of fashion, function, and form, and all it has to offer the world.

A series of events around the poem is where I got the idea for THIS episode on Features vs. Benefits and why focusing on the benefits is important!

In the episode: 

• What's the difference between a feature and a benefit? 
• Product features vs. service-based business features
• Product benefits vs. service-based business benefits
• Why benefits 
• 3 Benefits of focusing on the benefits in your content and marketing 
• An activity to try right away to discover hidden benefits of anything! 
• And more! 

Resources Mentioned:
My Substack: The elusive zipper poem!
Content with Character Episode: Making Stories Work in Your Content

Let's Connect!

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character. I'm a dog mom to Sir Clyde and wife to Jason (my favorite person in the whole world). Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
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Text Emily!

A client recently asked me a GREAT question about using stories in her content, specifically when she might not want to share ALL the details. I turned her story into one that can benefit YOU as we discuss how to tell your stories more effectively and intentionally. 

I hope you walk away inspired to bring more stories into your content and less stuck in overthinking when you do! 

• Why stories in your content 
• Types of stories you can tell in your business and marketing
• Telling a concise Origin Story and where to use it 
• Telling Client Stories with 4 simple tips
• Telling your behind-the-scenes stories with more ease
• How to keep track of your stories and bring them to life 
• 4 Questions to ask yourself before sharing your story
• And more! 

Resources & Links Mentioned
👉🏻 EXTENDED SHOW NOTES with story prompts/questions
Improving Your Storytelling in Your Business: She Built This Episode with Kindra Hall
The Ever-Relevant Origin Story: Content with Character
Story Stash Workbook

Let's Connect!

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. My little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
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Text Emily!

Aggressive, manipulative, disingenuous marketing that prioritizes quick wins and profit over authentic connection and value is OUT. 

Cozy, human-centered, ethical, kind marketing is IN! 

In this episode, we break down the concept of "bro-marketing" as I help you steer clear of the obvious (and not so obvious) versions I see business owners tempted to try. 

Scarcity tactics, pain points, one-size-fits-all solutions and formulas, clickbait, disguises, inflation, and endless pestering... we'll get into it all!

In this episode: 

• What is "bro marketing"?
• What are some examples of bro marketing/sheisty marketing? 
• What to do instead of sleazy marketing tactics
• Invitation for your own marketing review
• And more! 

Resources Mentioned: 

1. Alice Karolina's episode on She Built This: How We Sell Matters
2. Andréa Jones Mindful Marketing Podcast
3. Sarah Heeter's Big Brave Business Podcast (Apple link) 

Let's Connect!

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
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Text Emily!

Especially when facing down the starting line of a New Year or similarly blank slates... it can feel overwhelming, daunting, even debilitating. You might have big ideas, goals, dreams, it might feel like you need to get back to doing everything and everything needs to be done NOW - right outta' the gate. 

The key for me to both recover, get things done I want to, AND stave off the ever-looming overwhelm is to microdosing. 

I'm not talking about magic mushrooms or something, I'm talking about microdosing our business and marketing efforts. 

Can YOU Microdose YOUR Marketing? That's the question we'll set out to answer in this week's episode and show you some examples of HOW! 

We'll get into: 

• What is microdosing and how can it apply to our business and marketing? 
• What are some examples of microdosing in your marketing? 
• What can happen when you microdose your actions in your business? 
• And MORE! 

Links Mentioned
TC Burr's YET Podcast (Apple Link)

Let's Connect!

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character. I'm a dog mom to Sir Clyde and wife to Jason (my favorite person in the whole world). Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
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Text Emily!

This past year, one of my main focuses was on podcast guesting. And focus I did. 

After 53 interviews and podcast guesting experiences, I lived to tell about it and I'm sharing some behind-the-scenes, do's, don'ts, and realities of visibility through podcast guesting. 

This episode will help you if you're looking for more podcast guesting opportunities, want to be a better host, or are a business owner who wants to become a better collaborator in any capacity. 

Inside the episode: 

• Why podcast guesting in the first place
• Improving your pitch by focusing on a human-to-human connection
• Filling content gaps with your unique approach to traditional topics 
• Conversational tips for personalizing your interview 
• How to gain confidence in your pitching and interviewing 
• The truth behind the time, energy, and possibility in being a podcast guest 
• And so much more! 

Resources & Links Mentioned
Join Me Over on PodMatch  (affiliate link*)
Spotify Playlist with my guesting episodes
Barb Davids' The Small Business Sweet Spot Podcast
Suzanne Culberg's Interview with PodMatch founder, Alex Sanfilippo

FREE Communities:
Feminist Podcast Collective
Podcast Guest Collaboration Community
Podcast #findaguest #beaguest Community
New England Podcasters

About Me and Let's Connect!
Book Your Content Strategy Session with Me!

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character. I'm a dog mom to Mr. Clyde and wife to Jason (aka my favorite person in the whole world). Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
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Text Me!
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Text Emily!

You probably don't need me to tell you that listening is key to relationships, business, and growth. 

Did you know it's ALSO important in your content and marketing?! 

Listening can help: 
1. Build connection and relationships 
2. Understand challenges, struggles, and needs 
3.  Assume less and make insight and information-based decisions 

In this episode, we'll get into the implications of not listening and the benefits of moving up the 5 levels of listening. I'll give you action steps along the way to improve your listening skills no matter which level you tend to camp out in. 

• The five levels of listening: ignoring, pretend listening, selective listening, attentive listening, and empathetic listening
• How each of the levels plays out in our content, marketing, and business
• A tip or action to improve your listening at each of the levels 
• Words to eliminate from your content and marketing 
• And more! 

Resources and Links Mentioned
Brené Brown's Unlocking Us podcast

About Me & Let's Connect
Text Me!
Leave a Voicemail

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
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Substack

Text Emily!

In this episode, I'll get into my top lessons learned in the content marketing world this past year and translate them into TIPS to inform your future marketing as we embark onward into a New Year. 

We talk about: 

• Why reciprocity is KEY in business, marketing, and collaborations
• The real truth about all those shiny ideas we come up with
• Top TIPS for amplifying your voice and content in the NY 
• Asking for what you want in life and business 
• And more! 

Resources & Links Mentioned: 
PodMatch - My FAVORITE Podcast Guest and Host Matchmaking Platform 

About Me & Let's Connect
Text Me!
Leave a Voicemail

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character. I'm a dog mom to Mr. Clyde and wife to Jason (aka my favorite person in the whole world). Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Substack
Book Your Content Strategy Session with Me!

Text Emily!

I know, I know... setting boundaries is hard. 

You have a soft spot in your heart, you just want to make people happy, make someone's day, deliver everything to everyone, do all the things. AND you can't pour from a cup that's drained. Boundaries help to preserve your capacity and keep you from overcommitting to too much or misaligned endeavors. 

In this episode, I give you practical steps to define the boundaries YOU need for life and business and how to stick to what you put into place. 

We get into:

• Why boundaries are important in the first place in life and business
•  5 Types of boundaries most commonly encountered in business
• 7 Steps to setting boundaries in the areas of: Time, finances, emotional energy, deliverables, and digital interaction 
• Ideas for creating scripts when saying "no" feels impossible 
• Additional resources and tools for sticking to the boundaries you establish

Resources & Links Mentioned:
Lisa Zawrotny's Positively Living Podcast
Suzanne Colberg's The Nope Coach Podcast
Hailey Page Magee, self-advocacy post on Instagram 

About Me & Let's Connect
Text Me!
Leave a Voicemail

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character. I'm a dog mom to Mr. Clyde and wife to Jason (aka my favorite person in the whole world). Our little family lives in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Substack
Book Your Content Strategy Session with Me!