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

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Sometimes, there aren't words. And sometimes, it's OK not to have any.

It's ok to do what you need: take your time, step away, unfollow, unsubscribe, unfriend, pause, and NOT share everything you're thinking and feeling.  

Today, I want to get into an issue I've faced in my own business as I navigate marketing myself on social media when life gets lifey. I don't have the answers, but I can help you find your own answers to: 

• What and when to share
• How vulnerable and personal to get
• Which conversations to engage in
• How to weather the storms on social media including hardship, grief, loss, family, relationships, politics, religion, toxicity, comparison, and so much more! 

Questions for You to Consider: 

1. How closely does this align with my brand's mission and core values?
2. Does my client and customer base care about this? Do I need to address it with them?
3. Am I prepared for potential backlash, and can I/my business handle the consequences?
4. Will sharing this serve or benefit my customers or clients in some way?
5. Am I sharing a unique/helpful perspective or adding to the noise? Why am I sharing this? 
6. Is this a one-time statement, or do I need to share about this consistently? 
7. How will I respond if people disagree or ask questions?
8. Will I regret staying silent on this?
9. Will I regret sharing this? 

Resources & Links Mentioned:
Alesia Galati's Listeners to Leads Podcast with Guest, Cayla Merrill
Dreamstorm 2025 Workshop with Rachel Krampe & Emily on Friday, December 13th

About Me, Let's Connect!
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I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Speaker, and 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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Do you feel like you just need a solid content marketing plan and you'll be good to go? Do you struggle to plan and knowing where to start?

"It'll all be great, you just need a plan," they say...

But how on earth are you actually supposed to make a content and marketing plan that you can execute and follow through on? Where do you start? What should you include? How specific and granular do you get? 

In this episode, I'm going to give you some ideas for planning content and marketing that you can apply for yourself. My hope is that it inspires you to plan for 2025 to be your best, most consistent, abundant year yet!

In this episode: 

• Reflecting on your year to move forward more intentionally 
• Conducting a marketing and commitments audit 
• Planning 3 months at a time for content marketing success
• Alternative ways to apply your plan 
• How to use AI to map out your marketing blueprint
• And more! 

Resources and Links Mentioned: 
👉🏻 Extended Show Notes: Reflection Q's and Prompts:

1. What are 3 things that at this time next year I’d like to be celebrating in my business?
2. What do you REALLY want to bring into the world this year!? What do you want to build? Become? Create? Spark in others?
3. Where do you want your business to take you in the coming year?
4. What’s gone well this year in your marketing and business as a whole?
5. What new things did you try?
6. What new ways did you collaborate and connect with others?
7. What are you celebrating from the past year? Or a goal you’ve achieved?
8. What types of clients did you work with, and how did you feel about them?
9. What’s something you need to let go of to move forward? 

Current Marketing Audit

List out ALL marketing platforms, all ongoing commitments for content, networking, client work, and any other obligations in your business. 

• How’s it going? Do you like it? Loathe it? Is it working? What might need to shift?
• If you’re unable to be consistent with how often you set out to do something, well, why? Are you doing too MANY things and need to cut some out? Do you love it all and you’re ready to rinse and repeat? 

AI Planning Prompts

Provided by Alesia Galati of Galati Media and the Listeners to Leads Podcast 

“Let’s work on planning the visibility strategy for [year] for my business.

My quarterly visibility goals are:

1. Goal one 

2. Goal two 

3. Goal three

What do you need to know about my business before we get planning?”

From there, it will ask questions about your business, clients, and perhaps your current strategy.

Ask it to provide you a thorough client avatar and choose from any of the following next steps to prompt it with: 

•  “Refine my target audience: Let’s delve deeper into my ideal client’s pain points, motivations, and online behavior to ensure my visibility efforts are reaching the right people.”
•  “Develop a content strategy: Create me a plan for consistently creating and repurposing high-quality content that attracts, engages, and converts my target audience.”
•  “Optimize my website and online presence: Help me ensure your website and social media profiles are optimized for lead generation and showcase my expertise.”  
•  “Create a promotional calendar: Map out my visibility activities for the year, including workshops, free resource releases, low-ticket offer promotions, and guest appearances.” <– Fill those in for your specific business goals. 

 Alesia Galati of Galati Media, Host of Listeners to Leads & Successful Podcasting Unlocked

About Me, Let's Connect!
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I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I live in the backwoods of New Hampshire where I spend time hiking, reading, and playing more Yahtzee than any human being should be allowed. 

Email: [email protected]
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This week, we're diving into questions I get asked often as a marketing consultant and copywriter + questions submitted by listeners like you!

In this episode, I answer:

•  How to confidently decide on and share a pivot in your business? 
• Questions to help you choose when to keep and when to let go of: services and products, clients, prices, collaborations, events, marketing platforms, and more! 
• How do you ACTUALLY build know, like, and trust? 
• Is LinkedIn dead? 
• Is blogging still a thing? 
• Is Facebook cool? 
• Reels vs. Stories - which should I focus on? 

Resources and Links Mentioned: 

Big thanks to listener, Julie Hartman, for some of today's questions
She Built This podcast episode on Leveraging Linkedin with Marietta Gentles Crawford
👉🏻 Extended Show Notes with Reflection Questions

About Me & Let's Connect!
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I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I live with my husband Jason in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time reading, hiking, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
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Spoiler alert: I recently got my first tattoo!

Not only am I very happy with my new ink, the experience also gave me a ton of insight into the overwhelm many of our clients and customers experience when trying to determine who to choose and work with! 

Today, I bring you a personal story that taught me valuable lessons about business, standing out, sharing your values, decision-making, and more! 

• Our clients feel overwhelmed by choices 
• How to consider their decision-making process in what you share 
• Building trust through responsiveness, clarity, and connection
• Even if we check all the boxes, they might still say no!
• You never know who's watching and waiting on every word 
• Setting clear expectations for communication
• How to stand out amidst a noisy marketplace by being YOU 
• And more! 

Resources Mentioned:
Link to my Substack (sheer fun, you won't find business chat here!!)
Recent Episode: Four Buyer Mindsets to Consider in Your Business

The tattoo artist: Rebeka Chase at Brass & Briar in Portland, ME

About Me:
Connect with ME!
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I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I'm an auntie, sister, daughter, 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 more Yahtzee than any human being should be allowed. 

Email: [email protected]
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Many entrepreneurs and small business owners I talk to DREAD creating content. 

I hear all the reasons: 

• You get stuck thinking of ideas 
• You overthinking everything
• You feel overwhelmed by it
• You think you need to plan everything perfectly
• You think everything needs to be perfect, impactful, helpful, valuable, business-related
• You don't enjoy writing, recording podcasts, sending emails, posting to social media, [fill in the blank here with whatever YOU loathe] 
• And more! 

In November (National Podcast Host Month!), we're keeping things light, bright, and FUN here on the Content with Character podcast. Today, we're kicking off the fun with 6 ideas to make content creation less stressful, more enjoyable, and far more FUN (yes, it's possible!) 

Join me in this episode for six ideas on making your marketing less dreadful and how it gets a lot more fun when you: 

1. Dance to the beat of your own drum 
2. Stop batching (or start batching!) 
3. Follow your curiosity and excitement 
4. Use stories from your everyday life and business 
5. Find a friend or loyal sidekick 
6. Use prompts 

👉🏻 PLUS, a FREEBIE bonus download with my 20+ Content Writing Prompts to get you started on having more fun right away!

Resources Mentioned

💃🏻 Emily's FREE, no-strings-attached Content Writing Prompts Download

Bring New Life to Your Content episode of The Entrepreneur's Cafe with Erica Ross-Krieger

Four Stories to Share in Your Content (Content with Character Episode from April 2024) 

Connect with Me!
Need help to bring YOUR stories and Content some fresh life?!? Book a Content Strategy Session with Me HERE!

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
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LinkedIn
Substack (for fun only!)
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Who Am I?
I'm a Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host of Content with Character. When it comes to marketing and content creation, I practice what I teach! Over the past decade, I've run brick-and-mortar and online businesses and implemented for myself to grow my businesses. I've worked with 100+ industries as a copywriter, helping 1,000's of individuals write original copy they feel confident sharing. I live in NH with my husband, Jason, and our dog, Clyde. 

Text Emily!

Love it, loathe it, feel meh about it… networking is STILL a huge key to growing a successful business.

We can't just set it and forget it when it comes to our marketing and content, we also need to be fostering community and cultivating relationships.

Ahem, meeting people.

If that sounds unfun to you, I'm hoping THIS episode makes it a little funner. With four fresh ideas for building your network, no matter where you fall on the introvert-extrovert spectrum.

Ready to get inspired and equipped for making new friends?

Inside the episode: 

• Why relationships and making connections matter (now more than ever!) 
• Why I like to think outta' the box when it comes to "networking" 
• How to use collaborations as a networking tool  
• Why I LOVE podcast guesting (pro tip: I'm loving my experience with PodMatch!) 
• Using social media creatively to connect with others
• Who makes a good fit for "micro networking" and how to apply it to your business
• It's ok to connect repeatedly with the same people! Consistency can build deeper relationships. 
• And more! 

Resources Mentioned:
👉🏻 EXTENDED SHOW NOTES
Andréa Jones Mindful Marketing episode on The Dark Social
Melissa Snow's Powerful Women Rising episode on How to Let Other People Network Like Humans Too

Connect with ME!
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Hi! I'm Emily Aborn, wife, auntie, sister, Copywriter, Speaker, and host of this very podcast you're listening to When I'm not helping small business owners build community and relationship-based businesses, you can usually find me:

🥾 Adventuring in the woods with my husband Jason or friends
🙋🏻‍♀️ Competing against the Jeopardy contestants (from the couch, of course!),
🛌 Or trying to sleep past 6am.

I'm glad you're here and can't WAIT to learn all about YOU! 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Substack (sheerly for FUN!)

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The Four Gates of Speech is a framework/philosophy for communication attributed to Rumi. A concept coming from the Sufi mystic tradition, it's a filtering system for your words to ensure: wise, intentional, and kind communication. 

In this episode, I apply this concept to content creation and what you're sharing in your marketing. 

Communication is KEY in this episode, as we dive into: 

• The Four Gates of Speech: True, Necessary, Kind, the Right Timing
• Why ensuring what you're sharing is true is more important than ever 
• Asking why before you post
• How to be kinder in your marketing 
• Ideas for determining when to hold em' and when to fold em' 
• And more! 

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” Hans Hofmann

Connect with ME!
Text Me!
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Hi! I'm Emily Aborn, wife, auntie, Copywriter, Speaker, and host of this very podcast you're listening to. When I'm not helping small business owners build community and relationship-based businesses, you can usually find me:

🥾 Adventuring in the woods with my husband Jason or friends
🙋🏻‍♀️ Competing against the Jeopardy contestants (from the couch, of course!),
🛌 Or trying to sleep past 6am.

I'm glad you're here and can't WAIT to learn all about YOU! 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Substack (for FUN!) 

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We all face two both outer and inner expectations in life. 

Outer expectations are things like replying to that text your friend sent you, a client deadline, bringing the dish you promised your sister you would for Thanksgiving dinner...

Inner expectations are your rules, promises, or notes to self: ie. resolutions, goals, habits, etc.

How you approach and manage these expectations impacts your productivity, consistency, follow-through, and achieving your goals and dreams. 

AND your marketing actions! 

In this episode, we get into Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies Framework and show you the strengths and weaknesses of being: 

• The Upholder
• The Obliger
• The Questioner
• The Rebel 

We'll discuss how to determine which of the four tendencies is yours and some strategies and ideas for improving your outcomes!

Resources Mentioned:
Lisa Zawrotny (Productivity Coach who helps people using this framework!)  
Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies quiz 👩🏻‍💻
Gretchen Rubin's The Four Tendencies book 📚
My article on Substack about Marie Kondo-ing my tracking

About Me & Let's Connect! 👋🏼
I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Speaker, and host of Content with Character. Our little family (me, my husband Jason, and our dog Clyde) thrive in the backwoods of New Hampshire where we spend time hiking, reading, competing with Jeopardy contestants, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK).

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Email: [email protected]
Website
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Book Your Content Strategy Session with Me!

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Most businesses are generating at least SOME form of content. Which, drumroll please... means that most business owners are also Content Creators. 

In this episode, I share four varieties of content creators, the four genius zones of business owners. My goal is to help you see and celebrate your main strengths and then expand your comfort zone ever so slightly as you add in new skills (and players) to grow even more.

What you'll learn: 

• 4 types of content creators: Pioneer, Producer, Professor, and Planner 
• Key strengths and weaknesses to help you identify which zone of genius is yours 
• Some ideas and strategies for speaking to each type and providing offerings that can help them overcome their challenges
• How to start taking steps to expand your comfort zone 
• And more! 

Resources & Links Mentioned
Terri Trespicio's article, "How to Grow and Expand without Leaving Your Comfort Zone"

Brain Bump App

A Web Designer, a Copywriter, and an SEO Strategist Walk into a Bar [LIVE] -hosted by Barb Davids of the Small Business Sweet Spot Podcast and Compass Digital Strategies: 

YouTube LIVE Premiering Thursday 10.10.24 at 10:30am (ET)
LinkedIn LIVE Premiering Thursday 10.10.24 at 10:30am (ET)

About Yours Truly:
Hi! I'm Emily Aborn, Content Copywriter, and Host of the Content with Character podcast! I help small businesses bring their message to life through copy and marketing content. I've worked with 100+ industries and 1,000's of individuals and can't WAIT to connect with you.

Fun facts: I can do a week's grocery shopping in 15 minutes flat. I live in rural NH with my husband, Jason, and our dog, Clyde. I like nerdy word games, reading, listening to podcasts, and hiking.

Email: [email protected]
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Things I'm loving right now (affiliate links):
PodMatch - podcast guesting and hosting matchmaker!
Honeybook - client management portal where everything is cohesive and streamlined

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"Nothing works for everyone, and nothing works all the time. This is why traditional marketing does not work for most people because they assume the rules are the same." - Scott Oldford 

I've shared before about various stages your clients and community might be in terms of awareness of what you offer (Symptom, Problem, Solution Aware). In this episode, we're going a level deeper and looking at why it doesn't work to use a one-size-fits-all for your unique people AND across your marketing. 

We're diving into Scott Oldford's 4 Hidden Levels of Consciousness and discussing how to blend marketing that speaks to Reactive, Willful, Intellectual, and Intuitive buyers. 

In the episode: 

• Introduction to the 4 Hidden Levels of Consciousness
• The marketing that appeals to Reactive buyers
• How to ensure you're speaking to Willful buyers and have offers to move them up the levels 
• How to better connect with the Intellectual and Intuitive buyer types 
• Friendly reminder: some people won't like ANYTHING you do! Some people will love ALL of it! Find your people and be YOU. 
• And more! 

Resources Mentioned:
Pain, Problem, Solution: What are they feeling? Episode
Scott Oldford's Article "The 4 Hidden Levels of Consciousness for Marketing Your Online Business"

Connect with ME!
Text Me!
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I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host. Obsessions include: dogs, cats, books, family, journals, pens, socks, and my Jason (aka my favorite person in the whole world). We live in the backwoods of New Hampshire, where we spend time hiking,  reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
Website
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