Start Marketing

I didn't understand the mechanics of how to deliver a lead magnet when I wanted to start my email list. So today, I break down how to get started and what kinds of lead magnets you can consider. Key takeaways:

1. Develop your strategy
2. Design your lead magnet
3. Deliver your lead magnet

Of course, my favorite email provider is Flodesk. Use my link to sign up and receive a discount on this amazing platform. This is an affiliate link, but I only recommend products I really believe in.

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Email marketing can generate high ROI for your business - $42 for every $1 spent! That's huge!

But how do you do email marketing well?

1. Get the opt-in - don't find yourself blacklisted or violating CAN-SPAM laws
2. Use a good email marketing system like Flodesk
3. Create a welcome email
4. Follow the 80/20 rule
5. Create a calendar to stay ahead of the game

Email marketing will help you with visibility among your target audience.

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Today we talk about one of my favorite free marketing strategies: borrowing audiences and creating partnerships.

This is a great, inexpensive way to boost your visibility to your target audience, but does take time to build.

Here's what you want to do:

• first, you want to cultivate a relationship: help share their content, volunteer to fill in gaps that they advertise for, be active in their audiences
• Once you've cultivated a relationship, and this will take time, look for gaps that you can help fill for them
• Propose a partnership that allows you both to win - you don't want to be selfish and use it simply as an opportunity to advertise to their customers, but rather as a way to boost their credibility and get a nod from them

Ways that you can do this:

• look for other local partners that aren't in direct competition with you, but are parellel to your products/service
• identify areas of overlap and gaps for each other that you can fill 
• brainstorm ways that you can cross promote each other and help lift each other up: emails, co-hosting events, sponsoring events, giveaways with each other's products

Use The Wealth of Connection to give you a roadmap about how to build genuine relationships and partnerships.

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

To grow a business, you need income or influence. You'll either pay to reach your target audience through advertising or you need influence; a network that allows you to reach them organically.

What is a recommended marketing budget?

For B2B: 2-5% of gross revenue

For B2C: 5-10% of gross revenue

How to build your budget:

1. research your industry
2. set clear goals
3. know what you should spend on each marketing strategy

Action step to take today: do the math and figure out how much you should be spending on marketing each year.

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

Today we're talking about consistency and using a marketing plan to keep you consistent. Marketing requires 7-10 touches with your target audience before they take action. If you're not consistent or not frequent enough, you're starting that cycle over every time you reach your target audience.

Key takeaways:

• block time to create consistency
• create a mini marketing plan to be effective during that time
• align your goals and your marketing to make them successful

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

This week's quick win is identifying your target audience. Marketing is about getting the right people at the right time in the right place with the right message for your products or services. Knowing your target audience will help you do all of those things and make you more effective and efficient in marketing your small business.

You can identify your target audience by:

• conducting interviews with potential target audience members
• looking at existing sales information
• competitor research
• market analysis/trends
• listing what your target audience ISN'T

What you're looking for:

• trends and similarities between buyers
• Geographic: location, region, climate, etc
• Demographic: age, gender, occupation, education
• Pyschographics: lifestyle, opinions, values
• Behavior: occasions for use, benefits seeking

Your target audience will give you clarity and focus. It will also help your marketing convert leads better.

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

If you believe in the power of story brand as much as I do, you'll be excited for this practical action-oriented episode about how to implement the story brand framework.

Key Takeaways:

• Use the story brand frame work on your website, social media, emails, and all marketing materials
• Start with your homepage to implement
• Use your story brand script to brainstorm and plan your content
• Begin with the transformation your character will have with you
• Address the gut, brain and heart when crafting your messages for a powerful impact
• This framework works for all businesses
• Even if you think there isn't a deeper human need for your product or service, this framework will help you identify those needs

Raj Lulla is a husband, dad and author. He's also a certified story brand guide at Fruitful Design Co.

Connect with Raj

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

I am so hyped for this episode! The story brand framework can revolutionize your business. It's so powerful it can help you:

• Reposition yourself in the market
• Increase your ROI
• Clarify your target audience

This framework is authentic and easy to follow.

Key Takeaways:

• You must know your target audience well
• Storybrand attracts the right clients and repels the wrong ones
• Storybrand can make you more efficient at marketing your business

Raj Lulla is a husband, dad and author. He's a storybrand certified guide at Fruitful Design Co.

Connect with Raj

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io

This week, I'm burned out on content creation. I'm wondering where it fits in to my business and if it's even worth it. I'm so burned out, I didn't even realize my mic wasn't plugged in for my recording. And, I couldn't even bring myself to re-do the episode.

The question I want to ask is: Is it fair for marketing experts and coaches to tell you to "just create content"? I don't think it is. It's well intentioned advice because content really is king. But content creation is a full time job. Is it sustainable for small business owners and solopreneurs?

You tell me. Shoot me an email: [email protected]

How do you grow your business to six figures? Nicka Johnson, owner of Budget to Success shares her marketing strategies and tactics. Spoiler alert, she could basically host this podcast! She's embodied all the strategic lessons we've talked about and used her tenacious spirit and drive to succeed to implement them and grow her business to six figures during the pandemic.

Key Takeaways:

• Exhaust free advertising before you move to paid advertising
• Make sure your paid advertising fits within your budget
• Be consistent with your presence
• Be authentic in your content
• Align your marketing strategies to your business goals and measure them to make sure they're contributing positive ROI

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende, Music.io