It’s not about creating more content or adding more tasks to your ever-growing to-do list. It’s about doing the things that will move the needle most for you. Yes, having a platform where you can demonstrate your thought leadership (like a podcast, blog, or YouTube channel) is important, there are other things that also need to happen.
This week on the podcast, I’m sharing four things that you should do in your marketing this year. These things worked last year and they’ll work next year too. Because they’re not about fad tactics that will go the way of Clubhouse. They’re about real strategies that need to be part of your business year after year.
Mentioned in This Episode Podcast
Transcript:
Welcome to episode 230 of The Content Experiment Podcast, a podcast for service-driven business owners who know that content is important but there’s so much more to marketing and business growth.
Here we talk about showing up for your audience that they want to hear, in a way that’s sustainable for you. This might mean publishing a weekly podcast or blog, but it also means paying attention to your email list, leveraging other people’s audiences, building relationships, and getting over the limiting mindsets that often hit when we’re reaching for the next level in our business.
I’m Abby Herman, fractional marketing officer, content strategist and podcast manager for business owners who want to make their marketing feel easier and more streamlined so they can get back to serving their clients and making those sales. I’ll show you how OR do it for you, while you do business in a way that works for you–I can help by supporting you through building and implementing a content and marketing strategy, taking care of the podcast management for you, or giving you the tools and resources to take this on yourself.
We’re well into the second quarter of 2023, and yet I’m talking about what you need to do in marketing this year. Am I late to the party? Nope. This whole online space changes all the time. What’s working changes and your own business changes.
That’s why this podcast, and my business, are called The Content Experiment. Because you have to experiment with things to see what works for you. And I probably don’t have to tell you that what’s working for you right now might not work for you six months from now. So you might have to change things up again.
That said, I’m sharing four things you need to do in your marketing this year. And these things worked six months ago, six years ago, and they’ll also work six years from now. Just the way you go about utilizing these ideas might change a bit.
The first thing to do in your marketing this year is: embrace new technology.
I’ll admit that when I hear about artificial intelligence writing content for business owners, my initial reaction was a feeling of doom. If computers are going to write content, what do clients need me for?
Though to be fair, the first iterations of AI were pretty terrible. So it wasn’t until just recently that I worried.
As someone with an expertise in content creation, I needed to get on the bandwagon and start figuring out what the differentiator was between me and AI. And I also needed to embrace the technology to find out how I could leverage it in my business and my work with clients.
I’m still testing things out and I plan to share more in another solo episode soon but I’m going through some training and learning as much as I can.
I know you’ve heard the story of Blockbuster and Netflix. Blockbuster was a physical store that you had to drive to to rent your Friday night movie. It didn’t embrace new technology, streaming, and eventually became obsolete. And now the old Blockbuster building where I lived is now an urgent care. After a quick Google search, it looks like there might be one last store in Bend, Oregon and it’s now a tourist attraction. This was as of December 2022 and according to Wikipedia so that for what it’s worth.
I remember in the 1980s, I used to help my parents in their respective businesses–accounting system sales for my dad and arts and crafts for my mom–labeling and stamping mailings for them. This was old school email marketing, but it was snail mail marketing. As technology changed, businesses needed to change with the times and build email lists and online presences. Any business who hasn’t done that by 2023 is probably no longer a business.
Even mom and pop stores and boutique businesses have had to embrace technology.
So even if you think AI isn’t for you or you’re not interested in learning how to use it, find someone who can help you. Because AI is here to stay, no matter how much we think it’s the end of personal content and connection as we know it. (And as for myself, I can see that it’s a powerful tool but it does require some expertise to use it for your business. More to come on how I can help you with that!
The second thing to do in your marketing this year is to get in front of new audiences
Podcast listenership dipped a bit during COVID because people weren’t listening as they commuted to work anymore. But many businesses turned to podcasts as a way to get their message out because they could no longer stand in front of audiences in person.
According to Nielsen, podcast listenership has grown by 40% during COVID and more than half of consumers say they started listening to podcasts during that time. So this is a huge opportunity for business owners.
If you’re not already showing up as a guest on other people’s podcasts, what’s stopping you? And if you’re not pitching yourself to be a guest on summits or in other people’s private groups, now’s the time.
Where you decide to show up in front of other people’s audiences depends on your marketing goals, but if you’re a podcaster, other podcasts should be a no-brainer. With more than 2 million podcasts, it’s really hard (like really, really hard) to grow your own if you’re only publishing your episodes and that’s it. Being a guest allows listeners to make a really easy transition from the episode you’re guesting on to your own podcast.
Of course, when you’re a guest, it’s also really important to have a way to capture their email addresses. Have a opt-in that you offer listeners so you can connect with them!
And that leads me to the third thing you should do in your marketing this year: Connect. And there are multiple ways to connect.
First, what I was just talking about, using an opt-in to connect with people who just found you. Make sure you’re connecting with them through a welcome sequence. Don’t leave them hanging.
But even more important is to connect with people and have true conversations with them. You can do this in networking groups, at conferences, through virtual coffee chats, and a lot more. A few months ago I offered up coffee chats to my email subscribers and I had so much fun meeting and connecting with some new people. (If you’re on my email list, I’m offering that again so be sure to check your email the day this comes out. I have to limit the number of people who can sign up though, so grab your spot soon!)
Just this year, I’ve brought on several new clients simply because of my personal business network. I’ve received referrals from business friends and past clients I’ve stayed in touch with, and I also have a new client through a networking group I’m part of (and actually showed up in).
Human connection is so important, maybe more so than ever before thanks to technology and all our time in front of screens.
And, finally, once you’ve embraced technology, gotten in front of new audience members, and connected with people, it’s time to do the fourth thing for your marketing: maximize your customer experience.
It’s so much easier keep your current clients than it is to seek out new ones. And yes, your marketing includes your customer experience.
Lean into automation to keep projects on track, insert some personality and connection into your client relationships, set your new clients up for success by making sure they know what to expect and have access to all the tools and resources they need.
Client relationships don’t have to revolve around gifts and bonuses. Instead, make things simple and streamlined for them! A good practice to have this year and any year.
Marketing doesn’t have to be super complicated and stressful. It truly is about taking what works for you and your clients and leaving the rest. But embracing technology, finding new audiences, connecting with people, and building out a great customer experience are all important no matter what.
I can help. Let’s talk. Book a free chat with me at thecontentexperiment.com/chat and let’s find out what works for YOU.
If you found value in what you learned here today, would you head over to your podcast app and leave the podcast a rating and review? This helps to get the podcast into the hands of more business owners, just like you, who need to hear the message that they are not alone.
