Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

I have no clients. Seriously. Not even one!

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marketing tip, earn attention, earn trust, earn clients, earn customers

It’a true. I don’t have any clients.

I also don’t have any customers, newsletter subscribers or readers. Oh, and I don’t have anyone connected to me on social media either.

I don’t have them. They’re not mine. Instead, I borrow them.

Brace yourself…

The same is true for YOU

Once we’ve earned the attention and trust of a new client, a new customer, a new subscriber or a new social media contact, it’s just the beginning. We must then work to keep on re-earning over and over again. The moment we begin to think otherwise, we risk becoming complacent. 

Then we find out the hard way: complacency causes casualties.

For decades, sales trainers talked about the importance of closing the sale. Some still focus on it today, though only in high-pressure sales environments. Closing the sale was all about using psychological tricks to motivate someone to make a purchase.

Once this was achieved, the deal was closed.

Today, we know better.

Today, we know better. The most successful business owners don’t focus on closing the sale. Instead, they focus on opening the relationship. This is the mindset that says when a sale has been made, a new client acquired or a new subscriber gained, it’s only the start. It’s the mindset that compels us to continuously seek better ways to delight them. It’s the mindset that inspires us to raise the bar on what we deliver. 

Let your competitors become complacent. Let your competitors assume that the people doing business with them, are their clients or customers.

But not you, my friend.

Instead, remain focused on opening relationships, being useful and constantly delivering better value.

Why email marketing doesn’t work in 2025

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why doesn't email marketing work, email marketing doesn't work, newsletter, email campaign 2025

A reader shared an interesting observation with me. She told me she had “found out the hard way that email marketing doesn’t work in 2025″.

She asked me for my thoughts on why email is so ineffective. I said I’d share them here, as I’m sure some of you will find it useful.

Email marketing works

Email marketing works. In fact, email marketing works extremely well. Better than ever.

Just ask any business owner who’s using it correctly. Whether it’s used for newsletters or promotions, the return on investment is off the charts.

Email marketing also works more predictably than just about any other form of marketing. And the tiny financial investment required for email marketing makes it the most cost effective form of marketing out there.

Email marketing doesn’t work when…

What doesn’t work is ineffective email marketing. Just ask anyone who’s doing it incorrectly.

Here’s the thing: ineffective email marketing can’t work.

why doesn't email marketing work, email marketing doesn't work, newsletter, email campaign

Here are just a few, very common examples of how small business owners get email marketing wrong.

  • A poorly written email won’t work. It will fail to motivate the reader to take action; to call you, email you, visit your website, make a purchase from you, whatever.
  • A professionally written email, sent to the wrong people, won’t work. It will fail to reach those with a want or need for your services.
  • A well written email, sent to the right people, with a dull subject line, won’t work. That’s because no one will open it. The subject line has to be compelling or no matter what your message is, it will literally be ignored.
  • A well written email, sent to the right people, with a compelling subject line, offering a generic product or service, won’t work. No one wants to switch to a service that’s no better then their current service.
  • A well written email, sent to the right people, with a compelling subject line, but sent on the wrong day of the week, won’t work. At least, it won’t be anything like as effective as it would be, if you research the best time of day and best day of the week, to send it.
  • Oh, and if you send your emails frequently, or not frequently enough… that’s right, your email marketing won’t work.

You get the idea.

In short, before you reject any form of marketing as ineffective, make sure you’re using it correctly.

So, instead of telling yourself that email marketing doesn’t work, ask yourself why YOUR email marketing doesn’t work. Otherwise, you’ll needlessly miss out on one of the most powerful forms of marketing on the planet!

Image: Shutterstock.

Why your subscribers aren’t hiring you (and how to fix it).

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monetize subscribers, subscribers into customers, marketing

Hannah has almost 2000 newsletter subscribers. Her open rates are always over 80%.

And yet in 5 years, she’s attracted just 4 paying clients directly from her newsletter readership.

She asked me what she was doing wrong. I suggested, with her permission, that as this is a really common problem, I’d share my answer with you.

Marketing data can mislead you

We’re now able to test and measure our digital marketing with great precision. And it’s causing hard working small business owners to make very expensive marketing mistakes.

For example. Service providers like Hannah, often look at the data for their newsletter’s open rates, clicks or shares, then write certain styles of headline or content, based on what’s popular.

That seems to make sense.

Until we look at the massive difference, between what’s popular with readers… and what generates bankable income for our business.

The key point here is that readers are mostly just that. They’re readers. They read our free stuff. And that’s it. This is especially the case when you provide free business information. The vast majority of people who subscribe have no intention of spending a dime with us. They’re looking for free information. Period.

Oh yeah. It really messes with your marketing data

That’s because the free stuff crowd are also the people most likely to open newsletters and click links.

They especially love sensational headlines. They’re attracted to them because they dabble rather than hire expert help, so their businesses are constantly struggling. Over-hyped headlines give them hope that they’re one ‘killer free idea’ away from solving their latest problem.

It’s not a coincidence that none of the 4 readers who hired Hannah directly from her newsletter, had high open rates or click rates. They almost hired her in spite of being on her list. This is because our ‘prospective client readers’ behave very, very differently from the ‘free stuff readers’.

The same approach that gets opens and clicks from freebie readers, leaves our prospective clients rolling their eyes.

Allow me to explain.

Yes, our prospective clients are certainly looking for great, useful information. And that’s a fact.

The BIG difference, is that they are also looking to provide their businesses with the resources and expertise it needs. This means when they consume our newsletters, podcasts, YouTube videos, whatever, they do so with a prospective need for our services and are building a picture of us.

And unlike the freebie crowd, they’re looking for clues.

For example.

  • They’re looking to see how reliable we are over a period of time. They want to know if we regularly show up with ideas or go missing unexpectedly for long periods.
  • They’re also looking for clues as to whether we’d work well together or not.
  • They want to see if our communication style is consistently clear and easy to understand.
  • And they want to see the depth and breadth of our knowledge over a period of time.

Plus a ton of other things they pick up on, which guides their decision to hire us.

In a nutshell: Don’t chase the subscriber data that has little, if any, real-world commercial value. Focus instead on creating for your prospects.

Boost your sales in seconds

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buying decision, seconds to decide, prospecting, marketing tips

Many important decisions your prospective customer or client make, are well on their way to being made within seconds.

Think about it.

  • Open an email and in seconds, you’ll decide if it’s important or an instant delete.
  • Read the title of an article or newsletter and in seconds, you’ll decide to read it or scroll past it.
  • Read the marketing messages of any company and in seconds, you’ll have a good idea if their product or service is suitable for you.
  • Enter any store and in seconds, you’ll get a feel for whether the place is likely to be expensive, inexpensive, thriving, quiet, independent, national chain, aimed at a certain age-range and so on.
  • Talk with a service provider and in seconds, you’ll start deciding if they’re professional or not.
  • Return a faulty product to a store, and in seconds you’ll know how helpful or accommodating they’re likely to be.

In the same way that you and I start to form our opinions within seconds, so do our prospects. That’s why we need to create a strong first impression.

Here’s a useful way to get started

Take some time to consider what you want your prospects to feel about your business, in order for them to buy from you or hire you. Universally, you will need prospects to feel they can trust you. Other feelings will vary depending on things like your industry, the type of prospects you seek to serve and the way you’ve positioned your business. For some of you that will be exciting, creative, cutting edge and dynamic. For others that will be safe, consistent, secure and established.

Then think of all the places where your prospects are likely to encounter you or your business. The places where initial opinions are formed in seconds. For example; on your website, at your premises, on your social media accounts, at a networking group, through an advertisement, on a webinar, at a conference or event, etc.

Make a list. Write it down.

At this point you know how you want your prospects to feel, and the places where they’re likely to encounter you.

It’s now time to check out how consistent your business/brand is with those feelings, in those places. Anything that’s inconsistent needs to be removed, or replaced with a consistent alternative. As you go through this process in each of the relevant places, you’ll make it easier and easier for prospects to choose your business. 

And remember, your prospects will form their initial impressions of you and your business, regardless. So, take control.

Help them to feel that you’re exactly what they’re looking for. The best fit. And the obvious choice.

Stop offering solutions

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copywriting, marketing tip,

The word ‘solutions‘ is one of the most damaging in marketing. Here’s why. Plus, how to stop it from losing you a fortune in lost sales.  

I need to stat with a quick question: What is the main reason someone should buy from you or hire you?

That’s a question, which many small businesses struggle to answer correctly. And it means they’re unable to provide their prospective customers or clients with a clear, compelling reason to buy from them, rather than a competitor. 

This is where the problem with solutions comes in.

The thing about solutions

The lack of a clear, compelling reason is why we see the word solutions used in small business marketing all the time, to describe what their business does.

Note – I’m only talking about when business owners use solutionsinstead of being specific. For example, when their marketing offers prospective customers.

  • HR solutions.
  • Email marketing solutions.
  • Cost effective solutions.
  • Training solutions.
  • Or “a range of solutions”, etc.

By using solutions, they’re telling us nothing. Their message is weak. There’s no reason for us to contact them. So, their marketing is largely ignored. And it loses them a fortune.

I don’t want that to happen to you, my friend. So, here’s a far more effective approach.

The alternative is to get specific

Determine the core value you bring to a prospective client. Then, communicate it with impact.

For example, instead of saying you, “offer a range of email marketing solutions”, get specific. Tell them, “We can help you increase sales and boost your profits, with professional, proven email marketing.”

Back in the 1980’s, business owners were advised to develop an elevator pitch. The idea was to create a compelling 5 or 10 second business introduction. Commerce today, online and offline, is like a series of elevator pitch-type interactions. Your prospective customers are busy. Really busy. They’re being bombarded with emails, calls, social network updates, text messages… it’s relentless.

They don’t have time for long or vague marketing messages. They want answers. Fast! That’s why a specific, brief and well-crafted message has never been more important or more effective.

So, get specific.

Look for the core reason why a prospective customer should hire you, rather than hire a competitor. Look for the tangible, measurable value your service offers. Then, communicate it in a compelling way.

Achieve high impact sales, with minim effort or budget

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Marketing, business advice, get moving

Small business owners have limited resources to dedicate to marketing. This should not be a barrier to success. Far from it. Here are some high impact marketing ideas that require very little time, and little or no marketing money.

Allow me to explain.

When you find yourself with limited resources, the key is to focus on doing less, but doing better. However, lots of small business owners find they spend a lot of time and/or money on marketing, for relatively little reward.

The most common example is social media marketing. Yes, it can work. But I can’t think of a less effective, yet more demanding and stressful option. There are small business owners who regularly spend their valuable time, feeding content black holes like Instagram, LinkedIn, TikToc, etc. Other’s pay ‘social media managers’ to do it for them. There are much better, easier, faster, free-of charge ways to achieve vastly higher sales results.

Here’s a high impact example of what I mean.

It’s an idea that came to me while enjoying a coffee. And it took the coffee shop owner just 20-minutes to deploy. Today, over a year later, it still gets regular customers from various social media networks, without the coffee shop owner having to invest time on any social network. Read how I did this, here.

Here’s another example.

Attract customers on YouTube… without a YouTube channel

You can achieve high impact results from YouTube, without even having a YouTube channel. And not just results, but results that will put you, your business, products or services in front of thousands of targeted viewers.

No advertising required.

No money required.

Just a high impact marketing idea.

You’re an expert in your area of business. YouTubers who interview, or chat with experts in your business niche, struggle to find enough high-quality people to speak with. This is especially the case with YouTubers who have well-established channels.

Here’s how to start. Email the show’s host with an introduction or call them. When one of them invites you on their channel, you will be swapping your stories or expertize for exposure. So, for their part, the host will let their viewers know who you are and how to contact you. Once you’ve appeared on a number of channels, invites from other show hosts will start coming to you. Remember, YouTubers have the trust of their viewers. Their positive words about you and your services or products, can have off-the-charts sales results… short, medium and long-term.

In short, there are a lot of ways to massively increase your sales or attract new clients, without spending your valuable time or money. You do not need to buy ads, pay social media managers or dance the social media dance.

So please, aim for high impact instead, my friend.

Want to regularly create great content marketing? Use these 3 tips

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If you’ve ever wondered how to regularly produce content marketing that converts prospects into clients or customers, this information is for you.

I’ve divided it into 3 core tips.

1. Is this useful?

There’s a sign on the wall in my studio. It’s a small sign, containing just 3 words: “Is this useful?”. That’s the mark I set for everything I create. Nothing gets published unless I believe you’ll find it useful. I don’t try and look clever. I don’t try and be edgy. I don’t try to shock people. I just try to be useful to you. And as long as I think you’ll find an idea or observation useful, I share it.

Many business owners are put off creating content, because they try to make it as close to perfect as possible. The thing is, your prospective clients or customers want something useful, not perfect.

Once you stop aiming for perfection you’ll find it a lot easier. You’ll also get massively better results.

2. Don’t let duff content ideas block you

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find that most of the content ideas you get are pretty average. Most of mine are terrible! But maybe 1 in 5 or 1 in 10 are good enough to be turned into a useful piece of content marketing.

The challenge is that in order to get that 1 useful idea, you need to give yourself permission to have the duff ones.

The way I overcame this, was to deliberately allow myself to think of lots of duff ideas, knowing that something useful would come from it.

So, regard your duff ideas as essential steps on the way to creating the content you need. This switches them from being disheartening, to highly motivating.

3. Your work is way better than you think

We often overestimate the ideas and the work of others and underestimate the value of our own. Here’s a great example of what I mean.

A business owner told me how she was taking some files off a computer for archiving, when she discovered an old documents folder. It contained loads of articles that were really interesting. She looked to see who wrote them and found they were all her own work, from 9 years earlier!

She didn’t publish them at the time, because she thought they weren’t good enough. It was only when she thought they were written by someone else, that she saw them for what they really were. Your work is almost certainly way, way better than you think.

So get it out there!

In short, if you’re looking to improve the quality and quantity of your content marketing, focus on being useful. See your duff ideas as necessary steps to your useful ideas. And give your content the respect it (and you) deserve.

Lists dominate content marketing. Here’s why you should use them

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lists, content marketing, power of lists

Ever wondered why so many articles, videos and newsletters are based around the idea of a numbered list? It’s because lists are extremely popular. People love them. Today, I’m going to explain why, and how, you should incorporate lists in your content marketing.

Why then are lists so popular?

Lists promise ideas. Lots of ideas. And fast!

Lists promises a number of bite-sized ideas or suggestions. And quickly. So when we see “21 Business habits of highly successful people“, we’re not expecting an in-depth examination of 21 habitual characteristics of people who have achieved business success.

No.

We’re expecting lots of ideas. And we hope that at least one of those ideas will help us in some way. If it does, it will repay the 3 or 4 minutes we invested in reading it. That’s a good return for just a few minutes of our time.

Now, I have a question for you. Does your content marketing mix contain list-based content?

If not, I suggest you give it a try. Lists are perfect for sharing, which makes them ideal if you want to expand your reach on social networks. New readers who discover your work through list content, will then get the chance to see your more detailed work. Others will follow you on the social networks, where they see your lists shared. Many of my most shared blog posts are lists.

Lists can also be very powerful, when it comes to increasing your email marketing open rates. Email marketing that has a list in the subject line, can result in significantly increased open rates.

Here’s why.

Most small business owners are not expert copywriters. As such, the subject lines they use for their email marketing tend to under perform. And poorly written subject lines result in low open rates. This means no matter how good their marketing message is, very few people will see it.

Using an average list title as the subject line of a marketing email, will always, always out perform an average, regular subject line.

Should you focus exclusively on lists?

No.

No you shouldn’t.

Seriously.

Don’t!

Allow me to explain.

True, there are YouTubers making a fortune from creating only list-based videos. And yes, there are sites that attract millions of page views, who rely very heavily on list-based content. The business model behind both of these examples is primarily advertising. If your business sells ads based on open rates, keep churning out the lists.

However, for every other kind of business, relying exclusively on lists is a bad idea. And they should be used sparingly.

For example, I could have written this article as a list.

  • It would have taken me a lot less time to write.
  • It would have been shared a lot more on social networks.
  • And the email version of the post would have been opened by a lot more people.

However, I wanted to dig a little deeper into one subject; the content marketing effectiveness of lists. I didn’t want to weaken that focus with “10 Reasons why lists dominate the internet”.

Going a deeper than a list

Sometimes, you need to offer more substance around one subject. Other times, an issue could be impacting your audience and you need to address it. And there are times when you want to share one really useful idea, which wouldn’t work if you broke it down into a list of sub-ideas.

The surface level approach that makes lists so popular, renders them ineffective for anything that requires depth.

So mix it up. But include lists as part of that mix.

In short, if you haven’t already used list-based articles, videos, podcasts episodes, posts or newsletters, give it a go.

Experiment. Test different types of list. Measure the feedback. Check the numbers, including; sales, client enquiries, open rates, social shares and new subscribers, etc.

And let the numbers be your guide.

Stop: Don’t hide the bad stuff

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marketing tips, small print, fine print

You’re reading about a product or service.

It sounds amazing.

Then you spot it!

You spot the dreaded *asterisk. And your heart sinks.

You know you’re about to be disappointed. You’re about to discover the exclusions, restrictions, omissions and conditions, which means that offer isn’t as good as they said it was.

They could have told you the truth without hiding it behind the asterisk. However, they deliberately chose not to. They intentionally concealed it from you, hoping you wouldn’t dig deeper. And in a split second, they’ve totally changed how you feel about them.

You wonder what else they’re hiding from you.

Your guard is up.

Your trust is diminished. Perhaps totally diminished.

The asterisk risk

If a business owner feels they need to hide something behind an asterisk, there are always better alternatives.

The most effective alternative, is to make the product or service as good as you said. This eliminates the need for an asterisk. Plus, it simultaneously pumps more value into your offering, making it more attractive and giving you a huge competitive advantage.

Another powerful alternative is to openly state, in honest and clear language, exactly what you’re offering. And include whatever would have been behind the asterisk, out in the open. Here’s an example of what that could look like.

Imagine it’s an introductory deal, offering your service at a reduced price for the first 3 months. Rather than quote the introductory price (and hide the fact it increases after 3 months, behind an asterisk), tell them up front. Let people know that you’re so confident they’ll love your service, you’re offering it at a super-low discount, so they can discover for themselves, why it’s outstanding value at the regular price.

There’s another reason for adopting a transparent approach to your marketing.

And it’s a biggie, too.

Social networks give your prospects a powerful voice. That voice can either be used to tell everyone how great you are, or how disappointed they are. Thankfully, you get to choose the kind of experience that’s being shared.

Not only does transparency start to work immediately, it’s also a proven way to build an outstanding reputation in the long-term.

The content marketing your prospects want from you

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Marketing, list writing

I regularly write about the importance of creating marketing that’s useful to your prospects. So, here are some specific examples, which you can adapt and apply to your own marketing.

Let’s go.

Their needs and your products or services

Start off by thinking about the services you provide or your product range. Then, consider the following topics or ideas and how you can incorporate them into your content marketing messages.

People have an inbuilt need to feel connected: Share ideas to help your prospects connect with useful contacts. The Wall Street Journal wrote about how I achieved this for one of my clients – 4 Marketing Strategies That Paid Off For Small Companies.

People also have an inbuilt need to belong: Share the opportunity to become part of your community. Lots of content marketing fails to address this. Newsletter creators talk about their ‘list’. Podcasters and Youtubers talk about their ‘subscribers’. These are all self-focused. Instead, do as I have done and build a community.

For example, when one of my community hits reply to my newsletter, they can email me direct. And they always, always get an answer from me. No AI. No automation. Just me. I make it very clear that I’m part of the same community as you… the small business owner community. Your prospects value that kind of connection. They’re less attracted to being part of an impersonal list.

Everyone is trying to succeed at something: Share ideas to help your prospects achieve their targets, goals or dreams. Obviously, as with pretty-much every topic here, if you offer a specific product or service that can help them in this area, incorporate that into the content.

We all need to feel safe and secure: Share ideas to help your prospects reduce risk or feel safer.

Everyone wants to avoid wasting time: Share ideas to help your prospects maximize their time, or help them complete certain tasks faster, etc. I’m not a time management expert, but I’ve shared tons of ideas in this area, based on decades of running a successful business, without working crazy hours. The response is always excellent. So don’t be put off sharing from your experience.

People want to improve and expand their knowledge: Share your industry knowledge, sure. But also share your experience with them. For example, if you’re an accountant, don’t just focus on tax, profit and loss or the latest business news. They can get that anywhere. Tell them the common factors you’ve identified in successful businesses. And the ones you’ve identified in those that flounder or fail.

Your specific experience is extremely valuable. It sets you apart from all your competitors. And in doing so, you make it far easier for prospects to feel a sense of connection with you.

We also want to avoid unnecessary stress: Share ideas to help your prospects feel more relaxed and assured. If there’s a specific product or service you offer, which can assist them with this, incorporate that into the message or idea.

Aim for unmissable

Are any of those topics missing from your content marketing? If they are, look for ways to incorporate them. Because this kind of useful, relevant information is the cornerstone of successful marketing. You’ll know you have the balance right, when your content marketing is so useful that people would miss it if you stopped.

How to build trust, before a prospect even knows you

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build trust, reliable, content marketing, reliability

Today, I’d like to give you a proven way to build trust from your prospective clients or customers — before they even know you.

Here’s how it works.

When I share this idea with small business owners, I start by asking them to consider a few questions. Here’s what I ask them.

  • If you publish a newsletter, can your readers rely on you to get each edition out on time?
  • If you use social networks for business, can your contacts or followers rely on you to show up regularly with your ideas?
  • If you publish a podcast, can subscribers rely on you to publish on schedule?
  • If you are a blogger, can people rely on you to publish useful posts at least once a month?

Here’s the thing: Content marketing not only allows prospects to discover us and the services or products we provide. It’s also an extremely powerful trust building asset.

What this means for you and your business

By observing your activities, such as those I listed above, your prospects also start to build a wider picture of your business. A picture that shows how committed you are to delivering on time. A picture of your reliability.

By turning up regularly, your marketplace gets to see, for themselves, that you can be depended on. Over time, you’ll also build a strong reputation for consistency. These combine to transform your content marketing into an exceptionally valuable, trust building asset.

Go easy. Don’t overstretch yourself

The easiest way to make this work for you, is to choose just one or two content marketing activities. (I only use two myself). Then, commit to being there when you’re expected. You don’t need to be prolific. A consistent, monthly newsletter is far more effective, than a weekly newsletter, which you just don’t have the time to regularly create and send.

If you do this, then bit by bit, day by day, your prospective clients will come to rely on you.

Just think how valuable that would be for your business. Imagine a marketplace filled with prospective clients who already know you’re reliable and who already trust you. And you can achieve this, without overloading yourself with extra work.

Tip: Here’s how to make your content marketing massively more compelling.

Photo by Tony Schnagl on Pexels.com

Easy does it. No it doesn’t!

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marketing lies, liars

In business, easy is overrated.

It’s easy to meet our customer’s expectations. Easier than exceeding their wildest dreams and giving them a great experience to share with their friends.

It’s easy to settle for less than we are capable of. Easier than kicking forward, and growing a business that provides rewards, which will massively increase our quality of life.

It’s easy to lower prices or fees in order to be more competitive. Easier than finding ways to vastly increase the value we provide, so our customers are delighted to pay more.

Yes, it’s easy. But we started out with the goal of building a successful business, not an easy one. 

Ironically, as our business becomes more successful, everything gets easier. That’s because commercial success is an exceptionally powerful motivator.

Blogs are crushing it in 2024

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woman using smartphone and laptop

Blog posts remain the most popular content format for marketers, with 9 out of 10 marketers using blogging to achieve content goals. (SEMrush, 2023).

Here are some reasons why I recommend business owners start blogging — or start taking their blog more seriously.

Blogging in 2024 is easier than ever

It’s so simple today, to publish your ideas to the world on a blog. Blogging software (I use WordPress) has matured. It’s intuitive and very easy to use.

I’m writing this post on my phone using WordPress’s Jetpack app.

Blogging in 2024 is bigger than ever

According to Hubspot, there are over 600 Million blogs out there. (Hubspot 2023).

That’s 1 in every 3 websites.

Your blog puts you in charge

Unlike social media sites, your blog gives you the freedom to publish as often as you want.

There’s no algorithm you need to follow. No content monster to feed. No shadow banning if you publish too little or too often. You’re in control.

Blogging is great for building your email list

Blogging is an exceptionally effective way to grow your newsletter list or email marketing list. Subscriber forms have developed in recent years. Add the forms to the most appropriate areas of your blog. Write the form’s copy correctly. And watch what happens.

In the last couple of years, my blog has become my main source of newsletter subscribers.

It costs nothing to get started

WordPress provides a free blog, so you can test the water before diving in. Plus, there’s no need for any expensive equipment. I regularly write posts on my phone. So if you already have a phone, tablet or laptop you’ve already got what you need to begin.

Blogging is media agnostic

You can publish any kind of content on your blog. Short-form video, long-form video, stream live events and share your photography. You can host live chats, publish audio recordings and written word posts — anything digital.

blogging in 2024

Your blog is the perfect home for your content

You can use your blog as the hub of all your online content or content marketing.

So, rather than create content for your social media accounts and leaving it there, you can also host it on your blog. This improves your blog and provides more content for people to engage with.

It also means none of your work is ever lost. And it’s on a platform that you own. In my experience there’s nothing even close to blogging, when it comes to housing your content.

Blogging and your social accounts, sitting in a tree, kiss…

Your blog amplifies your social media activity. And your social media activity will amplify your blog. It’s a 2-way street now. It’s no longer just you creating free content for a billion dollar social network. Your hard work is now building your own platform.

Plus, if your main social network becomes unpopular, you’ll still have a network of all those who followed you to your blog and subscribed to it, or subscribed to your newsletter list.

Finally

Perhaps most importantly of all, by removing all the barriers I’ve mentioned, blogging gives you the freedom to be yourself. The freedom to share your message, your way, as often as you want.

It’s also worth remembering that depending on the type of blog you build, the blog itself could become a highly desirable and highly valuable asset for investors.

Photo by Plann on Pexels.com

Write tight

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man in black sweater using macbook pro

The infinite space on the Internet encourages overlong writing.

And people have never had shorter attention spans.

Write tight.

Keep it short.

Be understood.

Photo: cottonbro studio

Attract more customer enquiries, the friendly way!

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attract customers, friendly, warmth, approachable

Here’s a quick marketing tip, which can help you attract more customer (or client) enquiries. I hope you find it useful.

It starts with a question: How easy is it for your prospective customers to get in touch with you?

I’m not asking how visible your contact information is on your marketing materials. I’m referring to something that is almost as important and yet seldom written about; how approachable or friendly you seem, to prospects who don’t already know you.

For example.

  • When a prospect is reading your newsletter, how approachable do you sound to them? The best newsletters are written so that the author comes across as friendly, informed and interested in helping you. The least effective are written by people who come across as impersonal, distant and only interested in what’s in it for them.
  • When a prospect reads your comments on social media, how approachable do you sound to them? Some business owners can appear sarcastic, rude or even confrontational when people dialogue with them or ask questions. This is a really, really bad move if you want prospects to feel comfortable enough to contact you.
  • When a prospect reads the about page on your website, how approachable do you sound? Many small business owners write their about page in the 3rd person, rather than speak directly to their reader. Instead of saying; ‘Hi, thanks for stopping by. My name is Jordan and…’ they start with ‘Jordan has worked in web design since 2012 and… ‘

Why should this matter to you?

Here’s what we know for absolute certain. The less comfortable someone feels about approaching a potential service provider, the less likely they are to contact them.

By including a friendly, human touch in your marketing, you start to nurture a positive impression in the mind of your prospects, long before you ever speak with them. This helps them feel far more comfortable contacting you, hiring you or buying from you. 

Photo by KOBU Agency

Here’s what makes your marketing go viral

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Viral marketing, through people, spread it

Viral marketing is something I get asked about a lot. It’s actually pretty easy to understand.

Every piece of viral marketing consists of two things. Two things that all marketing, including yours, needs in order to go viral.

  1. It goes to someone. (They received it).
  2. Then it goes through them. (Through them, it’s shared with one or more people).

For both of those steps to happen, your marketing message needs to be easy to share and remarkable in some way.

Allow me to explain.

Viral marketing is easy to share

As I have written previously, the Kentucky Fried Chicken strapline is an excellent example of an easy to share message. It’s just 3 words long. Finger lickin’ good. That’s easy to remember and share.

The marketing message from Apple is even easier to share. When someone is using one of their products in public, there’s a highly visible Apple logo pointing at everyone who can see them. Until 2015, the Apple logo on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models was illuminated on the lid. Today, those logos are highly polished mirrors. The illuminated Apple logos and the mirror logos both work extremely well.

Viral marketing is remarkable

What makes viral marketing viral, is that it doesn’t spread from the business owner (or vendor) to the marketplace. After the initial push from the business owner, it spreads from person to person.

This means viral marketing not only reaches a lot of people, but unlike advertising, the people sharing the message are those we know and trust. That makes it far more powerful.

Here’s an example from my friend Jennie. Jennie knows I take lots of notes. So, when she discovered a note-taking app that blew her away, she emailed me with a link so I could see it. Within 10 minutes, I’d bought it too. Jennie’s remarkable experience with the iA Writer app provided her with the motivation to share what she’d found with her huge circle of friends. I’ve now shared the app tons of times, too. Plus, I blogged about it.

Greg uses 7 words

And then there’s my former client, Greg. I regularly get client enquiries through his recommendation, and the prospects are always very motivated. I asked Greg what he tells people. He said that he recommends my services to his friends and contacts by telling them; ‘Jim doubled our turnover in 5 months’.

Greg’s remarkable sales results are what motivates him to tell people about me. And his recommendation is just 7 words long, making it easy to share. There’s a lot of power there. Think about it: Imagine you are a friend of Greg’s and your small business wants, or seriously needs, to get great sales results, fast. His recommendation would be highly compelling to you. 

If you want to go viral, or you want to attract massively more word-of-mouth referrals, your message needs to do the same. To go to people and then through people.

What about you?

If you want to attract massively more word of mouth referrals or go full-on viral, your message needs to do the same. To go to people and then through people.

Take some time to review how clear, easy to share and memorable your message is. Then look for ways to improve it as much as you can. The more remarkable it is, the more widely it spreads. If you don’t already have one, create one. The fewer words the better. Greg’s is 7 words long. KFC did it in just 3 words. 

This is not an easy marketing project. So if you can hire expert help, I recommend you do. It makes absolutely no sense to ignore the power of viral marketing. 

Photo by Melissa Askew

How to sell your services into massive companies

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marketing home run

Have you ever considered selling your services to huge corporations? If you haven’t, then maybe it’s time that you did. I’m going to show you how to remove the main barrier, and make it far easier for you to land extremely valuable clients.

Once you understand what I am about to share with you, you may find it easier to gain a $10,000 client than a $500 client.

Allow me to explain.

It’s amazing what big companies spend money on

I was prompted to write this, after remembering an email I received from a friend. He’s a head of department for a massive software corporation. He had just sat through what he called a “cringe-worthy” motivational talk from a former, professional sportsperson.

Apparently, the speaker:

  • Had no business background.
  • Had no idea about the challenges they face.
  • Didn’t understand their industry.
  • Didn’t offer a single idea for how they can improve things.
  • He “shared a few funny stories, dropped a few famous names and finished with a copy/paste you can achieve anything speech”.

My friend wanted to know, why do such people get hired as speakers by massive corporations?

Here’s why that guy was hired

The reason people like that get hired to speak is simple. More importantly, it also explains what motivates massive corporations to spend money on any kind of product or service.

That speaker may have been a waste of company money, but he was a very safe bet. An easy hire, with no risk attached.

Hang on Jim, if the guy is a waste of money, how can hiring him possibly be a very safe bet?

That’s a great question! :)

Here’s how it works:

  • The decision maker, who hired the guy, isn’t spending his or her own money. The money comes from a budget, which they need to spend.
  • The decision maker’s priority is to spend their budget every year without screwing up. So they invest in what they hope will be the safest, least risky option.
  • The risk with a speaker like this is close to zero. That’s because it’s hard to measure the impact of a talk in any meaningful way.
  • Bonus: The decision maker can’t be blamed even if the speaker is demonstrably terrible. After all, they did hire a famous person!
  • So, decision makers eagerly grab any opportunity to spend chunks of their budget on these low commercial value, but 100% risk free, speakers.

The lesson here?

I think there are a couple of lessons.

1. Corporations should reward courage

Corporations need to stop rewarding decision makers, for making lousy, but safe, decisions. Instead they need to reward courage. They need to reward decision makers for advancing the company with smart investments.

Until then, former sportspeople (or influencers, faded TV celebrities etc.), can fill their boots with very easy money. At least until their impact is measured and they are no longer a safe bet for decision makers.

2. It’s really easy to sell into huge corporations

If you’re selling into a billion dollar corporation, remember that the decision maker is frightened. They will only buy from you if you can convince them that you’re a super-safe bet. If they see you as a close to zero risk, they will pay you thousands, maybe tens of thousands. And if you’re really good on the day they’ll pay you regularly, too.

Of course, in order to sound as safe as possible you need some supporting evidence. Former sportspeople have their fame.

If you’re not a former, professional sportsperson, influencer or celebrity etc., you will need to work on building your brand, like the rest of us.

If the decision maker hasn’t heard of you, you’ll sound risky. So get your name out there for all the right reasons. Highlight notable media mentions, accomplishments and anything else that will reduce or eliminate the decision maker’s fear.

Then remember the following before you market your services:

  • You’re never selling to a billion dollar corporation.
  • You’re always selling to an individual, whose priority is not to make a mistake.

Lasting success for your business

Lasting success comes from achieving the balance of being a safe bet… AND being someone who provides measurable value.

Get that balance right and you’ll build yourself a world-class reputation. You’ll also find yourself able to attract the most valuable clients, again and again and again.

Photo: Shutterstock.

Growing your list

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Build your list, list building

I receive a lot of questions from business owners, who want advice on how to grow their lists. And I usually start by explaining the absolute cornerstone of list-building, which is very seldom mentioned.

It’s simply this.

The idea of growing your list is based on a fallacy. You can’t possibly grow your list or build your list.

That’s because your list is never yours.

You simply borrow it.

Allow me to explain

We don’t own the attention of subscribers; readers, viewers, listeners, or followers, etc. We have to earn their attention… and then keep re-earning it. Never, ever take it for granted. Consistently strive to provide useful information. 

When we stop thinking of subscribers as our subscribers, we operate from a them-first mindset. This motivates us to produce our best work. As a result, we find that we retain far more subscribers for far longer. We also find they proactively recommend us to their friends and contacts.  

The pay-off is huge.

The pay-off from this approach is huge. With greater retention, plus a faster growth-rate, your lists will grow like a snowball. It’s the list building equivalent of compound interest. 

Photo by Melanie Deziel 

Proof: Your business growth potential is limitless

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Marketing forward

You now have free access to every prospective client or customer on the planet. And that’s a provable fact.

This means the potential to grow your business is literally limitless.

  • Podcasting gives you a free, global radio show.
  • WordPress gives you a free magazine, plus free, global distribution.
  • Social networks give you free access to a global audience.
  • YouTube gives you a free, global TV channel.
  • Email gives you a free, global communication channel, which scales to infinity.
  • Zoom gives you free, global access to video meetings.

This means that in June 2023, a start-up business with no budget, can reach every city on the planet, in a way that previously cost millions and was only available to the world’s biggest corporations.

It’s truly a spectacular time to be a small business owner.

With an idea and a plan, the world is yours. This is true even if you’re struggling right now. Isn’t that amazing?

So, all the tools you need are freely available to you. The question is, what will you do with all this potential?

Marketing that sticks, is marketing that sells

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marketing that sticks sells, marketing spreads sells,

Marketing that spreads does exactly that. It spreads from one person to another. And from a sales perspective, it can be a total waste of your time, energy and focus.

REALLY?

Yup!

That’s because marketing that merely spreads isn’t necessarily marketing that produces bankable results. Clickbait headlines, cute / outrageous / funny videos, provocative images, newsjacking, etc., can all be used to make a marketing message spread like fire.

Without generating a single enquiry or lead, let alone a new client or customer!

Marketing that produces bankable results; (creates sales, attracts new clients, grows your market share, boosts your revenues and profits), is marketing that spreads AND sticks. Most business owners pay way too little attention to that last part.

Marketing that sticks?

Marketing that sticks makes the prospect pause for a moment to take action, before they spread it.

For example, if it’s online, at the very least, they’ll bookmark it or save it, so they can go back to it later and place the order, make the enquiry, fill in the form, call the number… and THEN pass it on.

Yes, marketing that spreads is marketing that sells, but only if it sticks. So be sure to include a direct request (or call to action) in all your marketing. And especially anything designed to be passed around and shared widely.