Jim Connolly Marketing

Traditional marketing is dead

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marketing is dead, creative growth, Jim Connolly

What we all knew as marketing, is pretty-much dead.

It was designed for a world that no longer exists.

It’s no longer fit-for-purpose.

Here’s an example of how vastly over-saturated marketing has become and how difficult it is to get noticed.

Gary Vaynerchuk is one of the world’s leading experts in social media marketing. Back in April of this year, Gary told an audience what his 30 person team was doing, to optimize their social media marketing. He said that the day before the event, his team:

‘… published 412 pieces of content, across 10 platforms, and 81 different social media handles‘. Remember, Gary knows every marketing trick, tactic and strategy in the book. And less than a year ago, Gary was recommending 100 pieces of content a day.

Back when I discovered Gary, he was posting just 4 or 5 times a week on YouTube and using Twitter. Yet millions of us knew him, worldwide.

Traditional marketing is dead

AI has provided us with the ability to produce as much content as we want. It will also publish it for us, so we can mass produce, with close to no effort. As a result, every day, millions of people are producing billions of pieces of content between them. This number is growing daily.

Traditional marketing can no longer force its way through.

That’s why I am going to show you how to achieve spectacular results, using a Creative Growth tactic.

Long live Creative Growth

Creative Growth is about creatively growing your business, boosting sales, revenues and profits, by attracting the right clients or customers. It’s about focusing on fewer tactics, and focusing in a less obvious, more creative way.

The Creative Growth tactic I’m showing you today, has no connection with the noise and nonsense out there. It’s a detailed look at a creative way to grow your business, which I have only mentioned very briefly before.

Let’s start with a question.

Did you know that you can make a year’s worth of high profit sales, simply by focusing on attracting a tiny number of influential contacts?

Tiny number?

Yes. If you’re a service provider, it could be as few as two!

However, these need to be influential contacts.

Here’s how this tactic works.

Let’s pretend you’re a graphic designer

And you want to grow your design business 200% over the next 12-months.

The senior partner of a large accountancy practice really likes your work. So, they recommend you to all their clients. Their clients who use your services loved your work. They then thanked the senior partner for recommending you. Naturally, the senior partner carries on recommending you.

That one, influential contact has the trust of 800 business owners. Their trusted recommendation lands powerfully, with high conversion rates. This could easily provide you with enough new clients, to smash your target. And provide you with lots more clients, over time, on repeat recommendations.

To make this happen, you switch from traditional marketing (marketing your services to thousands of individual prospects, who don’t know you or have any reason to trust you) to Creative Growth (identifying, and connecting with 1 influential person, who is trusted by 800 prospects).

All the time you remain focused on traditional marketing, you’ll miss out on amazing results like this.

Next step: Here’s how to get those influential contacts AND earn their trust.

Identifying the right, influential people

This part is easy.

You always start by asking yourself this question: Who is already trusted by a large number of my ideal prospects?

This will help you get started.

You often find that the most trusted people are those who provide expert advice. For example, accountants, lawyers, medical professionals, financial advisors, business consultants and business leaders.

Depending on your ideal prospect, trusted people could be those who are famous. Sports stars, musicians, actors, authors, TV stars and DJs.

That’s just to get you thinking. Do some research based on your business and ideal client or customer profile.

Earning trust and how to connect

This is not as easy as the previous step.

Influential people often encounter selfish individuals who are after something. The more influential a person is, the more often they are targeted. Understandably, this means they’re sensitive to outreach from strangers. So, even though our motives are good, we need to be patient. And give them time to see for themselves that we’re trustworthy.

An exception here, is if you already know someone who is trusted by the influential person you want to connect with.

Earning trust is about giving freely, over a period of time.

For instance, in 2011, music legend Nile Rodgers told his Twitter followers that he would be coming to London, for the UK launch of is autobiography. We had ‘tweeted’ occasionally with each other for about 18-months. Anyhow, I sent him a direct message with my phone number, said I would be at the launch and to call if he needed any help.

It turned out he did, and it was something I was able to assist with. We became friends. Had I hardly known him, it’s unlikely we would have connected the way we did.

What’s the best way to reach influential people?

For the past 20-years, based on the success of my clients and my own success, the best tool for the job by far is social media.

This is especially the case if you are hoping to connect with extremely influential people.

How do you earn trust, by ‘giving freely’ on social media?

Start by taking the list of influential people you created earlier.

Then use the search function to locate them on your app. If they are on the app, check how recently they posted anything.

Tip: also check how recently they replied to someone. On the Threads app, X app and other apps, it’s not uncommon for people to post rarely, but be very active in the replies section.

If they are active, follow their account.

Then spend time looking at what they have recently posted. You’ll get some insight into what they’re interested in, etc.

Next, when appropriate, look for ways to contribute something useful or helpful to one of their posts/replies. Keep it positive. Don’t push them or get too friendly too fast. Don’t reply to everything they post. Slowly become one of those people who often engages with them.

At this point you’re connected. Try to maintain a cadence with them.

Finally, when enough time has passed, and an opportunity arises from something they’ve said, where you can provide them with help, reach out. Similar to what I did with Nile.

And what’s the best social platform?

X (Twitter) gives direct access to influential people in every walk of life. It’s where the majority of my clients, and myself, get the best results.

Some people find LinkedIn works very well for them. So, it could be just what you need. Again, it depends on the profile of influential people you want to connect with.

In closing

Spend some time pondering Creative Growth. It’s different. So is the approach required and the results.

It is definitely too different for some people. They’ve told me they’re concerned about the risk of not doing things the way they’ve always done them.

It’s a natural human reaction, when we’re confronted with change. And we all deal with it differently.

I hope you’ve found this look at one of my Creative Growth tactics useful. If you did, forward it to a friend.

Hey! Not so fast!

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time lapse photography of brown concrete building

Business owners tend to be a pretty motivated bunch.

We have to be, right?

Not only are we motivated, we also believe in the value of our product or service. When you combine motivation with belief, you create a potent mix. An essential, high energy blend that keeps us moving forward and inspires us to persist even when things are tough.

And that’s great!

However.

Sometimes that mix of belief and motivation can work against us.

Really?

Yes, really.

For example, we speak with a prospect and immediately see that our product or service is the perfect match for them. We know we can provide exactly what they need. So, we’re eager to help them make the right decision.

Here’s the thing.

There’s a thin line between encouraging someone to make the right decision, and rushing someone to decide.

When that line is crossed, it can make you look desperate. Or too pushy. It can quickly lower the buyer’s confidence and make them feel uncomfortable.

It can, and often does, lose you the sale.

How to avoid this, before it happens!

Based on decades of experience and observations, I’ve found that this is most likely to happen during the follow-up process. 

You need to be very mindful regarding how soon and how often you follow-up with an email or call. That’s because there isn’t a universally ideal time, or frequency I can give you.

Different industries and different cultures have different expectations. So, you’ll need to test and measure. Take into account things like the size of the decision your prospect is making financially, plus the number of people involved with the decision-making process, the size of the overall risk, etc.

Important note: Do not confuse rushing the process with being appropriately proactive.

There are times when we need to be swift. To move quickly.

Most opportunities in life and business come with a use-by date. If we take too long, we’re often too late. 

The advice is don’t rush the process. 

Fast is fine. 

Too fast is rushing.

I hope you find this idea useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with it.

Photo by Zhang Kaiyv on Pexels.com

How to get your fees right

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How to set your fees, marketing, fee setting

Photo: Karolina Grabowska Pexels.com

Jim, how do I make sure I set my fees right? 

I get asked that question a lot. So, I’m going to answer it today.

I’m also going to show you how to earn more than you’ve ever earned before, from clients who eagerly want to hire you.

Let’s start with a few questions.

  • Do your clients pay you what you’re worth?
  • Do your clients give you the freedom to produce your best work?
  • Do your clients respect you?

Even if you found yourself answering NO to all three of those questions, you don’t have three challenges to overcome.

You only have one. And it’s really easy

The news gets even better my friend. Because the rewards are far, far greater than you might think.

Overcome the fee setting challenge

Here’s why this is an easy challenge to solve.

  • You don’t need to figure out how to know in advance if a client will respect you.
  • You don’t need to be able to tell ahead of time, if they will allow you the freedom to do your best work, either.

All you need to know is that you’ve set your fee correctly and they’re happy to pay you what you know you’re worth.

Here’s why.

When a client pays you what you’re worth, you don’t have to rush. Your time is being rewarded correctly, so you’re free to consistently provide your very best work, on schedule. 

And clients who pay you what you’re worth, who rely on you for this consistently high-quality service, also greatly appreciate your contribution. 

They rely on the value you bring. They respect you for enriching them and their business. 

All this was built on the fee you quoted and their decision to agree to your fee. (relax, I’ll show you how to set your fee in a moment).

Why getting your fees right is essential to your success

When you set your fee, you set more than the financial return for your services. You set the whole framework for your relationship with the client.
And in turn, you set the rewards on every level of your business.

Here’s what happens.

You create a positive cycle. It’s a cycle where:

  • You’re free to produce your best work.
  • You’re regularly recommended by your delighted clients.
  • You’re respected in your market, because of what your clients say about you.
  • You’re paid accordingly by new clients, who value your excellent reputation. 
  • These new clients start that cycle all over again.


Here’s how to set your fee. It’s really easy. 

Decide exactly what your fees need to be, in order for you to provide your very best work, and smash your financial targets.

Then, make your services so good that they’re worth double (or more) your newly-increased fees. Remember, you’ll be earning a lot more for your time, allowing you to greatly improve the value you bring. This makes your fees extremely attractive to prospective clients, as you’re charging them half of what your services are worth.

Set your fees correctly. Earn more than ever. Work exclusively with clients who respect you and value you. 

Have a great day.

That’s it.

Go on!

There’s nothing more to see here.

Move along. 

Back to work.

Okay.

There’s one more thing.

Who do you think Jim Connolly is?

You’re wrong! Look.

Unproductive? You’re probably just bored

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It’s hard to be productive, when your work bores you.

It’s hard not to be productive, when your work inspires you.

Try this

When you’re feeling unproductive, look at your work and determine what part or parts aren’t inspiring you. That’s where your productivity answer is. Make it more interesting. Change or replace the uninspiring stuff, with exciting, engaging alternatives.

Sometimes it’s as easy as doing your work from a different location, using different hardware, using different software or using different pens, etc.

When work is inspiring, productivity is no longer an issue. Because inspiration brings it’s own motivation.

Is your business one of the 50% that prospects now avoid? Probably!

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Anti AI, Avoid AI business, Business AI content, AI pushback

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Are you getting fewer and fewer customer enquiries? Did you assume it’s mostly down to the economy? 

It’s entirely possible that most, or almost all of this, is because half your prospects are now eager to avoid you.

This is big.

Let’s go!

As everyone reading this will have noticed, posts on LinkedIn have started to sound increasingly familiar. The same is true of the messages you see on social platforms and even in flyers. 

As you know, this is down to the mainstream use of AI for content and copy. Most of you will be using it, as small business owners were very early adopters.

I recommend you stop.

Here’s why.

Deep, dangerous camouflage

Regular readers will know that when small business owners in the same industry offer a similar range of services, charged similar prices, etc., it camouflages them. In short: they sound so similar, that none stood out.

THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE!

Around a year ago, the camouflage became even worse for their business. And in the past few months, it’s become full-on dangerous.

That’s because just as you quickly spot content written by AI, so can your prospects. You no longer offer similar(ish) services, prices, etc., to your competitors you offer them with an AI voice, just like they do.

Danger?

No. DEEP danger!

You, your business and your services have now relocated into the AI bucket. This bucket contains businesses of every stripe, which consumers identify as sounding familiar to each other. You’re in there with pest control, accountancy, roofing, web design, bars… everything giving off that familiar messaging signal.

Why is this massive problem getting even worse?

50%, (and growing) of prospects will avoid you

For around a year, AI marketing messaging was a minority thing. As usage increased, people started to look out for it. Now, we’re unconsciously looking for ‘tells’ whenever we read content. We’re spotting it, without even trying.

We’re also witnessing a huge, and growing, AI pushback. In March, an AI survey from Gartner found 68% of people frequently wonder whether the AI content and information they see is real! Your prospects simply do not trust it.

And in that same survey above, 50% of people said they prefer NOT to give their business to brands using it. This number is growing.

As I wrote recently, on it’s own, AI content (not copywriting) looks okay. It reads fine, too. That’s why millions and millions of small business owners use it daily. And no one ever thinks THEIR AI copy looks like AI. After all, they edited it. Probably unaware EVERYONE edits it.

Here’s the thing: AI copy is everywhere, always with that familiarity… it’s putting your business into a group that’s being avoided. It’s causing prospects to consider if what you’re saying is even real.

It’s your decision, but I recommend you get out of that group.

Keep your messaging human.

Use AI where it works for you, turning a 1-hour boring task into a 10-second breeze.

But for goodness sake, make your connection with your marketplace human and trusted. That’s where the GROWING demand is.

Give your best ideas away for free. Here’s why

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content marketing

What I’m about to share with you may sound a little counter-intuitive. It isn’t. In fact, it could help you achieve breakthrough results.

Allow me to explain.

I come across the following problem a lot. Mainly from service providers, who are struggling to attract new clients with their content marketing.

Their primary concern looks something like this.

I know I need to provide good, free advice via my content. But surely if I give my best ideas away for free, no one will pay to hire me?

I’ve already explained why you should be stingy with your time, but not your ideas. However, there’s another, excellent reason why you should provide outstanding, free advice.

And it’s this

Think for a moment about the alternative.

Imagine you publish newsletters, videos, a blog or a podcast. Now let’s also imagine that instead of sharing great advice, you share weaker information. Average stuff. Nothing special. Nothing that really stands out.

Guess what?

You’ve just given your marketplace a weak, low-impact insight into your work. You’ve painted a lousy picture of how good you are.

So, not only will people be highly unlikely to hire you, they’ll also be unlikely to share your newsletters, videos, podcasts, blog posts or subscribe to you. 

That’s a huge lose, lose.

No. It’s actually a lose, lose, lose, because you’ll also be damaging your reputation as a knowledgeable professional. Ouch!

Here’s what really happens when you give great free advice

Firstly, we have the freebie hunters
Yes, freebie hunters will gobble up all your free advice. It’s what they do… acting like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up anything that’s free. 

But that doesn’t lose you a penny. 

Why? 

Because freebie hunters were never going to hire you anyway. These people are the dabblers. The DIYers. So, they were never a prospective client. 

Secondly, we have the givers
These are a subset of genuine, prospective clients. Yes, they’ll take your free advice and do the work themselves… but unlike the freebie hunters, they appreciate the value you bring. So, when they value your work. They will subscribe. They will share your work with their contacts. That’s how the most successful content marketing successful spreads. Also, I know from experience that many of them will later hire you.

Thirdly, we have professionals, who respect their time
They love the peace-of-mind that comes from getting expert help. They value professionalism. These prospective clients will hire you, so you can do the job properly for them. 

How do I know with 100% certainty that this works?

Simple: it’s how I grew my own business.