101 micro marketing and business lessons
This week, Goodness Marketing turned 5 years old.
I picked 30 October 2017 as my business birthday, as it was the day I issued my first invoice as a fully self-employed person. You see, I'm not one of those people who leapt into self employment so there was no big D-day in my calendar.
I shuffled.
First I did some freelance work alongside my 4 days a week as a marketing director. Built up a buffer. Dropped another day as I got a bit more self belief.
Finally there was enough of a buffer (in £savings and belief) that I could see this own business thing actually working out.
It's not been plain sailing, but despite tough times, I've never looked back. I'm now very proudly unemployable, and immensely grateful.
Over the past 5 years I've learned so much: about running a business, about marketing, about life and about myself.
So in this week’s newsletter I shared 101 micro lessons I’ve learned over the past 5 years.
No matter where you are on your business journey, I hope you find a nugget here that you can make your own.
Marketing and business things I know to be true
Just because you do things differently doesn’t mean you’re doing them wrong.
The only definition of success that matters is your own. Decide what success looks like for you and then go for it wholeheartedly.
Celebrate your achievements. Big or small, pour a glass of champagne, call a cheerleader, eat an ice cream on a sunny Tuesday afternoon while patting yourself on the back.
Build on strong foundations. Get clear on your purpose, values and messaging, and let those guide your decisions.
It’s never too soon to create and write down business processes.
Don’t do marketing that feels at odds with who you are.
Work out the best way for YOU to do marketing, rather than blindly follow the advice of whoever shouts the loudest online.
You don’t have to announce or share everything with the world.
You don’t have to be on all the social media channels. Go where your people are and where you like hanging out.
Protect your peace on social media. Regularly cull who you follow. Mute or unfollow anyone who you wouldn’t want to spend time with in real life.
You don’t have to act serious to be taken seriously.
Be vulnerable, because that makes you real. That doesn’t mean you need to indulge in intense emotional vulnerability.
Build a mailing list. Along with your website, your mailing list will likely be your hardest-working marketing channel. Nurture it.
Know who you’re for: what makes your ideal audience tick? What do they need from you?
Get to know your ideal buyers as humans, not leads or prospects, and serve them generously.
Biz and marketing experts often present intricate solutions to complicated problems. But sometimes the obvious simple answer is the right one.
“Proven” formulas, 10-step programmes and other cookie-cutter strategies may have worked for the person who tries to sell them to you, but they may not work for you.
Nothing that is genuinely worth ££££ is ever sold for £27.
You don’t have to leap into anything. Shuffling towards your goals is more than fine.
No expert knows your business as well as you do. Trust yourself.
But don’t be afraid to draft in pro skills when you need them.
Keep reading the room. What people want from you in the summer is different to what they want from you at times of global crisis.
Marketing is a tapestry. Weave stories with threads. One thread (one post, one email, one action) won’t make or break you.
You’re probably not going to go viral. And if you do, it may have zero impact on your business.
Operate with kindness. Put people first, not profit.
Firm boundaries are a necessary part of self care and growth.
Only seek to impact the things that are actually within your control.
You’re your most valuable asset. Back yourself. Invest in yourself.
Take responsibility for dismantling oppressive systems, especially if you benefit from them.
Recognise and acknowledge your privilege. This is not a one-time action but something we can all do to make the world a better place.
Ditto for unlearning your conditioning.
Just because someone’s already doing something doesn’t mean there isn’t room for your new idea. There’s plenty for everyone, and nobody else can fill the you-shaped gap in the market.
Give yourself a break. Extend the love, kindness and generosity you show others to yourself.
Ask for help when you need it.
If you can, spend money to buy time.
Be a good human. Don’t lie or manipulate to achieve your goals.
Be a good earth citizen. Make choices that benefit rather than harm the planet.
A logo isn’t a brand. A self-made logo won’t break your business and a professional logo won’t transform it overnight either.
Just start: where you are, with what you have.
Others aren’t your pacesetters. Your speed needs to work for you. .
Comfort zones have a bad reputation. Sometimes it’s ok to rest and prepare for the next season in your business. You don’t have to chase growth 24/7.
Remember that slow progress is still progress. Baby steps still move you forwards.
Don’t compare yourself to others and their social media highlights reel.
Be an enthusiast and love what you love loudly. Even if it’s weird. Even if it’s controversial. In fact, especially if it is.
Make it fun. Let your inner child out and enjoy your life.
Not everyone will like you and that’s ok. Not everyone has excellent taste.
Do good quality thinking, because quality thoughts lead to quality ideas and actions.
But don’t overthink. You can trust your gut.
Create content once, use it many times. Reuse and repurpose everything.
You can change your mind, your approach and your preferences as often as you like.
Don’t wait for inspiration. Take action, because that breeds motivation.
Practise gratitude. Yes it can be tough at times, but dwell on the good stuff rather than the bad!
Be curious. Follow the rabbit hole. Learn new stuff all the time.
Fill your mind with good stuff. Consume books, music, podcasts, art and other content that lifts you up and expands your mind and heart.
Put down that book that you just can’t get into. Life’s too short to force yourself to read average books.
Shift your mindset from thinking “I have to do marketing” to “I get to tell others about what I love and help them solve a problem in the process”.
Create a ‘happy post’ folder: a place to store nice emails and good feedback to lift you up when you’re feeling down.
Find business buddies - online or IRL - who share your values and approach to business, who you can ask "silly" questions and who’ll high five even your small wins.
Surround yourself with a community of good people who can bring you out of a funk or reassure you when you doubt yourself.
Hold on tight to cheerleaders, especially those who can also lovingly call out your bullshit.
Know that hype stories about overnight success or '6 figures in 6 weeks' nonsense usually lack context, nuance and detail (and some are blatant lies).
Understand that a lot of marketing advice out there is outdated and unethical. Despite what they say, you CAN do marketing in a way that feels genuinely good, sustainable and achievable for you - and make money.
Look backwards to go forward. Assess what went wrong, what went right, and what you can learn.
Keep an eye on your data. Don’t obsess over insights and analytics, but have an idea of what’s working and what isn’t.
Look at your money. Know what’s going on in your business bank account. Understand expenses and cash flow.
If you’re not a numbers person, find someone who is.
Track how you spend your time. Be honest, reflect, and then do something about it (warning: you may lose the “I don’t have time” excuse).
Protect your time. If it’s not a hell yes, say no.
Don’t overestimate what you can do in a day. Don’t underestimate what you can do in a year.
Work when and where you’re at your most productive. Doesn’t matter if it’s late at night, in a busy coffee shop or while your baby naps. If it works for you, do it.
Go with your creative flow. Work with your energy. Showing up every day is great for your marketing, but creating content and engaging when you “feel it” is even better.
Find a focus technique to help you spend your time efficiently. Pomodoro technique, eat the frog, classical music… do what you need to do!
Post like nobody’s watching. Nobody is watching your marketing as closely as you are. Don’t think of this as demoralising, think of it as liberating!
Do more of what you love. If you enjoy writing, prioritise blogging. If you love people, network. If you’re artistic, design cool things.
Ask for reviews. Ideally, make asking for testimonials part of your business process. And then use that feedback in your marketing.
Don’t neglect your Google Business listing. It’s prime marketing real estate.
There’s no such thing as “passive” income. Yes, you may sell stuff while you sleep, but you’ll always have to do some work to get (and process) those sales.
Adopt a mindset of experimentation. Trying new things is the best antidote to getting stuck in a rut.
Focus on taking the next right step. Don’t get overwhelmed by the whole staircase you’ve got to climb.
Your direction is more important than your speed.
Create positive daily habits that will compound. Just like one push-up won’t make you fit, telling people once what you do won’t translate into lots of sales.
Discipline is more important and more reliable than motivation and inspiration.
It’s usually not about you. Most people project their own shit, so don’t take anything personally.
Every decision is yours. To be happy. To feel gratitude. To shift your perspective.
Stop moaning about being busy. Don’t like it? Change it.
Leave room in your schedule for the unexpected. That little buffer will do you the world of good when someone gets sick, when there’s a chance to be spontaneous, when you need a minute to breathe.
Make minimum viable marketing plans. Things that you can stick to even when you’re overwhelmed, uninspired or tired. Anything else on top of that is a bonus.
Get stuff done. There are few things as overwhelming as a massive to-do list. Feel the power of ticking something off.
Tidy your desk. Light a candle. Pop a flower or some leaves in a vase. Make your space inviting.
Or shake it up and work somewhere new.
When you brainstorm, get all your ideas on paper without judgement about whether they’re any good or not. Let the golden nuggets reveal themselves.
Stop often to take stock of where you are and compare that with where you were and where you want to be. Do this kindly and gently, as if you were your own biggest cheerleader.
Set small goals on your way to the big objectives. Celebrate each one you achieve.
Create a not-to-do list to make space for the things you really do want to get done.
Ask yourself: is this a business decision or a people-pleasing decision?
Rest. You’re a human BEing, not a human DOing. Get enough sleep, down tools when your body tells you, switch off at weekends.
Spend time outside. Every day, prioritise getting fresh air and feeling the sun on your face. Use all your senses to be present in nature.
Go for a walk. When you need to solve a problem, when you hit a productivity wall, when you need fresh air, or for no reason at all. Move your body, see the world around you, appreciate the simple and restorative act of walking.
Health is wealth. Prioritise your mental and physical wellbeing so you can do your best work and live a full life.
It’s ok to take a break from social media. You don’t need to announce or explain a break, and your business can survive a break.
Vanilla is instantly forgettable. Don’t be vanilla.
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