As a Solopreneur, do you get overwhelmed with your marketing, what to post, and not sure how much time to spend on your marketing? In this video, I’ll be talking to Melissa and we’ll simplify all of those questions for you so you know where to start and what to focus on now. Let’s dive in to how much time to spend on marketing as a Solopreneur.
Summary Transcription:
Jennifer: As a Solopreneur, do you get overwhelmed with your marketing, what to post, and not sure how much time to spend on your marketing?
In this video, I’ll be talking to Melissa and we’ll simplify all of those questions for you so you know where to start and what to focus on now.
Always entrepreneurial since she can remember, Melissa Cenker has been consulting for small businesses since 2011 to help them improve their reach.
As a marketing consultant, her biggest passion is to help other solopreneurs to make money doing what they love.
Prior to working as a marketing consultant, Melissa has worked in education and has also had success in retail and design.
J: What is marketing?
Melissa: Marketing is the art and science of reaching others with your product or message. It is all the little pieces behind the scenes that help your audience gain awareness of your business. Marketing in action in 2022 looks like creating a great deal of content for the internet and social media… in order to connect with and reach others. In many ways marketing is the same as it always has been. Marketing still involves creating your messaging and tailoring that messaging to your audience.
J: How can marketing help your brand?
Melissa: We are all “marketing” or leaving an impression on others all the time even if we don’t know it. Marketing helps you make the actual impression you want to make. Taking the time to lay out deliberate marketing strategy (carefully choosing your wording, branding and placements etc.) will let people know what to expect of your brand. When done right, marketing will set up a foundation for making sales easier.
For example, if someone puts together a “luxury marketing” style campaign for their coaching, they will be able to charge more for it typically. If they don’t take the time to put together that luxury brand image and then all of the sudden try to sell themselves at a high price point, it will be much harder.
You want to make sure your audience understands clearly what you’re offering, what you’re all about and what to expect from you. Marketing effectively (sharing the right things in the right way, with the right people at the right time can help you with that.
J: How do I know which platform to focus on first?
Melissa: My advice on this is different from what you might have heard in the past. Most of the people I work with are at the point in their business where they are just starting out and figuring out what they want to say. In that case, I tell people to start out on the platform that inspires you the most and helps you feel most comfortable speaking or posting.
You can always take what you post on that platform and use it somewhere else when you’re ready. If you are an established business already and you don’t need to be inspired to post because you already know what you want to say, then I would advise you to get onto the platforms where your audience spends the most time. This will often be the best use of your time.
For many of us, that is either Facebook, YouTube or Instagram. Take the time to research where your audience is hanging out and be sure to post and or advertise your content there.
J: How much time should you spend on marketing as a solopreneur?
Melissa: Everyone’s needs and goals are different but I would recommend in general that people spend at least one hour per week refining their message or planning their marketing strategy. When you’re just starting out this can take much more time. Once you have the foundation set, you really only need to revisit your marketing messaging and strategy now and then.
In the meantime, it is a good idea to spend at least one hour per week on activities like creating or posting content to continually reach, attract or retain customers. Honestly, the more you can manage the better.
J: What are some examples about what to post?
Melissa: I recommend that brands take the time to consider posting about subjects that mean a great deal to their audience. That is going to differ for each business. Posting entertaining, comedic, and educational content are all great places to start.
Behind the scenes looks are another great idea for brands who are ready to post those kinds of insider looks into their business. Customers will connect with you better if they get to know the “real” you or the “real” day-to-day and human part of your business. It helps facilitate both interest and better trust in your brand.
J: What are the main marketing things to focus on as a solopreneur?
Melissa: The key is to find out what type of content will attract the customers you want, and then focus on that. That will depend on your business.
Speaking very generally, the more you can educate or entertain your customer in some way, or the more you can be helpful, the more they will appreciate it and remember your brand. Focusing on creating the right content for your audience in particular though, is key.
The right content can look like anything from quick how-to posts on social media to long YouTube videos to free guides or recipe books / helpful pdfs. Some solopreneurs will benefit from creating a single presentation that they can present weekly or over and over again.
J: How does marketing tie into sales?
Melissa: Along with your product integrity, marketing is like the foundation a house is built on. If your foundation is weak, the rest of the house is not going to sit well or have longevity. You need to get both your product and marketing right to ensure continued sales at the prices you want to charge.
J: What is 1 main takeaway?
Melissa: The main takeaway I hope you walk away with is that Marketing and time management are really intertwined.
You can plan your marketing perfectly, but if you don’t get your life and schedule together in a way that allows you the proper time to consistently market your product, you will have trouble staying afloat. You’ve really got to get your time management down to do marketing in the way that Will bring in sales.
J: Where can we find you?
Melissa: You can find me at https://www.facebook.com/lornadooneandco and in The Content Journey group on Facebook where we talk about all things content and monetizing your content.
