Less marketing noise.More clarity, strategy, and action. Blog
How to test the credibility of the experts you highlight
Though most of the time random quotes and mentions of an author or creator won't have an impact on your brand or reputation, doing a little extra work to vet the people you highlight in your content is a good way to reinforce what you stand for.
It’s almost inevitable that consumers will draw parallels between you, your business, and the content you’re sharing. Whether those associations are positive or negative is largely up to you.
Don’t risk losing the trust of your audience because of something that could be avoided with some upfront time and energy on your end.
Prioritizing diversity of sourcing in your content
With recent news and emphasis in the media on diversity (and the sad lack thereof), systematic and systemic discrimination, and the need for companies to prioritize inclusivity in their business, you’ve likely been rethinking how your company is currently running, and what changes you need to make.
An area that’s often unfortunately overlooked, as business owners make their way through revisions to their hiring practices and procedures, putting guidelines in place to ensure the marketing media and copywriting they use are more inclusive and representative, and surveying current and past employees for feedback, is prioritizing the diversity of sourcing in your content.
Small business pricing and profits: The importance of aligning your prices to your values
Pricing can be tough when you’re a small business or solopreneur. As business owners, we’re intimately connected to our clients and our pricing. Because of this interesting dynamic, I find small business owners make more emotional decisions, modifying (or not modifying) their pricing based on what they feel their clients can afford.
It isn’t enough to simply pick a number that sounds good out of thin air for your program or service. It isn’t enough to just check a few items off your “marketing to-do list.”
Your pricing needs to reflect your values. And when you take the time to gain clarity on your values and goals for each of the offers you have, you’ll feel much more empowered to share about your business, promote your services, and find your clients.
What kinds of goals can you set for your business?
We've talked about setting goals before. The importance of establishing your company vision and the direction you want to move in, gaining clarity on your business and marketing goals, and how to use the S.M.A.R.T. framework to define your goals with more intention.
But what are some of the different kinds of goals you can set for your business? And how do you decide what to focus on? Here’s how to get started.
Brand, brand, branding: What does it all mean?
Do you know what branding is? What about a brand? Or a Brand?
While these terms are commonly interchanged, they’re all unique elements of your company, and all deserve your time and attention in different ways.
Let’s break them down.
Know your competition, but don’t try to become them
One of the foundational activities I love to do with my clients is to look at similar businesses or organizations to see what they're doing and whether it's effective.
The goal isn't to emulate them or even to get inspiration. It's about finding gaps in the marketplace that could be filled with my client’s business offerings or through communication and marketing differentiation.
Being different is GOOD. After all, if every company presents itself in the same way, what's the point? Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it's not going to show how you're different. And your strength lies in what you do differently.
The long game of marketing and how to play it for sustainable business growth
It takes any business time to build a robust marketing program. It's not something that will happen in a day, a week, or even a year. This is particularly important to realize if you’re frustrated with the growth (or lack thereof) you’ve seen in your business so far. It’s understandable if you’re starting to wonder if your business will ever take off.
Is marketing the magic bullet that will save your business? It can be. The question is whether that momentum will come within the timeline you need or desire.
Your marketing needs more than one perspective: the importance of diversification in marketing
It’s no surprise that consumers expect more from the brands they’re supporting.
Recent years have shone a light on the broken and unethical systems that are in place in our society and the general public, particularly younger generations, want to support brands who are instead demonstrating values like diversity, accessibility and inclusion.
As business owners, it’s our job to respond to this public demand, and ensure we’re making authentic diversity and accessibility a priority in our marketing. (Not just because it’s being demanded, but because it’s the right thing to do).
Here are a few common issues that I see far too often in marketing.
Case study: Don’t write "how-to" articles that aren't helpful
There are probably hundreds of millions of marketing-related articles out on the internet. A big portion of those articles are "how-to" guides for various activities us marketing types like to encourage business owners like you to implement.
The problem is that way too many of these articles have little to no real value in them.
Let's break down the points of one of these articles and instead review what real value looks like.
Authentic inclusion and activism aren’t tied to a calendar
One of my favourite things about raising a “Gen Z” kid is how outspoken he is about marketing nonsense. Leading up to Pride Month, he mentioned the inevitable rainbow washing that was coming several times. While he may only be 14, he already knows when he sees something disingenuous.
And this applies to far more than our 2SLGBTQIA+ friends. It stands equally for BIPOC, disabled folks and every other historically marginalized group. Inclusion and activism aren’t marketing strategies. You either do it for real from the core of your business, and your business values, or you're not being authentic.
Here are some brands that get it.
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