Make Marketing Suck Less for Expertise-Driven Solo Businesses

This week, I'm sharing our most recent episode of Duped, discussing how Dr. Robert Cialidini's book "Influence" has been weaponized in online business. *******Do you know what book is one of the most used—and abused—in online business? Many celebrity entrepreneurs and top marketers cite it as influential…which makes sense given its title.  It’s Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.While we have referenced this book many times on the pod, we have never actually done a deep dive to get into the nitty-gritty of it all.  In this episode, we explore Robert Cialidini and his code of ethics for anyone who uses his work. We then examine three of his seven weapons of influence and cover the next four in the next episode. We discuss: Who is Robert Cialdini?Dr. Cialdini’s code of ethics.Background on the book Influence.What Cialdini means by “principles”.The first three principles and how they show up in online business.ReciprocityLiking/FamiliarityScarcityHow to protect yourself as a consumer. For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online. For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/duped

This week on the podcast, we're doing something a little bit different. A pod takeover. I invited my friend, Michelle Warner to take over my podcast feed.  Her podcast Sequence Over Strategy is the only business podcast that I religiously listen to. Michelle and I are incredibly aligned with how we approach business (and she's also the opening speaker for the Make Marketing Suck Less virtual event). Aligning Marketing and GrowthDo you struggle to decide your marketing strategy? Do you know if you want to reach as many people as possible or just your target audience? Michelle Warner, a business designer and strategist, discusses a shift in her marketing strategy. Previously focused on one-on-one work and relationship marketing, she’s now transitioning to teaching more bootcamps, which requires a higher volume of leads. This shift means she needs to balance her marketing strategies, incorporating more traffic marketing alongside relationship marketing to align with her new product mix.Michelle explains the difference between relationship marketing (deep, authentic connections) and traffic marketing (mass outreach) and stresses the importance of aligning marketing strategies with your business model. She also highlights her involvement in Michelle Mazur’s summit, "Make Marketing Suck Less," which aims to help businesses find suitable marketing strategies.For more details and to join the summit visit: https://drmichellemazur.com/event

A special invite to the Make Marketing Suck Less Virtual Event!Social media feels like a 20-lb weight choking all the joy out of my business.All the "shoulds." All the rules. All the head trash around having the "perfect" hook." Maybe you feel it, too?Here's the deal: you don't have to RELY on social media for audience growth.You've got a ton of options. Finding what works for you is freeing.I'm hosting a virtual event, Make Marketing Suck Less to help you do just that. I'm gathering 10 business owners to reveal their  BEST marketing method to book more business this year beyond likes & shares.Because this is a conversation that the industry needs to have, as there is no ONE way to market your business.Your way is unique based on your strengths, who you serve, and how you want to show up.Join us here: https://drmichellemazur.com/event

Is your business flying under the radar?  Happy clients who get great results see you as their secret weapon.  Being the best-kept secret kind of sucks, doesn't it? It means that you're losing out on clients revenue, opportunities to let your expertise shine through so that it reaches more people.  How can you stop flying under the radar? Well, it starts by letting go of this one pesky little thought that stops you from putting your work out in the world.  And then it's just about following this three-step process that will help make marketing suck less. Are you ready for that? Let's dive in. In this episode: Why no one is actually noticing what you're doing as much as you are Two big Rebel Truths about getting marketing right  The three steps to making marketing less intimidating Resources mentioned:   Brene Brown Wes Kao Spotlight Effect Don't Like Marketing?  Here’s what to do at the minimum Achilles’ Heel Assessment Minimum Viable, Meaningful Marketing Message Episode  

What if I told you that 95% of marketing advice out there wasn't for people like you? If you're following this advice or beating yourself up for not following it, you're wasting time, energy, and resources doing more marketing that doesn't lead to results. You're unintentionally making your marketing suck more, not less. So how do you know if you're following the right guidance? Buckle up, because this episode will shift how you think about marketing. In this episode, you'll hear:How much of the commonly available marketing advice doesn't work for solo business owners or those not primarily creatorsThe distinctions between being a creator and a business owner and how these identities affect marketing strategiesHow creators need a large audience to monetize their content, whereas business owners need a smaller, targeted audience.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Sometimes when it comes to marketing, we are our own worst enemies. We are kicking off a brand new series about how we unintentionally make marketing suck more for our businesses. And sometimes we don't even realize we are doing these things, but there are these tiny ways that we sabotage our business, our sanity with the choices we make when it comes to marketing.Let's jump right in with the first big sabotage I see all the time. In this episode, you will hear:How solo business owners unknowingly make marketing harder for their businesses through certain choicesThe instinct to add more marketing strategies and how it may be more beneficial to subtract instead.How to focus on fewer marketing tactics that are more effective, particularly for solo business ownersWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

One of the things that pisses me off about online business is how people play fast and loose with words. A lot of the time, they use words in a way where they don't mean what they think they mean. And this past year, I've noticed a lot of people talking about messaging and how they help you with your messaging. But when I look at their programs, because, believe it or not, I take a lot of courses on messaging and marketing to keep my own skills sharp, I often find the program isn't about messaging. It's about copywriting or content marketing or just straight-up marketing, Or it's just a snippet of what messaging is, like an elevator pitch or content buckets. And nothing makes marketing suck more for you as a solo business owner than being confused about what your business actually needs. So it's time to revisit what the difference is between marketing, messaging, and copywriting with examples so you know where to focus, and you're not wasting your time or money focused on the wrong damn thing. In this episode, you will hear:Why online business is confused about the differences between the threeDefining what the difference is between messaging, copywriting, and marketingHow to know what your business needsWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“Figuring out how to explain what you do in ways that resonate with other people and connects them to what they're feeling right now is tricky.”Have you ever been talking to someone explaining what you do and they're staring at you like you're speaking a language they've never even heard before and don't even know how to begin to comprehend. Please know you're not alone. So many brilliant business owners struggle to connect with their clients, not because they lack knowledge, but because they're stuck in expert speak. It's like we think, if I can just give you all the information, then that will be enough. You'll be wowed, and you'll book a call with me. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. And what's really happening is how we can help them, how our expertise benefits them and their lives is getting lost in translation. Zoa Conner is a functional health and wellness expert who helps you feel better, not older, through personalized lifestyle guidance and education, knows this firsthand.When Zoa and I first met, her message was getting lost and she’ll tell you how she overcame it and how it’s making marketing suck less for her! In this episode, you will hear:The critical role of messaging in getting clients ready for the work you doThe difficulties small businesses face in competing with larger companies and the emphasis on local SEO.How initial consultations are structured to identify client concerns and create personalized plans.The importance of continuously revisiting and optimizing marketing strategies for better client alignment and business growth.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“If I decide to use social media, then maybe I'm posting all the time and checking for likes and comments in my off hours. What you choose from marketing can affect your life. And for me, it has been really important to figure out a way to do it that works for me and lets me keep on living the life I want to be living and not feeling too stressed out by my work or feeling the need to get in there and do things at all hours of the day.”Everyone who markets marketing programs is always so damn certain that their approach works for everyone, everywhere, no matter the business. They've got the one right way to do it. And that certainty makes you doubt yourself and your decisions. It also always has you on the lookout to find that silver bullet that's going to work flawlessly.But what if there's no one right way to market?How do you navigate the uncertainty and build your own confidence around marketing? This is what Expert Up Club member and career coach for teachers, Laura Litwiller, and I talk about on today's podcast.In this episode, you will hear:The importance of having a clear message in marketing. Laura mentions how refining her message through her "3 Word Rebellion" has boosted her confidenceLaura’s significant reduction in social media usage and what platform she uses nowThe best platforms to reach Laura's target audience of teachers exploring career changesAlternatives to social media, focusing on SEO, strategic partnerships, and one-on-one conversations, aiming to reach her audience more effectively.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Let's face it. Experts are made to feel shame about their expertise. We too often hear things like:>>don't be an expert, be an explorer>>don't be smart, be curious>>don't be an expert, be a humanAnd these things are said by the very people who claim to get experts known and hired for their work. And it is time, my friend, that we stop shitting on experts because here's the truth. The very thing you are told to deny about yourself, about your experience is what will make you great at marketing your business. Experts bring three great untapped strengths when it comes to marketing, and I'm gonna tell you all about it on this episode of the podcast.In this episode, you will hear:The pressure and societal messages that make experts feel ashamed of their expertise.How expertise can be a superpower in marketing rather than a liabilityThe three untapped strengths that experts bring to marketing: insatiable curiosity, willingness to experiment and change course, and humility.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I've been thinking all that time I'm spending over here on social, and I'm not spending really any quality time with the people that voluntarily chose to be in my world by opting into my thing.”Riddle me this, Batman.Why do we spend so much time on marketing that leads nowhere vs. focusing on marketing that works to get clients? It's probably because everybody on the interwebs is screaming at you to do more marketing and do it on social media, when for so many people, that is just a waste of time. At least that's what my guest, Norma Frahn, found out. When she right-sized her marketing efforts, she realized that social media wasn’t better for business. She changed course. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Marketing feels like a time suck of doom. There's all this doubt. >>>Is it really working? >>>Am I getting it right? Whatever right means. And then despite spending so much time on your marketing, you're just not seeing the results you want to see. And then there's the beating yourself up of feeling like you're never doing enough despite your best efforts. And what I want for you is to stop the doubt, the worry, the beating yourself up. I don't want you to feel like you're wasting your time, energy, and money on marketing. Because as a solo business owner, you've got too much going on for any of that nonsense. But how do you stop? How can you make marketing suck less?I've got something brand new just for you. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I went down a whole path that was completely not right for my business, and it was very frustrating, and I wasted a lot of time doing a lot of stuff that wasn't really helpful.”You know what really sucks about marketing? When you're told to market in a certain way that works for every business. And only after you've done all that work, invested all that money, you find out that ish was never gonna work for your business. Over the years, I've worked with so many B2B consultants who've gone down this exact path only to find out what works to market for them doesn't look like any of that online BS. And this is why I wanted to talk to Camille Rapacz about how she corrected the course and found out that marketing could actually be, dare I say, fun? In this episode, you will hearCamille’s approach to meeting people and the importance of building relationships with fellow business owners.The need to tailor marketing strategies to specific businesses and the importance of understanding industry differences.Camille’s realization that traditional broadcasting marketing (social media posts, blog posts) did not work for her B2B consulting business.The importance of using one's unique personality and strengths, especially as an introvert, in shaping effective marketing strategies.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“And then it kinda dawned on me last year, I don't need a lead magnet or an opt in. I think you talked about how every time you create something, even if it's free, you still have to “sell it”. I'm just selling my newsletter. It was like a weight lifted.”Think fast. How many lead magnets have you created for your business? For this iteration of my business, I have created at least 6 different lead magnets. Rarely have I created one that I was really satisfied with.I've spent so much time and energy trying to devise an irresistible opt-in that would lead people to my work. And it's hard to do, but know there is a different way. This is what Bev Feldman is here to talk about because trying to find that unicorn lead magnet was making marketing suck more for her and not less. So she went a different way. In this episode, you will hear:The pressure of social media and the overwhelming task of creating appealing lead magnetsFrustration with the conventional approach to creating lead magnets and opt-insBev’s decision process to “sell” her newsletterThe significance of creating engaging emails that encourage responses and conversations.Ready to Market Like an Expert: Grab the Free CourseFull show notes and transcript are here

“I want to make sure that if someone happens to find me when I'm not posting content, that they have a way to hear about me, learn about me - without me having to pump out content to the feed.”Nothing makes me want to dive head-first into a vat of lava like the thought of making a 7-second video to post on Reels or TikTok. And if you feel that way too, please know that you are not alone.And today, I'm talking to Jessica Lackey, who, like me, hates short form content, so she decided not to do it.  If you wanna know what she does instead, you'll just have to listen.In this episode, you will hear:The challenges of short-form content creation for experts and its impact on long-form contentWhy the difference between feed based content vs playlist based content is important for expertsThe interconnectedness of content creation, repurposing, and business programsMarketing approach focusing on transparency, consistency, and offering free resourcesThe importance in building personal connections and relationship-building in marketingWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I know that there's this unicorn idea that you can preschedule things months in advance, and preschedule all of your content, and, like, sit down for 8 hours in one day, and record 17.6 reels. But that is a lie unto me, and it never worked for me. And so for me, it had to be. It sucked even worse if I tried to batch content.”Marketing is relentless. It is something that is never done and dusted. Yet, it's a core pillar of what you need to do to have a sustainable business. So when marketing is relentless, how do you make it suck less? That's exactly why I am talking to Expert Up Club member and my dear friend, Michelle Markwart Deveaux.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I know that I'm extraordinary at what I do. And because I have messaging, because I have my packages, because I have my pricing, I can keep moving forward in confidence in one area of my life”.There comes a time when the shit hits the fan in your life and you just can't keep showing up the way you like. The first thing that always goes is marketing.Let's face it. Most of us don't have the option of just stopping marketing altogether.We can't put our businesses on hold because we need it to pay our own bills. So how do you keep going? When marketing already sucks for you, how do you keep going when your personal life has gone off the rails?I am thrilled to have Expert Up Club member, Nicole Trick Steinbach, on the show today to talk about how she made marketing suck less even when the proverbial shit hit the fan in her personal life. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I used to always think - I have all these great ideas and I make these products, like, you know, digital-based products. And if only I had the money that I could actually hire a team and build the thing out and then actually pay money for advertising, I just know it would hit.”If you just build the right funnel, have the right welcome sequence, and the right lead magnet, you can put money into ads and people will come out and wanna work with you. And this seems like the absolutely best way to make marketing suck less. But is it? I am so excited to have Rachel Alexandria on the show today. Rachel is one of the founding members of the Expert Up Club, and she's here to talk about her experience building a funnel. What worked, what didn't, and how she is making her marketing suck less nowWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“It was such a detour to go the whole social media, build a course, webinars, free webinars, pitch, cart closed route.  The whole thing was such a detour for me. It seriously tanked my business.”So many business owners have gone down this path only to realize, “Hey. This isn't for me!” With all the hype around “stop trading dollars for hours” and make money while you sleep, there was something she was NOT being told. Choosing to create a course meant that Elise Enriquez, productivity coach, had to give up doing something she loved (working with clients) for something that sucked (marketing).You'll want to hear Elise's story about how she recovered from making this strategic misstep and how she's adjusted course and, finally, what she's letting go of in her marketing to make it easier for her and make it more effective. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Anytime you decide to work on your marketing message, it's going to require you to dig deep and do some thought work around your business, who you want to serve and what you want to be known for. If you're like most people, by the time you find this podcast, you've already tried another messaging framework. (I’m looking at you, StoryBrand.) So before you start digging deep into the 3 Word Rebellion, how do you know if it's right for your business? Well, there are 3 telltale signs, and that's what we are talking about on the show today. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.