Let’s talk about “marketing assets” – sounds scary, right? These are just the things you have already created or already have for your business.

These include:

Photos you own
Blogs you’ve written on your site
Podcasts you’ve been on
Your logo (as well as brand colors and fonts)
Articles you’ve been quoted in
Videos you’ve done
Guest blog posts you’ve written
Blogs posts where you’ve been featured
Graphics you’ve created
Your email list
Your Facebook group
Information emails you have sent
Your website & website copy
Guides you’ve written for yourself
Cheat sheets & info you’ve compiled for clients
Testimonials
Employees (if you have them)

I think these also include:
Your unique perspective
The notes you have scribbled in different notebooks
Blog posts you’ve thought about writing (see also: scribbled notes)
Relationships with your clients
Relationships with other small business owners
Courses you’ve thought about doing & have done some of the work to plan/set up
Links you’ve shared

Today’s assignment:

Step 1: Make a list of your marketing assets (and where they are!)

Step 2: Look for common themes – what do you LOVE to talk about? What lights you up inside? What is EASY for you to write/create? If you are writing blog posts – which topics do you find yourself writhing about most often?

Step 3: List 5 things you want to create more of – can you reuse/recycle/repurpose any of your existing marketing assets to do that?

Can you turn a blog post into customer guide? Can you turn a customer guide into a blog post? Can you turn your notes into an infographic? Can you turn an infographic into a video?

Today's tip:

Need photos? This blog post lists eight of my favorite places to find images.
But before you go on a downloading spree, create a "Stock Photos" file on your computer AND create some sub-folders so you easily find them later. I have a "Roads" sub-folder, an "Water" sub-folder, and a "Body Parts" sub-folder (for close ups of hands, feet, etc)

Yesterday, you looked at what kinds of marketing assets you have (and maybe even organized them a little bit!)

Today, let’s look at where your customers come from.

I’ll use myself as an example. My clients almost come from one of three places:

Most of my “new to me, I don’t know them at all” clients come to me via referrals from previous clients.

Lots of people find me because I’m active on Facebook. (this is where the bulk of my clients come from).

Very occasionally, someone will meet me at a networking event and follow up with me later for more information.

My clients don’t find me via:
Cold calling (no)
Mass emails (just no)
Mass snail mail (not for my business, but I know it can be effective for others)
Instagram (it is mostly pictures of my dog, but it can be brilliant for the right business)
Twitter (I've met great friends there, but it doesn't work for me - but, again, for others it is a perfect match)
My blog (I do use my blog, but not for finding new clients)
Joining my mailing list for a freebie (I do use my email list, but not for finding new clients)
Local SEO (I am found this way, but it is almost never a good fit)

Today’s assignment:

Step 1: Review the most recent clients you LOVED working with – how did they find you?

Step 2: Consider how (or if!!) you are spending time connecting with clients in ways that are already effective.

If your clients come to you via referral – are you making your current working relationships as clear and amazing as you can to generate more referrals in the future?

If they come to you via networking events or face-to-face interactions - are you regularly getting out there and making yourself available for face-to-face conversations?

If you aren’t doing those things now – how can you fit them into your schedule?

Further Reading:

Perhaps social media is never going to be your favorite way to connect with clients. Check out 10 other ways to market yourself without having to touch Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platform.

We've spent the past couple of days reviewing what you already have in place and how clients find you.

Let's dive into something that can slow you down when it comes be being confident in your marketing - Imposter Syndrome. It is super annoying and nearly every client I've worked with deals with it in one way or another.

Imposter Syndrome says “You aren’t really that great,” “Anyone can do this,” “That person over there is so much beter…why are you even trying?” "

Obviously, Imposter Syndrome is a big pain in the butt!

If these feelings are creeping in on you, please remember that you aren’t alone. And if you’ve had even one happy client, you’ve beaten Imposter Syndrome at least once. If you've beaten it once, you can do it again - which is what you are going to tell yourself the next time it pops up - "I see you, Imposter Syndrome, but I'm going to keep doing my thing anyway."

Look over your testimonials – what are people saying about the work you do? What do they love about you? What makes them happy they chose you?

Today’s Assignment:

Step 1: If your testimonials are already on your website, read them over and look for the words or phrases that come up over and over again. You’re clients are literally telling you what they liked most about you – listen to them!

Step 1a: If your testimonials aren't on your site, get them up there! And if you are resisting putting up testimonials....think about why that might be.

Step 2: If you don’t have testimonials on your site because you haven't collected anything written yet, think back over what clients have told you. How do you make them feel? What have they said that is positive about your business? Why did they choose you over someone else?

Further Reading:

Learn more about Imposter Syndrome

Read what some famous people you may have heard of say about their Imposter Syndrome.

There are many ways you can actively market yourself. Let's explore a few of them.

Looking back at Day Two, we talked about where your clients find you.

What are the top two ways clients find you?

Is it Facebook and in-person networking? Is it referrals and Instagram? Is it word of mouth and signing up for your email? Is it friends/family & blogging?

Today’s Assignment:

Step 1: Write down the top two ways new clients find you.

Step 2: Looking back over Day One’s inventory of marketing assets, what have you already created that can be used to market/promote your business in those spaces? Make a list of 5-10 marketing-related posts/items you could share/create/repurpose using what you ALREADY have.

If your customers come from referrals, what can you do to make your next customer even happier?

If your customers come from social media, what do you already have to share that shows you know what you’re talking about? Have you already written blog posts that show your perspective and knowledge? Do you have a video series *almost* ready to be created?

Further Watching:

A Pep Talk from Kid President

Take the road that leads to awesome!

Looking over your list of marketing assets, where your clients came from, and what they love about working with you – how are ALL of those elements present in your marketing?

If they aren’t reflected in your marketing right now, how can you change that?

If, for example, your favorite way to work is face-to-face with a small group (and you happen to be a total rock star doing it):

Do you talk about why you love working that way?
About the effect you have on small groups?
About how the audience is impacted by your talks?
Are there photos of you speaking in front of groups that look like the groups you want to work with?
If you write a blog post, does it focus on the audience you want to work with?
Are you sharing testimonials from the clients you want to see more often?

Today’s Assignment:

Step 1: Chose to be visible. If you are feeling nervous about being visible in your business (or maybe you are worried about being seen as annoying), that is completely normal. Do this anyway, and check out the link in the Further Reading section below.

Step 2: Create a social media post that encompasses your love of what you do, the change you create for your clients, and why you do what you do.

Bonus step: Do it as a video!

Further reading:

Getting Over Fears About Being Visible