The Four Biggest Marketing Mistakes New(ish) Businesses Make
After 14 years in business (OMG), I have seen a lot of new business owners come and go and a lot of them making the same mistakes that burn them out too fast.
So many new business owners spend too much time on the wrong things.
There is only one thing you need to worry about when you are new to your biz — and that thing is getting paying clients.
I see waaaaay too many new business owners get totally confused about the latest marketing trend and lose sight of why they’re doing any of this in the first place. It’s so easy to get lost in the weeds.
If you’re a coach, healer or other solopreneur business owner, you may be awesome at what you do, but the truth is you’re not a marketer and when you’re newer to business, no one really knows who you are (womp womp). Which means that getting your name and face out there in front of the people who need you is your ONLY job.
But if no one knows who you are, how do you get them to find you?
Most new-ish coaches, healers and solopreneurs DO NOT need to focus on allll the things you’re told to do to market your business.
The Tiktoks
The Reels
The Opt-ins
The Webinars
The Facebook Ads
The Website
The Blogging
The Pinterest
The Twitter
The Podcasting
Stop!! No!!!
If you’re in the new-er stages of business, you don’t need to do a fraction of those things.
Even looking at that list os overwhelming for me.
We’ve been doing this for 14 years now and have helped hundreds and hundreds of clients to create their own uncaged biz freedom. I don’t like wasting time on marketing that doesn’t matter because I’d rather be out actually living my uncaged life.
INSTEAD, you need to be focused on the right visibility strategies, otherwise you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall (ie. wasting your time hoping something works)
As a friend of mine always says, there are crappy ways to market your business and there are great ways — and both take the same amount of time.
So let’s cut to the chase and save you some time and get to learning the right ways!
Mistake #1: Constant content creation.
Spending too much time creating blog posts, IG captions, etc
What to do instead: Use social media as a networking tool to build your referrals
If I had a dollar for every beautifully curated Insta profile belonging to a broke coach, healer or solopreneur without any clients, I could probably retire tomorrow. Creating endless content for your blog and social media platforms isn’t BAD… it’s just not the fastest way to grow your biz.
The way I advocate using social media (other than watching reels of funny dogs) is to focus on meeting new people, building relationships and growing your referral network. Instead of focussing on yet more content, instead make sure you have a super compelling message and razor-sharp bio so you can share who you are around the internet in a way that gets people clicking over to learn more.
Mistake #2: Running Facebook ads
Spending any money on ads when you are new is just a bad idea.
What to do instead: Gather epic testimonials
Don’t get me wrong, paid ads can be an awesome strategy — when you’re the right stage for them (otherwise they can be an expensive mistake). Unless you have a razor-sharp message, clear niche, proven offer and funnel, and the profit margins to pay for them, FB ads probably aren’t where you should be focusing.
When you’re in the newer stages of business, I recommend focusing on growing your credibility with SOCIAL PROOF.
Honestly, really good social proof is what makes the paid advertising work in the first place, so don’t put the cart before the horse. When you see a random ad on Facebook the first thing you do is check out to see if it’s legit — and those screenshots of REAL consumer comments are mighty convincing aren’t they?
Showing people that OTHER people have trusted you and gotten results from you is VITAL.
You NEED great testimonials.
There are testimonials that just waste space on your website and can actually turn your clients OFF from working with you (a non-convincing testimonial is worse than NO testimonial at all).
And then there are killer testimonials that will turn people into buyer’s just from reading them.
Make sure your testis focus on the before and after, and talk about CLEAR and tangible results.
(We give you a guide on how to collect killer testimonials and how to best use them in your marketing, in our Uncage Your Business program, launching January 15)
Mistake #3: Spending hours making Instagram Reels
What’s your hourly rate on each reel you make? I bet if you added it up, it would be dismal….
What to do instead: Take strategic daily action
When you’re new-ish to business and need clients in the door, chances are you may have been seduced by the Reels propaganda machine or the TikTok craze. I don’t know many biz owners with the bandwidth or the time (or desire) to spend hours pointing and dancing in Reels.
And, even if you did have time to do that, it’s NOT what will bring you clients fastest and can strip hours from your precious time.
There are MUCH faster ways to get yourself in front of the people who need you. Networking, reaching out to people who you could partner with, pitching yourself to be on someone’s podcast – these are ALL much more effective ways to get in front of the right audience. Reach out to one person daily, and see how your business grows.
(We give you an exact strategy and plan for how to do this in our Uncage Your Business program, which is launching January 15 with a huge discount and bonus coaching calls!)
Mistake #4: Blogging minimum once a week
When you’re new to business, who is actually reading your blog? Likely your mom and a couple of friends. There are better ways to spend that creative time and energy!
What to do instead: Pitch to podcasts
I’m sure your blog is great… but diligently blogging on your own website every single week is a) probably feeling like a massive chore and timesuck and b) not actually getting you any clients.
The marketing strategy you really need to be focussed on is one that helps you get VISIBLE, and blogging on your website just isn’t it. Sorry.
The best way to do that? Borrow other (more established) people’s audiences and build traction fast!
I advise doing that by a good ol’ fashioned PITCH.
Podcasts are your friend here because they are so niche (we love niche). I learned by trial and error what works and what doesn’t here, and eventually I sharpened up a pitch that lands me spots on huge podcasts (see where I have been featured here). There’s no point creating a kick-ass pitch if you’re not sending it to targeted podcasts or maximizing your appearance once you’re invited on.
TIPS FOR PITCHING:
- Follow instructions on each individual site carefully – each one will want you to do it a little differently
- Keep your pitch short. Tell them who you are (briefly), and why you love their work (make reference to a recent piece of their work to show that you’re paying attention!). Then tell them you had an idea for a post/topic that would be great for their audience. Give them your post idea in 1-2 sentences (include your strong point of view here!). Say thanks, and sign off.
- Don’t pitch until the rest of your website is clear and reflective of your work, and you have an opt-in in place to gather email addresses. Otherwise it’s just wasted traffic!
- The more the better — you WILL get no’s, so don’t be afraid to pitch to a ton of places for better chances of getting a YES – just make sure that they are actually places your target market hangs out.
The truth is, building visibility for your biz isn’t that complicated. You simply need to ditch the time-wasters and get strategic.
STOP setting up all your social media channels.
STOP spending so much time creating content that no one will see.
STOP going to networking events that aren’t working.
STOP worrying about what everyone else is doing.
Before you jump on the tik-tok train or start drafting an elaborate webinar series, do yourself a favor and get focused on the four actions above, and I promise, your business will grow faster by doing ONLY those four things than by trying to do ALL THE THINGS.
xx becca
PS. Keep an eye out on January 15 for our launch of Uncage Your Business – we are offering $500 off and 4 bonus coaching calls (plus you get the usual full YEAR of coaching and support). Excited to get started with a new group of students!!
