The Four Biggest Marketing Mistakes New(ish) Businesses Make
After 10 glorious years of uncaged biz freedom, I have a serious public service announcement to make!
I have learned that sustainable success where you can take off weeks at a time to go hiking is all about… (drumroll please)
Getting paid clients in the door.
Expecting something more dramatic? I’m not sorry!
Fact is: The best way to get clients is to get visible, and fast.
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.
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 do it?
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 tiktok
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 half that crap!
If you think I built my business by doing all the things, you would be wrong. Because hello! Overwhelm!
We’ve been doing this for 10 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 (fun fact: I recently went on a 180km solo hike and have been documenting it over on my personal IG account – scroll down past the wedding and Rhubarb funeral photos to get to the first posts).
INSTEAD, you need to be focussed on the right visibility strategies, otherwise you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall and expecting it to turn into caviar.
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
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 ogling 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
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 focussing.
When you’re in the newer stages of business, I recommend focussing 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 advert 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.
Next week starting Monday, I have a special bundle I’m releasing for our 10 year business anniversary, that includes how to get killer testimonials. Keep an eye out for that (we are getting it to your inbox before all the Black Friday madness starts!)
Mistake #3: Spending hours making Instagram Reels
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. 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 — and I am dishing them all out in the Uncaged Growth Plan, a step by step plan included in my 10-Year-Anniversary Bundle that I’m releasing on Monday next week!
We don’t usually sell these resources outside of Uncage Your Business (my $2000 course), but I want to offer them to YOU, for a limited time, as a way to say THANK YOU for being a part of the Uncaged community with me over this last decade.
I want YOU to be rocking your business FAST – who knows where you could be in 10 years, if you start with the right strategies now.
Keep an eye out Monday for an email about that (not on our list? DM us on Instagram and we will add you!)
Mistake #4: Blogging minimum once a week
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 maximising your appearance once you’re invited on.
My 10-year-anniversary bundle has the exact pitch I use and a sample fill in the blanks template you can take and tweak. Plus, how to find places to pitch, and what to do once you have been featured to make the most of it!
I will be releasing that on Monday, so stay tuned!!
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 worrying about having the right plugins on your website.
STOP going to networking events that aren’t working.
STOP worrying about what everyone else is doing.
STOP THE MADNESS!
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 Monday for our 10-year-anniversary bundle that will give you resources to help you gain visibility, pitch yourself, and build a referral network FAST. It will be available for 4 days only, so keep your eyes peeled!
