Hey guys. Welcome to Episode 83 of the Business Bites Podcast. I am your host, Rachel Brenke, and I am starting to pull even more from the direct questions that you guys are sending me through the inbox, through the Business Bites Facebook community, through my social media. So please please please keep reaching out to me, keep asking questions, because I am going to target them and answer them here on the podcast to help you out specifically, and also to help out other busy entrepreneurs.

If you guys are new to the podcast, please understand that these are quick bites of content for busy entrepreneurs, but that does not mean that you’re not going to get a ton of information. I talk really fast so you may need to slow it down, but you can always come back and listen again.

And also guys please, if you can leave a five star review on the podcast platform that you use to listen, I would so love it. It really does help to keep the podcast sponsor-free and to support all the great information. Yes, I’m humble, I promise, but just support all the information and the resources, my team that is amazing, to help bring you guys this podcast.

So we’re going to go ahead and jump right in to top three marketing tips that you guys can get under control, right away. I understand marketing is a big bear. It is different for everyone. You’re going to hear five bazillion different ways in order to do marketing just by loading iTunes or loading your Google browser and you type in marketing tips. You are going to be plagued with information.

I’m going to show you guys my specific three marketing tips, but before I get into that, understand where I’m coming from with these. Keep in mind that I started being an entrepreneur before even the days of Facebook. That’s not that long ago, but understand that when I started doing business I had a fashion apparel line, which is so funny because I’m not fashionable at all, and I also started helping other businesses get up off the ground after I had been growing a few successful ones myself. But at that time there were not a lot of people that were doing business-to-business coaching or consulting or education, all this freemium model stuff that that we have now. So understand that the tips that I’m bringing you are things that I’ve learned and not because I’ve sat and scrolled through someone else’s social media or because I took a course. These are from the days. These are the true blue things that I learned from making mistakes over and over again until I wised up and figured out what was not working right.

So let’s go ahead and jump on in. Tip number one, there is no bones about it that I have talked about this type of marketing messaging before on this podcast, especially over in Episode 12 when I talk about the magic of the client or customer avatar. But that is tip number one, that is get super clear on your ideal consumer and the message that they want to hear. I know this is said so much it’s almost cliché, but y’all, listen. Yes, the y’all came out. The Texas is coming out, because I’m getting on a soapbox. When y’all come in my inbox and you’re asking me, “Why is my marketing not working? I’m putting all this out there. I’m paying for ads. I’m doing webinars, I am pounding the pavement to talk to local businesses. What is going on? Why is it not working?”

I boil down to these very two specific things, ideal customer and the message that they want to hear, which equals your unique selling proposition, or it is the solution that you have to that ideal consumer’s problem. Those two key things are often missing in y’all’s messaging, in all of your marketing, in all of your social media.

Even today, a decade plus into business with multiple, multiple successful businesses, I still ask myself this question. “Is this message going speaking to my ideal consumer, and is this the message that they want to hear?” Those are the two questions that I always ask myself before I engage in any sort of marketing activity.

I feel like sometimes as entrepreneurs we fall into these ruts, that we’re like, “Oh we should just try something new and just see what happens.” And you guys know I’m pretty conservative, but I can go rogue once in a while, and it does pay off. I’ve shared about those stories in other episodes. That being said, even when I quote unquote go rogue, I’m still staying within my ideal consumer and messaging for the most part. I may push the boundary of it a little bit, but I’m not going to take a complete 180.

So let me give you an example. My ideal consumer actually mirrors who I am. And again if you’re sitting here listening and you’re going, “I don’t know who this ideal consumer or this client avatar is,” go to rachelbrenke.com/epi12, or whatever podcast app that you’re using just scroll down to Episode 12, and then come back here and pick back up, because you want to go through the process of identifying who that ideal consumer or that client avatar is. For me, that is someone that is just like me, mid 30s, who has school aged children, who is an entrepreneur, a working mom, but who also wants to be able to have other things outside of business, wants to be able to provide for their family, devote time to their family. But like for myself, I also compete with Team USA for triathlon, multi-sport type events, swim bike run, and all of that. So, my messaging has got to be quick.

Why do you guys think this podcast is quick education for busy entrepreneurs? Because if you fit into that demographic… You don’t have to check off all the boxes of what I just said, but most of you would check off the majority, because you’ve been attracted to this podcast. And then my tips and my messaging are giving you stuff, not only what you need to know. And it’s a little different when I’m providing legal info, because I’m bringing you stuff that you don’t know what you don’t know, and that’s my job. But I’m also doing it in a way that’s quick, tangible, and calls to action, so you guys can quickly get it done. And that’s the messaging that you’re craving. Why? Because your problem is that you’re overwhelmed, but you need quick things to revolutionize your business. So ideal consumer plus the messaging.

Now, it doesn’t have to be super clear. I don’t have to scream it every single time I open up the podcast, “Quick education for busy entrepreneurs.” I mean it’s in the intro, and I did say it a little bit in this intro today, but that was because I was leading to this. I wanted to point out to you little ways you can throw out your messaging. It’s very subtle without having to be in somebody’s face. Because I feel like sometimes people take their USP, or their unique selling proposition, and they’ve got this down, this number one on these three top marketing tips, the ideal consumer and messaging. They take that to the extreme to the point it almost starts polarizing or sounding cheesy or cliché. So there’s a balance. I know you all can handle it.

Let’s dig into the Business Bites Facebook group and talk about this. I’m going to drop a group message so we can start talking about this episode.

All right. So number one was getting super clear on your ideal consumer and the message they want to hear, i.e. you giving them the solution for the problem that they have. Again, use that every single time you’re getting ready to engage in an action or a anything in your business. When you’re going to open your mouth, when you’re going to post anything, everything. Run through those two things.

Number two. And this honestly is something that I feel like sometimes I falter at, because I actually don’t like talking about myself. But number two is give your existing consumers ways to talk about you and ask them to talk about you. I have a hard time doing this sometimes because I feel like it’s not humble. And I’m not saying this for you guys. It’s not like I walk around and look at you guys asking for referrals or asking for testimonials and go, “Oh my gosh, she’s not humble.” That’s not it. I just have to get out of my comfort zone and start asking guys to talk about me.

And actually, I’m going to go on air right now and commit to say, in my future episodes, I’m going to ask for you guys to send the episode to someone you think that needs whatever that topic is. And how is that? And how am I giving you a way to do that? I have a dedicated podcast page. For example, not only do I have a page, you can go to rachelbrenke.com and select podcast, but I’m drilling it down even more. And this can apply to you guys. I’m going to give you an example here in a second. But notice that I have a page for every single one of the episodes. Why is that? Because I want to tailor the message specifically. This is kind of circling back up to number one. So I’m identifying my ideal customer. I’m giving them the message through the podcast, the solution to their problem. And I’m giving them ways to talk about me by giving them a direct link page, like where I tell you guys that these show notes are going to be rachelbranke.com/epi83. That is a direct link. But then I also have to follow that up with asking you guys to do that.

You have seen this happen or had this happen to you before. Often you all fill out a quiz and it’ll say, “Share on Facebook.” It automatically prompts. Start looking at ways that you can give your existing consumers ways to talk about you, and make sure you ask them to do it. A simple ask. And I’m not going to go down that path. There’s tons of books and podcasts about the power of the ask and all of that. But it’s true. Simply by asking, people will do it.

And I’m going to commit to number two, because that is a top marketing tip. I’ve relied on a lot of word of mouth. But I was much better about asking for referrals in the beginning, and I don’t know why. I’ve just gotten uncomfortable, I guess, in my old age, ha ha. But I’m going to start doing that. I’m going to give you guys better ways to talk about me, and I’m going to ask you to do it. And I want to challenge you guys to do the same.

And the third marketing tip… This is something I have done from the very beginning, and I continue to do it because… I was going to say misery loves company, but that’s not true. Let’s use another cliché, like birds of a feather flock together.

So get in deep with relevant and similar businesses who have the same ideal consumer. They don’t have to be the same industry as you. It probably helps, but they don’t have to be exactly the same as you. They just need to have an overlap of the ideal consumer.

Why is this? Word of mouth from other authorities in an industry or other business owners goes just as far as consumers talking about you. So number two tip that we talked about was giving your consumers a way to talk about you and asking them to because recommendations are way above any sort of testimonial you can stick on a website, way beyond anything that you can say about yourself. So partner that with this tip number three. When you have authority figures who are recommending you, it just bolsters the recommendation even more.

I will say that I think friends on Facebook, friends down the street, your coworkers, all of those for your consumers are probably going to put more value in those recommendations than local businesses, but it’s good to partner with both, to have both of that, have Aunt Janey down the street recommending your photography business, and then also having a local spa that your ideal client avatar frequents recommending you as well. So get in deep and loyal with these other similar businesses, similarly situated businesses, that have a similar ideal consumer audience.

These three tips, if nothing else, are going to guide you. Sorry that this episode didn’t give you, “Run out and do Facebook ads,” although I do have a related episode for that. They’re not telling you, “Go out and here’s how to make vouchers and hand them out,” although that can work as well, and I do talk, I think, a little bit about that in my referrals are gold episode. I’ll link all of this in the show notes. But understand that these three foundational marketing tips go into every decision you’re going to make when it comes to taking any actual action.

Marketing tips should guide your actions. Marketing tips… And this is maybe me getting on a soapbox a little bit. When you see people advertise, “I’ve got three marketing tips,” they should not be the action. The tips should be phrasing and framing and shaping the actions that you’re going to take.

So now when you sit down and create a Facebook ad, you’re going to run through this checklist. Get super clear on your ideal consumer and message they want to hear. Then after they’ve consumed that content and done your call to action, and they’ve become your customer, you’re going to give them an existing way to talk about you. And you’re also going to get in deep with local businesses or similarly situated businesses and share consumers, share audiences, share resources. And it’ll be one loop, and you come right back around.

I hope you guys enjoyed these top three marketing tips. Understand, there’s nothing novel about them. I didn’t just come up with these. These are foundational. You’ll find them in marketing books out there, but it’s how it’s applied, and I hope that my examples will help you guys.

So now go. Take another 10, 15 minutes after the end of this podcast. Institute these top three marketing tips maybe into your next blog post or your next Facebook ads campaign. Please then jump into the Business Bites Facebook group. Let us know how it’s going. Ask questions. We can help develop marketing ideas for you to apply these tips to.

Again, you guys can get the show notes that will list related episodes as well as resources at rachelbrenke.com/epi83.