As a business mentor for creatives, I will show you how
Do you ever feel like you want to throw your computer out of the window because you’ve had enough of posting content on your social media? So many creative entrepreneurs feel like they are wasting so much energy at promoting themselves online, but without any real results. You get hardly any Likes, let alone engagement. And let’s not even mention leads and clients. It feels utterly pointless sometimes, but you still feel it is necessary to be visible online somehow. So you continue.
Why does it have to be so hard?
It is such a familiar story. Most creatives start their business because they love what they do or make. They have a passion, a skill, or a talent, and they want to share it with the world. Only, the world doesn’t know you exist yet. Running a business comes with, for many, a necessary evil: marketing. And marketing skills are not something everyone is naturally born with, in fact, it is something most new entrepreneurs know very little about. During my coaching for creative professionals and other entrepreneurs, I see it all the time.
And that is normal! So it is not surprising that there is tumbleweed on your Facebook page, and your Instagram account only has 50 followers, most of whom family and friends.
Stop beating yourself up, or feeling guilty about it. Marketing is a skill, and it doesn’t have to give you a headache. In fact, it can even be fun! I’ll tell you why, just keep reading.
The key is in the message
The biggest mistake I see creatives make is that they focus too much on crafting fabulous products and services, without knowing exactly who they are trying to sell to.
Artists, photographers, designers, and even travel businesses or people working in catering, often create the most gorgeous visuals to promote their work, but then randomly post on social media. They have no strategy, no clear message, and they don’t know who their audience is. Not only that, but they end up feeling deflated and even hating marketing because they don’t get any results from all the effort they put in. This is one of the things I help my clients with, to feel more in control of their marketing and attract real clients. Can you get excited about marketing? Oh, yes!
Feeling daunted by social media
I recently worked with commercial photographer Alex Baker over a period of six weeks, to help her get to grips with marketing her business. She is a typical example of a highly creative, and skilled photographer, producing incredible work. However, she was feeling completely daunted by the whole social media and marketing thing, in order to get more, and especially, better clients. So much so, that she just wasn’t doing anything effectively or strategically.
Alex said: “It was like a stab in the dark every couple of weeks when I felt inclined to post something. I felt like I would be irritating to people if I posted too much and just wasn’t really sure what I should be writing.”
We quickly discovered the crux of the problem: she had no clear message. She had several things she was offering, for different types of clients, but was not quite sure what direction to take. This was very visible in her marketing: it was random and without a strategy. The images were nice, but without a clear goal or audience, she was literally playing darts without an actual dartboard.
Everything starts to flow with a clear goal
The next few weeks Alex and I worked on defining her niche, and her main offer, and worked on her message: the who, the what, and the why. And I tell you: once that message is clear in your head, everything else falls into place. You know who you are talking to, or are trying to talk to on social media.
With a clear image in your head of your ideal client, it is so much easier to create the right content that will actually get engagement.
You no longer have to try and please everyone; you only focus on those people you want to work with. You have a plan, and the plan is to attract your ideal client. All content will therefore have to carry the right message, whether visually or written.
A clear road map to attract the right clients
After six weeks of working together, it was amazing to see the light bulbs going up in Alex’s head, and see the joy and excitement return. Not only did she now feel more confident of what she really wanted to do and offer, but it also started to show in her content almost immediately. And not just in terms of output, also in terms of mindset and confidence.
Having a clear message, she is no longer afraid to let her own personality stand out from the crowd (and Alex is an introvert!).
Alex: “Already I have received several positive comments from people in my network who have noticed the difference in my social media interactions, and I feel much more confident that I can continue to grow in the right direction, rather than wasting time on things that don’t matter to me.”
How you can find your marketing mojo back
Knowing the transformation people go through when working with me on their marketing strategy, I felt strongly that this service would be great for a lot more creatives who are struggling with the same issues. But not everyone is ready to invest in a 1-to-1 business coach. I have therefore designed something that will get you the same results, without the high ticket price.
Work me with
If you are thinking of working with a coach or mentor who is specialised in helping small businesses and creatives to attract more clients, book a free call with me to see if we are a good fit.
Don’t expect any complicated jargon or gobbledygook when working with me as a coach – and certainly, no corporate sales speak. I am a creative entrepreneur myself, renowned for my clear language and practical attitude, and I am never short of new ideas. Business should be fun, and I will help you get clients.
That reminds me a bit of a post I recently wrote about how to promote your writing. Nonetheless, it was unique in its own way! Would recommend you add a short list, maybe a few bullet points or so, at the end of the post with some tips. With your expertise, tips will be really helpful.
I appreciate your professionalism. Thanks for sharing the post!!