Many small businesses are basically dooming themselves. In today’s post I’ll tell you how to get clients – without the use of marketing on social media.
Although done unknowingly, many entrepreneurs design their business in a way that keeps them stuck in the Merry-Go-Round trap.
They’ve designed their business in a way that keeps them stagnant. And then they wonder why they aren’t growing.
I bet you know the feeling: hustling your booty off doing daily lead generation for Instagram, sending multiple dms a day just to get your potential clients to pay attention. You’re utterly sick of it and exhausted.
You always wonder how these other business owners around you are attracting dream clients with ease, clients knocking down their door and they aren’t evening dming or engaging that much.
You are doing what all the people are telling you to do.
And yet nothing seems to be moving the needle when it comes to bringing in those clients effortlessly without the hustle on social media.
You’re so close to the situation you don’t even realize you are spinning in circles. You’re too dizzy to see your potential clients are hiding in plain sight.
Here’s the answer: GOOGLE!
In this post I’m going to tell you all about how you can finally get clients to come to YOU without you having to hustle on the gram to sign them.
Were gonna talk ALL about marketing without social media.
Let’s jump in!
Let’s dive deeper into each of these!
There are other entrepreneurs who offer services similar to yours. How do you stand out against the competition?
Easy – you rank high on page 1 of Google 😉
The benefit of being this high up in Google search is that 1) people are finding you and 2) they actually click through to read more about you and what you have to offer.
Think about that copy that you spent hours cultivating to write the perfect about page or those thousands of dollars you invested into a whiz copywriter to clarify your offerings…
This is where that all pays off. Your brand, your story, and your offerings on your website will actually be read by ideal clients.
This is where you can showcase what makes you different from others offering similar services.
Evergreen blog content stays useful season to season, year to year with little or no need for upkeep. It can be referenced long after it was originally published, and even then, it’s still valuable to the reader. If you’re wondering what makes blog content “evergreen,” it basically is the following:
Okay, so now you have a better sense of what makes certain blog content ‘evergreen,’ but you’re probably still wondering what all the fuss is about. Why is evergreen content so valuable for you to get more clients? There are three main benefits that evergreen content can provide for a blog:
In other words, the reason evergreen content is so valuable is because it continues to work for you long after you publish it. That’s why a blog that incorporates evergreen content into its strategy is at an advantage. If you took a news-centric approach to your content creation and only published content about breaking industry news, your blog content would become outdated and irrelevant quickly, and it wouldn’t generate long-lasting traffic.
Evergreen content, on the other hand, guarantees SEO, traffic, and leads over time. And in today’s marketing world where regular and consistent content creation is a marketer’s job, who wouldn’t appreciate the timeless benefits of content that’s evergreen?
Having a blog will help you stand out in the crowd and get more clients because:
There are currently over 600 million blogs in the world and the number is increasing by the second.
But in order to really stand out from the sea of Blogs, you are going to have be a special cookie and have a unique Blog.
When you’re just starting out, I know it can be absolutely terrifying to be yourself.
Because you don’t know who you are yet and it can take a while to become comfortable putting your content out there for the whole world to see.
Added to which, you will want to aim for perfection.
Let this feeling go. And just be yourself. Write from your heart. Infuse your personality with your Blog and let your individuality take over.
And ask yourself what you truly want to be known for and think back on all the times people complimented you.
What is your true calling?
People have constantly praised me for my bright and colorful personality and have appreciated my humor. So, it only made sense to seamlessly integrate this with my Blog.
Having worked as a Website and Graphic Designer in the past, I can’t stress enough on how important your website’s looks are.
Yes, yes, we all know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover but in reality, we all do it.
Apart from your theme and your overall design, speed and functionality is just as important.
People are going to leave if:
Basically, if your Website looks cheap, people are going to assume that your Blog is not worth reading.
This is somewhat similar to putting sawdust in cupcakes and expecting people to buy them from you.
All of this can be avoided if you buy a good WordPress theme. So, I will suggest that you focus on finding a paid WordPress theme that:
This is why I absolutely love using Showit for blogging.
The main purpose behind your Brand is that it should not only look good but be extremely memorable.
This means, that apart from having a good layout, a pretty and functional theme, and beautiful brand colors, it should be coherent. For example:
Even the way you interact with people really matters and helps you stand out. For example how you:
So, be kind and reciprocal.
Show genuine love and compassion to your readers or clients. Be understanding. Really take the time to understand what they’re saying and make sure you hit every point in your response.
Because these little things go a long, long way when it comes to building a Brand that sticks.
Aye, that’s quite a mouthful.
In general, it takes time to become known in the Blogosphere.
Whether you like or don’t like the extra attention, standing out and being a unique will help your Blog grow at an alarming rate.
And standing out is all about finding your unique talent and then doing it consistently so that you create a Brand. Write a Business Plan to help you see where your Blog will be 5 years from now.
What tip are you going to try to make your blog stand out?
If you’re like most business owners, you’re in a constant battle to increase the size of your email list AND your social media following.
There’s no doubt you need both to build your online presence and drive traffic to your website.
But, which one should be the top priority?
Keep reading as I lay out the 5 reasons why building your email list wins the battle over social media.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products that I believe will provide great value for my readers.
On the subject of email marketing, right now you can get Flodesk for $19 a month instead of $38.
They’re the provider I use and recommend.
They’re the provider I switched to after being with another popular company for several years.
What you’ll find with them is that they make everything super easy to do.
From managing your list, to setting up sequences and automations and much more, they’re simply the easiest to use for bloggers like us.
With that said, let’s get onto the five reasons why I think your email list is more important than your social media following…
Let’s start with the fact that you don’t own your social media following.
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any of them, they’re the owner of the platform and the users.
Not you.
I know it can feel like your followers are your peeps, but it just aint so.
#ToughLove
An audience built on a social media platform is an audience built on rented land.
You’re the renter and not the owner.
You see, at any point the platforms can change their algorithms or suspend your account and *poof* that audience you worked so hard to build is now gone.
Now let’s talk about your email list.
You own it and you can take it with you from one email platform to the next.
You have a ton of control over who stays on your list and who you can remove.
You can tag them, segment them, communicate with them, market to them and more without worrying about how any of it affects some stupid algorithm.
That right there should convince you!
Imagine if you could press a button and a bunch people will come visit your website.
Well, that’s pretty much what happens when you send an email to your list with a link back to your site in it.
Let’s say you just published a great blog post. One of the first things you should do is send out a broadcast email to your list and tell them about it.
Inside that email, include a link to your new blog post with a call to action for your subscribers to click on that link.
By doing this, a percentage of the people on your list will click on that link and read your blog post. Voila… Instant traffic!
If you do this consistently over time, you will remain top of mind with your subscribers and they will continue to come back and visit your site.
Of course, the same thing holds true for links inside your automated email sequences too.
The Problem with Social Media Traffic
Social media traffic is much less consistent. There are so many distractions on the social media platforms and people don’t always consistently check their social feeds.
Plus, your social post appears at the whim of the platform’s algorithms. You may or may not get your post seen by people who follow you online. And even if it does appear, it will quickly go away as posts by others appear afterwards.
Things move much slower in someone’s inbox, giving you a better chance that your message will be read and links will be clicked.
If you think about it, a lot of thought and commitment goes into subscribing to someone’s email list.
Someone had to make a conscious choice to give you their email address.
At the time of doing that, your subscriber made a commitment that they WANT to be on your list and they WANT to hear from you.
Or else, they wouldn’t give you their email address in the first place.
Choosing to follow someone on social media is much more passive, with very little commitment. Not to mention all the distractions mentioned in #2 above.
Since your email subscribers have chosen to hear from you, they’re also more likely to engage with you.
As a matter of fact, don’t be surprised if you get replies to your broadcast messages and sequences. People will ask you for your advice, respond to your email call to actions or even just share what’s on their mind at the moment.
I love it when that happens!
One of the classic, old school ways to learn more about your subscribers is to ask them (in an email) what they’re struggling with as it relates to your niche. It’s a great way to get content ideas as well.
You can also run surveys and contests through your email list, without having to worry about all the rules associated with doing the same on social media.
5. Better for Selling
Finally, they say the money is in the list and it’s true.
What’s great about your email list is you can take the time to nurture your subscribers, so that they get to know, like and trust you.
Once they have your trust, they’ll be more likely to purchase from you.
And of course, an important part of any good sales funnel is your email list.
When it comes to selling through an automated sales funnel, nothing beats email. There’s just no way to setup the automation you need via social media.
And also, on social media platforms, selling is usually dismissed by people pretty quickly. People are on social media platforms more so for entertainment purposes then to be sold to.
Even if you pay to promote on social media, you still end up trying to get people onto your email list to make the final sale.
So, that makes your email list much better for selling than social media.
With the ability for clients and customers to find you when you’re not actively marketing, you’ll most likely see an uptick in leads and sales.
Especially if you have digital products you sell on evergreen (such as templates, masterclasses, and courses), you’ll see the benefit of ranking high on Google.
You’ll be able to fill your sales funnels with more leads.
There are a number of ways to attract readers and viewers using SEO.
Some of the ways to achieve this include:
Visibility + value + l.k.t + CTA = clients + customers
Let’s break this down:
When it comes to growing your business, visibility is one of the most essential business activities you need to make an effort to do, no matter what. No matter whether you’re a blogger, business coach,social media manager, if you want to stand out in the marketplace and stay in business for the long term, you need to be visible. No matter how certain or uncertain the times.
The key to staying visible is to remind yourself that it’s a long game, not a short one. It isn’t something you can dip into, as and when you need to know how to get clients. It’s not about just advertising when you need to, or writing a blog when you feel like writing, it’s about maintaining a visible, professional presence at all times.
Visibility is about getting your name and brand out there and being seen in your industry or niche. It’s about becoming a go-to person for help, advice and valuable information, and it’s about showcasing why you’re an awesome business owner. Visibility is about standing out and staying at the forefront of your ideal clients mind, as well as showing that you are open for business – no matter what certain or uncertain times we may currently be experiencing.
So how can you do that? I’d recommend you get help to do it right. That’s why so many business owners have joined my signature blog coaching program – The Blog Growth Lab.
To get visible you need to:
I’m sure you hear the scary-mentor voices chanting in your dreams…
GIVE VALUE.
BE INTERESTING.
CONNECT WITH YOUR PEOPLE.
STAY CONSISTENT.
And on and on with the seemingly “simple” mantras delivered for *guaranteed success* and conquering the stupid-freaking algorithm.
Sure, those things are simple, but ONLY if you know what value to provide, how to be interesting, what fuels connection with your people. Without all of those things, consistency is impossible, and PLANNING CONTENT is… well… in Lorelai Gilmore’s words:
“I’d rather slide down a bannister of razor blades and land in a pool of alcohol” than plan content in advance when I have NO IDEA WHAT THE HECK TO SAY.
Today I’m giving you my workflow for planning a week of social media content in 35 minutes flat. BUT, I’m also giving you the BEFORE. Before you can plan great content, you have to have a foundation to work from.
Your foundation will help you remember:
– what you want to be known for
– what your audience wants to hear
– why *you* are the exact right person to serve them in that way
As with most of my advice, establishing this foundation is going to require a little bit of digging.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW BEFORE PLANNING CAN EVER BE A BREEZE:
Your Content Categories + Your Core Values
Creating Content Categories
Content categories are essential in any business. If you don’t know what you want to be known for or what your “thing” is, you might be caught sharing a recipe one day, talking about brand design the next, and sharing a million pictures of your kids or your home with a simple “It’s Tuesday, dude” attached.
Sure, you might “be consistent” and spend your time “creating content,” but if it’s content that doesn’t matter to your audience in any way, you’ll leave them confused and primed to unfollow.
While creating your content categories…
FIRST, THINK OF THESE QUESTIONS:
My advice: Nothing is small. NOTHING, people. There is a booming Instagram account all about pumpkins. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. There are people on the internet teaching how to scramble eggs and fold a shirt.
Often times, things that are second-nature to us are completely MIND-BLOWING to other people.
Start by writing absolutely everything you can think of in relation to those questions above.
THEN, categorize. Does anything fit together? Try to come up with no more than 5 Content Categories, to make sure you’re not overwhelming yourself and muddling your message.
THEN, think about this: Will this message fuel my business? How?
Content is an audience-builder, building your audience means making real connections, but we also really need to get paid. Amen, sister. Am I right?
Content is value in and of itself, but try to make sure it’s funneling people toward trusting you to the point that working with you is almost a given!
My Content Categories:
My Most-Recent Client’s Categories:
You have to push out valuable blog content in order to know how to get clients.
Have you heard of the know, like and trust factor?
It’s important when it comes to knowing how to get clients and referrals, and something we, as business owners trip over.
So let’s take a look at what it is, and how you can incorporate the know, like and trust factor into your marketing while staying within your ethical boundaries.
People buy from people and companies they know, like and trust.
But if you’ve ever read anything about blogging and marketing, you’ll probably have been told that to increase this, you should allow the real you to come through by being vulnerable, sharing personal stories and case studies.
There’s a guy I follow on Twitter who’s a man with a van. You need something moving, he’s your guy. All in all not the most interesting of businesses (in my eyes anyway!).
But the way he uses Twitter is amazing. When he stops for lunch, he takes a cryptic photo of his surroundings always making sure his business card – which has a distinctive, cute cartoon van on it – is somewhere in the picture and asks ‘where in Lincolnshire am I?’ And people try to guess. Simple, fun.
He plays hide and seek with his business cards – leaves them in strange and cheeky places and takes a pic of it. If he’s in the pub he’ll talk about the top quality pint and take a pic which includes his business card, or out with his partner for a meal he’ll talk about the lovely ambiance, take a pic and his card is casually on the table. His pics always includes his business card somewhere.
Sometimes, he hides it a business card in a shop, and the first person to find it gets £20.
But you never see his face! It’s fun, he’s funny! And more importantly, it’s memorable.
He’s promoting his business in the most unsalesy way possible. Only about 1 in 20 tweets are him saying ‘need to move something, give me a call’.
And because of this, if I need a man with a van I know I shall choose him because he has the know, like trust and factor. He’s made himself memorable.
I know he’s likely to have a smile and some banter, and that brightens up the day.
Know: he shares his day
Like: he’s fun!
Trust: he posts consistently, he’s been in business a while and he’ll sometimes post smiley pics of satisfied customers, and posts VALUABLE educational content to show hes an expert in his niche
BE VISIBLE:
BE YOURSELF :
BE RELIABLE:
It’s a buzzword you may or may not have heard of before, but ‘Call to Actions’ (aka CTAs) are in fact one of the most important elements of any website or web page AND blog posts. Without them, your website is simply a list of information with no obvious ‘next steps’ for your visitors.
Much like the name suggests, a Call to Action is an element on a web page (such as a button, text or image) that tells the reader what they should do next. If you want your website visitors to engage more with your brand by contacting you, signing up for a newsletter, downloading a PDF or viewing your portfolio, then you need clear CTAs on your website.
As you can see, a Call to Action doesn’t have to be ‘salesy’; sometimes they are simply used to direct people around your website and be helpful. You might want to use CTAs for a number of reasons:
So there you have it! Know you know how to get clients with the secret equation!
I highly recommend you checking out my Blog VIP DAYS. This is a new service that I offer to business owners who don’t have the time to write consistent content and who want to get more visible on Google to attract more of their dream clients and make more money.
In my VIP DAYS I:
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