11 Years of Marketing Strategies: Lessons and Favorites from My Journey
11 Years of Marketing Strategies
Lessons and Favorites from My Journey
Running a business is a journey filled with experimentation, learning, and growth. Over the past 11 years, I’ve had the opportunity to explore a variety of marketing strategies, each contributing in its own way to the success and growth of my business. Today, I want to share some of my favorite approaches, along with the lessons I’ve learned along the way. If you’ve been in business for 2-5 years, this blog is for you—full of actionable insights that can help you refine your marketing strategy and achieve better results.
1. Sales Calls: Building Trust Through Direct Conversation
Sales calls have been one of the most powerful tools in my marketing toolkit. Direct conversations allow me to build trust and really understand my clients’ needs. The key is to focus on listening rather than talking. Ask about their business, their challenges, and their goals. The earlier you can get your leads on the phone, the better—these calls set the foundation for a strong client relationship.
2. Free Webinars: Establishing Authority and Boosting Sales
Hosting free webinars has been an excellent way to provide value, establish authority, and nurture relationships with potential clients. One of the biggest benefits is that you can reuse the same content. I recommend hosting a webinar once a quarter. This not only provides a consistent touchpoint with your audience but also allows you to refine and improve your presentation over time.
3. Low-Ticket Courses: Building Trust and Showcasing Expertise
Low-ticket courses have been an incredible entry point for new clients. Offering a course at a lower price point, like $27, allows clients to experience your expertise without a huge commitment. One of my favorite strategies is to host the course on a password-protected page on my website—no need to invest in an additional hosting provider. With tools like Canva, you can create slides, record the presentation, and upload the videos directly to your site.
4. Low-Ticket Offers to Email Lists: Driving Sales and Conversions
Your email list is one of your most valuable assets. By offering low-ticket products or services to your list, you can consistently drive sales and conversions. Not everyone on your list will be ready for a high-ticket offer, but many might be interested in something smaller that still meets their needs. Consider rotating through a few different low-ticket offers to keep your audience engaged.
5. Reaching Out to Past Clients: Nurturing Relationships for Repeat Business
Nurturing relationships with past clients has been a game-changer for my business. Repeat business and referrals from satisfied clients have been key to my growth. Don’t be afraid to reach out to past clients to see if they need any additional work. Many times, they will appreciate the follow-up and may even refer you to others.
6. Cold Emailing: Strategic Outreach for New Opportunities
Cold emailing can feel daunting, but when done strategically, it can open doors to new opportunities. Rather than sending out mass emails, focus on a few local businesses you know could benefit from your services. This targeted approach is much more effective and doesn’t have the same “icky” feeling that traditional cold emailing can have.
7. Email Funnels: Streamlining Communication and Boosting Engagement
Automated email funnels have streamlined my communication and significantly boosted engagement. If you don’t have an email marketing funnel set up, you’re making your business harder than it needs to be. Once you write an email sequence, it can be used repeatedly for everyone who joins your list, ensuring that you’re always selling something to someone.
8. FB and Instagram Ads: Reaching New Audiences and Driving Traffic
Facebook and Instagram ads have been powerful tools for reaching new audiences and driving traffic to my website. I’ve invested time in learning how to run these ads effectively, and the results have been well worth it. Not only have I grown my email list, but I’ve also landed high-ticket clients through these platforms.
9. Instagram Content Creation: Strengthening Brand Presence
Consistent Instagram content creation has played a crucial role in strengthening my brand presence. I’ve developed a system that allows me to know exactly what content to share and when. Recycling blog posts into Instagram content has been particularly effective, helping me maintain a steady stream of valuable content.
10. Team Collaboration: Focusing on Strategic Growth
Collaborating with a dedicated team has allowed me to focus on what I do best—strategic growth. While I concentrate on acquiring clients and creating new content, my small team handles tasks that don’t require my direct involvement. This has been essential for scaling my business without burning out.
11. Affiliate Partnerships: Expanding Reach Through Collaboration
Affiliate partnerships have been instrumental in expanding my reach and client base. I aim to collaborate with others as much as possible, at least once a month. These partnerships not only bring in new clients but also allow me to tap into new audiences and markets.
12. Blogging: Boosting SEO and Establishing Authority
Blogging has been a cornerstone of my SEO strategy and has helped establish me as an authority in my field. Over the years, I’ve written blog posts that have made it to the first page of Google, driving organic traffic to my site. Clients regularly find me through these strategically written blog posts.
13. Freebies: Growing Your Email List Organically
Offering freebies has been one of the most effective ways to grow my email list organically. My website collects email addresses daily, allowing me to nurture leads and turn them into clients over time. Free resources provide value upfront and encourage visitors to take that first step in their journey with your brand.
Final Thoughts: Start Small, Scale Strategically
Each of these strategies has played a role in my growth over the past 11 years. However, I didn’t try them all at once. Instead, I added them slowly over time, focusing on one strategy for about 90 days before deciding whether to continue or pivot. If you’re in the early stages of your business, my advice is to pick one strategy and stick with it for 90 days before moving on to the next.
If you’re exploring ways to enhance your marketing efforts and need expert guidance on website services, Squarespace, or website templates, I’m here to help. Let’s grow and learn together!
Need Help? Let’s Chat!
Whether you’re looking to redesign your website, optimize your online presence, or simply need some brand and website advice, I’m here to support you. Reach out today, and let’s explore how we can work together to achieve your business goals.
Melissa McKenzie
Founder of Carbon & Clay Design Co.
Helping businesses grow through strategic website design and marketing.
Specializing in Squarespace and website templates.
