You're probably doing too much
It's your business and you get to call the shots
In this newsletter: a quick exercise for finding focus in your marketing—and a free quiz that gives you three easeful strategies tailored to your business.
Three feelings come back again and again in my conversations about marketing: if we want to market well, we need to be ‘on’ all the time; marketing feels completely overwhelming, like a second job that we’re unqualified for; or, we feel like we’re always winging our marketing, throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
Or maybe you’re feeling all three—I certainly have at some point or other, especially in the early years of my business. There’s just so much out there: so many channels, so many options, so much advice.
And even though I’m in the advice-giving business too, mine is very different. Do less. Do what feels easeful. Do what suits you.
Come to think of it, I’m probably less in the ‘advice-giving’ business than in the ‘permission’-business.
Giving small business owners like you permission to market in a way that feels good to them, to run their business in a way that suits them first and foremost is the absolutely best part of my work.
It’s the sigh of relief when you realise that your starting point for your marketing strategy isn’t external advice—it’s you. Your strengths, your skills, your needs and desires. Everything else comes second.
It’s your business and you get to call the shots. And this is your permission to stop doing all the things, and start focusing.
Finding focus
Starting with yourself usually means a radical cleaning up of the marketing you’ve set up. It’s realising that it’s not your fault that you feel spread thin and that you’re never doing enough.
So how do you choose? How do you practically start finding focus? One of my favourite ways to do this is by creating an energy/drains-list. It’s a very simple exercise that is really insightful.
I’m a pen-and-paper thinker, so I start out with a blank sheet of paper, and three columns.
In the left-hand column, list all the channels/platforms you’re using, from your newsletter to your website and blog, to social media platforms and more. Then: what do you enjoy about these channels? What about using them gives you energy? Try to be specific: is it taking pictures for Instagram? Is it writing, like you do in your newsletter? Or is it the design of your posts that you love? Finally, what drains you about these channels? Is it the format? Is it the pace? Is it writing longer pieces of text? Do you secretly hate recording video?
And there’s your list. Put it aside for an hour, a day, or a week if you need to. Come back to it with fresh eyes, and make your decisions about which channel(s) to keep, and which to get rid of.
(And yes, making these decisions can be really scary! But as long as what’s left still lets people find you, get to know you, and become fans, you’re covered.)
→ More about making choices in our marketing in this video: “How leaving social media made me rethink my marketing strategy”
If you’re completely new to marketing, and are not using any channels yet, the left-hand column can be filled with all the channels or platforms that you feel like you should use. Or the ones you genuinely want to try. The other two columns can serve as a great way of clarifying your choices and making decisions.
If this made you feel that sigh of relief, there’s more where it came from. I made a free quiz with just three questions, and in return you’ll get a free workbook with three easeful strategies tailored to your business—your version of doing less, intentionally.
Taking the quiz also signs you up for the waitlist of Grow, my gentle marketing programme which will open again, for the waitlist only, on July 6th. I’d love for you to be part of it. And of course you can also directly join the waitlist here. ↓
a book | I promised myself I wouldn’t buy another book, but then bought The Wilderness (Angela Flournoy) and was completely hooked. Such a beautiful, heartfelt novel about becoming, belonging and friendship (affiliate link).
small business resources | I’ve been updating my list of the resources + tools I use in my business—from scheduling and planning to marketing and rest.
a short trip | Going away for just two nights and feeling properly away, and pleasantly detached from ‘normal’ life.
I hope this month is treating you kindly whatever you’re doing. Thank you for inviting me into your inbox—as always, I love to know what resonated with you from this newsletter. Leave a comment or hit reply, I always love to hear from you. x
