Marketing Mentor Blog
The Marketing Mix
Read, watch and listen to the latest insights from Marketing Mentor & friends
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What is strategy? With Kristina Unker of Ma’am
If it’s time to stop giving away your most valuable resource – your thinking – and finally get paid for it, Episode 520 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for...
Need More Gigs, More Often? Try This Simple Mar...
You can’t control when a potential client will come into their time of need… but you can increase your odds that they’ll think of you when they do. Here's my...
No retainer clients for Cleveland Design!
In Episode 519 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Jonathan Cleveland, founder of Cleveland Design and author of Designing for the Greater Good: The Best of Cause Marketing and Nonprofit Design, shares...
How Far Will You Take Your Creative Business Th...
What are you capable of this year? Whatever just popped into your mind, I want you to forget it. Because the truth is: You have no idea what your potential is for...
Productizing a Creative Service with Lidia Vare...
If you’ve been wanting to productize your creative service, learn how brand strategist and designer, Lidia Varesco Racoma, chose her niche and turned her resources into a product called, The...
Try These 3 Outreach Messages for Quick Wins
The start of the year is a great time to build momentum with “quick wins.” To get a quick win, your efforts must focus on “engagement” – that means interacting with...
12 Ways to Get Quick Wins from the Simplest Mar...
If you want quick wins to kick off the new year, Episode #517 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you! Find out what a quick win really is and...
What are your 2024 LinkedIn Highlights?
Andy Brenits, one of our new SMP+ program "expert coaches" has already started sharing his wisdom in the Slack channel. Try this and see what you get!
2024 by the numbers
Oof. I just keep thinking about The Poseidon Adventure (1972) where (spoiler alert, but if you haven’t seen it by now…) the ship is sinking, and a group of passengers are waiting to...
On Time and Patience for 2025 with Alan Seiden
We’re wrapping up 2024 and ringing in 2025 with a conversation about time and patience (and AI too, of course), with my old friend and self-proclaimed introverted IT geek, Alan...
How to Use Generosity In Your Marketing - Witho...
Generosity is one of the most powerful marketing tools we have. It’s the mindset with which you approach your business – and your life. And it starts with the genuine...
How I Built It: Ilo Orleans interviews Ilise Benun
How I built it: Ilo Orleans interviews Ilise Benun. In today’s episode, we turn the tables and I am interviewed by my very first client, Ilo Orleans, director and producer of...
Introducing: Two MORE New Marketing Coaches
If you truly want to attract more high-paying clients next year, what you need is friendly, experienced business owners who can show you what to do, when. That’s why I’m...
From “Daunting” to Doable: How Amy Landed Clien...
At the start of the year, Amy knew she needed to communicate regularly with clients - but the thought of launching a newsletter felt “daunting.” With a little encouragement, she...
The AI-Infused Path to More Marketing Wins in 2025
Marketing works when you do it right. Getting bigger wins isn’t about doing as much marketing as possible. It’s about doing the right kind of marketing and being consistent. Over...
Attract More Clients with Better Content: Meet ...
If you're ready to attract better clients with great content but need a little boost to get started - help is here! Announcing your next Simplest Marketing Program Coach: Bonnie...
Why Antonio’s Getting Better Results from His C...
Is “little by little” all it takes to grow your business? That’s exactly what’s working for SMP+ member Antonio Meza this year.
Marketing Works… When You “Finish” It
So many creative professionals give up on their marketing efforts because “they’re just not working.” But when your marketing is working, you are often the last to hear about it!...
Help! My marketing isn’t working!
If you need more and/or better clients, but it feels like your marketing isn't working, this episode is for you. Ilise Benun describes what it looks like when it is...
Are you doing social media manually?
When it comes to building WordPress websites, I don’t need much motivation. I dive into the code and come up hours later, hardly realizing time has passed (except for noticing...
Heal Your Perfectionism for Good
Perfectionism and overthinking slowing you down? It happens to almost everyone... And today, I’ll tell you what to do about it! Watch the second “Minisode” in my new series: “Recipe...
When Life Gets Busy - Shrink Your Marketing!
If you want to land more clients that are a great fit for you, you should do at least one thing to market yourself every day. How do you do...
Your Marketing Isn’t Working?? Here’s Why…
Does it feel like you're trying everything to get clients and build your business, but your marketing isn't working? Watch this video to learn why and what to do about...
Feeling Stuck? How to “Un-Snooze” Your Marketing
It’s OK to feel "stuck" in your business. It happens to almost everyone. But it’s not OK to stay stuck. This month, I’m excited to tell you my plans to...
Where are they now? with actor/director/film pr...
For the next installment in the “Where are they now” series, for Episode 512 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, I bring you my first client, actor/director and film producer, Ilo...
Is your business growing fast enough? (Take th...
[Take the 3 minute survey] If your business isn’t growing fast enough… I have a few ideas for you... But first, I have a few questions – here’s the first....
How to Handle Rejection with Ilise Benun
In this new Q&A style episode (#511) of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, you’ll learn what to do (and say) when a prospect “rejects” you, how to stay motivated to do...
How (and Why) to Lean Into Imperfection
As a creative freelancer or entrepreneur, embracing imperfections humanizes you - making you more desirable in this AI-saturated world.
Who to Reach Out to and How (+ AI Surprise!)
Total tactics in today’s episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast. Ilise Benun answers common questions from the SMP+ Outreach Club including “how do I know if a prospect is right...
3 Hallmarks of an Effective Newsletter
Treat these tips as a checklist each time you write an issue to keep readers engaged without overthinking it.
How to start a marketing newsletter (plus a few...
If you know you should have a marketing newsletter but don't know where to start, this one's for you! A marketing newsletter is the most effective content marketing you can do as...
Why Every Creative Freelancer Should Have a New...
Most potential clients won’t look through their calendar to find you in their moment of need. Instead, they’ll reach out to whoever they remember. Especially if they already know and...
How can you show up in Google searches?
Has a friend ever asked for a book recommendation, and you’re happy to give it — because you are an avid reader and have a lot of knowledge to pull...
How to scuff up your content with Gigi Rosenberg
If perfectionism is getting in your way, this episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you. Public speaking coach, Gigi Rosenberg, shares ideas about how to leave perfectionism behind...
Can you trust AI? Here's what I think...
Whether you're an AI skeptic or you just don't where to start when it comes to finding clients with AI, Episode 507 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you! It's an...
9 Ways to Get Your Content “Un-Stuck” with AI
If you’re not creating your own content because you “don’t know what to write about”... Should you consider getting AI to write it? My recent LinkedIn Poll about using AI...
Does Your Content Sound Like You?
One of the best ways to attract high-quality clients is to create content that speaks to their needs, in language they understand. That can mean adopting certain industry terms you...
Craft Top Notch Client Marketing Personas with ...
When we target our audience, it’s all about connecting with them. We want them to feel seen, known, and comfortable doing business together. One of the best ways to do...
How to be "you" in your content marketing
Episode #505 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is a sneak peek into the monthly “Office Party” for the Simplest Marketing Plan, where I shared a new definition of content marketing and...
4 Ways to Embrace Being “Lost” in Marketing - T...
I was traveling in France and Spain last month and, of course, the day I got lost in Paris was the same day my phone service went down. Suddenly, as...
Tips for Better Meetings with Linda Secondari
More meeting magic! In the latest episode of the Marketing Mentor podcast, Meeting Maven, Linda Secondari of Studiolo Secondari, shares the 3 types of meetings, a few alternatives to meetings that...
Here's what can happen when you pick a niche...
I'm so proud of Conrad Winter. He's a copywriter who 5+ years ago chose a niche (transportation and logistics) and has been committed to it ever since -- so much so...
What to do if you have too many meetings
Overwhelmed by meetings? Sick of ‘getting stuck’ in meetings — emerging hours later and having your whole day derailed? If so, the latest episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for...
Need Higher-Quality Clients? Try This AI Prompt...
To get an AI to find you clients that fit you, you have to tell it what you mean by quality.
The Mother of All Content Marketing
Eleven business owners use moms to inspire content marketing blog posts. Ilise Benun, the Marketing Mentor, challenged members of the Simplest Marketing Plan program to get creative with their marketing.
The Throughline in 3 Creative Careers with Lore...
How will you look back on what you’re doing in your business today? Will you be full of regret or grateful and satisfied? On the day he sold his 23-year-old contract...
Dealing with Bad Client Behaviors? Here’s What ...
Clients, like dogs, are creatures of habit. So whatever habits you establish - good and bad - become your reality. So, yes, you can train some clients. But some clients...
How to Hear What The Market is Telling You
If you listen to the market, your ideal business will find you. And it’s through listening this way that you will get clarity on the kinds of clients you want...
AI IQ Quiz Answers - No Peeking!
Did you take my AI IQ Quiz to find out how much you know about AI? Check out the answers below to see which questions you got right...
Is "Word of Mouth" A Legit Marketing Method?
Word of mouth feels like a legitimate marketing method - when it's working. And it’s nice to be busy without having to find clients. But if you want predictable income,...