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The Marketing Mix
Read, watch and listen to the latest insights from Marketing Mentor & friends
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Want to blog, but dread writing?
In Ilise’s recent content marketing workshop, a lot of people cited “lack of time” as the main roadblock to writing. Well, if this is you…I can certainly relate. Time is definitely...
Email newsletter vs. blog: what's the difference?
What's the difference between an email newsletter and a blog? First of all, the differences between them have nothing to do with the actual content. It's not like there is...
My denial is over
At the beginning of the summer, I switched to the new FreshBooks…which I’m adjusting to and like overall EXCEPT that they did away with my favorite report, Revenue by Client....
We need more women in leadership everywhere!
If you agree that we need more women in leadership at all levels and in all arenas, share this ebook with your clients (and read it yourself too). Let's commit to...
What exactly is "content marketing" for creativ...
Last week, one of my clients, a designer, was explaining to me why he doesn't want to do content marketing, which he defined as "long articles and blog posts with the...
[Podcast] #353 Kevin Rogers of Copy Chief on Fi...
What's the difference between "bat signal talent" and "bat signal content?" That's the question for this week’s podcast episode with Kevin Rogers, founder of Copy Chief, (the community and the...
How do you pick a business name?
I know so many creatives who have agonized over their business name. Is all the agony worth it? I don’t think so. Here’s the thing about a business name: You...
Do you have "fickle focus" too? [QTMM 9/26/18]
"I've noticed that when I run into something interesting or new, my instinct is to say, 'Maybe it's the niche I'm looking for.'" One of my clients recently wrote this...
How often should you blog?
How often should you blog? How often should you send out a newsletter? How many events should you attend? And how the heck do you carve out time for your...
The 3 Ps of Pitching for Freelance Writers
Can't wait to go to Cincinnati next weekend for IndieLAB, the new event from Writer's Digest., where I'll be giving an interactive workshop called, Know Your Worth! The editors of...
[Podcast] #352 Greg Corey on growing from freel...
So many people struggle with how to choose a niche. If you’re one of them, know that you’re not alone. That’s why I talk and write about it so much!...
Should You Market Into a Disaster?
Last week, I heard from many in my network wondering if I was in the path of Hurricane Florence. Savannah went in and out of the cone! We got lucky this...
Introducing: Content Marketing Accountability C...
I'm thrilled to introduce a new way of working: Content Marketing Accountability Coaching Groups What is it? Small online coaching groups focused on getting your content marketing done consistently in...
[Podcast] #351 What's Your Value to Your Dream ...
Do You Know What Your Value Is to Your Dream Clients? Lately, I’ve been focused on 2 related topics in my speaking and writing: how to create what I call...
What should you blog about?
Struggling to find blog content ideas? When it comes to finding great ideas to write about on your blog, you don’t have to invent new, magical ideas every time. Instead,...
What I'm Listening to this Weekend
Listening is the new reading, they say, and I have to agree -- although I continue to write for readers. But I do a lot of listening and here are...
[Upcoming Speaking Engagements] Where you'll fi...
Sept. 6 Live Online Q&A for Nation1099 (no charge) Topic: Negotiating Strategies for a Thriving Freelance Career Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/negotiating-for-freelancers/register Sept 29-30 in Cincinnati at IndieLAB for Writer's Digest...
[Podcast] #350 The Freelance Plateau -- have yo...
In this week's podcast, I talked with Robert McGuire of Nation1099.com about some of the findings from his recent survey, Career Freelancer Status Report. We dug into the idea that...
[Workshop] Know Your Worth at IndieLAB in Cinci...
Join me, Jane Friedman and Amy Collins on Sept 29-30 in Cincinnati at IndieLAB for Writer's Digest My Workshop/Lab Topic: Know Your Worth: How to Approach Your Career with an...
How to grow when you hit a plateau
Have you hit a plateau in your creative business? If so, you're not alone. That's one of the most interesting findings from The Career Freelancer Status Report: Results From The Nation1099 Survey, 2018, conducted earlier...
Stop Waiting to Be "Inspired"
Today's post is a guest post by July M. Sanchez-Sadowski, a Content Copywriter for the B2B Companies that keep Restaurants equipped and stocked. She emailed me about this insight she had...
[Podcast] #349 Emily Leach, Founder of Freelanc...
Today’s bonus episode is a conversation between 2 unemployables. I talked with Emily Leach, Founder of The Freelance Conference, a free conference for freelancers, Sept. 10-14, 2018 in Austin and...
[Podcast] #348 One Designer's Story: When You T...
This week’s podcast is a little different than usual. It's a story/interview—and it doesn’t have a particularly happy ending. But I think it’s a story worth hearing. Also, it's an honest...
3 Simple Ways to Turn Your LinkedIn Profile fro...
Although LinkedIn was one of the earliest social networks, it seems to be having a resurgence lately. Maybe it's just taken this long for it to find its place. But I've...
[Podcasts] Summer Listening from HOW Design Live
Did you know that in addition to the MarketingMentorPodcast.com, which I've been hosting for more than 10 years, I also host the HOW Design Live Podcast, where the theme is...
[Video] Radical idea to get people to respond -...
Radical times call for radical action -- and humor! I have a theory about why people don’t respond anymore… Most questions actually require a thoughtful response, not a simple yes or...
[Podcast] #347 Creative Services by Subscriptio...
When I ask creative professionals who their ideal clients are, a good 25% want to work with organizations who are doing good, which usually means they choose the non profit...
Are Your Competitors Getting in Your Way? (QTMM...
When I started my business 30 years ago, I had no competition. No one had noticed "creatives" as a market and there were very few business coaches.But that's all changed! Every...
Want great website photos? Do this…
So, you have (or are planning) a great, custom website… But you’re only using stock photos? I’d love to butt in and share my two-cents. Don’t skimp with your images...
4 Tiny Ways I'm Reinventing My Business --- Rig...
In response to one of my birthday posts last week, one reader asked me to expand on one of the 6 principles to which I attribute my longevity in business. She was...
Too good to be true: a list of non profit pain ...
When I tell my mentoring clients that their marketing should be focused on their ideal clients, what I really mean is that it should speak to their clients' "pain points."...
[Podcast] #346 Should you barter your creative ...
If you’ve ever bartered your services, you know it can be tricky. There’s an art to it, from deciding whether to do it, to making sure everything is fair and...
3 questions to narrow down your niche
Congratulatory wishes from people I haven't heard from in years have triggered memories from my early years in business, especially about my early clients and niches. You see, although my first clients...
6 Core Principles = 30 Years in Business
This week I am celebrating 2 milestones and I hope you will join me. - 2018 marks my 30th year in business.- Today, June 25, is my birthday. In honor...
[July 18th Webinar] Proposals & Negotiating for...
Proposals and Negotiating: The Latest for Creative Professionals Have you ever spent days putting together a proposal, never to hear back from the prospect? Do you often wonder what other...
If you're feeling scared...
I don't know what's going on, but a lot of people I spoke to last week are nervous. More than one lost their biggest client overnight.Others tell me they aren't...
[Podcast] #345 Getting Starting with Podcasting...
Should you start your own podcast? There are an awful lot of podcasts to listen to these days. And doesn't it seem like every day there's a new one (or...
Are you "driven" enough to be self employed?
Do you ever wonder if your inherent nature isn’t conducive to self-employment? I did for a long time because I suspected that, deep down, I'm just too lazy to be...
I refuse to feel bad about what I'm not doing
I can't stop thinking about this tweet I saw last week. It speaks to me about business (not romance), about being my own boss. You see, what I love about being...
Are You Getting The Clients You Want?
To kick off the 30th Anniversary of my business, Colleen Gratzer, a Marketing Mentor client, interviewed me about how I got here for her new podcast, Design Domination. I really love...
Are "happy" clients your goal? [QTMM 5/30/18]
Last week, a client said to me: It's just amazing how, when someone doesn't answer your email, it can make you feel like you're the biggest loser. I find that...
How to Price Your Freelance Services
If you dread pricing your creative services, it may be because you don't have the right resources, information and training to do it properly -- that is, in a way...
The Right Mindset to Price Your Freelance Creat...
Why does the “money conversation” cause such angst for so many creative professionals? I have a couple of theories and I wrote about them in the Foreword of the brand new 15th...
[Podcast] #344 How to start a digital product b...
If you’ve been dreaming about getting rid of your (annoying) clients and turning your creative service business into a product business, this week's episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is...
How (and Why) to Stop Putting Yourself Last
#MeFirst This is the hashtag for a movement I am thinking of starting. This movement is for the creatively self employed -- designers, copywriters, photographers, illustrators, videographers, and any other...
GDPR Resources for Creative Professionals
You've probably heard of the GDPR by now -- What is it? It's the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and it went into effect on Friday, May 25th, 2018....
How to get your ideal client's attention [QTMM ...
Do you want the attention of your ideal client? The best way to get it is to stop focusing your marketing efforts on your work and start focusing on their...
[Podcast] #343 How to Get Clients from Speaking...
As a mentor who teaches creative professionals how to creatively promote their services, I am often asked how I promote myself. Because of course I have to practice what I...
How to Get Clients From Speaking
Can you get clients from speaking engagements? Absolutely, if you do it right! So many of my clients have been trying public speaking as a content marketing tool and finding it...
Should You Write That Proposal? [QTMM 5/9/18]
5 Criteria to Decide Whether to Write That Proposal I know it's exciting when a prospective client says, "Will you send me a proposal?"They love your work and this new...