The status quo of modern marketing isn't designed for you and me.The hard truth is that most marketing strategies are designed for massive corporations, while small businesses, consultants, coaches, and other experts are left feeling that the advice they’re given just doesn’t fit—and they’re right. We have two choices: we can struggle to force our businesses into an ill-fitting mold, or we can reinvent a system that works for us and allows us to thrive. I don’t know about you, I prefer door number two. 💌 Reach our team at hello@smco.studio. 🌟 Ready to work together? https://sarahmoon.net/get-started
Balanced: Part Two 🏄🏻♀️
Hello Reader,
Remember my newsletter a couple weeks ago, all about the importance of a balanced approach to marketing (click here and read that if you missed it)?
It turns out, that could not have been more prescient. (Stressful story incoming!)
This week, I logged onto my email like I always do and had a nasty email from Google. It read (in giant text, which was a real salt in the wound moment), "Your Google Business Profile Has Been Suspended," informing me that my profile had been flagged as basically not a business. (Apparently I'm not real—yikes!)
This correlated with the rapid rise in the search engine rankings of this article. I'm not saying the two things are connected, but I'm also not not saying that either. 🤔
But that's not my point.
My company's Google Business Profile is part of a marketing ecosystem that helps people find SM&Co—it's one of the better performing "off-page" SEO assets that I have (if you're not familiar with this concept, Moz has a fairly digestible breakdown). I often recommend our clients leverage GPB in this way as well because it's generally a quick win for visibility and legitimacy.
Admittedly, our GBP has performed so well for us (I have some secret tricks) that I've slacked somewhat on doing much else with off-page SEO. We all have to prioritize, right?
Well, that choice was definitely a misstep.
Now, without my profile (nope, it still hasn't been restored, despite my proving that yes, I do actually exist), I have relatively minimal off-page SEO which, of course, harms my overall rankings to a certain extent (it's too soon to say how much, or if it will have a noticeable impact at all), but I should have not neglected that piece of the picture. But I did.
But the bright side is that I do follow my own advice and I can afford to take an SEO hit while I hopefully resolve this mess (it's a fiasco, I would give this experience one star on Google's own GBP). As much as I advocate for search to be part of the evergreen marketing picture, it shouldn't be the only thing. Just like Instagram shouldn't be the only thing, or PR, or whatever the thing may be that's strongest for you.
Real talk? If I had exclusively relied on Google only to attract new clients, I would have no way of telling you that as of the writing of this newsletter, I still have two Spark Sessions spots open for this quarter at the current rate and I'd be really stressed out right now! As it stands, I can pull different levers so to speak to ensure those spots are filled and we continue to meet the goals I've set for our company. (See what I did there? 😉)
Start with your pillar platform (be it search, YouTube, a podcast, LinkedIn) and then develop a reuse system that supports you through the ups and downs of algorithms, media change, and cultural shifts. If you'd like to explore the concept of re-use or repurposing, we have a great article you can dive into right here.
Interestingly enough, I was looking through my newsletter archives this week because I thought I'd talked about this danger before, and I found this newsletter from 2019 all about the experience my former team member Kath had with Instagram hiding her art project hashtag. And I have loads of other stories like this one and my own.
Over and over these platforms betray us because we are the product, not the customer. It's about time we (including me!) started reminding ourselves of that reality and take action to create a balanced approach to marketing that can weather the challenges we encounter.
Talk soon,
Sarah
Like these emails? Here's how you can work with our team at SM&Co!
⭐️ Aligned Authority™ Accelerator: This our full service track, with three tiers of strategy meets done for you solutions. You will work with our team for three months—it's pretty incredible. If you've ready for strategy, support, and fabulous implementation, this is the thing for you.
⚡️ Spark Sessions: Our Spark Sessions program is the quick, intensive boost of marketing + business strategy folks have been asking for! This is a structured, co-creative experience with me (Sarah) over three 120 minute sessions that will uncover the marketable perspective, aka your marketing framework, that’s uniquely you—and the best path for marketing exactly that, with integrity and ethics. If you don't have a marketing model/framework, this is where you should start. Plus, we'll co-plan your search-first content marketing so you can stop guessing and start creating content that's focused and strategic.
💛 Strategy Sessions: I've offered these for years and years and I won't stop despite all the "experts" telling me I shouldn't have a lower cost offer. I find that new and past clients alike love having the option to book a quick hour when they need to, so I'm ride or die with my strategy sessions program. I have reduced my availability for these, however, so I'm recommending folks plan ahead a bit more than in the past.
🔎 SEO Solutions (limited availability): If your next best step is a done for you SEO audit, full-site SEO optimization, or SEO-based marketing funnel, reach out for details. We offer these options on a limited basis, so start the conversation early!
Hi! I'm Sarah Moon!
The status quo of modern marketing isn't designed for you and me.The hard truth is that most marketing strategies are designed for massive corporations, while small businesses, consultants, coaches, and other experts are left feeling that the advice they’re given just doesn’t fit—and they’re right. We have two choices: we can struggle to force our businesses into an ill-fitting mold, or we can reinvent a system that works for us and allows us to thrive. I don’t know about you, I prefer door number two. 💌 Reach our team at hello@smco.studio. 🌟 Ready to work together? https://sarahmoon.net/get-started
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