Hello Reader, We sold out Summer of SEO 2024 a week before the deadline—how cool is that? Pretty freaking cool, I think! But what's even cooler is that this reminded me of something that I tell my clients, but forget to repeat to myself: This business thing? It should be fun. That was the attitude I had when promoting this summer program: I decided to do what was fun—including my marketing. That meant not torturing myself with typical "launch" messages and sequences, not doing the webinar you're "supposed" to do, the whole thing. It also meant adding some fun to the program itself—for example, we are including some surprises that we didn't use as selling points, we instead wanted to make them true surprises, not cheesy "bonuses." Because it felt fun and meaningful. Now, I'm not saying to run a vibes-based business. (Seriously, please don't.) But you can use data and that "feeling" stuff together to create something that's fun. Hate webinars like I do? What does the same thing (educates your audience) without the format that makes you miserable. I wrote a series of educational emails about search engine optimization and did some targeting of folks who'd snagged our SEO freebies. Don't want to follow a typical "launch" process? Start building a waitlist way earlier and plan your content so you can bypass launches entirely. If you force yourself to do things that make you miserable because they're "best practices," your audience will know. I believe that one of the reasons so many people tell me that they love what they do but they hate marketing is because we make marketing a miserable experience. What if we changed that? I don't know about you, but I believe sharing about what we're passionate about can and should be enjoyable. What's fun for me is not necessarily what's fun for you. But, I promise there's a strategy out there that will help you own your voice and reach your audience—it's just a matter of finding it. Talk soon, Sarah |
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
Hello Reader, Over the years, a lot of business owners have "confessed" to me that when they first started their website, they wrote a few blog posts in their excitement about having a a real, legit home online. And then... life lifed and they never kept it up. And... never saw the benefits. This is such a common story and it's one that can feel a bit daunting. If this is you, you may be wondering: Will I look silly if I start blogging again after two, three, five years or more? What do I...
Hello Reader, Sometimes I have to remind myself to take my own advice. This week, I was feeling a bit uninspired with what to write about for my newsletter. August is typically a lower open rate for me, and I know folks are just busy right now—plus I'm just plain worn out after a busy summer! Then I thought to myself, "Sarah, what would you tell a client who had this kind of block?" My answer: "Ask yourself how you can help someone today. Write about that." Which I've probably said more than...
Hi Reader, The pervasive belief that more content is better is enough to make me kick walls (except I would stub my toe and that is the absolute worst). Post more, share more, do more, more, more, more... No one can keep up and goal posts keep getting moved. But this couldn't be further from the truth. Quality, not quantity, is the key to successful marketing. Why is less more? Relevance: High-quality content marketing that directly addresses your audience's needs and pain points is far more...