Marketing Mutiny

Join the Conversation!

Today we hear from Cheryl Woodhouse:

(2 mins 20 secs read)

As an entrepreneur, I value adventure, connection, and action. I am nothing if I do the same thing, day after day, and I use my curiosity and exploration to drive growth and expansion.

That's why I created a client connection process that involves learning new things, connecting with new people, and building deeper relationships while learning new things. It goes like this:

Step 1.

I determine a new industry I want to serve, and I do extensive research to determine their needs. This means reaching out to and connecting with as many people in the space as I can - other entrepreneurs serving them, business owners operating in the space, journalists and thought leaders, I connect with EVERYONE and I ask questions - lots of questions! I'm trying to understand the state of the industry. I'm not selling, but seeking problems and values and seeking to understand and build connections.

I compile this research into a report that helps everyone in the industry to grow, and share it back with them - with quotables from specific people in the space and knowledge on common challenges and solutions to those challenges. I share it first with everyone I interviewed, as a thank you, and then ask them to share it more broadly. Then I publish it and share it on social media, asking others to share it as well. At this stage it becomes an authority-building piece of opt-in content, and some of the people I interviewed have transitioned to clients naturally because we were connected as peers. When I saw and understood their challenges, I asked if they wanted my help - and a few said yes.

Step 2.

Then I build a collaborative content piece, like a blog with guest posts or interview articles, or a podcast in interview format. I don't interview my peers, other experts... Instead I continue to interview the people in my space! Anyone who is a potential client, collaborator, or connector, I reach out and attempt to interview for my podcast. This becomes an audience builder (because my audience really does want to hear from their peers) while also building me a big network with the guests on my podcast, who often become or refer clients.

Step 3.

Finally, in many cases I'll host a collaborative event - like a summit or digital conference, similar to this. I invite all of my ideal clients and collaborators again, and ask them to speak at the conference. The audience is smaller than building a summit with my peers, sure, but they are more likely to actually purchase something! They convert! So it doesn't matter. Some of the speakers and several of the attendees will, over time, become clients.

All of my social media and email content is also based on these interviews and everything I learn and hear from these people, which makes it 10X more effective because I'm using my prospects' language when speaking to them. I do this because I prefer to work with high-ticket, long-term clients, which requires infiltrating someone's network rather than pushing Facebook ads at them all day. High-ticket clients and CEOs of SMEs aren't sitting on Facebook, clicking on ads.

Using these strategies allows me to build an audience of current clients who are available for high-ticket engagements, while also building a lower-ticket audience for leveraged offers and passive products.

Cheryl's question to you:

What would your business look like if you were honest with yourself about how much time you have to spend marketing and creating content every week?

Join the conversation!

Find out what today's contribution has sparked and share your own experience, thoughts and questions by heading over here to join in the discussion.

Who is Cheryl?

Cheryl Woodhouse has been in digital marketing for over 19 years, but don’t let that fool you – she can still keep up with the cool kids, staying in touch with the latest in social media marketing to keep your business growing.

After a long stint as a freelancer, coach, and consultant, she founded Tactile as a way to help even more companies grow while creating good jobs for creative geniuses.

Cheryl believes that entrepreneurship is a path to income equality, and strongly supports minority-owned businesses – both through Tactile and elsewhere in her life. She’s also the brain behind Solo School, a business education program created to help neurodivergent business owners develop the skills they need to succeed.

Cheryl's gift to you:

I have laid out the entire system I described above in a handy PDF you can download here, with a lot more detail, so you can try to recreate it for yourself. Get the map to high-ticket, long-term clients by clicking here

Find Cheryl Online: Facebook - LinkedIn - Instagram - YouTube

Catch up with any days you've missed...

If you've missed any emails, or you joined the project late, then click here to catch up.