“If I could just figure out the right way to market.” I hear this all the time from my clients, and maybe you've thought it yourself. Because I get it. There are so many marketers out there who are promising you that they have the proven formula or that there is some secret to success in marketing that only they have. And if you pay them, they will tell you all the secrets, and you'll never have to stress about marketing again. But what happens? You buy the course or the program. Do the work Then those results never quite materialize as they promised.And not only that, what they are teaching is making marketing suck more, not less.So let's deconstruct why there's no one right way to market and how letting go of that idea is going to help your business. And fair warning, I'm gonna get a little ranty on this episode.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

What if I told you that 95% of marketing advice out there wasn't for people like you? If you're following this advice or beating yourself up for not following it, you're wasting time, energy, and resources doing more marketing that doesn't lead to results. You're unintentionally making your marketing suck more, not less. So how do you know if you're following the right guidance? Buckle up, because this episode will shift how you think about marketing. In this episode, you'll hear:How much of the commonly available marketing advice doesn't work for solo business owners or those not primarily creatorsThe distinctions between being a creator and a business owner and how these identities affect marketing strategiesHow creators need a large audience to monetize their content, whereas business owners need a smaller, targeted audience.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Sometimes when it comes to marketing, we are our own worst enemies. We are kicking off a brand new series about how we unintentionally make marketing suck more for our businesses. And sometimes we don't even realize we are doing these things, but there are these tiny ways that we sabotage our business, our sanity with the choices we make when it comes to marketing.Let's jump right in with the first big sabotage I see all the time. In this episode, you will hear:How solo business owners unknowingly make marketing harder for their businesses through certain choicesThe instinct to add more marketing strategies and how it may be more beneficial to subtract instead.How to focus on fewer marketing tactics that are more effective, particularly for solo business ownersWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

This week, I'm sharing our most recent episode of Duped, discussing how Dr. Robert Cialidini's book "Influence" has been weaponized in online business. *******Do you know what book is one of the most used—and abused—in online business? Many celebrity entrepreneurs and top marketers cite it as influential…which makes sense given its title.  It’s Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.While we have referenced this book many times on the pod, we have never actually done a deep dive to get into the nitty-gritty of it all.  In this episode, we explore Robert Cialidini and his code of ethics for anyone who uses his work. We then examine three of his seven weapons of influence and cover the next four in the next episode. We discuss: Who is Robert Cialdini?Dr. Cialdini’s code of ethics.Background on the book Influence.What Cialdini means by “principles”.The first three principles and how they show up in online business.ReciprocityLiking/FamiliarityScarcityHow to protect yourself as a consumer. For detailed show notes and links to everything mentioned in this episode, please visit duped.online. For more Duped, including monthly bonus episodes, join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/duped

One of the things that pisses me off about online business is how people play fast and loose with words. A lot of the time, they use words in a way where they don't mean what they think they mean. And this past year, I've noticed a lot of people talking about messaging and how they help you with your messaging. But when I look at their programs, because, believe it or not, I take a lot of courses on messaging and marketing to keep my own skills sharp, I often find the program isn't about messaging. It's about copywriting or content marketing or just straight-up marketing, Or it's just a snippet of what messaging is, like an elevator pitch or content buckets. And nothing makes marketing suck more for you as a solo business owner than being confused about what your business actually needs. So it's time to revisit what the difference is between marketing, messaging, and copywriting with examples so you know where to focus, and you're not wasting your time or money focused on the wrong damn thing. In this episode, you will hear:Why online business is confused about the differences between the threeDefining what the difference is between messaging, copywriting, and marketingHow to know what your business needsWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“Figuring out how to explain what you do in ways that resonate with other people and connects them to what they're feeling right now is tricky.”Have you ever been talking to someone explaining what you do and they're staring at you like you're speaking a language they've never even heard before and don't even know how to begin to comprehend. Please know you're not alone. So many brilliant business owners struggle to connect with their clients, not because they lack knowledge, but because they're stuck in expert speak. It's like we think, if I can just give you all the information, then that will be enough. You'll be wowed, and you'll book a call with me. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. And what's really happening is how we can help them, how our expertise benefits them and their lives is getting lost in translation. Zoa Conner is a functional health and wellness expert who helps you feel better, not older, through personalized lifestyle guidance and education, knows this firsthand.When Zoa and I first met, her message was getting lost and she’ll tell you how she overcame it and how it’s making marketing suck less for her! In this episode, you will hear:The critical role of messaging in getting clients ready for the work you doThe difficulties small businesses face in competing with larger companies and the emphasis on local SEO.How initial consultations are structured to identify client concerns and create personalized plans.The importance of continuously revisiting and optimizing marketing strategies for better client alignment and business growth.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“If I decide to use social media, then maybe I'm posting all the time and checking for likes and comments in my off hours. What you choose from marketing can affect your life. And for me, it has been really important to figure out a way to do it that works for me and lets me keep on living the life I want to be living and not feeling too stressed out by my work or feeling the need to get in there and do things at all hours of the day.”Everyone who markets marketing programs is always so damn certain that their approach works for everyone, everywhere, no matter the business. They've got the one right way to do it. And that certainty makes you doubt yourself and your decisions. It also always has you on the lookout to find that silver bullet that's going to work flawlessly.But what if there's no one right way to market?How do you navigate the uncertainty and build your own confidence around marketing? This is what Expert Up Club member and career coach for teachers, Laura Litwiller, and I talk about on today's podcast.In this episode, you will hear:The importance of having a clear message in marketing. Laura mentions how refining her message through her "3 Word Rebellion" has boosted her confidenceLaura’s significant reduction in social media usage and what platform she uses nowThe best platforms to reach Laura's target audience of teachers exploring career changesAlternatives to social media, focusing on SEO, strategic partnerships, and one-on-one conversations, aiming to reach her audience more effectively.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Let's face it. Experts are made to feel shame about their expertise. We too often hear things like:>>don't be an expert, be an explorer>>don't be smart, be curious>>don't be an expert, be a humanAnd these things are said by the very people who claim to get experts known and hired for their work. And it is time, my friend, that we stop shitting on experts because here's the truth. The very thing you are told to deny about yourself, about your experience is what will make you great at marketing your business. Experts bring three great untapped strengths when it comes to marketing, and I'm gonna tell you all about it on this episode of the podcast.In this episode, you will hear:The pressure and societal messages that make experts feel ashamed of their expertise.How expertise can be a superpower in marketing rather than a liabilityThe three untapped strengths that experts bring to marketing: insatiable curiosity, willingness to experiment and change course, and humility.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I've been thinking all that time I'm spending over here on social, and I'm not spending really any quality time with the people that voluntarily chose to be in my world by opting into my thing.”Riddle me this, Batman.Why do we spend so much time on marketing that leads nowhere vs. focusing on marketing that works to get clients? It's probably because everybody on the interwebs is screaming at you to do more marketing and do it on social media, when for so many people, that is just a waste of time. At least that's what my guest, Norma Frahn, found out. When she right-sized her marketing efforts, she realized that social media wasn’t better for business. She changed course. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Marketing feels like a time suck of doom. There's all this doubt. >>>Is it really working? >>>Am I getting it right? Whatever right means. And then despite spending so much time on your marketing, you're just not seeing the results you want to see. And then there's the beating yourself up of feeling like you're never doing enough despite your best efforts. And what I want for you is to stop the doubt, the worry, the beating yourself up. I don't want you to feel like you're wasting your time, energy, and money on marketing. Because as a solo business owner, you've got too much going on for any of that nonsense. But how do you stop? How can you make marketing suck less?I've got something brand new just for you. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I went down a whole path that was completely not right for my business, and it was very frustrating, and I wasted a lot of time doing a lot of stuff that wasn't really helpful.”You know what really sucks about marketing? When you're told to market in a certain way that works for every business. And only after you've done all that work, invested all that money, you find out that ish was never gonna work for your business. Over the years, I've worked with so many B2B consultants who've gone down this exact path only to find out what works to market for them doesn't look like any of that online BS. And this is why I wanted to talk to Camille Rapacz about how she corrected the course and found out that marketing could actually be, dare I say, fun? In this episode, you will hearCamille’s approach to meeting people and the importance of building relationships with fellow business owners.The need to tailor marketing strategies to specific businesses and the importance of understanding industry differences.Camille’s realization that traditional broadcasting marketing (social media posts, blog posts) did not work for her B2B consulting business.The importance of using one's unique personality and strengths, especially as an introvert, in shaping effective marketing strategies.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“And then it kinda dawned on me last year, I don't need a lead magnet or an opt in. I think you talked about how every time you create something, even if it's free, you still have to “sell it”. I'm just selling my newsletter. It was like a weight lifted.”Think fast. How many lead magnets have you created for your business? For this iteration of my business, I have created at least 6 different lead magnets. Rarely have I created one that I was really satisfied with.I've spent so much time and energy trying to devise an irresistible opt-in that would lead people to my work. And it's hard to do, but know there is a different way. This is what Bev Feldman is here to talk about because trying to find that unicorn lead magnet was making marketing suck more for her and not less. So she went a different way. In this episode, you will hear:The pressure of social media and the overwhelming task of creating appealing lead magnetsFrustration with the conventional approach to creating lead magnets and opt-insBev’s decision process to “sell” her newsletterThe significance of creating engaging emails that encourage responses and conversations.Ready to Market Like an Expert: Grab the Free CourseFull show notes and transcript are here

“I want to make sure that if someone happens to find me when I'm not posting content, that they have a way to hear about me, learn about me - without me having to pump out content to the feed.”Nothing makes me want to dive head-first into a vat of lava like the thought of making a 7-second video to post on Reels or TikTok. And if you feel that way too, please know that you are not alone.And today, I'm talking to Jessica Lackey, who, like me, hates short form content, so she decided not to do it.  If you wanna know what she does instead, you'll just have to listen.In this episode, you will hear:The challenges of short-form content creation for experts and its impact on long-form contentWhy the difference between feed based content vs playlist based content is important for expertsThe interconnectedness of content creation, repurposing, and business programsMarketing approach focusing on transparency, consistency, and offering free resourcesThe importance in building personal connections and relationship-building in marketingWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

This week on the podcast, we're doing something a little bit different. A pod takeover. I invited my friend, Michelle Warner to take over my podcast feed.  Her podcast Sequence Over Strategy is the only business podcast that I religiously listen to. Michelle and I are incredibly aligned with how we approach business (and she's also the opening speaker for the Make Marketing Suck Less virtual event). Aligning Marketing and GrowthDo you struggle to decide your marketing strategy? Do you know if you want to reach as many people as possible or just your target audience? Michelle Warner, a business designer and strategist, discusses a shift in her marketing strategy. Previously focused on one-on-one work and relationship marketing, she’s now transitioning to teaching more bootcamps, which requires a higher volume of leads. This shift means she needs to balance her marketing strategies, incorporating more traffic marketing alongside relationship marketing to align with her new product mix.Michelle explains the difference between relationship marketing (deep, authentic connections) and traffic marketing (mass outreach) and stresses the importance of aligning marketing strategies with your business model. She also highlights her involvement in Michelle Mazur’s summit, "Make Marketing Suck Less," which aims to help businesses find suitable marketing strategies.For more details and to join the summit visit: https://drmichellemazur.com/event

A special invite to the Make Marketing Suck Less Virtual Event!Social media feels like a 20-lb weight choking all the joy out of my business.All the "shoulds." All the rules. All the head trash around having the "perfect" hook." Maybe you feel it, too?Here's the deal: you don't have to RELY on social media for audience growth.You've got a ton of options. Finding what works for you is freeing.I'm hosting a virtual event, Make Marketing Suck Less to help you do just that. I'm gathering 10 business owners to reveal their  BEST marketing method to book more business this year beyond likes & shares.Because this is a conversation that the industry needs to have, as there is no ONE way to market your business.Your way is unique based on your strengths, who you serve, and how you want to show up.Join us here: https://drmichellemazur.com/event

“I know that there's this unicorn idea that you can preschedule things months in advance, and preschedule all of your content, and, like, sit down for 8 hours in one day, and record 17.6 reels. But that is a lie unto me, and it never worked for me. And so for me, it had to be. It sucked even worse if I tried to batch content.”Marketing is relentless. It is something that is never done and dusted. Yet, it's a core pillar of what you need to do to have a sustainable business. So when marketing is relentless, how do you make it suck less? That's exactly why I am talking to Expert Up Club member and my dear friend, Michelle Markwart Deveaux.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I know that I'm extraordinary at what I do. And because I have messaging, because I have my packages, because I have my pricing, I can keep moving forward in confidence in one area of my life”.There comes a time when the shit hits the fan in your life and you just can't keep showing up the way you like. The first thing that always goes is marketing.Let's face it. Most of us don't have the option of just stopping marketing altogether.We can't put our businesses on hold because we need it to pay our own bills. So how do you keep going? When marketing already sucks for you, how do you keep going when your personal life has gone off the rails?I am thrilled to have Expert Up Club member, Nicole Trick Steinbach, on the show today to talk about how she made marketing suck less even when the proverbial shit hit the fan in her personal life. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I used to always think - I have all these great ideas and I make these products, like, you know, digital-based products. And if only I had the money that I could actually hire a team and build the thing out and then actually pay money for advertising, I just know it would hit.”If you just build the right funnel, have the right welcome sequence, and the right lead magnet, you can put money into ads and people will come out and wanna work with you. And this seems like the absolutely best way to make marketing suck less. But is it? I am so excited to have Rachel Alexandria on the show today. Rachel is one of the founding members of the Expert Up Club, and she's here to talk about her experience building a funnel. What worked, what didn't, and how she is making her marketing suck less nowWant to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“It was such a detour to go the whole social media, build a course, webinars, free webinars, pitch, cart closed route.  The whole thing was such a detour for me. It seriously tanked my business.”So many business owners have gone down this path only to realize, “Hey. This isn't for me!” With all the hype around “stop trading dollars for hours” and make money while you sleep, there was something she was NOT being told. Choosing to create a course meant that Elise Enriquez, productivity coach, had to give up doing something she loved (working with clients) for something that sucked (marketing).You'll want to hear Elise's story about how she recovered from making this strategic misstep and how she's adjusted course and, finally, what she's letting go of in her marketing to make it easier for her and make it more effective. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Anytime you decide to work on your marketing message, it's going to require you to dig deep and do some thought work around your business, who you want to serve and what you want to be known for. If you're like most people, by the time you find this podcast, you've already tried another messaging framework. (I’m looking at you, StoryBrand.) So before you start digging deep into the 3 Word Rebellion, how do you know if it's right for your business? Well, there are 3 telltale signs, and that's what we are talking about on the show today. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Your client has a lot of options when it comes to solving their problem. There's so much competition and competition for their time, energy, and financial resources. >>>How do you make sure that your business is the one they choose? >>>How do you show you're different from the web celebs with charismatic marketing? You do it by differentiating your business. So what is differentiation and why is it critical for your business? That's exactly what we're gonna talk about on today's pod.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“How does having a 3 Word Rebellion make marketing suck less?” That's a question I got from a listener and it's a super smart question. To truly make marketing suck less:you have to know that the work you put in will actually pay offthat it will make marketing easier and more effective to bring in your right-fit clients.Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my own business and showing you how my 3 Word Rebellion makes marketing take half the time while being twice as effective for my business.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“Hey! Look at me!”“Hey! Buy my program…Read my blog…Listen to my podcast!”“Smash that subscribe button!” “Hey, I've got the only foolproof way to solve your problem!”Let's face it. It's noisy out in the marketplace. On social media, it seems like everyone is hawking their wares, talking about how much money they make and how they can teach you to do it too. It's enough to make you want to give up on marketing. I get it. And you can't because there are people out there right now searching for you and your solution. So how do you rise above the noisy marketplace? How do you get the attention of your right fit client and then create connection and conversation with them? You do it with your 3 Word Rebellion. And today on the pod, I'm going to talk about why expertise driven businesses need a 3 Word Rebellion now more than ever.  Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Do you ever find yourself reading an Instagram post or listening to a podcast, and you're absolutely horrified by the advice being given?  You shake your head and you think, “That's not how any of this works!” I know I've been there, and the reason is because experts can spot BS a mile away. I believe that's one of the reasons why marketing is so hard for you. The pseudo experts out there who are promising the quick fix, big rewards for little effort, and the easy to follow blueprints make whatever the challenge is seem so simple and easy to solve. Then an expert looks at it and thinks, “Wow. Yeah. That's not how that works. It's not that simple.  It's more nuanced.”As an expert, you look at those kinds of marketing messages and think, “is this what I really need to say to get people to want to work with me? I just can't say that. It's not right”. And you're right. That instinct is the correct one. Your honesty, your integrity is exactly why we need to get your work in front of people. So it's time. It's time to stage a rebellion with your expertise, and I'm going to give you 3 big reasons why. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Why is it so hard to claim your expertise?To own what makes you truly exceptional at your work.To own the capacity and the ability you uniquely have to guide your clients to results. Then why is it so hard to promote that? To tell people about it? And I get that marketing sucks, but it is truly time to expert up and claim your expertise for yourself. We live in a world that currently doesn’t value expertise so claiming it is an act of rebellion. Let’s define what anti-expert bias is and why we need expert now more than ever. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

If everyone is saying the same thing to market their business, how do you— as an expert—stand out? How can you say something different that catches the attention of your right-fit clients so they pay attention to you and hire you and not your competition? Today we're doing something a little bit different.  We’re diving into Marketing Message Makeovers so you can stop using overused marketing cliches that make you blend in. Instead, you can stand out by asking yourself two very simple questions. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Confession. I'm a bit of a control freak. Control is something we are socialized to do. We are told that we are the masters of our destiny!  the captains of our ship! and we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps!And in reality - in a business - there are so many things that are out of our control, like whether:A prospective client says yesYou  land a podcast interview or a TEDx talk,People open our emails The algorithm shows people a social media post you spent an hour writing. Even though so much is out of our control, we do control the moments when the ball is still in our proverbial courts: >>What we say during sales conversation>>The content of a pitch we send>>The subject line for our emailsFor the overlooked experts among us, what you and I control is the key to creating demand for your offers and expertise. It's critical to become known by the right people so your work is valued and people want to hire you. So what do we control?  That’s what we’re talking about today. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

You are the business owner who gets results for your clients. You're masterful at what you do and yet so many times you are passed over and overlooked for someone with half the expertise and experience. What is the deal with that? I wish we lived in a world where the people who are best at what they do are the ones who are consistently known and hired instead of the charismatic few who did it for themselves and now they are shouting it from the rooftops that they can do it for you too!>>>How do we overcome being overlooked?>>>How do we go from seemingly invisible to in-demand? That path is unconventional and we can't follow what the successful few do. We need to go our own way. On the podcast today, we’ll talk about how to carve out your unconventional path from overlooked expert to in-demand expert! Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Do you feel like an overlooked expert? Have you ever thought, “I am great at what I do!  So, why don't more people know about me?” I'll be honest. I have asked myself this question and I've become a little obsessed with figuring out the answer to it. In my business, I am so lucky that I get to work with amazing, talented people who are experts in their field. Years of experience, finely honed skills, and the work they do with their clients is incredible. It gets results.They are the type of people who are so damn easy to refer to because their work is so good, and they're the kind of people that I want to make sure more people know. But that brings me back to the question “If they are so good, so talented, so skilled, and get their clients results, why aren't they more widely known?” And I believe I found part of this answer, and I'm calling this the overlooked expert phenomenon.  Let's talk about it and the three reasons why it exists. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Can we talk about how batshit bananas the current economic climate is? Online business is undergoing a major correction right now. Sales cycles take longer. Trust is at an all time low. And all of those business owners who were touting their “Big Teams!” and “7 Figure Success!” are now talking about descaling and degrowth. The bottom line is people aren't buying like they used to. I felt it, and I'm sure you have too. But now that our economy has a big case of the weirds, how do you adjust your marketing and your message to stay relevant to your clients during this strange time?That's what we're talking about today on the pod. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

“I don't know if I'm expert enough.”“Oh, really?” As soon as I hear this phrase, I always ask, “So tell me about your experience.”  And then I am regaled by a list of certifications, education, experience on the job, transferable skills, developing their own frameworks and working with clients and getting results.Yes, you're definitely expert enough, but I understand why people feel like they aren’t. Why you doubt your expertise and think that you're not expert enough. And some people think they're not expert enough to even listen to this podcast. Well, it may be a good old-fashioned imposter complex getting in the way. It might also be a fundamental misunderstanding about expertise. So let's unpack that and talk about how to know if you're expert enough. And spoiler alert, if you're thinking that you're more than expert enough.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Have you ever thought that one of the reasons that you're hesitant to market and put your expertise out there is because of the way we're taught to market in the online space. Because what we're taught is not for you, especially if you are an expertise-based business that's been doing it for a while. What works for the masses doesn't work for you. On this podcast, we're diving into 3 big messaging tropes that you commonly hear in online business that don't work for expert-based businesses like yours and what you should do instead. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if people recognized your expertise and hired you on the spot?Unfortunately, good work doesn’t speak for itself, and getting great results for your clients is not enough. Rebel Truth: Good work is never enough.You’ve got to advocate for your work. You’ve got to speak up and be seen for that good work. You’ve got to showcase why you’re the expert who can get the job done.Your right-fit client is out there right now looking for you, and if you’re not marketing, they will hire someone else. Marketing is a necessity. It’s the only way your clients know your business exists. And marketing sucks...so how can you do it in a way that takes less time and gets you better results? You come to The Expert Up Club open house that's happening on Wednesday, March 20th at 10 am PT.Sign up for the Open House by clicking here or go to https://drmichellemazur.com/house

“I wish I didn't have to market. Why can't people just see I'm an expert and hire me on the spot?” I can't tell you how many times I've heard this very thing and I get why.Experts think because we are damn good at what we do, that people should just recognize that and give us their money.  I wish it was that way but it’s not.I also understand how much it hurts to watch someone who has half the experience and expertise that you possess, get the clients and the opportunities that you know in your heart of heart that you should have, or at least be in the running for. The rebel truth: It’s time to market your expertise.That's why I wanted to make a case for why experts like you need to market your business. Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

This is gonna get awkward. There's always a time in marketing when you reach this awkward transition point. Where you go from empathizing, providing value, and giving your potential clients an “ah-ha” that makes them think to asking them to work with you. And let's face it. It's a tricky, weird transition to navigate in your marketing. So, how do you transition from marketing into asking for the sale?  That's exactly what we’re talking about.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

This anniversary really snuck up on me.I realized the other morning that it has been five years since I first published the 3 Word Rebellion. Then when I sat down and added up the numbers, I realized that I had now sold over 5,000 copies of the book, which blew me away. I can't even begin to describe that to you. Today, I want to take you behind the scenes and tell you the completely unglamorous story of what it took to sell that many books in 5 years.In this episode, we discussed:The mindset shift and ongoing marketing efforts needed to achieve long-term book sales.The exact strategies I used to promote the book  - then & nowThe continued relevance and promotion of the 3 Word Rebellion, as well as its expansion into the Expert Up Club.Want to hear more about The Expert Up Club? Book Your Private Tour HereFull show notes and transcript are here.

Your marketing message is a bit like a puzzle.  There are multiple pieces that come together in a unique way that form a compelling and persuasive story about why your right-fit clients would choose to work with you.  But too many times, business owners are missing a piece of the puzzle and, no, their cat didn't steal it.  Once you've helped your client diagnose their problem and dispel any misconceptions that they might have about the work you do, you think they are ready for your offer, but they're not.  So what is this piece of the puzzle?  I’m here to tell you! In this episode we discuss: The importance of a complete marketing message puzzle and the common missing piece in business owner's messaging. Nurturing and engaging potential clients through the messaging process, including diagnosing problems and dispelling misconceptions. Advocating for the business's unique solution to a client's problem without jumping straight into the offer. Examples of bridging the gap between a client's problem and the business's unique solution.  

No one understands your work quite like you do.  What you consider common knowledge, your potential clients don't even know about - it is not on their radar.  And this is part of the curse of expertise.  What we think as experts is universally understood - it's not.  And what your potential clients don't understand, keep them from taking the next step from working with you.  In this episode, we talk about misconceptions and dispelling misconceptions as a core piece of your minimum viable marketing message. We also discuss: The curse of expertise and the barriers it creates in effectively communicating with potential clients The 2 types of misconceptions and their impact on potential clients. Examples of misconceptions in different businesses, including messaging, email automation, and coaching. The challenge of identifying misconceptions and the role of feedback from others in understanding them.  

Do you hate the idea of pressing on people's pain points?   Agitating the pain so that the only solution to make it stop is by giving you money?  I do too. It's gross. It's icky, and, unfortunately, it works.  But there's another way to talk about your clients' struggles and challenges without feeling like a big old sleazeball.  It's key to creating your minimum viable marketing message and ensuring your potential clients feel seen, heard, and valued.  So what is this alternative?  You'll just have to listen in to find out. In this episode, we  review what the hell messaging is and the voice of customer research  work to understand the pain your client is experiencing learn the three parts of the Problem Statement, including how to stop the “snake from eating its tail” problem  

A special invite to the Make Marketing Suck Less Virtual Event? Social media feels like a 20-lb weight choking all the joy out of my business.All the "shoulds." All the rules. All the head trash around having the "perfect" hook." Maybe you feel it, too? Here's the deal: you don't have to RELY on social media for audience growth. You've got a ton of options. Finding what works for you is freeing. I'm hosting a virtual event, Make Marketing Suck Less to help you do just that. I'm gathering 10 business owners to reveal their  BEST marketing method to book more business this year beyond likes & shares. Because this is a conversation that the industry needs to have, as there is no ONE way to market your business. Your way is unique to you based on your strengths, who you serve, and how you want to show up. Join us here: https://drmichellemazur.com/event

Who are you talking to?  And I don't mean just your right-fit client. You probably know that you're talking to moms, other business owners, or women in tech looking to make a career change.  But who are you talking to in relationship with your business?  Have they been following you for ages, or did they just stumble on your website yesterday?  Because knowing that matters.  Let's talk about why understanding the relationship your potential clients have with you is key and how it's going to make your marketing twice as effective for your business. In this episode, we'll discuss: The strategic questions you should be asking yourself whenever you're marketing The five core stages of awareness and how your messaging aligns with each The relationship between messaging goals, audience awareness, and marketing strategies  

The foundation for all your messaging is something that is so often overlooked and skipped by many solo business owners.  This is an essential piece of messaging for ensuring that you're able to capture the attention of the people you want to serve. It helps you grow your audience.  This piece of messaging also makes sure that what you're saying resonates, that it makes sense and that it is persuasive to the people you most want to reach.  So what is this often overlooked and skipped-over piece of messaging? Voice of customer research.  In this episode we'll be discussing: The missing piece business owners leave out of their messaging Why client avatars aren’t the way to go and what to do instead Learn exactly what the VOC is and what it will capture How incredibly beneficial AI is in complimenting your VOC data The best way to create marketing content  

Happy 2024, Expert!   I'm noticing something that I never thought I would see in online business.   Messaging is finally having its moment.  While I'm thrilled that messaging is getting the attention it deserves, there is a catch, my friend.  Most of the business coaches and marketers who are talking about it are oversimplifying what messaging is and leading business owners astray about its true strategic purpose in your business.  So let's start the year off right by demystifying what messaging is with all the nuance, the goal it helps your business achieve, and how to become a master messaging mixologist to make marketing suck less. In this episode, you will: Learn what are the various elements of messaging   Discover the goal of messaging in business and how it’s a lot like politics  Hear the definition of messaging and its pivotal role in persuasion Understand the analogy of creating messaging as concocting a cocktail  

We made it.   This has been quite a year.  It's been unlike any year that I have seen in business before. As we wrap up 2023, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate and also take you behind the scenes of my business for an honest look at what 2023 was really like, what I'm proud of, what didn't go well at all and my secret excitement and hope for 2024. In this episode we'll discuss: My top three highlights of the year The most challenging situations of the year, both financially and personally My predictions for 2024  

There's a famous episode of South Park where gnomes are stealing the kids' underpants. The kids go on a quest to find out why the gnomes are stealing underpants. The reason? It's capitalism.  You see, the gnomes have a plan: Step 1, Steal underpants Step 2, I don't know??? Step 3, Profit! The way marketing is taught often uses the exact same strategy as the underpants gnomes, and it could be the reason why your marketing isn't as effective in bringing you more clients and booking more business. In this episode you'll hear: The analogy of the underpants gnomes stealing underpants as a marketing strategy Product market fit and its significance in marketing The importance of the foundation of messaging  

 If you scroll through social media, there are a heck of a lot of marketing experts all screaming at you about how they have the way, the proven formula that will help you book more business overnight.  Much of that advice is conflicting, and it also leaves you feeling like you need to be everywhere on all the platforms to grow your business.  And that's tough, especially as a solo business owner who is juggling so much client delivery, and sales, on top of all the marketing you should be doing.  In this episode, we are doing something a little bit different. I'm sharing with you a roundtable I facilitated that brought together three experts, Diann Wingert, Pauline Wiles, and Elise Enriquez, to discuss their challenges around overmarketing, and how they are learning to do less marketing, but do it better.  Tune in to identify where you're overdoing it when it comes to marketing and how to right-size your own marketing strategy. Because one of the insights that I had from this discussion is that overmarketing can also lead to overgiving, and that has impacts on your business.  We'll also cover the difference between being a creator versus being a business owner and how that impacts your approach as well. Whether you need help letting go of certain tactics or just want to dial in your own strategy, this discussion provides valuable insights for you, the solo business owner, looking to streamline your efforts. In this episode we'll discuss: The pressures and challenges of overmarketing How to let go of unproductive marketing strategies The difference between being a creator vs a business owner  Boundaries in content creation and marketing How to find clarity in marketing and business strategies  

All-or-nothing thinking is a scourge when it comes to messaging and marketing for your business.  What I see i sfar too often  business owners spend a ton of time, energy, and even money creating a new marketing asset.  Let's say you create a new lead magnet to grow your email community.  You'll spend hours creating that lead magnet, writing the welcome sequence, creating the landing page for it.   It could take you weeks or even months to finish that project, and then you'll put it out into the world. If you're not seeing the results that you hoped you would get, you just throw up your hands and think, “It's not working. I'm going to scrap the whole thing.” What do you say if we don't do that?  What if there is a better way to approach it?  One where you're not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but instead, you tweak and evolve. In this episode we discuss: The negative impact of all-or-nothing thinking on messaging and marketing. The importance of tweaking and evolving marketing assets rather than scrapping them entirely. The process of planning, executing, and evaluating marketing experiments. The role of identifying glimmers of success and areas that feel difficult in the evaluation process. The significance of dedicating time and attention to creating effective marketing assets for business growth.    

Do you ever feel like you're not marketing enough?  You know what you should be doing, but the thought of doing it sucks the life force out of you.  You'd much rather work with your clients or do almost anything else, including cleaning your cat's litter box, than market your business.   If that's you. I want you to know that you are not alone.  I am letting you in on a recent conversation I had with two Expert Up Club members, Laura Gatsos Young and Bev Feldman, about under marketing their business, why it happens, what they're doing about it, and some of the unforeseen consequences of not getting the word out there about your business.  In this episode we'll discuss: The consequences of under marketing your business How to overcome mindset barriers and procrastination in your business Finding marketing strategies that feel authentic and comfortable The power of consistent marketing Repurposing content and time-saving strategies