Marketing Mentor Blog
The Marketing Mix
Read, watch and listen to the latest insights from Marketing Mentor & friends
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How to stop writing proposals that go nowhere
When a prospect says, "Just send me a proposal," should you? In this double-whammy (short video + longer podcast episode) you'll learn how web designer, Mary Maru, qualifies prospects so she doesn't waste her time on proposals that go...
A content-first approach to web design
Guest post by Deidre Rienzo: Recently I got a question from a web designer named Steve. He has been working at an agency for 15 years, and he’s used to...
How to Get Better Clients with a 4-Step Outreac...
What's the best way to get the best clients? In Episode #439, Chris Haviland shares exactly how she does her 4-Step Outreach Campaign to get so "freakin'" busy!
[New Course] Writing a Winning Proposal: Land Y...
You want to land your dream clients, right? But you hate writing proposals. If that's you, you'll love Ilise Benun's latest online course that will help you seal the deal...
Fake feelings or real emotions? with Kelly Camp...
In Part 3 of my conversation with Conscious Leadership Coach, Kelly Campbell, we went deeper into the issues of intuition and listening and shared a few strategies for taking time...
Your niche: skill or industry?
How exactly do you find clients if your "niche" is a skill set or service you offer, rather than an industry you want to work in? I hear this question...
10 Ways to Make it Easy to Connect with You on ...
Here's a LinkedIn insider tip from Karen McElmoyle of KM Design that makes it sooooo easy for prospects to connect with you on LinkedIn when you share your personal QR...
How to make the right decisions for your busine...
Episode #437 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is part 2 of a conversation with Kelly Campbell, Conscious Leadership Coach for agency owners and host of the Thrive podcast. We talked...
Money Tips for the New Year with Farnoosh Torabi
If you want to be in a stronger financial position at the end of this year (whatever that means to you), you'll love Episode #436 with Farnoosh Torabi, best selling...
2021 by the numbers
Guest post by Deidre Rienzo: This morning, my son was still snoring at 8:40 AM. I hate waking him up, but he’s supposed to be at school by 9. I...
How to find your clients' pain points
Getting the attention of (and a response from) your ideal clients is simple, but only if you focus on their pain points! You see, once you know what keeps them...
A wish for you for the new year with Ilise Benun
In this short solo podcast episode to kick off 2022, I share a few thoughts inspired by a book I’m loving lately, "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" by...
21 Seeds to Sow to Grow Your Business on Linked...
An excellent guest post contributed by Cybersecurity B2B Content Marketer & Copywriter, Laurent Duperval, who shares what he's learned about how to use LinkedIn to grow your creative business.
Where are they now? Sharon Bending
In today’s episode #434, designer, Sharon Bending, of Rx Creative Lab, and I look back at the marketing strategy she put in place years ago that helped her build her business....
How to fire a client, with respect.
Guest post by Jill Anderson: If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you will need to fire a client -- and one of the things I've learned...
How to use generosity as a marketing tool
Want to know how to use generosity as a marketing tool? Watch this video (and see the links shared) from the December Office Hours with Ilise Benun, which is one...
How to Unfollow Your Passion with Terri Trespicio
In Episode #433 with Terri Trespicio, we tackled confidence and chutzpah, perfectionism and impostor syndrome, practicing in public and “disappearing into the message” and so much more. It’s all rooted...
What's the easiest content marketing to do?
The best way to get started with content marketing -- and one of the most effective marketing tools, according to my Simplest Marketing Plan 4.0 -- is an expert roundup. Check...
On Accountability with Nancy Ruzow of Creatives...
In Episode #432 of the podcast, I talked with Nancy Ruzow, who runs the Creatives Roundtable, about it means to be held accountable and to whom should you be held...
3 Simple Ways to Listen to the Market
How exactly do you listen to the market? It's a simple idea, but hard to absorb. In this video, Ilise Benun outlines 3 simple ways to listen for your niche,...
Friction and Happiness in Business with Kelly C...
In this post you'll find 2 very juicy (and kind of deep) conversations between Ilise Benun and Kelly Campbell, a Conscious Leadership Coach who works with agency owners. The conversations range from...
Know this about website accessibility…
Guest post by Jill Anderson: What is website accessibility? Website accessibility or ADA compliance means that anyone -- with any ability or disability -- can use your website. Is it...
Networking vs. "Connecting" with Susan McPherson
If you hate networking, Episode #430 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you. I talked with Susan McPherson, author of “The Lost Art of Connecting,” about the difference between...
How to listen for your niche
Finding your niche as a creative professional is not easy. But there is an easier way -- you can let your niche find you. Wait, what? Yes, that's right. You can...
When is it time to stop marketing yourself?
Wondering if you'll ever be able to stop marketing yourself? Or not sure if you're doing enough marketing? In Episode #429, Melanie the Marketer and I talked about what to...
“Creator” mode and more new stuff on LinkedIn
Are you overwhelmed by all the things you can do on LinkedIn? Not sure what the heck “Creator” mode is? Podcast #428 is a conversation with LinkedIn Trainer, Beth Granger, who answered...
Word of Mouth vs. Referrals: What's the differe...
Episode #427 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is a conversation with Michael Roderick about the difference between word of mouth (a dangerous way to market your business) and referrals, and...
3 Phases of Your Creative Business: which are y...
In this short video from a recent Office Hours (which is the most popular element of The Simplest Marketing Plan), I shared a brand new idea about the 3 phases...
Are you procrastinating? Or is it "sagacious de...
Here's a guest post from Marcella Allison, founder of Titanides, a private online community of female entrepreneurs, copywriters, and marketers. She was inspired by a comment I made at the end of my training...
Handling the tricky situations in your creative...
If you struggle with the tricky client situations that come up as a self employed creative pro, podcast episode #426 is for you. In Part 2 of my chat with copywriter, Deidre Rienzo,...
Do your headshots match your face on Zoom?
Guest post by Jill Anderson: I’ve used Zoom for years and nobody ever wanted their camera turned on. Now, it’s all cameras all the time! While it’s nice to see...
One of your clients' biggest pain points is....
In this clip from the August Office Hours, book designer, Lauren Wickware, shares a lesson she learned recently about one of her clients' biggest pain points: they are having trouble...
The Five-Minute Pity Party
10 years ago, copywriter Deidre Rienzo, saw other creatives blogging about how they were "just so busy they had to say no to clients." And she couldn’t imagine ever being...
Accelerate Your Freelance Business Tomorrow…by ...
Slowing down…nurturing your inner self…treating your business as a place to experiment and try new things…discovering the marketplace through intentional practices…and caring about people—these are the core ideas that have...
How to ask for more (money!) with Jennifer Barrett
How can you never leave money “on the table” again when negotiating? It's simple: ask for more -- but this seems to be one of the hardest things to do. So that's the...
8 Questions to Ask (BEFORE you write a proposal)
Did you know that your proposal is a marketing tool? And its job is to persuade your prospect -- in your absence -- that you're the perfect fit? The only...
If you do nothing else, do this to market your ...
How to grow your creative business with one marketing tool by making it a daily habit -- it's that simple!
Which marketing tools really work?
Attend the Creative Freelance Summit on July 20-21 and in 2 half days, you’ll learn exactly what you need to have in place to set the foundation for the clients...
Beware: Scam on graphic artists
Several Graphic Artists Guild members have been the targets of a sophisticated scam. Please be alert that outreach from potential clients may be a scam, and do your due diligence...
Going from Creative to Therapist with Tiffany B...
In Episode #422, Going from Creative Professional to Therapist, I chatted with Tiffany Butler, who spent 20+ years as a designer, copywriter and project manager, but often played the role of...
How to raise your rates as a creative freelancer
If you've got clients (especially "starter clients") who should be paying more, check out my newest ebook, Worth It: How getting good at the money talk pays off. In this...
How to fearlessly leverage your network (like S...
In Episode #420, with author, speaker and Ayurveda-based health and mindset coach, Sweta Vikram, learn why it pays to mine (and leverage) your LinkedIn network. When it was time to promote her new...
NEW: Creative Freelance Summit July 20-21, 2021
How do you find good clients? You know, the ones who value your expertise enough to pay you what you’re worth? That’s the question we’ll answer in this new virtual...
A simple idea to grow your email list
Podcast #419 is a conversation with Tim Huelskamp, CEO of 1440 Media, about a simple strategy his company used to grow their email newsletter list from very small at the beginning...
5 Simple Campaigns to Get Your Ideal Client's A...
Of the 3 marketing tools in the Simplest Marketing Plan (strategic networking, high quality content marketing and targeted outreach), that last one -- targeted outreach -- seems to be the...
The 2 Questions That Trigger All the Fears at O...
Podcast #418 with Terri Trespicio digs into the 2 questions that trigger all the fears at once. If you panic or freak out when a prospect or client asks you...
Natural ebb & flow vs. nasty feast or famine?
If, when things slow down, you think, "Oh my God, this is the beginning of the end," this video is for you. Ilise Benun shares a few simple thoughts about...
Creating passive income: Easy or not?
Guest post by Jill Anderson: Dream of making money while you sleep? Want to create a product that generates passive income? This all sounds delightful … until you actually...
How to Handle "The Feast" with Danielle Hughes
Podcast #417 is my second conversation with Danielle Hughes of More Than Words Copy about what to do when your marketing is working so well that you’re getting more good work from...
So you want to be a guest blogger...
As I hope you know by now, content marketing (creating useful content that speaks to the needs of your ideal clients) and targeted outreach (introducing yourself in a hyper-personalized way to tell...