Marketing Mentor Blog
The Marketing Mix
Read, watch and listen to the latest insights from Marketing Mentor & friends
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Cure Your Fear of Marketing (and Spiders!)
If you avoid marketing your business out of fear that people will “see” what you’re doing or you'll say the wrong thing… this simple mindset shift will help.

Afraid of being too salesy?
Salesy people. Ugh, they make us all uncomfortable, don’t they? And we certainly don’t want to be them. Which is why we may be hesitant to promote our businesses. We...

Freeing your time: Me and Jenny Blake
If you have too much work and not enough time, Episode #467 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you. I had the best conversation with Jenny Blake, author of...

“Borrow” These Excellent Examples of Content Ma...
You know you should be doing content marketing… but if you’re like most creative business owners, you may not know what to say, or how to start. Get some ideas...

Should you clean your email list?
I've always said you never know, so why would you take people off your email list? Out of sight, out of mind is hard at work these days so if...

My Worst Investment Ever
What’s your worst investment ever? Not just money invested, but time or energy or, the most important thing we have to invest: our attention. Episode #466 is my story reposted from a...

How to Build Momentum in Your Creative Business
Life as a creative business owner is an ebb and flow. But sometimes - especially in the beginning - it can feel like your business is all ebb and no...

How promotional is too promotional?
In this short solo podcast episode #465, I ask (and answer) the question: "How promotional is too promotional -- especially when it comes to content marketing?

Discovering an Unexpected Benefit on My LinkedI...
Guest post by Val Roskens Tews, of Butterfly Copywriting, who is a member of the SMP&P and a graduate of the GRO Business Incubator. This was an unexpected discovery....

My yearly recap: Then and now.
2015 is the last time I did an annual recap. Whew, where did the years go? I decided to compare this year to seven years ago … And you know...

A Formula to Hit Your 2023 Financial Goals
You’ve probably laid out your financial goals for 2023 but have you broken them down into the number of projects you need to reach them? Here’s an exercise you can...

The Hidden Purpose of Content Marketing
The hidden reason you should be doing content marketing isn't what you think. It's much simpler. And understanding it will make your content both more impactful and easier to create.

Why would anyone want your content?
Why would anyone want your content? And what’s the difference between your content marketing and your marketing content? Those are just a few of the questions I answered in my...

3 Reasons Not to Freak Out About Feedback
In today's guest post, copywriter, SM Quinn, shares what she learned about receiving feedback and why she's not freaking out about it any more!

A rant about marketing, competition and being e...
Worried about the competition? Not sure you're doing enough? Here's what copywriter, Deidre Rienzo, has to say about that!

Engineering the Evolution of Your Business
Episode #463 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is my New Year 2023 message in which I’m sharing the main ideas of a brand new presentation, Engineering the Evolution of My Business. So for a...

2022 by the numbers
11,410. That’s the amount of things I’m usually thinking about and doing at the same time. Can you relate? This year has been absolutely hectic. Financially, 2022 was my best...

2016 by the numbers (repost)
In 2015, Copywriter, Deidre Rienzo, hit a milestone that seemed unreachable when she started out 9 years earlier … she reached her corporate salary from 2007. So of course, she was thrilled. But she was...

How to “Pumpkin Plan” your business
This is a guest post by Rebekah Mays, the owner of Thrive Copywriting. She helps sustainable and purpose-driven brands grow their leads and sales through SEO content strategy and writing. You can learn...

is your business taking good care of you?
Note: This is a guest post by Marleen Martinez, a copywriter and content creator specializing in the Orlando film and entertainment Industry, who is also a member of AWAI's GRO Business Incubator. Alternate...

The Night Before Site Launch (by Robert Lodi, t...
Did you know content marketing could be a poem? Yup, it can. So for a little holiday cheer, I am reading aloud "Twas the Night Before Site Launch," a really...

Year End Reflections & the impact of a dog video
If you think your actions have no impact, just because you can't see it, think again. Here's a simple dog-friendly example to explain what I mean and share how I'm wrapping...

How to Bring Yourself into Your Content Marketi...
If you struggle with your own content marketing, you'll love Episode #461 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast with Ann Handley, author of the best-selling book, Everybody Writes, totally revamped for it's 2nd...

This cheesy Christmas movie totally teaches the...
In this hysterical guest post from content strategist and writer, Rebekah Mays, we see how the 3 tools from Marketing Mentor's Simplest Marketing Plan are used in a cheesy Christmas movie on...

Creatives are Good Negotiators! with Mori Taher...
If you believe that being creative is incompatible with being a good negotiator, this episode is for you. I talked with Mori Taheripour, the author of Bring Yourself: How to...
Cyber Monday Live Event Sneak Peek
Today’s episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is a short clip from the most recent Office Hours, a monthly live (and very interactive gathering) that has become the centerpiece of...
Is the growth of your freelance business invisi...
If you are far from meeting your business goals, it might feel like nothing is happening. More than likely, growth is happening in all sorts of ways. In this guest blog...
Does old money "baggage" prevent you from charg...
If your palms sweat when someone asks, “What do you charge?” episode #458 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you. I talked with writer and coach, Austin L. Church,...

Is anyone listening?
In this guest post by Teresa Murray, social entrepreneur and content creator, we are reminded that, even when it feels like no one is listening, the invisible audience is out...

The 4 Floors of Your Business
In the new guest post, Rebekah Mays, SEO content strategist & writer for purpose-driven brands, elaborates a new metaphor for your creative business and shows how to vet your prospects so that only...

What it takes to earn $10K in “passive income” ...
Want to make money while you sleep? In Episode #457 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Jill Anderson of Jill Lynn Design shares exactly what it actually took to make $10K...

"You Charge Too Much!"
If your palms start to sweat just thinking about pricing, you'll love this worst-case scenario money conversation by copywriter, Marleen Martinez.
Hate "rejection?" Try this...
If you've been "rejected" lately by a prospect or client, try thinking about it differently. You might even be able to learn something. Read on to find out how.
What I’ve learned from 20 discovery calls
If pitching your creative services in a real-time conversation make you nervous, read this guest blog post by content strategist and copywriter, Rebekah Mays, about what she learned from doing...
Hate small talk? This may help...
If you hate small talk, you're not alone. But "chatting" can be very effective and you'd be surprised how much people will tell you with a simple question. Based on...

The Secret to a Winning Proposal
If you want to know the secret to a winning proposal, Episode #456 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you. It’s all part of the Proposal Oreo Strategy (from...
Website timeline examples
Guest post by Jill Anderson:As a creative professional, you want to help your prospects know you are stable and sturdy — not someone who’s going to disappear on them. Showing...
Not sure what to post on LinkedIn? Here's your ...
Should you always add a note when you invite someone to connect on LinkedIn? In Episode #455 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Austin Church shared his LinkedIn strategies and so...

The Hourly Rate Debate
Most freelancers use hourly rates for all the wrong reasons. In today’s episode, I started the debate about hourly rates with Jamie Saunders and Karen Larson of Clear Brand Strategy...
How to properly value your time with Doug Dolan
If you’ve ever spent too much time on a proposal, episode #453 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you. Doug Dolan, a communications strategist and writer, outlines his strategies...
4 tips to keep your website functioning well
Guest post by Jill Anderson: We all know how important websites are. And with technology moving quickly, it’s not just about having a site that looks good, but also one...
How NOT to freak out when you're not reaching y...
Here’s the scene: it’s the end of the month and you aren’t even close to your goals. What to do? In Episode #452 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, I’m talking...
Start a newsletter now. Here’s why…
Guest post by Deidre Rienzo Ray: Start a newsletter now. Why? Because in 8 years, you might be making 10k a month from a subscriber. A few months ago I...
One-page website? Not so fast, please.
Guest post by Jill Anderson: One page websites are pretty common. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good business decisions. Do I hate one-page websites? No, not at all. I...
Where are they now? Alan Seiden
In Episode #451 of the Marketing Mentor Podcast (the next in my “Where are they now?” series), I looked back with Alan Seiden, who explains how he used an advanced...
What happens when your post goes viral with Wen...
If you’ve ever wondered what makes a piece of content go viral, today’s episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast is for you. B2B content and case study copywriter, Wendy Jacobson, shares what happened...
So your post went viral – now what?
In this guest post from copywriter, Wendy Jacobson, you'll learn what happened when her post went viral on LinkedIn and what she got out of it. Listen to our podcast...
Guide to Event Networking: 6 Easy Steps for Des...
Today's guest post is by content writer, Sharlet Brennan, a member of the GRO Business Incubator I run for AWAI. In it she shares what she's learned about how to...
What's the difference between confidence and ch...
I asked "The Chutzpah Guy" -- listen to find out what he said. You see, for a while now, I’ve been saying that it was chutzpah, not confidence, that enabled...
What can you accomplish in 6 months of marketing?
What can you accomplish in 6 months of marketing? That's what I asked everyone who attended the July Office Hours for the Simplest Marketing Plan. Here's what some of them...