Marketing for Solopreneurs: How to Create an Intentional Plan
When new entrepreneurs start their businesses, they may feel many different emotions: excitement about the prospect of launching a business, anxiety around the fear of the unknown, and maybe a bit of overwhelm when thinking about how they will find clients.
I know this because I coach new entrepreneurs, and most of them come to me wondering how they’re going to market their startups and get customers. And if they’re also solopreneurs, the stakes are even higher, because when you are a solopreneur, you are your business, and your efforts need to be that much more impactful.
A marketing plan for solopreneurs
Here is how to create an intentional marketing plan where everything you do is more efficient so you will get desired results.
1. Choose a marketing strategy based on your personality and strengths
Since you are the only person who will be marketing your business, you need to choose a strategy that is super aligned with you—one that you will be excited about showing up for every day. To do this, you want to take a look at your personality. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
If you’re introverted, you probably don’t want to choose public speaking or in-person networking as your primary marketing strategy. Maybe choose something more “behind the scenes,” like blogging, where you can take your time and do it all from the comfort of your home. This way, you can still get the word out about your business, but it won’t feel so hard because it won’t feel so forced.
If you’re extroverted, you’ll naturally want to be out talking to people, so networking or marketing yourself on social media is an excellent choice. You’re already someone who enjoys being in the presence of others and talking about yourself, so it’s a natural fit.
Now think about your strengths. Are you a good writer, speaker, teacher, or maybe you’re good at connecting with others? You should consider your talents when choosing your marketing strategy. Good writers should consider blogging; speakers might want to guest on podcasts; and teachers would do well hosting free workshops to market their businesses.
2. Create a strategy around your chosen marketing channel
The biggest mistake I see new entrepreneurs make regarding their marketing is thinking that a marketing channel and a marketing strategy are the same thing. If you’ve chosen your marketing channel (think: social media, podcasting, blogging, etc.), you’re off to a great start.
But an effective marketing strategy requires more than just picking a platform and showing up on it regularly. You need to think about what you will talk about, what you stand for, and how you will educate people about what you do once they consume your content.
Take the time to build a content calendar and determine the topics you will cover. For example, I cover marketing and mindset topics since those are the two things I help people with. Think about what you believe in related to your industry and how you might have a unique opinion or perspective that you can use in your content.
I’m all about intentional marketing or creating a really aligned marketing plan based on who you are and not just following what the gurus tell you to do, so that’s what I talk about in my content. And then make sure the topics you’ve chosen align with what you offer. If not, you may need to make some changes.
Finally, include calls-to-action (CTA) in your marketing so people can learn more about your work. CTAs are a little bit of instruction around what people should do next—(e.g., “Click on the link to book a call with me…”) They help people move along to the next step in their customer journey.
3. Track and optimize your marketing efforts
Once you’ve created your plan, you need to start executing it—but don’t forget to track your results! You won’t know what’s working unless you periodically look at your data. It’s essential to review your stats so you know what’s actually working to bring you new clients. If you find that one channel performs better, you can spend more time on it. Or you can quickly see if one type of post does better than another (e.g., Instagram posts vs. Reels) and then create more of that type of content.
Over time, you’ll start to see certain trends surfacing. For example, I noticed that most of my consult calls and clients were coming from search versus social media. So I shifted my marketing efforts to do more things that build my search engine optimization (SEO), like guest blogging and podcasting. I wouldn’t have known this if I hadn't paid attention to the data.
4. Build out your customer journey
Remember that customer journey I briefly mentioned before? The more you grow your business, the more you’ll want to pay attention to this. If you’re an online business owner, you’re going to have to craft an intentional journey for people to go on to help nurture them along. If you don’t do this, they’ll just come up with their own journeys—which isn’t terrible, but it also isn’t ideal. Instead of relying on people to research you and your business, you can help them do this faster and more effectively by putting together a step-by-step journey for them to follow.
For example, I have a quiz that people can take to learn about their marketing personality. Once they’ve opted into the quiz, they are added to my email newsletter, where they receive more helpful information from me about marketing and mindset. Over time, I also send them promotional emails around my current offers, as well as more information about me and my services, and what it's like to work with me as a client.
It's not difficult for solopreneurs to create a marketing plan
When you boil it down, marketing doesn’t have to be that hard. If you take the time to create a plan, follow it, and make small tweaks over time, you can be successful.
FAQs for solopreneurs about marketing
Below we have summarized the most important questions and answers on the subject:
How do I market myself as a solopreneur?
Choose just one to two marketing channels that you feel very aligned with (e.g., social media, blogging, podcasting, etc.) and devise a strategy around each channel. This way, you'll be more likely to stay consistent and get your desired results.
Do small businesses need a marketing plan?
As a small business owner, your time is valuable. To get the most out of your marketing efforts, you'll need to create a marketing plan to stay focused and reach your goals. It's also a good practice to track which marketing channels perform best over time.
How can you market your business as an introvert?
Introverts should be careful in choosing their marketing channels, and they should pick strategies that are aligned with their natural strengths. Introverts also should be mindful not to select channels that force them to be "on" all the time. For example, blogging may be a better option over public speaking or social media.
About the Author
Post by: Agatha Brewer
Agatha Brewer is the founder of Agatha Brewer Coaching where she works with new entrepreneurs to help them launch businesses that make a bigger impact on the world. She combines 15+ years of digital marketing experience and her coach training to help new business owners move their ideas out of their heads and into reality, getting them clarity around what they want to create, helping them set the right strategic foundations, and unraveling any mindset blocks that are standing in their way.
Company: Agatha Brewer Coaching
Website:
www.agathabrewer.com
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