Disclosure. I use Generative AI tools to help me when writing. From outline suggestions to topics or subtleties, I had yet to think of.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n See more articles, posts, and discussions about business, project management, Generative AI and Creative Writing on Medium here<\/a>. If you have not already, subscribe to Medium<\/a>. Or follow me here<\/a> on Substack.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I have experience in spades, but how to effectively get the word out, I believe the term should be visibility<\/em>, is something I\u2019ve never had to consider before. I naively thought that I only had to make a simple website, throw a few links around, and I\u2019d get at least a few contacts from potentially interested clients. It was a bit silly when I look back towards the beginning of this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Understanding and experimenting with different marketing strategies will take much longer than anticipated. The main problem is that I already have a single major contract with a company, and most, if not all, of my contacts are also this company\u2019s clients. This means I can\u2019t approach them as it will breach my contract\u2019s terms and conditions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n No, I have to start from scratch and find potential clients differently. Easier said than done. My target audience is at least medium to larger-sized companies. Short of cold emailing, which is useless to the point of damaging my reputation, I thought networking at business social gatherings and conferences, for example, might be a good starting point.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n My marketing problems are compounded by being based in the far south of the Netherlands, so finding suitable social events is like finding a needle in a haystack. It just doesn\u2019t seem to work like that here. Likely I\u2019m missing something important, and no doubt I\u2019ll figure it out, eventually. But it\u2019s not as easy as I thought it would be.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At least I have the outline of a marketing strategy now. Not everything will work out, but then I don\u2019t need everything. I only need a few clients to help build my reputation, that is, my \u2018visibility \u2019. These are my main areas to concentrate on:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n All of my recent articles are shared on LinkedIn already; only they are shared on my personal<\/em> account. So, for a content marketing strategy, perhaps sharing business-related posts via my company profile would be best. I can always share them again from there in my personal space.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Talking about the mix of article subjects I have been writing about over the last year. Maybe now is the time to split my publishing footprints into a separate business-oriented account.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As briefly mentioned above, a cold email campaign may work to some extent within certain markets, such as consumer products and so forth. But in my niche market, these emails are seen as SPAM and an irritation. If I were bombarded with crap trying to sell me something, especially with a company name always prominent in the email, it would immediately put me off of considering doing business with them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s a lazy marketing ploy that irritates more than it informs. Worst of all, the negativity severely impacts the company\u2019s reputation. In my opinion, at least as a startup, the last thing I want to piss off any potential clients before we\u2019ve even spoken. These sorts of emails guarantee me putting these people on my shit list, to be avoided at all costs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Yes, perhaps I\u2019m overreacting; I detest laziness, especially from a company actively looking for business. Put some effort in, god damn it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n We are subject to email SPAM campaigns and circulars distributed by the traditional snail mail. The key difference is that emails are generally deleted without opening, but snail mail has a greater chance of grabbing your attention, even for a few seconds. Most of all, it smacks of somebody or an organisation putting some effort into reaching potential customers. It\u2019s often let down, however, by garish logos, etc., on the envelope. Then, it\u2019ll likely be consigned to the bin (garbage can).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Done correctly and respectfully, though, I will usually at least open and scan the contents. It occurs to me that putting an effort into a direct mailing campaign has a much greater chance of success than a similar email campaign. So, this is the way forward for my brand. I\u2019ll give it a go and see what happens.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I\u2019ll concentrate on specific areas for the next few weeks or months. I\u2019m not ashamed to say that I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing, but I\u2019m figuring it out as I go. So, these are the tasks I\u2019ll be tackling in priority order.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As always, the main issue I face daily is a lack of time and, occasionally, energy. I value downtime these days, perhaps more than I used to. So, balancing building a business, the day job, family time, and relaxation is proving difficult.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I also feel sometimes that I don\u2019t have enough productive years left to achieve all I wish for. When these negative thoughts start to get a hold, I\u2019ll take a step back, re-evaluate, and carry on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I would love to hear your thoughts on my struggles; leave a comment, and I promise to respond, eventually.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n See more articles, posts, and discussions about business, project management, human nature, Generative AI and Creative Writing on Medium here<\/a>. If you have not already, subscribe to Medium<\/a>. Or follow me here<\/a> on Substack. The KodifyIT Substack newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I would appreciate the support; you won\u2019t regret it. 👍<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/kodifyit.com\/Main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/The-Everyday-Solopreneur-Marketing-1.png\")
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Handicapped and Limited (and Ignorant)<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Boring But Necessary Marketing Campaigns<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Why I Detest Email Marketing<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Snail Mail: Why I Find It Attractive<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Is This The Way Forward?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\nFinal Thoughts<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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