You quit your job. You thought, “I’m already doing all the work, I can just do it on my own.”
At first, things looked good. Some old clients followed you, and referrals kept you going for a while. But soon, reality set in. Customer cycles were shorter than you expected. You didn’t have enough clients to sustain the business, let alone grow it.
Then it hit you: you need marketing. You need a way to reach a wider audience.
You check your website — the one you thought would bring in leads — but it’s crickets. No visitors.
Just Google It
If you’ve ever Googled “marketing,” you already know — most of it is garbage.
Vague, recycled advice like “use social media to reach people” or “find your unique selling point.”
Let’s be real: when you’re a small business owner trying to get more customers, this doesn’t help.
Take a look at one of the top results I pulled up:
Market research. Profile your target markets. Identify your USP. Develop your brand. Choose your marketing avenues.
What’s going on here? We’re not writing a 200-page business school thesis. We want to sell a service and attract customers. And yet this is what fills the internet: vague concepts dressed up as “strategy.” Nothing practical, nothing actionable, and nothing that shows you how to actually get new business in the door.
An Everyday Reality
All of this is a story most new founders go through. It doesn’t have to be like that.
To build a real marketing strategy, all you need to do is answer three simple questions:
1. Who are you selling to?
This isn’t just “anyone who might be interested.” You need to be specific. Think in terms of clear profiles — and remember, you’ll usually have more than one. Each profile creates a new opportunity.
Example (Pest Control):
- A homeowner dealing with termites or rats.
- A restaurant owner who risks being shut down after a health inspection.
Different people, different motivations — but the same service connects to both.
2. What are you selling?
It’s not just the service itself. It’s the outcome, the transformation.
Example (Pest Control):
- To homeowners: a clean, safe home where their kids can sleep without worry.
- To restaurants: the ability to pass inspections, keep their doors open, and avoid a PR disaster.
Same service, different value depending on the customer.
3. Why you?
Why should they choose you over the dozens of other options?
Your answer could be:
- A money-back guarantee.
- Testimonials from happy clients.
- Faster response times than competitors.
- Specialized experience in industries (e.g., restaurants, schools, or landlords).
Example (Pest Control):
- “We guarantee to be on-site within 24 hours, or the first visit is free.”
- “Trusted by 120+ local restaurants — we know the industry inside out.”
- “All work is backed by a full money-back guarantee.”
KIS – Keep It Simple
That’s it. Simple as that.
This is all you need to create a solid marketing strategy. Once you know who you are targeting and what you are offering, everything else becomes easier.
From there, it is just a matter of reaching those people, whether through ads, organic content, or even guerrilla tactics. But that is a topic for another post.
In the meantime, if you want to keep learning practical strategies like this, make sure to subscribe to the newsletter.
Until next time,
Emre