Confessions of a Marketing Consultant

Confessions of aMarketing Consultant Lauren Hall-Stigerts’ lessons of starting a one-woman services business and marketing herself. Level: Introductory @Lstigerts Lauren@marketinggal.com

I started my marketing career withenterprise CRM software as a generalist. @LStigerts

After picking up skillz, I worked at startupsoftware powerhouse SEOmoz as theirMarketing Communications Manager. @LStigerts

I decided to jump feet -first into online marketing consulting. Theopportunity, challenge, and excitement of running my own business andfostering lots of relationships excited me.But it all started with the lessons I learned andrelationships I built while working in -house. @LStigerts

Lesson 1:Working in-house firstisn’t a requirement, but itREALLY helps. @LStigerts

Cyrus Shepard (of PlaceFull) and Iknew we had chemistry when weworked together at SEOmoz. @LStigerts

Cyrus pulled me in on his latest project at eventspace rental PlaceFull. I worked on contentstrategy and email marketing. @LStigerts

Lesson 2:Tell people you’re available.Find friends and colleagueswho need help.(This seems obvious, but it’s easy to forget when you’re busy doing everything.) @LStigerts

Lesson 3:Find a consulting mentorwho is where you’d like tobe (eventually).My two mentors give me so much energy. They boost my confidence and speedup my success with sage advice. One is my financial planner who gave me the firstbig push to stick with consulting. My second mentor is a friend who created aniche for himself in game design consulting. They both independently volunteeredto be my mentors – people like them are invaluable and critical to your success. @LStigerts

I’ve done more new and sometimes terrifying thingssince beginning my consulting than I have in my entirelife. I’ve also grown more as a professional while being a consultant than I have over longer periods in -house. If I’m not stretching myself every day, then something is wrong. @LStigerts

Lesson 4:If you’re doing somethingevery week that terrifiesyou, you’re doing somethingright. @LStigerts

My website looks decent. Personal branding? Check.Description? Check. Email signup form? Check.What ’s missing? Everything else. I’ve decided to hire a professionaldesigner to move this forward in a way that I can’t. @LStigerts

Lesson 5:Outsource the thingsothers can do betterthan you can. @LStigerts

Invest in a way to track yourclients, hours, projects, invoices, finances, and expenses.FreshBooks is worth every penny I pay for it.I’ll be thanking myself come tax season. @LStigerts

Lesson 6: Take your business as seriously as you do your clients.It’s easy to get caught up in what makes you money today. But you never knowwhat will happen, so don’t forget to take care of your own business for futuresuccess. Treat yourself like a client. @LStigerts

I use THINGS software to keep me focused – both on thejob and whatever I have going on in my life. It’s based onthe GETTING THINGS DONE approach to timemanagement.It’s based on the GETTING THINGS DONE approach totime management. Finding a trusted system that worksfor you is key here. @LStigerts

Lesson 7:Find ways to rechargeyour batteries. @LStigerts

I’m extroverted, so working on my own can burn me out.I recharge by getting out and working from differentlocations. It also energizes my creativity. @LStigerts

I also love working around others. I’ll visit local clients’sites to touch base. (Double bonus: They know they’reappreciated!)If I’m not workingat a client site, I’llalso drop in onfriends andcoworking spaces.Here, I’m visitingmy BFF while sheworks on herteaching plans.That’s her cat. @LStigerts

Getting out to industry events is ESSENTIAL – I can touchbase with friends, network with new peeps, learn newthings, AND recharge my extrovert batteries! WIN!Bonus points if you can name all of these really smartSEO / UX / IA friends in the photo with me.Answer (L to R): @ justinrb rig gs @ipullrank @jcolman @LStigerts

I have lots of hobbies that fulfill other parts of mypersonality outside of work, such as costuming atconventions… @LStigerts

… and playingmusic.It’s important tome to keep myhobby timesacred – it feedsback into mywork creativityand energy. @LStigerts

Lesson 8:Keep your story simple.Don’t be everything to everyone. Focus on your core strengths and build astory on them.People love stories. They remember them. They’ll remember you. And that’sa good thing. @LStigerts

Lesson 9:Keep yourself visible. @LStigerts

Find opportunities to share your expertise (for free). Andtry to do it as frequently as time allows.I’m participating in a Max Impact marketing hangout onGoogle+ here. These are great because they’re recordedand circulated. @LStigerts

Facebook Page to practice my own content and socialmedia marketing. (And stay in contact with the peoplewho want to hear from me!) @LStigerts

Twitter. A must for online content curators to strut theirstuff. @LStigerts

- Email newsletters- Blog posts- Question and Answer sites- … SPEAKING! @LStigerts

Lesson 10:Create serendipity.I snagged this from Rand Fishkin.It’s another way of saying “create you own luck.”Do things for people who need help. Do it for free. Don’t expect anything inreturn.And watch the magic unfold. @LStigerts

@LStigerts

Let’s be friends!Lauren Hall-StigertsMarketing Consultant@LstigertsLauren@marketinggal.com @LStigerts

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Confessions of a Marketing Consultant

by Marketing Gal Consulting on Oct 15, 2012

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