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144. Your First Marketing Moves: Where Every Solopreneur Should Begin with Donna Amos · The Life-First Solopreneur

• 0:00
  Carly Ries: Today, we're diving into a topic that keeps business owners awake at night almost as effectively as a triple espresso, and that my friends is marketing. It's the puzzle that everyone loves to hate until they get some expert guidance, and that's exactly what we have for you today. Meet Donna Amos, the mastermind behind the marketing blueprint from planning to profit and owner of Solopreneur Solutions, LLC. Donna has over 30 years of marketing experience. She's worked with thousands of clients, helping them turn marketing mayhem into clear, actionable strategies.
• 0:32
  But don't worry, Donna's no textbook talker. She's known for translating complex concepts into plain English, often with a dash of humor. So we discuss things like unique challenges and opportunities solopreneurs space compared to larger businesses, how traditional methods of marketing like print media or direct mail fit into today's digital heavy landscape, how solopreneurs can leverage AI effectively, key foundational marketing steps that new solopreneurs should prioritize, budget friendly marketing strategies for maximum impact, and so much more. So be sure to tune in.
• 1:07
  Intro: You're listening to The Aspiring Solopreneur, the podcast for those just taking the bold step or even just thinking about taking that step into the world of solo entrepreneurship.
• 1:17
  Carly Ries: My name is Carly Ries, and my co host Joe Rando and I are your guides to navigating this crazy but awesome journey as a company of 1. We take pride in being part of LifeStarr, a digital hub dedicated to all aspects of solopreneurship that has empowered and educated countless solopreneurs looking to build a business that resonates with their life's ambitions. We help people work to live, not live to work. And if you're looking for a get rich quick scheme, this is not the show for you. So if you're eager to gain valuable insights from industry experts on running a business the right way the first time around,
• 1:52
  or want to learn from the missteps of solopreneurs who've paved the way before you, then stick around. We've got your back because flying solo in business doesn't mean you're alone.
• 2:03
  Donna, this is such a serendipitous interview I feel like because you've been on our radar for quite some time. I was the one that dropped the ball on not having this interview sooner. So we are so happy that we were making this work because I feel like our goals are similar. We serve the same audiences. We all wanna help solopreneurs run successful businesses.
• 2:24
  So welcome to the show.
• 2:26
  Donna Amos: Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm excited.
• 2:28
  Carly Ries: Yes. So are we as if you can't tell by my enthusiasm right now, but I just wanna dive into it. You have helped countless clients, from startups to established enterprises, but, obviously, we're just talking about solopreneurs today. And what unique challenges and opportunities do you see solopreneurs face compared to larger businesses?
• 2:53
  Donna Amos: This is an easy one. They have too much on their plate, and the expectation that they can continue to add more to the plate, but then they, you know, they lose control over everything. So they start marketing, and then they stop. And their business goes out of business, so to speak, because they've got those hills and valleys in their income. So that's where they are challenged the most.
• 3:26
  Joe Rando: this is one of my favorite topics with solopreneurs. So the idea is I'm gonna go generate leads and market and, you know, do all this stuff, and then I get leads. And, oh, I gotta do the work now. So I stop doing that. I start doing the work, get the work done, get it all filled, and they look and go, I got nothing.
• 3:40
  Donna Amos: Exactly. Yeah.
• 3:43
  Joe Rando: And, it just happens all the time. I'm glad you see it too.
• 3:48
  Carly Ries: Yeah. Not just us.
• 3:49
  Joe Rando: Now we're gonna fix it.
• 3:50
  Donna Amos: It's fixed. Actually, I was a business coach, and so I would coach clients through their sales and marketing. And then clients, you know, they would start marketing. They would get business. They'd stop.
• 4:05
  They'd be out of biz and I started saying, why don't you just let me do that for you? And that's how the agency, the full service digital agency started.
• 4:15
  Carly Ries: Let me ask you. You run a digital agency now. But with all the noise that there is online these days, are you still just recommending digital, or are you recommending offline tactics now too for your clients? And where do you see that playing in for solopreneurs?
• 4:33
  Donna Amos: Yeah. So couple of things for offline would be publishing a book because that can help them get speaking gigs that are also can be offline or on, but, you know, help them get in front of audiences. They could do, cold calls, but most people hate that.
• 4:58
  Joe Rando: I have a question. Because I did this back in the day going way back, and I think it's back. Direct mail. Snail mail.
• 5:09
  Donna Amos: you know, I'm gonna disagree a little bit only because of the cost involved. It can be effective if you've got the budget for it. It can certainly be effective today like it was then. I mean, in the eighties, I had a marketing agency that that's what we did. We sent out direct mail, and then we called behind it
• 5:31
  Joe Rando: So it wasn't quite a cold call anymore.
• 5:34
  Donna Amos: Right.
• 5:34
  Joe Rando: Yeah. But, I mean, some people know who their customers are or should be. You know? And it's like if you can narrow it down, especially with LinkedIn, you know, you're trying to sell something to people that are doing, search engine optimization for, you know, medium sized companies. You can find those people on LinkedIn and send it only to those people via mail.
• 5:59
  I just wonder. I know Jay Schwendelson has a conference coming up. I forget what it's called, but it's all about direct mail.
• 6:07
  Donna Amos: Is that right?
• 6:08
  Joe Rando: And I'm like, is it back? And do I want it back? Because I hated getting all that junk in my mailbox.
• 6:15
  Donna Amos: Yeah. So again, if you have the budget for it, it can be an effective tool. Incorporated with your other online efforts.
• 6:29
  Carly Ries: Well, so let's switch back to the online tactics for solopreneurs that, like you said, the challenges that they face, and they're just kind of at a standstill. What are some low hanging fruits from a budgetary but also time standpoint that solopreneurs can implement today that won't break the bank or, take all of their times?
• 6:52
  Donna Amos: Webinars. If they can get people to come in and sit with them for 30 to 60 minutes while they build that trust element and then have a follow-up, a nurturing campaign that follows after the fact, that can be one of the fastest ways to generate good quality leads. As people typically won't sit through a webinar that they don't have an interest in the subject matter.
• 7:20
  Carly Ries: Mhmm. Well, so to piggyback off of webinars, I'm just trying to think of, like, free low hanging fruits. We are firm believers that AI should not generate your content for you. But what role do you see AI playing in marketing for solopreneurs, and how can it be helpful?
• 7:41
  Donna Amos: Okay. So, we use a white label version of go high level, and it's a CRM. And most CRMs, they will have some kind of AI built into it. The one thing that it does well now is build out your funnels, your workflows that you know? So I did a workflow yesterday for, Facebook leads that come in through a Facebook lead form.
• 8:13
  And I told AI what I was doing and that I needed, you know, the funnel built. And it told me step by step how that workflow should be built. And I still had to do the building, but it literally walked me through the process, and I didn't have to think about missing a step along the way. That's the kind of thing people should use AI for.
• 8:38
  Joe Rando: Yeah. Definitely getting instructions and how to's, that's a no brainer. I mean, it's just better than, you know, searching the web for you know, 45 minutes to find that one magic website that has it there in the most recent version.
• 8:54
  Carly Ries: Well and, Donna, so you said webinars are a good low hanging fruit. But what are some foundational elements solopreneurs should focus on when it comes to digital marketing that you think everybody should implement?
• 9:08
  Donna Amos: Well, it's pretty, obvious. It's social media. They should find a platform that has their audience on it and then commit to being on that platform every day to build up their audience, to build those connections. So for me, I'm on all the platforms. I have been for years.
• 9:36
  But LinkedIn is where I really focus my attention because coaches, consultants, solopreneurs, they're there. And so I want to share my knowledge, my experience, and be there to be a resource for them and to build my brand.
• 10:00
  Carly Ries: And it's free. So how can people connect with their audience? Because we hear so many solopreneurs being like, oh, we're just spinning our wheels. We know we're supposed to be on a platform, but nothing.
• 10:12
  My audience isn't growing. I'm not seeing anything. What is the best way to reach that?
• 10:17
  Donna Amos: here's another way to use AI. If you ask AI to build a, profile of your ideal client and ask it to tell you what their specific challenges are, now you have concrete information that you can then help them to overcome those challenges.
• 10:42
  Joe Rando: But where does the AI get the information about your clients from?
• 10:45
  Donna Amos: There's a couple of AI platforms that does research. So you could use something like that. But even chat GPT, if you really tell it, I need you to to build me a customer profile that, includes, let's just say coaches. And I need to know their average income, their, you know, what they're, struggling with, what are they successful at. You know, build me that profile.
• 11:17
  It can do it. It's done it. I actually have a sample in the back of my latest book of how you ask chatgpt to do that for you.
• 11:29
  Carly Ries: Yeah. That's really, really interesting. Well, so you figure out that profile. You get on that platform.
• 11:35
  But here is another big thing that I think a lot of people get hung up on. You're a marketer. I'm a marketer. My next door is a marketer. Their next door neighbor's a marketer.
• 11:46
  There are gazillions of marketers, gazillions of consultants. There are so many people with your profession. How do you crack that value proposition? How do you differentiate yourself when you're reaching out knowing that Joe Schmo next door could be doing the same thing?
• 12:02
  Donna Amos: Yeah. You know? We all have our own talents, and, we approach things differently. So even though the 3 of us may all be marketers, if we each interviewed the same prospect, we would probably suggest a different approach. And the prospect would connect better with 1 of us because we're all you know, it's just relationships.
• 12:39
  So you have to be good at building the relationships.
• 12:43
  Joe Rando: But part of the hard thing now for people getting started and I know this because I started a business back in the aughts, and it was not a sold for business, but we sold it in 2020. And I started a new business, this, and it's a lot harder to even get noticed now than it was before. Now, you know, you get to the point where you're built up and people know who you are, you've got all these people following you, and then you can get noticed, but boy, when you try to get out of the gate, it's a lot of work compared to what it used to be like to actually get noticed. So having that conversation may never happen if they never get to your website. And I think that's kind of where Carly's going is what do we need to do to get people to actually, you know, if they do get to our website, not click away within 3 seconds?
• 13:32
  Donna Amos: Yeah. So couple things. One is video. Get on video.
• 13:41
  Joe Rando: The thing nobody wants to hear, no video. No.
• 13:44
  Donna Amos: I know. But it works. It helps to build, again, build the trust with people if they see you on video all the time. And then putting that video on YouTube and optimizing it for search so that if somebody is searching in Google for whatever it is that you do, they actually will find your channel, click to your website.
• 14:13
  And when they're on the website, if you have done a poor job of messaging, meaning that you talk only about yourself, the website needs to talk about them and their challenges.
• 14:28
  Joe Rando: Absolutely.
• 14:29
  Donna Amos: And how they can use you to improve whatever it is in their life that they think needs
• 14:37
  improvement.
• 14:38
  Carly Ries: absolutely.
• 14:39
  Joe Rando: What do you think just on that topic, though, what do you think about solopreneurs that do 4 or 5 different things? You know, they have this list of I'm a coach, but I'm also a consultant, and I can do ghostwriting for you. And I'm just curious how you feel about the effectiveness of that these days.
• 14:58
  Donna Amos: Well, you typically have to focus on one element that you can really become known for. And then if you have a client that you've done their website and now they need some content created, then you could offer those additional services. But you have to have something that you focus on and that you can become seen as the expert in that area.
• 15:26
  Joe Rando: Yeah. Thank you. I just want another person saying it because this,
• 15:36
  it's just really, really important, and it's one of the things one of the mistakes that Carly and I see a lot of solopreneurs making. It's, you know, well, I can do all these things. Why limit myself?
• 15:49
  Carly Ries: Yeah. It's so true. So, Donna, I'm curious. You were talking about your agency in the eighties that sent direct mail pieces. Joe, you were talking about the business you created in the odds.
• 15:59
  Now you have a digital agency. You've seen a lot of changes in the marketing landscape, and I'm curious what you're excited about in terms of trends right now and where you see marketing going.
• 16:12
  Donna Amos: Yeah. So I'm actually excited about AI only because it provides, another set of hands almost for solopreneurs. Now if they really think about it, it doesn't have to just write blog posts for you, and that's not a good idea anyway. But it can do a whole lot more to help you in your business. So I'm excited about that.
• 16:39
  I'm also excited about getting solopreneurs to take control of their time and outsource as much as they can. So I just finished, listening to the book, Who Not How. And it literally, I think, has changed my life.
• 17:00
  Carly Ries: Oh, well, now you have to explain.
• 17:05
  Donna Amos: So Who Not How really, I finished reading it, and I went on LinkedIn and placed an ad for a salesperson.
• 17:13
  Because as a solopreneur, I'm doing everything just like everybody else is. So if I have somebody else that's helping to generate those leads, that relieves me of that time that I'm taking to do that. So instead of trying to figure out how to do a task, figure out who can do that task the best and replace you.
• 17:41
  Joe Rando: So you're gonna be a contractor. So you're still gonna be
• 17:46
  Donna Amos: I'm still a solopreneur.
• 17:47
  Joe Rando: Okay.
• 17:48
  Donna Amos: My salesperson is a contractor. So I'm just paying in commissions, and I'm not controlling his time. He can Work as long or little as he wants.
• 17:59
  It's no different than having a VA doing specific task for you.
• 18:04
  Carly Ries: Do you do, like, a test project or anything when you outsource? Because we are in total agreement. We say outsource and automate as much as you can to get your life back. But we're always curious to hear how people approach bringing on contractors and vetting them. So have you just lucked out, or do you have a process that you could share?
• 18:25
  Donna Amos: I probably just lucked out.
• 18:30
  Joe Rando: Appreciate it. Found a person yet?
• 18:32
  Donna Amos: Yes. I have. He started last Monday.
• 18:37
  Joe Rando: So you don't know if you've lucked out yet right?
• 18:40
  Donna Amos: Not really.
• 18:43
  But he seems very committed. He's spending a lot of time studying what we do and what we offer so that he can, you know, do a good job.
• 18:56
  Joe Rando: Can I ask that is he getting paid straight commission, or is there a base?
• 19:00
  Donna Amos: He gets paid for training for 2 weeks, and then it's straight commission.
• 19:07
  Joe Rando: actually that's one of the ways to find a really good salesperson because anybody that's willing to work for straight commission pretty much thinks they know how to do this.
• 19:16
  Donna Amos: Exactly.
• 19:17
  Joe Rando: It is hard sometimes in the higher end because those people are used to, even though they can do it, they're used to having the base too. But can I just share a funny thing that I have done with salespeople
• 19:31
  When I interview a salesperson, we have a lovely interview and great time and fun. And at the end when I wrap up, I always say, you seem like you're really great, but I don't think you're right for this job.
• 19:42
  Donna Amos: And you let them sell you.
• 19:43
  Joe Rando: And it's astonishing the number of people that get up and thank me and leave. It's awful, but it's really effective.
• 19:52
  Donna Amos: Yeah. Exactly.
• 19:53
  Carly Ries: Joe really is a good person, everybody.
• 19:58
  Joe Rando: That's my one exception. But, honestly you know, it's kind of like, if you were hiring somebody to teach tennis, you'd wanna see their tennis game. You want them to be able to beat you in tennis if you weren't that good. You know, it's like if you're a salesperson and you're coming in selling yourself on a job, you better be able to handle objections.
• 20:18
  Carly Ries: Yeah. Exactly. it's so true.
• 20:21
  Joe Rando: Diverging here.
• 20:23
  Donna Amos: I'm gonna steal that, Joe.
• 20:25
  Carly Ries: Take it. Well, Donna, before we get into, the questions that we ask everybody, the one last thing I wanted to bring up with you is just you are a solopreneur. You work with all these consultants, coaches. Where do you start your process? What are the types of things you ask your clients first?
• 20:41
  Because you think that those are the most important things to address before moving forward as as it relates to their businesses.
• 20:48
  Donna Amos: You mean for a new client?
• 20:49
  Carly Ries: Uh-huh. They're just like, I'm stuck. I don't know. where do you begin with them?
• 20:54
  Donna Amos: Yeah. So it is about, them telling you, this is what I need. They usually know. So this is what I need.
• 21:07
  And then you have to really look at their business, their business model, and determine if that is what they really need.
• 21:16
  Carly Ries: And is lead gen common and marketing common, or where do you see people struggling the most?
• 21:22
  Donna Amos: Lead generation and sales. Everybody hates to be seen as a salesperson. And most people I used to train real estate agents, and they wouldn't ask for the sale. Now if you take somebody into a home and they're telling you, you know, I could put my sofa there, and I I've got this beautiful lamp that it would look great there. And then you take them out of the house and you don't ask them if they would like to buy it, you're never gonna make any money.
• 21:57
  Joe Rando: And They're supposed to say this is gonna go today. You gotta get under contracts.
• 22:02
  Donna Amos: Yeah. You're supposed to. But many, many salespeople would not ask for the sale, And that's what happens to most solopreneurs. They're afraid to. They don't want people to see them in a bad light.
• 22:18
  But what I try to emphasize to them is that they have something of value to give to the world, and it's almost wrong to decline to give somebody their expertise.
• 22:36
  Carly Ries: And it's funny because I feel like a lot of times people think what they do is so obvious to others that, like, they wouldn't need to they wouldn't need help for whatever your client provides if it's like I went to, when I'm around marketers, I don't feel like the smartest person in the room. But if I'm around a group of solopreneurs that have never done marketing, I'm a genius. You know what I mean? And I think people forget that when you step out of your industry, people really do need your services.
• 23:04
  You just have to be confident that they do. Joe, you look like you're gonna say something.
• 23:08
  Joe Rando: Well, just I was thinking you when you say I'm around marketers, I think you're talking about, marketers like Jay Schwetelson and, Marcus Sheridan and you know? Okay. Fine. You're not the smartest person in the room.
• 23:21
  But, I just don't think you should be underselling yourself too much.
• 23:26
  Carly Ries: I'm no dummy. Oh, but I am now.
• 23:29
  Joe Rando: You are a dummy. We are dummies.
• 23:31
  Carly Ries: We're writing, a for dummies book. You know, the dummies brand. Oh, yes. We're currently writing one. So now I'm like, oh, I am a dummy. But not in the literal sense of the word. But, yes, Joe, you're absolutely right. I think I'm a great marketer, but if you put me in a room with the top marketers, Yeah. I'm not gonna try to compare myself.
• 23:50
  But I do feel like a Jay Schweddelson or, an Anne Handley or something when I'm in a room of non marketers. So just put yourself where people need you, and then your business will shine. You just need that confidence to do that. Well, Donna, like I said, we were thrilled to have you on today.
• 24:09
  It's been a long time coming unbeknownst to you, but I know,
• 24:14
  On our end, it has been a long time coming. So we ask all of our guests this question. What is your favorite quote about success?
• 24:22
  Donna Amos: So the future is simply infinite possibility waiting to happen. What it waits on is human imagination to crystallize its possibility. And that's by Leland Keyser.
• 24:35
  Carly Ries: I like it.
• 24:36
  Joe Rando: I don't know who that is. I'm gonna have to look him up.
• 24:39
  Carly Ries: I told Joe I wanna start a bumper sticker collection based off of what people say. We'll fill that with the lifestarr logo.
• 24:46
  Joe Rando: Well, Carly wrote an entire book of looking at quotes about, all kinds of things and then coming up with practical strategies to implement the advice and the quote.
• 24:58
  Donna Amos: God, we are much more alike than we might think. I have 780 emails that start with a quote and then, express to the solopreneur how they should implement that, And it's just in a quick note
• 25:21
  Carly Ries: Did you say 780 emails,
• 25:24
  Donna Amos: but they're little they're small. It's a quote, and it's this is how you can implement this into your life. What are you gonna do today to make this happen?
• 25:32
  Joe Rando: How do you do it, though? Like, one a day or one every 5 minutes for 10 weeks?
• 25:38
  Donna Amos: I have that many because I did them one a day for several years.
• 25:43
  Carly Ries: Okay. Well, that's awesome. And we are, yes, very like minded. I love it. Well, Donna, where can people find you if they want to learn more and potentially work with you?
• 25:53
  At solopreneursllc.com.
• 25:57
  Donna Amos: Easy enough. Donna Amos on LinkedIn.
• 26:00
  Carly Ries: Great. Good job getting that URL, by the way. Love it. Well, Donna, thank you so so much for coming on today. And listeners, you know what to do.
• 26:10
  We love those 5 star reviews. The subscribes on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform, it means the world to us. And we will see you next time on The Aspiring Solopreneur. You may be going solo in business, but that doesn't mean you're alone. In fact, millions of people are in your shoes, running a one person business and figuring it out as they go.
• 26:31
  So why not connect with them and learn from each other's successes and failures? At LifeStarr, we're creating a one person business community where you can go to meet and get advice from other solopreneurs. Be sure to join in on the conversations at community.lifestarr.com.