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Win With Paid Ads
#43: Do You Deserve a Badge of Honor for Not Running Ads?
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In episode #43 of the Marketing Matters™ podcast, we talk about “earning your badge of honor” in business. Is growing your business organically honorable? What about growing your business with paid advertising? In this episode, you’ll learn...
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Welcome to the Marketing Matters podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. How would you feel about trashing your marketing funnel by building something way better instead? In these episodes, you'll learn how you can build a marketing machine in your business so that you can become findable for the people who are already searching for what you and your business have to offer. Because the best Realtor, the best interior designer, the best boutique owner, influencer, or local service provider does not win. The best marketer wins. So if you're ready for more of the right people to find you and your business, it's time you become findable. Let's get started. Have you ever asked the clients that have purchased from you why they purchased? Or have you ever asked them, why didn't you purchase if they were on the verge and didn't? Or have you ever asked someone who did purchase what held them back or kept them from purchasing until they did? Because I can tell you those three questions could, number one, give you enough social media content to post for the next six months? It could give you enough podcast episodes for the next six months. And this podcast episode is from me doing that very thing. I was talking to one of my clients. She is so successful. She is. She's also so successful organically as well. She has over 100,000 followers. And I remember talking to her and she said, you need to do a podcast episode at some point about how some people think they deserve, like, a badge of honor for growing their business without using paid ads. And I was like, thank you. Like, I just want. And what I want for you is for you to develop such trust with your clients and your customers and prospects that they will just tell you what's on their heart and be honest with you. And you actually inviting that and asking for that is the very way to get there, because you have not. Because you ask not. And so I just want to encourage you to ask your customers, why did you buy? Why didn't you? What held you back? What. What hesitations do you think other people have and why they're not moving forward? And so if anything, you could just pause the episode, I'll drop the mic, and you can go run with that, because those three things can make a big difference. So I want to talk to you about what it really means to have a badge of honor, first of all. And should you kind of have a badge of honor for being able to grow your business without running ads? So we're going to dive into that today, but first, I want to invite you to the power of paid Ad Summit. It is going to be so good. I will tell you. Katie, who joined the team recently, I asked her if she could keep track of ticket purchases because there were so many coming in that I was getting disorganized. I was like, wait, who bought? Who didn't? And so she created a beautiful dashboard for us. And it has been so cool watching so many of you be so invested in yourself and in your business and in putting yourself in a room with other people who will challenge you and encourage you and inspire you and show you the power of having paid ads in your business. So I am so excited to see you at the Power of Paid Ad Summit. And if there is still. There are still, as I record this, a few platinum VIP tickets left, but I would say those are the least available right now. Those are what people are jumping right in on. So I want to encourage you to click the link below this video or this podcast and get your ticket. And I cannot wait to see you there. It could be the very thing that you look back and say, that was the moment, the experience that changed everything for me. And something really sweet. I'll tell you. I FaceTimed one of my good friends today. And you know how when you're in a dating relationship and you're, like, waiting for someone to say, I love you? Well, I feel like I had that moment today, and I haven't had that moment in so long. Oh, my gosh. I thought, I think I'm about to cry again. So it's really sweet. So I FaceTimed her. Oh, my gosh. And I was like, I just want to tell you, I think you're becoming, like, my best friend. And she started crying. I started crying. She's like, this is like, when you're dating. I was like, this is how I feel. I'm like, you really are like, you're the person that I call when I'm struggling with something. You're the person. And she's the person who will give me the hard feedback, like, that you might not should do this. And here's why. Like, it is such a friend that will say, this is not good, or I wouldn't do this because. And they actually have your best interest in mind. Like, it is not a friend. That's, like, always like, yeah, that's great. Good idea, Ashley. Like, no, you probably want someone who's like, this is a terrible idea, and here's why. And someone who also cheer for you. You know how it feels when you can actually, like, tell someone that something good is happening. I've mentioned this before, but there's a million people I could call if I was struggling with something that would be there and they would listen. There is not that many people that I could say, hey, I've hit this huge milestone and like them, actually not have envy, not be jealous, not be resentful, not think it's a reflection of them in anything, but actually just be able to look at me and say, I am so proud of you. And I just. What I can't do is guarantee that you can walk out of the power of paid ad summit with, like, a best friend. But I can tell you this woman is someone I met from paying to be in a room. And so that alone, this friendship that I plan to have for the rest of my life, that alone is worth it. So, you know, you think that you go into a room to learn about paid ads. I think I invest into a mastermind to learn about sales skills. I think you think all these things, you walk away with connections, you walk away away with belief, you walk away with strategy, you walk away with new relationships. Like, there's just so much. There's so much value that you like. I really can't explain. I really can't explain it to you. What I can say is it's changed everything for me. And so my heart is to create an environment for you so that you can put yourself in a room that could change everything. So click the link below power paid at summit and you might walk away with a best friend like I have. So, okay, today, badge of honor. Let's talk about it. So I looked up the definition of honor, and it said a special distinction for proficiency. And it said an award for bravery or achievement. Now, here's the thing. You and I both probably know about paid advertising. It is work. It can be extremely rewarding, but it is. It is work. And it takes time and energy to do. And it's like any skill, every skill, in order to get good at it, you have to keep doing it. You have to refine, and your income will climb. You have to refine and your income will climb over time unless you resign. Right? So it is so important that you are consistent with this. And so when I look at the definition of honor and it says an award for bravery or achievement, there is. There. There are a lot of things that you could consider brave. I will say it is pretty brave to let go of money without a guarantee. That's bravery. What's not brave is not spending money, in my opinion. I'm like, is it a Badge of honor for not doing the hard thing? Or is it a badge of honor for actually doing the hard thing and actually letting go of the money and having belief in yourself and making bets and having a abundance mindset that's actually more brave, in my opinion, than staying safe and not spending the money. Would you agree? So I'm over here. Like, I think everybody that's running ads needs a badge of honor because that, that truly does require strength and belief. Because not spending money is safer and it's secure. And you could probably sit here and sell yourself all day on why you shouldn't do ads. Because it's not guaranteed, because it's comfortable to keep the money. Right? So that you'll notice for the rest of eternity. I'm going to be really big on the words that we use. And so badge of honor. That's why I wanted to look up the definition. And I just want to. You know what, what triggered this thought? I don't know if you've ever, have you ever seen the show Outlander? Don't get me started. I really do like that show. And what I was thinking about is how they get transported. Like, you can walk, you can ride a horse, you can ride a carriage. And like, there's some elements of the show where there's, there's cars. But in the main bulk of the show, it is walk, horse or carriage. Now what I was thinking about is running ads or saying, oh, it's a badge of honor to not run ads. Reminds me of saying it's a badge of honor to walk instead of take the carriage. I'm like, wait, are we saying like, hey, if you're really good, you'll just walk there? Even though there's a faster, better, more convenient, logical, scientifically proven to be faster method. Like, yeah, get the badge of honor to just walk. That's how I feel when people say there's a badge of honor by not running ads. I'm like, when there is a smarter, newer, more advanced, faster mode to get you transported, hence the. The wheels of the wagon and the horse. If you can get somewhere sooner, why would you walk? Because when you are walking, AKA not running ads, when you are walking, you will get to your destination slower, you will get to your destination hungrier, more tired or frustrated or worse, you just might not get to your destination. Because walking is hard. P and P, post and pray. P and P, post and pray. That's hard. Because what you can't do is guarantee when you P and pee, when you post and pray that you're getting in front of your right people with ads. There's this cool thing called targeting, where you can target your ideal clients and customers, right? So you don't have to walk to your destination. You can get in the carriage and you can get some fast horses and you can get there. Now, I can't guarantee these horses don't get wild and you might have to readjust the course or they're. I can't guarantee that you've got these horses in this carriage and a tree doesn't fall down in the middle of the woods in Outlander in Scotland, and you're having to figure out, how am I going to get over this? You might have to pick up the carriage and, like, flip it over the wheels and get the horses over. Like, you might have to adjust. I'm not telling you it's a smooth ride. A carriage is bumpy. So our ads, they're bumpy. But at the end of the day, if you were to walk there or ride the carriage with the horses, you will get there sooner. You might get a flat tire. The horses might need a nap. And yet taking a carriage 2,000 miles versus walking, I promise you will get there sooner and less frustrated, and you might get there happier when you use that option. So ads is the faster way. It is the newer way. So let's not give someone a badge of honor for doing the easier, slower thing. And also, can we take a moment and just be honest? We're humans. This is about to get real deep for just a second. I googled this thing and I'm about to share it with you. So I had an attorney that I work with, and she has had $8,000 days, $82,000 months. Her name is Laura. She lives here in Atlanta. She's an incredible attorney. Laura Wester Law. You can look her up. She's wonderful. Reach out to Laura. She mentioned to me when, because I asked, I said, hey, is there anything holding you back? Before she enrolled in the Mastermind, and she was honest with me, and she said, yes. I've had people in the past and they said they were kind of scarred from running ads. It wasn't successful. Like, what would you say about that? And so I was able to have a really good conversation with her and share with her that some people have a bad experience with ads. Some people get in the carriage and they just like the. It's like bumpy. It's not fun. They just go ahead and get off the carriage. And. And sometimes some people's experience with ads are not Great. And your performance will fall to the level of your skill. Correct. So some people's skill with ads is not the same. I mean, there's. There's people there, mechanics who can change your car, car's oil quicker and faster and better and more efficiently. Right. There's someone who is better at all of these different things. But here's what I want you to think about. Whether you are a real estate agent, whether you are an interior designer, whether you own a local store, whether you are a professional organizer or a boutique owner, if you are sitting next to someone who does what you do and you are considering doing something that they are not. We are human beings. There's a small part of us that's like, oh, no. If they figure out how to do that, what if it works? What if they're better? What if they succeed? You know, there's going to be an innate human desire of preservation that comes out now when you. I don't want you to be that person. But we're all human beings and there's moments where we're like, crap, they're doing something better. I need to figure it out. And listen, it is my professional opinion and experience that when you are the one that is the best at what you do and you are the best at advertising what you do, everything can change for you. And you will far surpass, in my opinion, everybody else who does what you do simply because more people can find you. Right? So I just want you to think about sometimes, Aunt Susan, your friend, a competitor, they're gonna look at you and say, I wouldn't do it. And it's like, well, there might be some, like, human preservation coming into play here, right? So sometimes you have to say, okay, I'm just gonna do something completely different than everybody else. And what you may get is a result that's different from everybody else. So I actually googled, I said, why do humans have a hard time when others get ahead? And I. And it says, number one, fear of being outdone. Outshone. Number two, fear of being alone and failure. Oh, my. Ads didn't work for me. I don't want to be the only one the ads didn't work for. Don't do ads. They just don't work. Envy. And it says fear of losing their excuses. It says, people may be afraid that someone else's success will invalidate their own excuses for not pursuing your dreams. I know that's really deep. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that it is okay to do something completely different. And it is okay if Everyone else who does what you do does not agree, understand or advise that you do what you feel you are called to do and for you to do something different than what everyone else is doing. Okay? I, when I first started my business, didn't have a ton of like cheerleaders or support or go get this, it's going to be great. I had to be my own belief. I had some close family and friends, don't get me wrong, close family mainly. And I had to be my own cheerleader. And you sometimes will have to be your own cheerleader, especially at the beginning and especially when you start ads, which is especially why you need a guide by your side and you need to put yourself in community to get feedback with other people, especially people who are also doing the scary thing, who are also doing the uncertain thing. That environment matters. So just think about what is the context for this person and their feedback, okay? Because it could be ill willed, it could not be. It could be like, listen, I'm trying to save you from the disaster. The ads are like, it scarred me. I just want to save you from being scarred. And here's what we know with for everything there is an equal and opposite, right? So there's good and bad to everything. I'll tell you this for certain. If 100% of the business owners who put money into ads failed, the business would be shut down. There would be no Google Ads, There would be no Instagram ads. Because people and business owners would not keep putting money into a pit of fire. They would say, this is a scam and they tell someone else and they'd spend money and it would blow up. They would send another person, it would blow up. You will see ad after ad after ad after ad on your phone today, whether you go on Google, on YouTube, on Instagram, on TikTok. Ad, ad, ad, ad, ad. Because there are a select few people and business owners who have really figured out advertising and it is profitable, which is why they continue to spend money, which is why these businesses continue to grow, which is why you should advertise. Because most people, it is so painful to let go of money that they don't. And it is a badge of honor to say, I will do the scary thing. I will keep going even when it's not working. Because for the chance that it does, which we know it's possible, here's what we know. We know people are struggling with what you have to offer, right? They're struggling with their style, they're struggling with inflammation, they're struggling with their food. They're struggling with their hair. They're struggling with a million different things, right? The design of their home, the organization of their closet. They are struggling. People still are. People still have the problem that you solve, Right? And people still have money to pay for that problem. Does everybody know? Do enough people? Yes. So no matter what, the solution that you've created is still desirable. People are still searching for it. Right now the question is, are you willing to take the time to figure out the messaging that resonates them and keep iterating till you find the targeting that finds them? Because when you can marry targeting and messaging, everything can change for you and your business. So that is the process of ads. And that is why you deserve a badge of honor for actually going through ads and not stopping and not giving up. Because you do not have to go the hard way. You don't have to walk, you can take the carriage. You know, I used to think about this. I've shared this about my mother in law like forever, like so many times. But I used to like think I needed a badge of honor for being able to like take care of the boys and my husband in the house and keeping food clean. I wanted to like prove like I can do this on my own. And I'm like, that is, that is so not cool. That is so not the move that leads to insanity, feeling burnt out and not taking care of myself. And so it is okay to say I need help. It is okay to say I want to outsource. I want to try something different. Because for me, trying to carry all the weight. Great for you, pnp. Carrying the weight of getting your clients only through posting and praying organically on Instagram, that's really hard. There is a better way. Let's see. I think that's everything I wanted to share with you. And I just really loved where it said a special distinction for proficiency. That's honor. And if anything, that is what the skill of advertising is. It is getting a special distinction for proficiency and a skill that most people are not willing to take the time, energy and money to learn because it can seem overwhelming. It can be like, how do I get started? But when you have like a specific plan and a framework that anyone can follow, that is when you can be successful with your advertising. Okay, I think that's everything. I hope this was really helpful and encouraging for you that you can do the different thing. You can take the faster, easier way. And the last analogy I just want to give you because I was thinking about this is my husband with our yard at our house, y'all. Oh, my gosh, our yard looks so bad. It's like you would hate for cars to drive by it. And it's like a new home. It's a newer yard, but the, like, soil beneath it just wasn't good. And it was like dry mud or something. Something about what was below the surface was not good. And so we have invested in. My husband invested so many hours of his time just trying to get his yard to look right. And it reminds me of, like. Like, if someone walked by and they're like, wow, Kyle, your yard looks so good. He was like, yeah, I've been just doing it with. Just watering it manually every day and just praying over it, versus saying, oh, I'm using a sprinkler system and some fancy fertilizer. It's like, why would someone give him a badge of honor for doing it the hard way? Isn't. I mean, I think y'all get the point. I just. I really feel so strongly that just because something is different that you don't understand that's foreign, does not mean that it is not still hard work. I mean, honestly, ads is work. Getting the fertilizer, paying for the sprinkler system, all. All of that whole, you know, setting the timers, it's all still work. It's just some work that you can do, can speed things up and get a better result sooner, and we shouldn't look at that in a negative light. That is my thought for this. Okay. I'm so thankful for y'all. I really hope I get to see you at the Power of Paid Ad Summit. And, hey, I want to encourage you to do something really quick, completely separate from showing up at the summit, which you should totally do. But I want to encourage you to send me a message on Instagram or an email at Info Ashley Brock and share with me. Are there certain topics that you would love to hear on the podcast? Like, do you have specific questions when it comes to your ads and your marketing and your advertising? Because I would love to just dedicate an episode to you and answer your specific questions. So please share your thoughts, your feedback, and also, please don't forget to review the podcast. It really means a lot to me if this is one that you tune into every single week. Number one, I'm so grateful for your time. I know it is the most limited resource that you have, and I'm so grateful that you're spending it here. Number two, send this to a business owner. Please share a review if it's been helpful for you. It just really means a lot as we work to grow this business and get this message out to so many women who, in my opinion, cannot afford to not be found. Because you have so much to impact the lives of the customers that you created your business for. And I just want them to be able to find you so that you can become the most known in your industry. And that is what ads can do for you and for them. So please share the podcast, please review it, please send me the episodes you would like for me with the specific questions. I would love to hear that. And I just can't wait to see you in person, hug you at the Power of Paid Ad Summit. It's going to be so good. So click the link below, get your ticket, and I can't wait to see you on the next episode.