Shiny New Clients! – Episode Summary

Episode Title:

How to promote your business (without ads) in 2026 📈

Host: Jenna Harding
Date: December 15, 2025
Special Guest (testimonial): Becky Jennings

Main Theme Overview

In this episode, Jenna Harding shares her real-world insights and tested strategies for promoting a service-based business in 2026—completely ad-free. Drawing from recent personal experiments (and financial missteps) with paid ads, Jenna presents the argument for doubling down on organic methods, especially Instagram, email marketing, strategic collaborations, SEO, and referral systems. The episode is filled with candid advice, practical action steps, and encouraging examples to help entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses, and service providers build audiences and fill their calendars with ideal clients—without spending on traditional paid advertising.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Not Paid Ads? (00:00–04:10)

• Jenna explains her skepticism toward paid ads, despite pressure and industry norms.
• Tried ads after joining a mastermind and hearing advice from Amy Porterfield:

  “I spent a ton of money on ads and you know what? I found my organic converts better.” (03:40)

• Even with professional help, ads underperformed; most conversions still came from organic Instagram.
• Learned: Organic methods continue to be the best, lowest-cost, and highest-converting approach.

2. The Power of Organic Instagram Content (04:11–07:30)

• Main strategy: Daily, organic Instagram posting using her ‘growth-nurture-sales’ framework.
• Small audiences DO work; new business owners with as few as 51 followers booking five clients.
• Community example:

  “...it doesn’t matter if you only have a small number of followers… It’s Instagram. It’s organic Instagram. It’s the freest way to get in front of people…” (06:25)

• Instagram uniquely enables click-throughs, DM sales chats, and strong engagement.

3. Email Marketing: Messy but Effective (07:31–09:40)

• Email remains highly profitable—regardless of industry rumors that “email is dead.”
• Email lists need to be grown via organic channels (social, events, partnerships), not just ads.
• Jenna’s grassroots tactics included collecting emails at in-person classes—low-tech but effective.
• Hosts "Freebie in a weekend" event teaching business owners how to build and leverage a mailing list quickly.

4. Leveraging Guest Appearances & Collaborations (09:41–11:05)

• Guesting on podcasts, expert sessions in other communities, and collaborative bundles expand reach.
• The key: Don’t immediately pitch a sale to new audiences. Warm them up with a free lead magnet or a low-cost offer, then nurture with email and Instagram.

5. Blogging, SEO, and the Long Game (11:06–12:42)

• Revised her view: Blogs aren’t for daily readers but for showing up in Google and AI search results.
• Blogs + strong keywords = More website traffic and new client leads.
• SEO improvements now mean even Instagram content can show up in Google searches—a new leverage point for business owners:

  “Instagram is also getting better SEO and now some of that is getting ranked on Google.” (12:25)

• ChatGPT and similar tools may recommend your content if your SEO is strong.

6. Referrals & Affiliate Programs: Multiplying Word of Mouth (12:43–16:34)

• Best clients often come from referrals—so formalize referral and affiliate programs!
• Actionable tip:

  “Go onto your Instagram stories right now and tell your audience who your ideal client is and how you help them. And say… If you could send my most recent post to someone who does fit that description, I would be so, so thankful.” (15:20)

• Suggestions for prompts, rewards, and consistent messaging to encourage others to promote your business.
• Affiliate program insight: Start small and simple, “messy action is better than perfection.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Paid Ads:

  “...this gave me so much more confidence in what I'm doing.” (04:00)

• On Small Audiences:

  “She started a brand new account... 51 followers and she’s booked five clients off of it.” (05:52)

• On Email Marketing:

  “Anybody saying email is dead… You need to get people onto your email list from somewhere else, right?” (08:10)

• On Blogging for SEO:

  “The goal of your blog isn’t that people subscribe… but that it lives on your website chock full of keywords.” (11:20)

• On Referral Action Steps:

  “If you have a formalized referral program, you can run promotions and encourage people to send you those referrals…” (14:43)

Testimonial – Magic Marketing Machine Results (16:35–19:50)

Guest: Becky Jennings, Parenting Coach

• Joined Magic Marketing Machine at 11,000 followers and surpassed 100,000 followers via the system.
• Credits the “repeatable system” for her Instagram and income growth.
• “I now sit today at over 100,000 followers because of Jenna and her team's help… I was able to double my income from the year that I joined… It is life changing.” (17:00–18:25)

Action Steps & Calls to Action

• Take action now:
  • Share who your ideal client is on your Instagram stories
  • Consider email, collaboration, referral, and SEO improvements
  • Sign up for Jenna’s free January Instagram strategy session (Link in episode notes)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–04:10 – Why Jenna Ditched Paid Ads
• 04:11–07:30 – How Organic Instagram Wins (With Examples)
• 07:31–09:40 – Building Email Lists the Free Way
• 09:41–11:05 – Guesting, Collaborations, and Bundles
• 11:06–12:42 – Unlocking SEO, Blogging, and AI’s Role
• 12:43–16:34 – Making Referrals & Affiliates Work
• 16:35–19:50 – Becky Jennings’ Magic Marketing Machine Testimonial

Tone & Takeaway

The episode is upbeat, practical, and actionable—Jenna’s voice is approachable but no-nonsense, with a clear focus on giving listeners permission to ignore “what everyone else is doing” and double down on tested, organic approaches they can implement right away. The core advice: consistent, value-packed Instagram, nurture relationships with your audience, and systematize word-of-mouth to build a client base—no big ad budgets required.

Useful for:
Entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses, coaches, stylists, service providers—anyone seeking real-world, up-to-date strategies for getting more clients online in 2026, without pouring money into paid ads.