It seems to be a fundamental part of being human: we find real happiness when we’re working toward something that gives us a sense of purpose and growth. After a period of personal realignment, where you’ve hopefully cleared away old limiting beliefs, a new world of possibilities opens up. The big question becomes, what do you do with that freedom? How will you find that sense of fulfillment?
I’ve been the behind-the-scenes person managing Facebook ads for Kim Walsh Phillips for over 14 years, pretty much since the platform first rolled out its ad features. There's no one in our industry I'd rather learn from. But one of my biggest lessons came from a total mistake.
One of the oldest secrets in copywriting is to join the conversation that’s already happening inside your potential customer’s head. An easy way to figure out what that conversation is about is to simply look at what people are talking about.
My marketing agency was losing money, and I was losing the joy of running it. I felt like I was working incredibly hard for free, constantly competing on price in a crowded market of local agencies that promised to do everything for everyone. I was a commodity, and the cheapest commodity always wins. I knew something had to change.
Let’s be honest: trying to use social media for direct-response marketing often feels like trying to use Jell-O as cement. The two just don’t mix well. Social media has its own culture and expectations, while direct response is all about one thing—getting a specific, measurable action. It’s an arranged marriage between two strangers who don’t trust each other.
In the old days of retail, you’d set up shop on a busy street and design an eye-catching window display to draw people in. Today, your website and blog are that window display. You’ve put in the work to create a library of great content, but just like a shop owner waiting for customers, you can’t just sit back and hope people find you. The real growth begins when you start proactively engaging—not just with customers, but with the algorithms that decide who sees your work.
I've often heard from small business owners and people running a side hustle, "If I could just get people to try my product, I know they'd stick around for life." If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. But what if you could get that "try-before-you-buy" effect without actually giving away your core product for free?