You Asked, “How do I market my business?”

Most small business owners are frustrated as they are doing marketing wrong — not because they’re not trying, but because they’re starting in the wrong place. Here’s how to fix it, step by step.

Every week, I talk to business owners doing real revenue — $50K, $100K, $500K, $1M+ a month — who are frustrated with their marketing. They’ve tried ads. They’ve posted on social. They hired someone to “do SEO.” And they’re still asking the same question:

“How do I actually market my business?”

Here’s the hard truth: the problem usually isn’t the tactics. It’s that they skipped the foundation. Without that, every tactic you try is just noise.

The real problem isn’t a lack of ideas. It’s that most businesses are trying to market before they know who they’re talking to, what problem they actually solve, or why anyone should choose them over someone else. You can’t advertise your way out of a messaging problem.

The Framework

8 Steps to Marketing Any Business — In the Right Order

These steps work whether you’re a home services company, a med spa, a law firm, a product-oriented company, a B2B software provider, or really any business. The order matters. Don’t skip ahead.

1 – Get crystal clear on whom you’re talking to

Not “small business owners.” Not “homeowners.” Get specific. Who is your single best customer? What do they worry about at 2 AM? What have they already tried that didn’t work? The more specifically you can describe one person, the more powerfully your marketing will speak to thousands of them.

2 – Define the exact problem you solve

Not what you do — what you fix. “We do digital marketing” is a service. “We help local service businesses talk to their prospects clearly so that making the decision of doing business with you is a no-brainer.” is a problem solved. People buy solutions, not services. Write down the three most painful things your ideal client is experiencing right now.

3 – Build your core message before you build anything else

Your message is the engine — everything else is just distribution. You need one clear statement that says who you help, what you help them do, and what’s different about how you do it. If you can’t say it in two sentences, it’s not clear enough yet. Test it on people who don’t know your business.

4 – Pick one or two channels — not five

Where does your ideal customer actually spend time? Where do they go when they have a problem you solve? That’s where you show up — consistently, not sporadically. Most business owners are spread too thin. One channel done well beats five channels done halfway every single time.

5 – Create content that earns attention — not content that begs for it

Useful beats promotional every time. Teach them something. Answer the questions they’re already Googling. Show them the results. Tell stories from real clients. When your content makes someone smarter or closer to their goal, they trust you before they ever speak to you. That’s the whole game.

6 – Give them a clear, low-risk next step

Most businesses lose leads because the only ask is “buy now.” That’s too big a leap. Offer something valuable in exchange for a conversation — a free audit, a guide, a webinar, a strategy call. The goal of your marketing is not to close a sale. It’s to earn the next conversation.

7 – Follow up as if your business depends on it — because it does

The fortune is in the follow-up. Most leads don’t convert on the first contact. Set up a nurture sequence — email, retargeting, personal outreach — so that when they’re ready, you’re the first name they think of. 80% of sales happen after the fifth touchpoint. Most businesses stop at one.

8 – Measure what matters, cut what doesn’t

Track leads, not likes. Track booked calls, not impressions. Track revenue per channel. Every quarter, ask: what brought in real clients? Do more of that. What costs time and money with nothing to show for it? Cut it. Marketing only gets better when you let data make the decisions — not ego.

The goal of your marketing isn’t to be seen by everyone. It’s to be unmissable to the right person at the right moment.

The Bottom Line

Stop marketing harder. Start marketing smarter.

The businesses that win at marketing aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or the most posts. They’re the ones who know exactly who they help, say it clearly, show up where that person is, and make it easy to take the next step.

That’s it. No magic. No hacks. Just a system that works — if you work it consistently.

If you’re stuck at any step above, that’s your bottleneck. Fix that one thing before you add anything else to your marketing mix.

Final Thought

Want a customized roadmap built around your specific business? The DV8 Growth Blueprint walks you through every step above — built for businesses doing $50K–$1.2M/month who are ready to stop guessing. The first step to ending the chaos is to schedule a FREE 30-Minute Diagnostic call.

Transform Your CTAs From Boring To Brilliant

Your call-to-action (CTA) is one of the most important elements in any marketing piece. It’s often the bridge between passive interest and meaningful action, so why let it fall flat? Getting rid of the old tired phrases like “Click here” or “Learn more” for something more dynamic can boost engagement and conversions.

I want to explore four fun categories of CTAs that can add energy, humor, and intrigue to your brand messaging.

Conversational & Playful CTAs

Sometimes the best way to get someone to do something is to talk to them like a person. Conversational and playful CTAs add warmth, humor, and relatability to your messages. They make your audience feel like they are being invited into something enjoyable rather than bossed around. Use this tone for relaxed brands and light-hearted content.

Be meta and playful: Try something like “Go on, click it—you know you want to.” It winks and nudges your audience.
Reduce the commitment: “This button won’t bite. Probably.” makes the action low-risk and playful.
Flatter the user: “Treat yourself. You deserve it.” is flattering and encouraging, making the user more motivated to click.
Create a sense of belonging: “Sit with the cool kids (we saved you a seat).” invites users to join a community or experience.

Curiosity-Driven CTAs

Curiosity is a powerful motivator. If individuals believe something is just out of reach—or that they’ll lose out—they’re more inclined to click. Curiosity CTAs capitalize on the fear of missing something intriguing, exciting, or exclusive. These are most effective if you wish to tease a revelation or create intrigue.

Tease the unknown: “Something exciting is waiting on the other side.” makes users wonder what’s coming next.
Create mystery: “We can’t say much, but you’ll love this…” adds suspense and builds anticipation.
Downplay the action, highlight the reward: “A little click never hurt anyone.” makes it feel like a low-risk gamble.
Invite discovery: “Come see what all the fuss is about.” makes users want to stay in the loop.

Storytelling & Journey-Based CTAs

One of the strongest ways to guide users toward action is to make them feel like they’re beginning a journey. Storytelling CTAs turn a click into the beginning of something more. They add depth and narrative, framing your product or content as part of an engaging progression. These are best for onboarding, product experiences, and lead nurturing.

Set the stage: “Your adventure begins here.” welcomes users to embark on their journey with you.
Encourage growth: “Let’s move this to the next level.” makes the click feel progressive.
Add narrative momentum: “This is where your story becomes interesting.” keeps users curious about what’s next.
Provide magic and meaning: “Step inside, magic happens.” gives an emotional and visual trigger.

Reverse Psychology CTAs

Telling somebody not to do something is sometimes the best way of making sure that they do. Reverse psychology CTAs use playful rebellion to create interest and make your audience feel clever for clicking. These CTA types work best with humorous audiences and brands that aren’t afraid to push the envelope somewhat.

Make it feel forbidden: “Don’t click this. Seriously.” plays with the desire to do the opposite of what you’re told.
Challenge the user: “Ignore this if you hate good things.” uses sarcasm to compel the action.
Tease the loss: “You could scroll past… but you’d miss out.” positions the click as the preferable choice.
Add exclusivity: “This isn’t for everyone. Just the smart ones.” compliments the user into taking action.

Why Fun CTAs Work

So why do these types of CTAs perform better than normal ones? It’s a psychological and emotional thing. Most normal CTAs lack personality, urgency, or emotional appeal. Humorous CTAs directly appeal to the user’s sense of curiosity, sense of humor, and sense of identity. They cause reactions—and reactions lead to action.

They stand out: Unique CTAs get attention, especially in a sea of “Learn More” and “Get Started” buttons.
They sound human: CTAs with personality build trust by sounding more human and less robotic.
They make emotional connection: Whether humor, curiosity, or inspiration, they create moments that are not forgotten.
They remove friction: Lighthearted language softens the push, so people are more likely to click without feeling sold to.

Where to Use These CTAs

Not all CTAs belong in the same place and knowing when to use a playful vs. mysterious tone is key. Think about your audience, the context of the content, and your overall brand voice. Whether you’re writing a blog post, crafting a landing page, or creating social content, the placement of your CTA should match the user’s state of mind.

Landing pages: Use storytelling or curiosity-driven CTAs to invite exploration or sign-ups.
Social media posts: Try using playful or reverse psychology CTAs to gain attention and boost engagement.
Email marketing: Use conversational CTAs to maintain the friendly tone and facilitate clicks.
Product pages: Try testing journey-based CTAs to guide users toward checkout or demo booking.

Testing and Measuring CTA Success

Creativity is important, but results are what really count. So every fun CTA you try out should be backed up by testing. A/B testing allows you to try out standard vs. playful CTAs and see which performs better. Over time, you’ll learn what styles resonate best with your audience.

Test landing pages using A/B tests: Compare a standard “Sign Up Now” button to “Join the adventure.”
Track engagement metrics: Look for higher click-through rates, time on page, and conversion rates.
Segment your audience: Test CTAs with different demographics or traffic sources for tailored insights.
Monitor long-term effect: Look beyond clicks—do your fun CTAs lead to higher retention or more engaged users?

Creating Your Own Fun CTAs

You don’t need to lift sentences verbatim—use these buckets as inspiration to craft your own. The best CTAs are tailored to your voice, your offer, and the tone of your audience. Keep it short, punchy, and aligned with the action you want someone to take.

Match tone with context: Be humorous on informal platforms and use narrative in serious or immersive content.
Be concise: Aim for fewer than 10 words for power and ease.
Use action verbs: Start with verbs like “Discover,” “Join,” “Tap,” or “Start” to create momentum.
Write multiple options: Draft a number of versions and decide which one sounds most like your brand’s voice.

Common CTA Mistakes to Avoid

You can try too hard to make your CTAs fun. Forcing humor or cleverness, or using overly complicated language, can be a turn-off. Go for clear with a dash of personality rather than clever for the sake of it. Put the user’s experience first.

Don’t be too obtuse: Users should still know what happens when they click.
Don’t use inside jokes: Humor that’s too inside can confuse or alienate some users.
Don’t trade clarity for cleverness: Make sure the CTA still communicates the value.
Don’t repeat the same CTA everywhere: Mix up your styles depending on audience and context.

Final Thoughts

Your CTAs don’t have to be boring. In fact, they shouldn’t be. Adding some flair to the final step in your content can be the difference between passive readers and active users. Whether you opt for curiosity, humor, storytelling, or reverse psychology, the secret is to engage your audience in a way that comes across as authentic, compelling, and human.

The next time you sit down to write a call-to-action, disregard the default. Ask yourself instead: How can I make this click feel irresistible?

Building an effective digital marketing program for your business can be confusing today due to the many available options. Pull out your calendar right now and let’s schedule a time when we can figure out together the ONE BIG THING you should do first to get more prospects aware of your products and services that will convert them to customers as well as start an effective marketing plan to get your brand IN Demand! Sign up for a FREE 30-Minute Discovery Call to audit your current marketing plan for better results.

Oh! When we do talk, you will get our “No Pitching” guarantee. No pitching means we will not try and sell you in any way. If you want MORE after 30 minutes you will have to ask for it! We think that sounds fair, don’t you? Well, after all, that is what we are known for.

Using Social Media as a Search Engine To Grow Your Business

The Year 2025 and Beyond Social media no longer serves purely as spaces for entertainment or keeping in touch with others; social networks are rapidly turning into independent search engines from my observation. Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have started to transform into irreplaceable discovery tools in which users will search for goods, services, recommendations, and even ideas. From business to my hobbies, these three social media platforms are consuming a lot of my time more and more in looking for innovative ideas, concepts, patterns, and finding a competitive edge in my business as well as how I can catch more trout with cutting-edge fly patterns.

As social media continues to become a greater driver of online search behavior, it’s time for small business owners and social media marketers to shift their approach and begin optimizing for social search. Here’s how you can harness social media as a forceful search engine for your brand:

Know How Social Media Search Works

While social media search doesn’t work exactly like Google, its algorithms still use search signals to show relevant results. Here’s a quick breakdown of how social media platforms use search:

Instagram: Instagram has powerful search capabilities to enable users to find accounts, hashtags, locations, and even specific posts. The search is highly driven by relevance, meaning Instagram’s algorithm takes into consideration the kind of content you mostly interact with, who you follow, and what hashtags you engage with.

TikTok: Its search engine is more video-based, with the ability to search for particular trends, sounds, or hashtags-even creators. The algorithm developed by TikTok is designed in such a way that it prioritizes engaging and trendy content, often serving viral content to the right audiences based on interests and behavior.

Pinterest: Pinterest is usually referred to as the “visual search engine” and is an incredibly powerful tool for businesses that sell products or offer services reliant on visual appeal. Pinterest’s search is driven by keywords, boards, pins, and user engagement.

By understanding how social media platforms use search, you can craft your strategy accordingly, helping your business get discovered when users search for relevant topics or products.

Optimize Your Profile and Content for Search

Social media algorithms will prioritize content that is optimized for search. Here are a few ways small businesses can optimize their profiles and content for visibility:

Use Keywords Judiciously: Like traditional SEO, keywords are vital for the discoverability of your brand in social media. Identify those relevant keywords for your business and incorporate them into your profile description, posts, captions, and hashtags. Research trending keywords in your industry or niche using both social media’s built-in search tool and external keyword research tools.

Hashtags Matter: Hashtags are a powerful tool on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These are essentially keywords that group content together under searchable topics. When creating your content, use relevant, trending, and industry-specific hashtags that help users find your posts. Avoid overloading your posts with hashtags; instead, focus on those that are most relevant and specific to your niche.

Complete Your Business Profile: Ensure that your social media profiles are fully complete with clear descriptions of your business, your offerings, and your contact information. A complete profile helps to boost your visibility and will be easier for users to find in the search.

Alt Text on Images: Most social media platforms, including Instagram, give you the option to add alt text to images. Alt text not only makes them more accessible but also search-friendly. It’s a description of an image for users who can’t view it, but you can also use alt text to add relevant keywords to help the image surface in searches.

Create Content to Match User Intent

Social media searches are usually driven by the intent of the user to solve a problem, find an answer, or entertain themselves. It’s vital to create content that matches the different user intents you’re trying to target. In search, there are usually three types of user intent: informational, navigational, and transactional.

Informational Intent: These are users in need of answers to questions or advice. Suppose you have a local bakery. They will probably search for “best birthday cakes in [location]” or “how to decorate a cake.” You can build useful content, such as tutorials, how-to videos, or blog posts about baking techniques. Ensure that your content answers frequently asked questions and is informative.

Navigational intention: Those users searching for a particular brand or page. Ensure your business profile is easily found by having your brand name, location, and business details clear in your profile. This also means consistently posting content that represents your brand identity.

Transactional Intent: These are users ready to buy something or undertake an action. To capture these, create content such as product demos, testimonials, special offers, or discount promotions. By showcasing your products and services with clear calls to action, you can drive sales directly through social media search.
Leverage Video Content for Search Visibility
Video is the most engaging type of content on social media, and it’s also incredibly powerful for search. Here’s how you can optimize your video content for search:

Optimize Video Titles and Descriptions: Your video’s title and description will be the greatest determinant of its visibility in YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram’s search results. Use appropriate, keyword-rich titles that best describe the content of your video. Being a fitness trainer, you would make a video titled: “10-Minute Home Workout for Beginners.

Create Evergreen Video Content: Consider creating videos that will stand the test of time. “How-to” videos, tutorials, product demos, and behind-the-scenes content are great ways to create evergreen video content that users will keep searching for long after the video has been posted.

Tags – Yes, use Video Tags: Especially for the likes of YouTube, since it plays a big part in improving discoverability. Use suitable key phrases or words in video tags as the chances improve to show videos in related search results; trending audio is great if using something on TikTok, though this will, in all fairness, affect your reach.

Focus on Visual Search and Shopping

Visual search is becoming more and more common across social media, especially with platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. More often, users are beginning to rely on visuals instead to search for products, services, or inspiration. The more visually interesting your content, the better it can position itself for discovery.

High-quality Images: Ensure that all your posts and products are uploaded with high-quality images of your products. Use proper lighting, clear backgrounds, and close-ups for your products. This would make it easier for users to find your items via visual search.

Pinterest and Instagram Shopping: While both already have powerhouse features for shopping, Pinterest allows users to screenshot a product they like for visual search, while Instagram has introduced in-app shopping to find and buy items directly from posts. Tagging your products in posts increases the likelihood of people finding them during these visual searches.

Track Analytics and Adapt Your Strategy

Monitoring your social media performance is crucial in knowing what works and where to make improvements. Most social platforms have built-in analytics tools that allow you to track key metrics, including engagement, reach, and search visibility. These insights can help you refine your strategy.

Engagement metrics: Observe what type of content creates the most engagement likes, shares, and comments, and which hashtag drives traffic. Apply this information to inform the content strategy and optimize based on performance.

Refine Your Content Based on Search Trends: Follow the search trends within your niche. Monitor what is hot among keywords and topics, and change your content accordingly. This helps you stay relevant to the interest of active users.

Move Towards Social Commerce for Direct Conversions

As social media becomes more of a marketplace every day, businesses will be able to drive more conversions within the platform through social commerce. Starting in 2025, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will provide a place where users can purchase products easily and seamlessly.

Shoppable Posts: Instagram and Facebook, among other platforms, have made provisions for tagging products in your posts and stories. This makes it easy to click and purchase directly from the app, bypassing the need to visit your website. Leverage this feature to make your products more discoverable during social searches.

Live Shopping: The live streaming of shopping events is a growing trend in which businesses are selling products in real time. Such events enable users to interact with the host and purchase products in real time during the broadcast.

By optimizing for social media search, businesses not only improve their discoverability but also create seamless pathways to conversion, allowing them to turn social media engagement into actual sales.

Final Thoughts

Social media continues to be an integral part of the search ecosystem, and small businesses should work out a strategy to ride on such a powerful trend. By optimizing your profiles, creating content in alignment with user intent, and embracing new features such as video, visual search, and social commerce, you can increase your chances of being discovered by potential customers on social platforms.

The key is to build an engaging presence that resonates with users, optimizes search functionality, and lets your brand rise above the noise to reach the right audience.

Need More Insights?

How To Build A Solid Social Marketing Plan

Building a strong social media marketing plan is all about setting yourself up for success. Here’s a roadmap to get you started:

1. Define Your Goals: Start by defining your objectives. What do you want to achieve with your social media efforts? Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or providing excellent customer care, having clear goals is essential What do you want to achieve with social media specifically? Is it brand awareness? Website traffic? Sales? Whatever they are, you must have clear, S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to guide your strategy.

2. Know Your Audience: Researching your target audience thoroughly is the key. Who are you trying to reach? Understanding your ideal customer’s demographics, interests, and online behavior is crucial for crafting resonating content.

3. Analyze Your Competition: Study your competitors’ social media presence. What strategies are they using? What works well for them? Learn from their successes and mistakes to refine your approach.

4. Conduct a Social Media Audit: Evaluate your existing social media accounts. Assess what’s working and what isn’t. Identify areas for improvement and adjust your strategy accordingly.

5. Pick Your Best Platforms To Focus On: Not all platforms are created equal. Research which social media channels your target audience frequents the most and focus your efforts there. B2B companies are best served by using LinkedIn, X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. For companies that are B2C, add Facebook, and Pinterest as well. If you already have a Google My Business account, you need to add all of your social media to your profile, as it can all be posted there as well. It is best to pick just one if you are starting out and master it first before adding others – B2B: LinkedIn B2C: Facebook.

6. Optimize Your Profiles: Ensure that your social media profiles are complete, consistent, and aligned with your brand. Use high-quality images, compelling descriptions, and relevant keywords.

7. Create a Content Calendar: Regular and consistent posting of high-quality content is key to building a loyal following. Analyze what content performs best and adjust your strategy accordingly. Plan your content in advance to save time and increase effectiveness. A content calendar helps you stay organized and ensures a consistent posting schedule. Include a mix of promotional, educational, and engaging content.

8. Create Engaging Content: Your content strategy should include a mix of content types such as posts, videos, images, and stories. Ensure your content is valuable, relevant, and engaging to your audience. This is the heart of your social media presence. Develop a content calendar with a mix of informative, entertaining, and visually appealing posts tailored to your audience’s preferences.

9. Track and Analyze: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure your progress. Common metrics include follower growth, engagement rate, and website clicks. Use analytics tools to track performance and identify areas for improvement.

10. Automate, Automate, Automate: Today, there are many tools that you can use to reschedule posting times and dates that allow you to schedule whole weeks or months’ worth of posts in just a few hours, making your marketing time efficient. Some of those tools include HootSuite and Zoho Campaigns, to name a few.

11. Engage with Your Audience: Social media is a two-way street. Respond to comments and messages promptly, participate in conversations, and run contests or polls to boost engagement.

By following these steps and continuously refining your approach, you can build an effective social media marketing plan that delivers real results for your business. Remember, social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, consistent, and focus on building relationships with your audience.

Building an effective digital marketing program for your business can be confusing today due to the many available options. Pull out your calendar right now and let’s schedule a time when we can figure out together the ONE BIG THING you should do first to get more prospects aware of your products and services that will convert them to customers, as well as start an effective marketing plan to get your brand IN Demand! Sign up for a FREE 30-Minute Discovery Call to audit your current marketing plan for better results.

Oh! When we do talk, you will get our “No Pitching” guarantee. No pitching means we will not try to sell you in any way. If you want MORE after 30 minutes, you will have to ask for it! We think that sounds fair, don’t you? Well, after all, that is what we are known for.

Get More Website Traffic: 6 Proven Tactics Everyone Should Use

Here are six effective strategies for driving website traffic and enhancing your online presence. In today’s digital landscape, where countless websites vying for attention, implementing proven tactics becomes essential. Whether you’re a business owner or a website administrator, these strategies can help you attract more visitors and boost your website traffic.

1. Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking involves saving and organizing web pages on platforms like Reddit, StumbleUpon, or Digg. Users can discover and share content they find interesting. When submitting your website or blog posts to these platforms, you tap into a vast network of users actively seeking valuable and engaging content. To maximize the impact of social bookmarking:

Quality Content: Ensure your content is high-quality, relevant, and share-worthy.
Encourage Sharing: Motivate your website visitors to bookmark and share your content, amplifying its reach.

2. Social Media

Social media platforms have evolved into powerful marketing tools for driving website traffic. With billions of active users, platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer excellent opportunities to promote your website and engage with your target audience. Here’s how to leverage social media effectively:

Compelling Profiles: Create engaging profiles on relevant social media platforms.
Share Valuable Content: Regularly share informative and entertaining content.
Active Engagement: Interact with your audience through comments, messages, and polls.

3. Blog Content

Consistently publishing relevant and valuable blog content is a cornerstone of successful website traffic generation. Follow these steps:

Answer Questions: Write articles that address common questions your audience might have.
Keyword Research: Use tools to find popular questions related to your niche.
SEO Best Practices: Optimize your articles for search engines.
Evergreen Content: Create content that remains relevant over time.

4. Keyword Research

Effective keyword research helps you understand what your audience is searching for. Use tools to identify relevant keywords and phrases. Incorporate these keywords into your content to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for driving traffic. Build an email list and send regular newsletters or updates to your subscribers. Include links to your latest blog posts, promotions, or other valuable content.

6. Link Building

Quality backlinks from reputable websites enhance your website’s authority and visibility. Focus on:

Guest Posting: Contribute guest articles to other websites in your niche.
Outreach: Reach out to influencers or other website owners for collaboration.
Internal Links: Link relevant pages within your website.

Remember, consistency and persistence are key. Implement these strategies, monitor your progress, and adapt as needed. You’ll steadily increase your website traffic and strengthen your online presence.

Oh! When we do talk, you will get our “No Pitching” guarantee. No pitching means we will not try and sell you in any way. If you want MORE after 30 minutes, you will have to ask for it! We think that sounds fair, don’t you? Well, after all, that is what we are known for.