30 Lessons at 30: What I’ve Learned About Building a Marketing Business

I turned 30 last month and thought it would be a good time to reflect on everything I’ve learned over the past 30 years of my life that has enabled me to co-create DBM!

I’ve always been interested in having my own business, from ages 10 - 15 i vividly remember calling up both my Grandma’s asking if they had any odd jobs i could do to earn a couple of quid (which was more like £60 and all the sweets, chocolate and jam on toast i could eat thanks to my very generous Grandma’s..). 

My favourite TV programme was and still is to this day “The Apprentice” - I like making money, I like being creative and so the natural thing to do was to create a freelance marketing business, so with the help of Lee Double-Barrel Marketing was born!

Now, enough rambling about my past, here are 30 lessons!

1. Consistency, consistency, consistency.

My top advice for anyone looking to grow their business is to stay consistent with posting, always keep it relevant and on-brand, but never give up! There will be times when things feel slow, and it might be tempting to throw in the towel, but remember, you never know when the algorithm will put your content in front of the right audience!

2. You don’t need to be everywhere.

Don't waste your time and energy creating content that doesn't reach your target audience. I often see businesses posting on every platform, expecting the same results. In many cases, this approach can actually harm how potential customers perceive your brand.

3. Managing client expectations is just as important as delivering results.

This one speaks for itself...Communication. Is. Key. 

4. Adapt or die

I know this one sounds bad, but it’s so true... many businesses refuse to adapt their content/ tone of voice/ offerings to go with the times, and many times, it’ll end up alienating their audience because they just look old-fashioned.

5. Take more pictures.

Not just because sometimes taking pictures is part of my job, but it’s also nice to look back on how far you’ve come! 

6. People skim

I know this is ironic given the length of my blog, but keep it concise!

7. The importance of defining your niche.

Recently we had a look at our offering as a business and concluded it’s all very vague, and seeing as we have a combined over 10 years of experience working in the Occupational Hygiene industry, plenty of connections and actually understand the lingo, we should pivot the business and focus our advertising priority to that industry. If you think your business is going a bit stale, I’d highly recommend taking a look at your offering and who your ideal customers are.

8. Burnout is a very real thing.

Until recently, I was convinced burnout would never happen to me. But after taking three weeks off for a holiday with my partner, I realised just how burnt out I was. I returned feeling re-energised, full of new ideas, and excited to get back to it. Take your breaks!

9. Word-of-mouth marketing is still king.

I’m not exaggerating when I say every single one of our customers we have acquired via word of mouth. Get yourself out there, get networking and make meaningful connections!   

10. SEO is a loooooong game.

If you’ve talked to us about SEO before, you’ve likely heard this already - it’s not a quick-win strategy. To truly reap the benefits of SEO, you need to commit to the long game.

11. A strong brand isn’t just a logo.

It's the personality, values, and experience you share with your audience, it’s how you make people feel and the connections you create. A great logo is just the symbol that brings it all together!

12. Always underpromise and overdeliver.

Goes without saying really, you don’t want to get yourself into hot water overcomitting and realising you’ve got to do a rush job to deliver in time... plus over delivering makes you look better right?

13. The importance of testing.

You've also probably heard us mention A/B testing a lot, and that's because it really works! Nothing is guaranteed to succeed on the first try, so test different variations to see what resonates best with your audience.

14. Imposter syndrome never fully disappears.

There isn’t really much I can expand on here. I’m sure it happens to the best of us, so if anyone has any solutions let me know!  

15. Choose the right person.

Sometimes you can go it alone, but sometimes it takes a village, and knowing who you can trust for advice, guidance, and a push in the right direction is key. Confide in someone, share your journey with them, and be open to suggestions.

16. Never assume you know what your audience wants.

You might have found that illusive gap in the market and assume your audience will come flocking, but that isn't always the case. Do your research, borrow as many diverse ears as possible, and use that information to hone your messaging. Really dig into the fine details of the pain you're trying to solve, and be very specific in how you shout about yourself to garner the attention you deserve!

17. Don’t be afraid to try something different.

For every innovation we take for granted, someone thought of it first, and were most likely told they were mad. In the modern age of content bombardment, we've seen everything a dozen times over, so go against the grain, trust what you got you this far, do what others aren't, and remember, Galileo was persecuted for his radical belief that the earth revolves around the sun.

18. People trust people more than businesses.

With corporate greed at what seems an all-time high, so is cynicism. People need to know they're being looked after by someone, not something. The rise of peer-to-peer selling online and websites such as Etsy is a testament to this.

19. BE PATIENT!

Rome wasn't built in a day, and in the same way you wouldn't tell a client you can make them an overnight success, don't expect your own business to blow up within a week, a month, or even a year (to paraphrase the Friends theme song). Look up any famous businessperson or founder and how long it took them to find success, then sleep easily knowing that as long as you persist with confidence and a direct vision, you will find your audience.

20. Write everything down.

Never underestimate the power of a notebook. I must own dozens by now, each waiting for their call-up. Please, never assume you'll remember every detail of every conversation because the one you forget might have been the key to your next 5-star campaign.

21. Competition is healthy 

Not that you’ll know this, but most content we publish has been subject to a competition. I make one version and Lee makes another, and (I’m sure she’s a silent partner by now) our friend Marie has the pain of being an independent adjudicator and choosing her favourite design!

22. If all else fails... exercise 

I often get to a certain point in a project or time of the day when my mind will just go blank - it’s at that point I either strap my runners on or take myself to the gym - I know everyone harps on about it, but it genuinely helps... I’m not joking; I got to 21 lessons, got bored, ran for 30 minutes, and now I have 8 more lessons to finish the blog! 

23. Stop putting the little things off 

Admittedly, this is only a recent lesson I learned, but I now live by the 5 minute rule, if the task you’re procrastinating will take less than 5 minutes... JUST DO IT!

24. Step out of your comfort zone

Life isn’t fun on easy mode. Up until last year I can safely say I lived life in my comfort zone until Lee forced us to do a couple of talks at a college about starting your own business. I was so nervous but after we’d done it was such an amazing feeling... so much so we’re doing an interactive workshop at an upcoming conference potentially in front of hundreds! 

25. Comparison is the thief of joy

I know you’ve read this many, many times before but it’s so true, everyone is on their own journey - stop comparing and look back at how far you’ve come! 

26. Timing matters

Check you’re analytics, see when your audience is online and aim to post just before their peak times to hit their feed right on time!

27. Take yourself on your customer’s journey

If it takes more than three clicks to find what you’re selling, you’ve probably lost a sale. Make sure your website is easy to navigate with clear calls to action - no one wants to click through a maze of content when plenty of other businesses make it simple!

28. Optimise. For. Mobile

While I’m talking about websites, make sure they’re optimised for mobile use! Studies show most users consume content on a mobile device, so don’t scare people off witha confusing website!

29. You can’t please everyone

I think we’ve all gone through a phase of trying to make everyone happy, but the truth is - you just can’t! That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be kind or helpful, but don’t bend over backward trying to please everyone.

30. Going viral is not a strategy

It’s a happy accident at best. How ironic would it be if this blog went viral? Maybe my follow up blog could be the strategy I implemented to make it go viral ;-)   

This list took me so much longer than I’d care to admit, but if even one person learned one lesson, I’m taking that as a win!