What 2 years of ghostwriting taught me about marketing

Yesterday, I completed my 2 years as a full-time ghostwriter.

I started as a complete beginner with no marketing background.

Since then, I have built an audience of 52,900 and brands for 30+ founders.

I have read over 10 books on marketing and have invested over $1000 in courses.

Here are 9 marketing lessons I have learned about online business:

1. Cheap means scared

A marketer who runs out of ideas says, "We're the cheapest."

He's scared that he'll lose the sale. He's scared that the value he provides is less than the money he asks for. He's scared of telling a story.

But this happens for two reasons:

1. You have the wrong client.

2. You have the wrong pitch.

Don't lower the price.

Fix these two.

2. Don't listen to your clients

They're not the experts. You are.

If you bend to their will, you are a handyman, not a professional. A handyman does everything his clients ask. A pro knows the right way and asserts it.

Stop saying yes to every request.

3. Tell who you are not

If you don't know what you do, tell them what you don't do.

People unite against a common enemy like ants gather around sugar. Otherwise, you’ll be generic, which is the death of marketing.

If you target everyone, you target no one.

4. Create tension and not fear

Don't manipulate customers to pay you. Fear doesn't last long.

Instead, use tension. Show the problem, tease the solution, and let them know their peers are getting ahead without them.

Relieve the tension by showing a way out.

5. Entry points

People are getting older.

They're moving from one market to another, from job to job. So they're entering and leaving your market all the time.

The best time to capture them is when they've just entered your market.

Study entry points to your niche.

6. Sell to who is already investing

Sounds obvious, but I tried to sell to people who weren't buying.

They never knew their problem.

They weren't looking for a solution.

They were good at ignoring me.

Now, I only sell to those who know their problem and are already investing.

7. How to consistently fill qualified leads

After gaining some experience, you might think the world owes you work.

But just as we consistently do our work, you must consistently look for clients.

Prove to the world you're worth it.

8. Why you should go specific

Specificity makes you accountable.

When you go broad, there are many reasons why something didn't work. You feel safe.

But when you sell a niche product and it doesn't work, it makes you rethink your customers' needs and desires.

You get specific feedback to improve your marketing.

9. You'll be wrong, most times

When creating a product or service for someone else, you assume their beliefs, stories, and status.

Sometimes you tune into their emotions but most times you don't.

And that's okay. Marketing is a bet. You don’t want a guaranteed outcome, but you want the best odds.