“Everyone go around and say where you’re from and which department you work for.”

Oooh, no, no, no. I can feel my face turn red? just thinking about that conference ice breaker.

If there’s one thing I simultaneously both miss and am so thankful I never have to do again if I don’t want to…it’s overnight conferences.

If you’ve ever worked in corporate, you likely know the awkward feeling that is the *first office social event since your hiring date*.

My last corporate gig had A LOT of social events. It was basically a sorority, and you would’ve thought company happy hours were a part of the required job responsibilities.

And let me just say this, I’m an extrovert. I LIKE talking to people. I even had a few friends I already knew working at the same exact company.

But when you’re totally new, and nobody knows who you are or whether you’re likeable, social engagements are tougher than trying to get your friends to sip afternoon CCF tea with you?‍♀️.

I was trying to get to know people, let them know I’m likeable (and funny, obviously), and that they can trust me. Which, interestingly enough, is exactly what we want to do in a marketing strategy.

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KLT in marketing speak = Know, Like, Trust.

1. Know – The Boat Party

My first social event at this company was on a boat ? in the middle of Lake Michigan. There was no leaving early, even if I had wanted to. The wind was absolutely whipping (it is the windy city after all), and for some reason the bottom floor had the disco lights on and a DJ bumping. It was 2 PM. I remember very little else, except that I small-talked with a lot of people and avoided the dance floor (my dance moves came later, once people liked me already).

2. Like – San Antonio

My second big social event was the Annual Sales Conference, where the sales and marketing teams flew out to a weeklong conference in San Antonio?. At this point, I’d been working this job for a while and knew a lot of people. I was comfortable enough to take a tequila shot with the high-level exces at the after party, but still felt like I was having to introduce and prove myself to the new groups I was placed in during events.

3. Trust – Nashville

My last social event before leaving corporate life was another Sales Conference in Nashville?. This time, I was asked to speak on stage – twice – in front of over 600 people to showcase my two clients in a case study. At this point, I knew most people at the conference and was no longer trying to make an impression. In fact, I was showing new hires the ropes (like how you should always book the earliest flight home on the last day) and introducing people to each other.

Which stage of business you’re in…

Know: You’re at the boat party if you’re new to your biz – welcome!

Like: You’re in San Antonio if you’ve built a great reputation but are still in the process of figuring out how to grow and stay consistent.

Trust: You’re in Nashville if you’ve got years of experience and consistency under your belt and are ready to scale.

These aren’t necessarily measured by the length you’ve been in business, but they do tend to correlate with each other. It’s more about what stage your audience is at and what your revenue goals are.

A big issue I see with advice online is that it’s not personalized. Sometimes tactics that are best marketing practices for a new business are completely opposite of what you should be doing with a well-established business.

Alas…my marketing cheat sheet that will help you whether you’re on a boat, sitting in San Antonio, or dancing down Broadway street in Nashville.

I also used only free tactics in my examples so you can ball out on a #smallbizbudget.

? JUST BEGINNING: Boat Party

You’re on the outside of the social circle, and you need to get to know people. You can either do 2 things:

1. Introduce yourself to literally everyone for the first time and try to figure out who is most exciting to converse with through trial and error.
2. Find, or meet, someone who knows you and knows who you’d love chatting with.

In marketing, you should prioritize…

1. Finding ways to introduce yourself – start talking about who you are and what you do and what you believe in and share it as much as possible. Get as much feedback as you can to figure out what works and what doesn’t – fast. This could happen through live market research or sharing content on socials.
2. Using your network’s audience – offer value to people who already trust you and have audiences that align with your ideal clients. e.g. free workshops, giveaway sessions to their community, or guest write an email/post. (ps. this one is faster but at some point, you’ll probably run out of connections)

?GAINING TRACTION: San Antonio

If you know a few great people already, and you feel confident in yourself and your abilities, people are ready to really get to know you (and therefore like you) – 

1. Start doing equal parts sharing and learning. You’re no longer a newbie! You’re still learning, but you have great insights, too. 
2. Become a super-connector.

In marketing, you should prioritize…

1. Sharing what you’re learning – share content that speaks to your process, what you’re learning, and what you’re exploring. Be unique and focus on your insights. Engagement is everything here.
2. Leveraging collaborations or exchanges to become a super connector – use your audience as leverage! Exchange podcasts, go live with someone in an adjacent industry, or collaborate on a launch. The key is to swap with people who are at a similar stage and have an audience that aligns with you.

?SCALING FAST: Nashville

If you’re leading the event, you know your way around town! People trust you, and you have the privilege of no longer feeling like the new gal. Now you –

1. Skip the stuff you used to do.
2. Get on stage.

In marketing, you should prioritize…

1. Automating + Optimizing – You have an audience already, so now it’s about fine tuning their customer journey and automating the repetitive tasks you could do in your sleep. Tweak your sales page so it converts better, set up an email nurture sequence, or improve your customer onboarding experience.
2. Getting on that stage – Leverage your audience for content, speaking opportunities, and press. Now, you’re in the position to be a thought leader AND help support other brands, which makes you more attractive as a podcast guest, to ask for UGC (user generated content), for publicity, and to kickstart collaborations.

The fun part of all this is that YOU get to decide how these priorities come to life. If you love video, record yourself. If you have a giant network in the tech industry, use that connection! If you love podcasting, get on people’s shows.

If this still feels like complete jibberish to you, leave a comment.

XO, Rachel Jeffries Murphy