Agency path
Marketing guides for one-person agencies
You run marketing for small businesses, alone or almost alone.
77 of 121 guides written. Start at the top and work down.
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How to market your marketing agencyMarket your marketing agency when it is just you: an 8-week routine next to client work, with who to pick, what to send, what to put on your site and LinkedIn, and what to count every Friday.Read the first guide- How to validate a business idea without spending moneyValidate a business idea without spending money: set a pass mark, message 100 people a day about the problem, ask everyone who has it to pay through a free one-page offer, and decide after 2,800 messages.
- How to create an ideal customer profileCreate an ideal customer profile when you have one or two customers: list everyone who paid, tried or talked to you, write 2 or 3 one-sentence guesses, test them with 100 messages a day, and keep the one that gets the most chats after 1,500 messages.
- How to do customer interviewsDo customer interviews when you have almost no customers: 7 questions about the last time the problem happened, 100 messages a day to book 20-minute calls, a notes sheet in their exact words, and a Sunday count that puts those words into your marketing.
- How to do a competitor analysisDo a competitor analysis in 5 days with free tools: list 10 alternatives your buyers use, read 100 complaints about the top 5 in their own words, put the gap you can fix in your headline, and check them for 45 minutes every Sunday.
- How to write a value propositionWrite a value proposition from your buyers' own words: copy 30 phrases, write 3 one-sentence versions, test them in 100 personal messages a day, and put the winner on your homepage after 900 messages.
- How to choose marketing channels for an agencyChoose marketing channels for your agency: ask your clients where they looked, test 3 places for 4 weeks at full volume next to your outreach, then double the one with the most calls per 10 hours.
- How to fit marketing into your week as a solo founderFit marketing into your week as a solo founder: find 5 hours a day by cutting product work first, do the marketing block before you build every day, then write next week's posts and count what worked every Sunday.
- How to set a marketing budget for your agencySet a marketing budget for your agency when you have one or two clients: 4 hours a day and 10% of last month's revenue, what the first $100 should buy, when to start ads, and what to count every Sunday.
- How to price digital marketing servicesPrice your digital marketing services when it is just you: work out your lowest price per hour, turn it into one monthly package with three options, send a price after every call, and change it by counting wins every Sunday.
- How to get your first client as a marketing agencyGet your first client as a marketing agency with no case studies: write one offer with a paid first month, ask everyone you know for an introduction, send 100 personal messages and 20 answers a day, send a proposal the same day as every call, and count calls and clients every Sunday.
- How to get customers online for freeGet customers online for free: make one offer people can pay for or book, send 100 personal messages and answer 20 questions a day, post twice a day on one channel, add the free listings that fit, and count customers by source every Sunday.
- How to get traffic to a new website for freeGet traffic to a new website for free: let Google, Bing and ChatGPT read your site today, write down 100 questions your buyers ask, then publish 1 page, give 20 answers in 5 communities and post 2 times on 2 channels every day, and count visits by source every Sunday.
- How to get people to try your productGet people to try your product when nobody clicks your link: turn it into one small try with one clear result, remove every step before that result, offer it by name in 100 personal messages a day, ask everyone interested to start today, and find where people stop every Sunday.
- Why no one is buying your product, and how to fix itFind out why no one is buying your product: count four numbers from the last 30 days (people who saw it, took a first step, bought and came back), fix only the first one under its line, keep sending 100 personal messages a day so each fix reaches enough people, and count again every Sunday.
- How to build a waitlist before you launchBuild a waitlist before you launch: set a launch date no more than 4 weeks away, put up one page with an email field and one question about the problem, fill it with 100 personal invites, 20 answers and 2 posts a day, write back to everyone who joins within 24 hours, and email the list first on launch day.
- How to announce a new business on social mediaAnnounce a new business on social media so it brings customers, not just likes: set up your profile and page on the 2 channels where your buyers are, post one announcement with a clear ask, send 100 personal messages and 2 posts a channel a day for 14 days, and count conversations and customers by source every Sunday.
- How long does SEO take to work?Find out how long SEO takes to work for a new site: check in 20 minutes that buyers search for what you sell, get your site onto Google today, publish 1 page a day for searches people make just before they buy, and judge it at week 2, month 1, month 3 and month 6 against a number for each, with a count every Sunday.
- How to find keywords for SEOFind keywords for SEO when every tool says 0: collect 300 phrases your buyers type from Google suggestions, forums and a free tool, keep the 100 a new site can win with one page each, add 5 new ones every day, and add Search Console's real queries every Sunday.
- Technical SEO checklist for a new websiteRun the technical SEO checks that matter for a new website in one afternoon: turn off every setting that hides it, check Google sees your words, one secure address, your sitemap in Google and Bing and a free crawl with 0 errors, then test each new page the day you publish it and the whole site every Sunday.
- How to get your website indexed on GoogleGet your website indexed on Google: add it to Search Console, turn off anything that hides it, submit your sitemap and request indexing for your 5 main pages today, then link and request every new page each day and fix the pages that are not indexed every Sunday.
- How to use Google Search ConsoleUse Google Search Console on a new site: add it as a Domain property and submit your sitemap today, request indexing for each day's new page, and every Sunday write down non-brand impressions and clicks, pick 3 pages to improve and 5 new searches to write for, and check for problems.
- How to measure SEO successMeasure SEO success on a new site with free tools: write down the result that counts (signups, enquiries or orders from Google), track it as a key event in Google Analytics, ask every buyer where they found you, fill one Sunday scorecard row for seen, visited, acted and bought, fix the first number below its line, and work out what one customer from Google costs you each month.
- How to write a blog post that ranks on GoogleWrite a blog post that ranks on Google: read the top 5 results for your keyword, add one thing only you know, let AI draft from your notes, check every fact, link it from 3 of your pages, publish 1 a day, and count posts with impressions every Sunday.
- How to make an article rank higher on GoogleMake an article rank higher on Google: list the articles Search Console already shows at position 8 to 20, update 1 a day in about an hour with a title that answers the search, what the top 3 results miss, proof only you have and 3 internal links, and compare each one's numbers 4 weeks later every Sunday.
- How to write competitor comparison and alternative pagesWrite competitor comparison and alternative pages that buyers trust: list 30 pages from your rivals' Google suggestions, copy their prices from their own sites with dates, publish 1 page a day with the verdict first and 6 fair-comparison checks, and update prices every Sunday.
- How to get backlinks for a new websiteGet backlinks for a new website with no budget or press contacts: take the 20 links you can get from your profiles, partners and directories today, list 100 sites that link to your competitors, publish one page worth linking to, send 100 personal pitches a day offering a guest article, a broken-link fix or a page for their list, and count new linking sites every Sunday.
- How to get backlinks from news websitesGet backlinks from news websites with no PR budget: write a source kit with 5 numbers only you have, answer 20 journalist requests a day on free services like HARO in your own words, send local and trade reporters a story from your own numbers once a month, and ask for every missing link every Sunday.
- How to set up a Google Business ProfileSet up a Google Business Profile that stays up: check in 10 minutes that you meet customers in person, create it with your real name, one category and your address or service area, verify it by video, phone or email, fill in every section, send your review link to every customer the day you serve them, and write down 5 numbers every Sunday.
- How to rank on Google MapsRank on Google Maps: check Google lets your business show, copy the primary category the top 3 use, ask every customer for a review, add a page for each service, ask 20 local sites a day for a listing, and scan your rank once a month for free.
- How to get your brand mentioned by ChatGPTGet your brand mentioned by ChatGPT: find the exact pages it reads when your buyers ask for a tool, agency or supplier, get your name onto them every day with pages, answers, messages and short videos, and count how often you are named every Sunday.
- How to get on the "best of" lists AI tools citeGet on the "best of" lists ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI cite: ask them 20 "best [what you sell]" questions and copy every list they use, publish a listing kit an author can use in 5 minutes, pitch 100 list authors a day until every list has heard from you, and count the lists and AI answers that name you every Sunday.
- How to show up in Google AI OverviewsShow up in Google AI Overviews: check in Search Console that Google can show your pages, list 100 buyer questions and see which get an AI Overview and who it links to, answer 1 a day in the first two lines of a page with proof only you have, give 20 answers a day where those AI Overviews link, and check the Generative AI report every Sunday.
- How to add llms.txt and schema markupAdd llms.txt and schema markup in about an hour: check what your site builder already made, put Organization markup on your home page and the right markup on each kind of page, publish a short llms.txt, test each new page's markup the day you publish it, and fix errors every Sunday, knowing Google ignores llms.txt for its AI answers.
- How to track AI traffic and ChatGPT mentionsTrack AI traffic and ChatGPT mentions on a small site: add one AI row to Google Analytics, Bing's free AI citation report and an AI answer to your "where did you hear about us" question today, ask your buyers' 20 questions in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Mode every day, and count visits, signups and mentions every Sunday.
- How to plan a content calendarPlan a content calendar that brings buyers, not just likes: collect 100 questions your buyers ask, fill 4 weeks in one Google Sheet with 1 article and 2 posts a day on each of 2 channels, write and schedule next week's 28 posts every Sunday, reply to every comment, and count what each question brought every Sunday.
- How to repurpose content across platformsRepurpose content across platforms without copy-pasting: list 30 questions your buyers ask, answer one a day in a 10-minute video or one-page article, turn it into 2 posts for each of your 2 or 3 channels with one 9:16 video, upload clean files and reply within an hour, and remake your 3 best pieces every Sunday.
- How to use AI for content creationUse AI for content creation without sounding like everyone else: write a voice and facts file once, give AI 10 minutes of your own material every day, publish 1 page and 2 posts on each of 2 channels after a 6-line check, label realistic AI video, and count what each piece brought every Sunday.
- How to write a case studyWrite a case study with one or two customers: ask every customer today with three ways to be named, hold a 25-minute recorded interview, let AI draft one page from the transcript, get written approval, then send it in 100 personal messages and 2 posts a day and count the calls it brings every Sunday.
- How to get booked as a podcast guestGet booked as a podcast guest with no audience or PR budget: write a guest page with 3 episode ideas and a 2-minute video, find and pitch 100 shows a day that reach your buyers with one true line about a recent episode, follow up twice, ask every host for 2 introductions, and count bookings and leads every Sunday.
- How to start a YouTube channel for businessStart a YouTube channel for your business with no audience: set it up under your business name and verify it today, publish one video a day that answers a question your buyers type into YouTube, cut 2 Shorts from each, send every video to the people who asked, and check every Sunday which videos search brings viewers to.
- How to make short-form videos for your businessMake short-form videos for your business with a phone and free apps: write 14 scripts a week from your buyers' questions, film them in one sitting, post 2 vertical videos a day on each app, reply to every comment the same day, and count the messages and sales they bring every Sunday.
- How to find online communities where your buyers talkFind online communities where your buyers talk: write down 30 phrases they use, ask your customers where they go for help, search Google, Reddit, Facebook, LinkedIn, a community directory and ChatGPT for 50 places, keep the 10 where buyers ask at least 10 questions a month, answer 20 questions a day in your top 5, and count customers by place every Sunday.
- How to get your first 1,000 followersGet your first 1,000 followers who could buy from you: pick one app where you can find 20 of your buyers, post twice a day, leave 30 comments a day on posts they read, ask everyone who knows you to follow, make one collab post a week, and count every Sunday how many new followers fit your buyer.
- How to write a LinkedIn profile that brings in clientsWrite a LinkedIn profile that brings in clients: a headline and About section in your buyer's words, one next step in Featured and a free Service Page, recommendations and a verified badge for proof, then 100 messages a day that send buyers to it and a Sunday count that tells you which part to fix.
- How to grow on LinkedIn as a founderGrow on LinkedIn as a founder in 4 weeks: rewrite your headline for your buyer, post twice a day from your own profile, leave 20 comments and send 100 personal messages a day, and count conversations by topic every Sunday.
- Instagram post ideas for a marketing agencyInstagram post ideas for a marketing agency that bring client calls, not likes from other marketers: write 100 ideas from your clients' questions in 8 kinds, post 1 Reel and 1 carousel a day, comment and message every day, and count calls by kind of post every Sunday.
- How to promote on Reddit without getting bannedPromote on Reddit without getting banned: post from one honest account with your role in the bio, copy the self-promotion rules of 5 subreddits where your buyers ask for help, answer 20 questions a day in your own words with no link, name your product only where it answers the question and say it is yours, and check every Sunday while logged out that nothing was removed.
- How to promote your business in Facebook groupsPromote your business in Facebook groups without getting declined or removed: join as yourself with your role in your intro, copy the rules of 10 groups where your buyers ask for help, answer 20 questions a day with no link and add 2 helpful posts, name your business only where it answers the question and say it is yours, and count orders, signups and calls from groups every Sunday.
- How to build a community around your brandBuild a community around your brand when you have only a few customers: start once 20 people already talk to you, pick one free place your buyers use, add 10 starter posts before anyone joins, send 100 personal invites a day, welcome and answer every member every day, and count every Sunday who posts and who buys.
- How to create a B2B lead list for freeCreate a B2B lead list for free: write one line that decides who fits, set up a 12-column Google Sheet, add 100 named buyers a day from public lists with one true dated fact and the source on each row, clean it before you send, and count replies by source every Sunday.
- How to warm up an email domain for cold emailWarm up an email domain for cold email: buy 5 separate domains, set up 15 mailboxes with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, send only warm emails for 2 weeks, then climb from 10 to 30 a day per mailbox to reach 100 new people a day.
- How to write a cold emailWrite a cold email strangers answer: under 80 words, a 4 to 6 word subject, one true line about them and one small question, then send 100 a day and count replies every Sunday.
- How to get replies to cold emailsGet replies to cold emails when you get few or none: count bounces and replies per 100 people instead of opens, test whether you land in spam, verify your list and email one person per company, rewrite to under 80 words with one true line and one small ask, follow up 3 times, and judge each version after 1,000 people every Sunday.
- How to follow up on a cold emailFollow up on a cold email without being annoying: put day 3, day 7 and day 14 dates on everyone in one sheet, send up to 3 short follow-ups in the same thread with something new each time, answer every reply the same day, and count replies by follow-up every Sunday.
- How to do LinkedIn outreachDo LinkedIn outreach that gets replies without breaking LinkedIn's rules: fix your headline, comment before you connect, send 15 connection requests a day to stay under the weekly cap of about 100, spread 100 personal messages a day across connections, free messages and comments, follow up 3 times, and count replies every Sunday.
- How to run a discovery callRun a discovery call that leads to a sale: book every yes within 2 days, open with the time and the goal, ask 12 questions about their problem and let them talk more than half the call, check 4 signs they fit, say your price, book a dated next step before you hang up, send the recap within 24 hours, and count your calls every Sunday.
- How to do a product demoDo a product demo that ends in a sale: write a one-page plan from the buyer's problem, show 3 things in 30 minutes, book the next step in the calendar before you hang up, send the recap within an hour, and count where demos stop every Sunday.
- How to write a proposal that winsWrite a proposal that wins: say your price range and agree a decision date on the call, send a one-page proposal with three options the same day to everyone who decides, follow up on day 3, 7 and 14, and change one part after every 10 proposals.
- How to sell to enterprise clientsSell to enterprise clients with no sales team: pick 300 large companies where your problem is a top-3 priority, get your security, insurance and contract pack ready before the first call, send 100 personal messages a day to up to 3 roles per company a week, offer a small paid pilot with numbers that decide it, and check every deal's next dated step every Sunday.
- How to design a pricing pageDesign a pricing page that works with a few hundred visitors: show your price as plain text one click from your homepage, test it on 10 people for 10 seconds, ask 100 buyers a day what stops them, and change one thing after every 100 visits.
- How to move from spreadsheets to a CRMMove from spreadsheets to a CRM in one afternoon, for free: put everyone who replied into a five-stage pipeline, log every reply the same day, and review your deals every Sunday.
- How to set up referral partnershipsSet up referral partnerships with businesses that already serve your buyers: list 10 kinds that meet them just before you, write a one-page offer paying 10% of a client's first 12 months, send 100 personal messages a day asking for a 20-minute call, answer every intro within 24 hours, and count partners, intros and clients every Sunday.
- How to run a co-marketing campaignRun a co-marketing campaign with a brand that sells to your buyers: list 100 brands that do not compete with you, send 100 personal messages a day with one 14-day idea, agree a one-page plan, post 2 times a day with giveaway rules that keep entry free, and count each partner's link and code every Sunday.
- How to host a webinarHost a webinar for free with no audience: pick one problem your buyers ask about, set up a Luma sign-up page and a Zoom room, send 100 personal invitations and 2 posts a day for 14 days, run a 30-minute live fix with one ask, message everyone who came within 24 hours, and count calls every Sunday.
- How to find distributors for your productFind distributors for your product: price it so a distributor can earn on it, list the distributors your buyers already use, message 100 distributors and their customers a day, and start with a short, non-exclusive trial.
- How to get reviewed on ClutchGet reviewed on Clutch with only a few clients: create a free profile, ask every client who has paid you with a personal message and your review link, follow up until each review is verified, show the reviews in 100 messages a day, and pay Clutch only after 3 verified reviews.
- How to get Google reviews for your businessGet Google reviews for your business: copy your review link, ask every customer you have ever served in a personal message, ask each new customer the same day and follow up 3 times, reply to every review the same day, send 100 personal messages a day to win more customers to ask, and count reviews every Sunday.
- How to collect testimonialsCollect testimonials with one or two customers: gather the praise you already have, ask every customer 3 short questions at their first result, offer free use for honest feedback in 100 personal messages a day, turn each answer into an approved quote within the FTC rules, and count testimonials every Sunday.
- How to pitch journalistsPitch journalists so they reply: write 3 story ideas a stranger would read, put up a press page, send 100 personal pitches a day under 150 words to writers who covered the topic in the last 90 days, follow up once, and count replies every Sunday.
- How to start a referral programStart a referral program with only a few customers: give the friend and the person who sent them the same thank-you, paid only after the friend pays, set up a code for every customer with free tools, send 100 personal asks a day for one introduction, answer every name the same day, and count referrals every Sunday.
- How to start an affiliate programStart an affiliate program for your SaaS or store: set a commission you can afford, give each affiliate their own link and code for free, send 100 personal messages a day to customers, creators and list writers, help each new affiliate post within 14 days, and count posts and sales every Sunday.
- How to build an email list for freeBuild an email list for free: pick one free thing your buyers want, put up a free Kit signup page on your own domain today, ask 100 people a day and put your link in 20 answers and 2 posts a day, write to every new subscriber within 24 hours, and email the list and count subscribers by source every Sunday.
- How to grow a newsletter from scratchGrow a newsletter from scratch with no audience and no budget: one clear line on who it is for, a free beehiiv signup page, 100 personal invitations and 2 posts a day, recommendation swaps, and a Sunday count of replies and new readers.
- How to write a win-back emailWrite a win-back email that brings back customers who went quiet: list everyone past their reorder gap, send each a short personal note asking why they stopped, follow up 3 times, and fix the top reason every Sunday.
13
Paid ads
- How much to spend on adsSet your first ad budget from what one sale leaves you: a yes-or-no check by business type, a test limit of 10 times that number over 14 days locked in Google, Meta or LinkedIn, a daily stop line at 3 times, and a Sunday rule to raise 20% or stop.
- How to make ad creativesMake ad creatives on a small budget: write 5 angles from your buyers' own words, make 4 new ads a day with free tools in each platform's sizes, post 2 free to see what people react to, and cut the bottom half every Sunday.
- How to set up retargeting adsComing soon
- How to run Google Ads for SaaSComing soon
- How to run LinkedIn ads for B2BComing soon
- How to make a website for your businessComing soon
- How to write homepage copyComing soon
- How to write a landing page that convertsComing soon
- How to A/B test a landing pageComing soon
- How to improve website speedComing soon
- How to get feedback from your first usersComing soon
- How to raise prices without losing customersComing soon
- How to set up conversion trackingComing soon
- How to use UTM parametersComing soon
- How to calculate CAC and payback periodComing soon
- How to run a monthly marketing reviewComing soon
- How to get growth moving again when it stallsComing soon
- Should you hire a marketer, an agency or a fractional CMO?Coming soon
- How to hire a marketing agency without getting burnedComing soon
- How to use ChatGPT for marketingComing soon
- How to start a digital marketing agency with no experienceComing soon
- How to go from freelancer to agencyComing soon
- How to choose a niche for your agencyComing soon
- How to package your agency servicesComing soon
- How to price social media managementComing soon
- How to get agency clients without case studiesComing soon
- How to write a cold email for a marketing agencyComing soon
- How to get agency clients on LinkedInComing soon
- How to get clients on UpworkComing soon
- How to find clients online as a freelance marketerComing soon
- How to write a scope of work that stops scope creepComing soon
- How to onboard a new marketing clientComing soon
- How to set up client approvalsComing soon
- How to keep client brand voices separate when using AIComing soon
- How to manage multiple client social media accountsComing soon
- How to run Facebook ads for clientsComing soon
- How to write a monthly client reportComing soon
- How to explain SEO timelines to clientsComing soon
- How to reduce agency client churnComing soon
- How to raise agency pricesComing soon
- How to sell AI visibility servicesComing soon
- How to sell SEO services to web design clientsComing soon
- How to turn website projects into monthly retainersComing soon
- How to hire your first contractorComing soon
- How to resell white-label SEOComing soon
- How to scale a digital marketing agencyComing soon
Other paths: SaaS, B2B, D2C. Or see all sections.