I Don't Do Paid Ads: Here's What I've Invested in Instead to Grow My Business to $270K+ in Revenue

Many business owners assume that the quickest way to grow is to pay to get in front of potential customers (or to do tons of cold outreach). But I never even considered that approach, and I’ve still managed to grow a thriving business in less than two years.
When I decided to launch my disability public speaking and DEI consulting business in 2021, I didn’t have any background in the industry. I came from the world of education and nonprofits, but I was spending my free time sharing my own experience with disability on my Instagram page, Blindish Latina. I loved getting to use my voice and story to help create a more inclusive world and started working on a strategic plan for turning my thought leadership into a business.
When I thought about what it would take for a client to book a relative newcomer like me for a speaking or consulting gig, I knew they not only needed to know I exist but that they also needed to trust that I could provide value. Therefore, instead of focusing my marketing on building a fast following, I chose to focus on building a reputation.
This meant, instead of hoping for the quick sales moment that paid ads offer, I worked on establishing long-term relationships. Instead of constantly pushing my paid offerings on potential customers, I tried to provide immediate value to show my authority. Instead of aiming to get my company in front of as many people as possible, I worked on building a connected community.
My organic approach didn’t slow me down either. Within nine months of launching my company I was able to quit my full-time job and go all in, and now, just two years later, I’ve achieved multi-six-figures in revenue. I’ve also grown a serious following of people who see me as an expert in my field; I have over 14,000 followers on Instagram and over 17,000 on LinkedIn, and I was one of 12 people named as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy in 2022.
Plus, with the money I’ve saved from not paying for advertising or marketing initiatives, I’ve been able to make other investments to help my business grow sustainably. Here are some of those investments, and why they’ve been instrumental to my success.
I invested in assets that would make me look professional
When I was first getting started, I analyzed how professional public speakers had set up their brands and invested in similar assets, including creating a sleek website and having a professional photoshoot so I would have ample brand imagery to work with. I also noticed most speakers had a speaker reel, which is a short video highlighting who they are, their signature topics, and giving customer testimonials. Getting this made cost me about $3,000, which is more than I was expecting, but it was a worthy investment for making me look like a legitimate speaker, nurturing customers by supporting my other marketing materials, and building …read more
Source:: Buffer Blog