Referrals are actually my favourite way of marketing and getting new business. So, I’m not knocking them at all, they are amazing!🦄

There is something incredibly validating about someone working with you and loving it so much, that they refer you to someone in their network, or, they have such faith and confidence in you as a person and business owner, that they recommend your business to another wonderful human. It instantly creates an element of trust, it simplifies the sales process, and often brings in clients who are already warmed up to you and your business, and therefore, often ready to work with you. I get a lot of my clients this way, and I love it. 😁

However, if you are relying solely on referrals to bring in clients, it is a massive risk! Why? Because what happens when they slow down? What happens when your inbox goes a little quieter than you’d like? What happens when you realise you don’t actually have control over where your next client is coming from?

That’s when things start to feel a little bit uncomfortable. And your business and financials might start to suffer.😕

Referrals are unpredictable

Referrals are a powerful way to gain new business, but they are also unpredictable and not sustainable.

Why? Because if you’re relying on other people to talk about your business, remember your services and actively recommend you at the right time, to the right humans, you are putting all your eggs in one very risky basket. We know it can work beautifully, however, it’s not something you can control or scale consistently.

Business becomes reactive instead of intentional and proactive. One month, you could be fully booked and having to turn work away. The next, things feel noticeably quieter, and you’re wondering whether you should “do something” but you’re not quite sure what that something is. And honestly, that rollercoaster is fecking exhausting! But it’s also avoidable if this is how you continue to do business. So, what’s the solution?

Let’s talk sustainable marketing

A sustainable marketing plan isn’t about doing more just for the sake of it, in fact, I’m so against ‘doing things because others say you should’, or doing everything possible that you spread yourself so thinly that you half arse it! Don’t do that. Sustainable marketing is about doing things with intention, with purpose and creating an impact. It’s about creating consistency, visibility and connection in a way that supports your business long-term. The goal? To market your business in a way that feels smooth, like an everyday process of your business, puts your eggs in multiple baskets and creates a gentle continuous flow of leads from multiple areas, all without feeling overworked and underpaid. Sounds lush right? 😁

When you’re not just “posting more” or “trying new things”, or “following trends”, you’re building multiple pathways for your dream clients to find you, connect with you and, most importantly, work with you.

It means that when one channel goes quiet, others continue working in the background – it gives you stability and allows you to grow sustainably. Let’s be honest – stability feels pretty magical when you’re running a business. 🌸

The 3 most impactful ways to market your business

If you’re currently relying heavily on referrals, you don’t need to suddenly be everywhere. You just need to be intentional with WHERE and HOW you show up. These are the three areas I would recommend you focus on to grow sustainably:

🦄 Website (SEO & regular blogs) – Your website is your digital corner of the internet, just for you and your business. It’s where people can find out more about you, your services and how you can help them. It can act as a shop front, or the shop itself, it is one of your best marketing tools. Many customers won’t buy from a business that doesn’t have a website. Why? Because it feels professional and instils trust. And, when you incorporate SEO and consistent blogging into your website, you’re creating a space that works for you behind the scenes by attracting the right humans to your business, even when you’re not actively “selling.” If you want recommendations for an SEO expert, I’ve worked with the team at Littlebigbox for years, and they are incredible.

🦄 Social Media –  This is where your brand comes to life. It’s where your voice, personality and expertise get to shine. Did you know over 50% of customers discover a new business/brand on social media first? That means if you aren’t showing up there, you could potentially be missing out on over 50% of your potential new clients. I personally get regular clients from my socials Social media helps you stay visible, builds trust and create connection with your audience in real time. It’s a fantastic way to showcase what you do and who you do it for, to build a strong personal brand and brand voice, and to lead your customers to where you want them to go. For example, directing them to your webiste, to sign up to a mailing list, to a local event you will be at, it’s a fantastic shop front and sign posting opportunity.

🦄 Email Marketing – This is your direct line to your audience. No algorithms, no distractions,  just you and your wonderful humans. Email marketing allows you to nurture relationships, share value and stay front of mind in a more personal way. Email marketing, when done right, is one of the most successful forms of marketing there is. It takes time to build your mailing list, so there is no better time to start than now. And you don’t need a massive list to start, you can begin with 1 subscriber. 

When these three areas work together, your marketing becomes more balanced, more strategic and far more sustainable.

But what the real marketing magic for success?

Marketing is not only about WHERE you show up, but it’s about HOW you show up. You can be on every platform, posting every day, and still not see results if the foundations aren’t there.

Here’s what truly makes your marketing impactful:

🌸 Clear messaging: People need to understand what you do and how you can help them (Instagram featured posts help here too, head over to my IG post to find out how to make it work).
🌸 Strong personal brand: Showing up as you, unapologetically and impactfully, it’s what attracts the right clients (I have unicorns all over my branding and the right people love it!).
🌸 Building genuine connection: People buy from people they trust and relate to (Show you, your face, your behind the scenes, the true YOU, not just the polished version).
🌸 A straightforward client journey: Make it easy for someone to go from “interested” to “working with you” and explain how to do this in the simpliest way possible.
🌸 Consistency: Not perfection, just showing up regularly and intentionally, to build that familiarity, that brand and most importantly, trust.

This is your recipe for success. Not overnight success. Not viral success. But sustainable, aligned, long-term success. 😁

Stop being reactive and start being intentional

When you move away from relying solely on referrals and start building your own sustainable marketing plan, everything changes. You stop waiting for opportunities to land in your inbox and you start creating them yourself. Sounds like more control, doesn’t it?! It is! 😁

You begin attracting humans who already feel connected to your brand because they’ve read your blogs, seen your content, or heard your voice in their inbox. Then, you become visible in a way that feels aligned, not forced. And that shift? It’s powerful. ✨✨✨

As luck would have it, the exact areas that create a sustainable marketing plan are also my specialist zones. I support business owners (especially wonderful humans like you) with:

🌸 Canva: designing wonderful on brand marketing visuals, and provide 1:1/group training, so your brand looks as good as it feels and has REAL impact.
🌸 Social media: strategy, content, marketing and support to help you show up consistently, or 1:1 training – giving you the tools to do it yourself.
🌸 Content creation: blogs and newsletters that build connection and authority.

Everything I do is designed to help you create marketing that feels aligned, impactful and, dare I say it, a little bit magical. Because marketing doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, inconsistent or forced and it definitely can feel natural, strategic, fun, and feel just like YOU.😍

If your business has been running mostly on referrals and things have started to feel a little… quiet, this is your sign to shift. But not to panic or to do everything at once. You need to start building something more sustainable that supports you consistently, grows with you and allows you to show up unapologetically in your business.

If you’re ready to create a marketing plan that actually works for you (instead of you constantly chasing it), I’d love to help. 🌸🦄

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