The Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack, Part 2

Entries #026 through #050 of the Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack

What follows below is a running list of tips, tricks, and thoughts from my time (so far) building ANCORE’s business, brand and marketing from the ground up. This is the second installment. Each new installment will be published periodically. You can read Part 1 here.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #026

Look for creative tension. These are ideas, concepts, etc that feel opposite each to other, but when combined create magic. Beethoven and basketball. Murder mysteries and natural deodorant. Kettlebells and fine Italian cooking. These are just ideas, but you get the point. There’s tension between those ideas, and that tension creates energy. When harnessed properly, that energy transforms into the only thing that matters in marketing: differentiation. Seek creative tension. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #027

Whenever you are feeling stuck, get moving and get outside. Walk, run, grab coffee, I don’t really care. Just get out from behind your computer and into the great outdoors. Your brain and body will thank you. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #028

Your packaging is your only marketing that has a 100% open rate. Treat it like holy ground.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #029

Get yourself a cat or dog. Our business — both bootstrapping and marketing — can be a grind and feel like we are emergency trauma surgeons. We’re not. And nothing reminds of you that like an animal. They love you unconditionally and anchor you to the real world. Plus, I believe taking breaks for belly rubs or to play chase the laser pointer is time well spent for all parties involved. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #030

Do things that compound and do them early and often. It won’t pay off for a few years, but you’ll thank yourself that you did it. Compounding activities include, but are not limited to, the following: writing a blog, creating videos for YouTube, posting on social media, search-engine optimization, asking for reviews and reading widely.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #031

Get good at writing. Marketing is writing at scale. Becoming a good writer will make everything you do at least 10x better. You don’t need to become Mark Twain. You just need to be good enough to get your point across and nudge customers closer to purchasing. After that, it’s all about practice. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #032

To get practice and become an excellent writer, you only have to do two things: write a lot of words every single day and absorb a lot of great writing. Most people are good at the second thing and ignore the first. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #033

Get out in the field and start selling. If you can get face-to-face with your potential buyers and talk to them, do it. Your marketing will get better and you’ll be able to see what resonates. Plus, I’ve never regretted meeting a customer and thanking them for their business. I always leave recharged. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #034

Take care of yourself. Odds are you are working many different roles as a one-man or tiny team. Because of this, there will be moments when you feel worn down. The best antidote to this is to eat right, get plenty of sleep, and break a sweat. You are no good to anyone (even yourself) if you’re tired all the time. Exhaustion isn’t a badge of honor — longevity is. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #035

Test every link and QR code. Nothing takes the wind out of great marketing like a broken link or a QR code that doesn’t work. Take the extra minute and save yourself the pain.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #036

Ask for proofs on print projects before approving the designs. If you thought a bad link or dead QR code stung, a misprinted design will hit you like Muhammad Ali. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #037

You can never have too many reviews or testimonials. Always ask and always share them with your customers. No one ever purchased because there were too many glowing reviews. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #038

One message for one moment. If you’re launching a new product, talk only about that product during launch. If you are running a sale, tell people only about the sale during the promotional period. You only get a few of these golden moments each year. Don’t waste them by talking about everything at once. There is plenty of time to do that at other points in the year. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #039

When everything is rolling and the cash register can’t stop ringing, enjoy it. Inevitably, there will be slow stretches and times when it feels like nothing is working. Soak up the wonderful moments and preserve those feelings to get you through crappy ones. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #040

There are many people on social media, at trade shows, or attending conferences who will talk about how great their business is doing and how they are crushing it. Ignore them. Odds are it’s for show. This business is tough and true success is being able to stay around for a long time. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #041

Creativity is the heart of excellent marketing. If you keep creativity at the center of all your work, you will succeed. Plain and simple. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #042

Make YouTube and Google your best friends. You’re going to run into problems you can’t solve on your own and projects where you don’t know how to do anything. A quick search or video should get you going in the right direction. If I can learn packaging design from YouTube with zero prior experience, you can do anything.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #043

The best marketing is a great product. You can’t polish a turd and expect folks to buy, let alone tell their friends about it. Before you do anything, make sure your product is great.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #044

A great product does not mean it has all the features and functionality you dreamed up one day while scribbling on a whiteboard — just be great at solving the customer’s problem simply. The other bells and whistles can be tacked on later. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #045

Invest in a good pair of headphones. Our work requires hours of pixel pushing (making graphics, cutting videos, designing emails, crafting messaging) and lots of face time (video calls, phone calls, other customer-facing activities). A good pair of headphones will get you through it all and leave you time to unwind at the end of the day with music, an audiobook, or a podcast. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #046

Build your email list. This is a customer base you can take with you anywhere. Don’t become reliant on social platforms or marketplaces to grow revenue. Your business could become irrelevant overnight if you do. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #047

Use one great pop-up and a good offer ($50 off your first order, gift with first purchase, etc.) to build your email list. The list will grow quicker than you think and the pop-up will generate a good chunk of revenue, too.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #048

This can be a lonely endeavor. Find people you ask for help and go to for guidance. At the very least, you’ll get out of your own head for a little and feel better.

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #049

When building your website, focus 80% of your time on your product pages. This is literally where the sale happens. Make sure it’s clear, answers frequent customer questions, and showcases many product images. If Amazon highly values their product pages, so should we. 

Bootstrapped Marketing Almanack #050

Fancy gear and flashy things are overrated. Your time and money are much better spent doing simple things better than anyone else.