Marketing Meeting Mallie Rydzik | SarahEutsler.com

Have you ever read an interview with an entrepreneur talking about how their business got going, and it was always some kind of overnight sensation scenario?

They got their product featured on the home page of Etsy 2 days after they opened their shop, the Google gods sent them 10K visitors right after they launched their site, etc.

I’m not calling them liars by any means. If that’s what happened, awesome. But us other folks playing the online business game don’t always have the right pixie dust to make crap like that actually happen so effortlessly. That’s why I wanted to launch a series where I get the full scoop on how other business owners tackle that one not-so-little thing that some treat like a four-letter word: marketing.

In Meet Marketing I’ll be talking to some of my my fave online entrepreneurs to learn more about the tools and techniques they employ to grow their biz and bring in the moolah. For the first post we’re getting behind-the-scenes with Mallie Rydzik, whom I’ve had a blast getting to know over the past 6 or so months via social media and her coaching.

Name: Mallie Rydzik

Location: Washington, D.C.

Tell us about your business! How long have you been doing this?

My business is on as winding of a journey as I am! My current business is Mydzik Media, a company dedicated to life-work balance through creative entrepreneurship. Under that umbrella falls my podcast, The Off-Road Millennial, where I interview young entrepreneurs and other people living unconventional lives; Systems Scientist, my primary source of income as a small business consultant, where I teach entrepreneurs how to streamline their businesses and organize themselves so they can get back to doing what they love; and my personal site where I write, speak, and coach on personal branding, the future of work, and life-work integration.

I started my first business as a freelance science writer and editor a little over 2.5 years ago while I was still working a corporate job as a technical writer and documentation specialist. Since then, I’ve tried out businesses ranging from e-commerce dropshipping operations to straight-up coaching to a short stint with an Etsy store and a handful of other things. What I learned in all of these businesses was the importance of keeping your sanity and being really efficient with your time and energy.

What was your biggest marketing struggle starting out?

Oh I definitely fell victim to the “gurus” and their internet marketing tactics that never felt good to do. I tried cold emailing (no calling for this introvert), clickbaity stuff, and other things I try to forget about. Nothing that ever made me feel like I was compromising my morals; it just made me feel kinda skeezy. Finding that balance between what works for others and what’s authentic for me is an ongoing experiment.

What was your marketing “a ha!” moment?

I realized that I couldn’t really fast-track my marketing and stay true to myself. I both cringe and get insanely jealous when I see these women posting in Facebook groups about how they “made $10,000 yesterday and if you pay me $2,000 I’ll tell you how!” I’m jealous because I know it works, and I know I could be further ahead in my business if I was willing to pull those kinds of stints. I’m now embracing the fact that I’m the opposite of an overnight success story because I know my marketing needs to be true to me and to my audience.

What is your favorite marketing tactic?

I’m a Twitter fiend and get most of my clients through that platform, but I’d have to say I have more of a full-on Twitter “strategy” than a tactic. My number one Twitter tip would be to talk to people. Simple, right? It can be, but I personally encourage people to interact with me by tweeting over 100 times per week and responding to everyone. I recommend Edgar for scheduling. I pay $49/month for it (my most expensive marketing tool right now!) and really only use it for Twitter.

On average, how many hours a week do you devote to marketing? What all does that entail?

Haha, I’ve definitely streamlined my marketing processes over the past couple of years (I mean, it’s kind of what I teach clients to do so….). Thanks to Edgar, I only need to go into Twitter to respond or participate in Tweet chats. I’d say a regular week breaks down like this:

  • Twitter: 1 hour
  • Facebook: 1 hour
  • Instagram: 30 minutes
  • LinkedIn: 30 minutes
  • Email(s) to list: 30 minutes
  • Pitching guest posts/podcast interviews: 1 hour (I should but don’t do this every week)
  • Content marketing (writing blogs for my site or guest posts): 1-2 hours
  • Meeting with my marketing coach, Halley, or our mastermind group: 2 hours
Now, of course, you can debate whether the last 2 points really “count,” but I’d say on average I’m spending ~8 hours per week on marketing-related stuff. A lot of people lose time on their social media marketing, but it really doesn’t need to take that long!

How do you measure marketing success?

I focus on Twitter for my social media, and, when I ask how they found me, I have found that most of my paying clients have found me through Twitter. So direct conversions to sales are the number one marker for me. But other markers include increased email list subscribers, social media followers, and general engagement with my audience.

Less tangible markers would include other people recommending me as the go-to person for my services, because then I know the message I’m spreading is being properly comprehended.

Do you have any favorite marketing materials (postcards, media kits, etc.)?

Now that you mention it, I really don’t! You can’t go wrong with motivational quotes on pictures to grow social media followers, however, regardless of your industry (probably).

What are your can’t-live-without-them marketing tools?

Well I’ve already mentioned Edgar, so I should also give a shout-out to Latergramme, which allows you to schedule Instagram posts ahead of time on your computer without being penalized/cut off by Instagram (they don’t like most web-based schedulers, but the way this one does it doesn’t throw up any red flags). I’m in the process of adjusting some of my own business processes, which includes finding a good client relationship manager (CRM). I really like Nimble CRM, because it integrates your social media interactions with leads as well–how cool!

A lot of people debate if business cards are still worth it in the digital world. I’d love to know: business cards–yea or nay?

True story–I just ordered a new batch of updated business cards. This is because I’ve actually started pushing my comfort levels by attending local networking events, and, here in the D.C. area, there are lots of other entrepreneurs around! But prior to this past month or so, I’ve never had any need for them. I use an app on my phone to store other people’s business cards rather than carrying them all around.

Thanks for the Marketing Meeting, Mallie! Let me know what you learned in the comments below.