Three Marketing Strategies I Wish I Had When I Started My Business

When I first started my business, I had… absolutely no plan. None. I thought I could simply change my Instagram username, post a few things, wave my arms, and say, “Hey everyone, here’s what I’m doing now, come buy my stuff!”

Shockingly, that approach only worked for a hot minute.
And then it didn’t.

If you’re a small business owner who jumped into entrepreneurship without a real marketing strategy — or if you’re still winging it — this post is for you. Today, I’m breaking down the three foundational strategies I wish I had in place at the very beginning. They would have saved me time, stress, and approximately seven existential crises.

Let’s get into it.

1. Clear Messaging

When I started, I thought my messaging was clear. Spoiler: it was not.

Messaging is the simplest explanation of what you want people to know about your business — the core idea you want to shout through a megaphone while riding your bike down the street.

And here’s the thing:
Most business owners overcomplicate this because we’re experts, we’re passionate, and we want to share every single detail. But clarity always beats cleverness.

A simple messaging statement might look like this:

“I help small business owners simplify their marketing so they can spend more time doing what they love.”

Not witty. Not poetic. Not filled with jargon.
Just clear.

The key question to ask yourself is:
What problem am I solving?

Whether you’re a service provider, a maker, a product-based business, or a clinician, you are solving a very specific problem for your clients. The clearer you are about that problem, the easier it is for your audience to understand why you exist.

A bonus tip: if your industry uses acronyms, jargon, or technical language, save it for behind-the-scenes conversations. Your messaging needs to speak to your customers, not your colleagues.

2. Know Your Ideal Client (the right way)

When I first started, I thought I knew exactly who I was talking to. Turns out… nope.
My “ideal client” was basically a Pinterest board of demographics and assumptions.

Here’s the truth:
Your ideal client is not defined by their Netflix preferences, their breakfast habits, or their imaginary name (looking at you, “Sally Salesy”).

Your ideal client is simply the type of person you’ve already loved working with.
The ones who “get” you.
The ones who see the value in what you do.
The ones who walk away saying, “This changed everything.”

Your job is to understand
• what they struggle with
• what they want
• what they’re searching for
• how your work helps them feel seen, heard, and understood

When in doubt, think of ONE person you’ve worked with who was the perfect fit and create your marketing for them. It’s so much easier and far more effective.

3. Market Position (a fancy term that actually matters)

This one might be the trickiest — but it’s also the most important.

Your market position is what makes you different.
It’s the reason someone chooses to buy from you instead of somebody else.

In simpler terms:
What do you want people to know about you?
What is your “onlyness”?
What is the thing you do that nobody else does in quite the same way?

Imagine an actual market with dozens of vendors.
Why are you buying radishes from this farmer instead of that one?
Quality? Customer service? A memorable experience? A unique offering?

Your business is the same.

You can stand out by
• filling a gap in your industry
• offering something no one else does
• creating a signature process or experience
• leaning into your personality and values
• solving a problem in a unique way

Often, the simplest way to uncover your market position is to ask yourself:
What is my edge?
What makes me memorable or unmistakably “me”?

If I Could Go Back to Day One, Here’s What I’d Do

Instead of posting on Instagram and hoping for the best, I would have:

1. Written a clear, simple messaging statement

2. Identified ONE real person who represented my ideal client

3. Gotten clear on what made me different and why people should choose me

These three foundations make everything else easier — your website copy, your Instagram captions, your email marketing, your content ideas, your offers, all of it.

And if you want help doing this work, I created a free checklist with these questions (and five more) to walk you through building a simple, smart marketing strategy. You can grab it at lindsaysmithcreative.ca.