Pump Me Up

Pump Me Up Hey, I'm Aleks - creative biz owner, wedding DJ, podcast host and marketing pro.

I help small business owners and creative professionals gain clarity and confidence in their marketing!

Congrats to my client from boutique law firm for taking out 'Sole Practitioner of the Year' at the Women in Law Award...
25/11/2022

Congrats to my client from boutique law firm for taking out 'Sole Practitioner of the Year' at the Women in Law Awards! 🎉

Alana has a niche practice (art law) but helps clients with so many different legal and commercial matters and is involved in creative and groundbreaking projects. I loved telling her story through this award submission!

I've written dozens of these for law firms big and small, so hit me up if you're a law firm owner looking for some help! ✍ī¸


28/09/2022

Calling all small business owners! Here are 5 easy (and impactful) website tweaks that won't break the bank.💲

✨ 1. Refresh your copy

When was the last time you looked at the copy on the key pages of your website? As you and your business evolve, so will the descriptions you use for your services and maybe even your tone. Check your copy is still hitting the right notes.

✨ 2. Update imagery with stock images that are less "stocky"

There are lots of stock image subscription services that have beautiful photos updated regularly for around $30 - $100 a month (and you can opt out any time). I've personally used Haute Stock in the past and loved it.

✨ 3. Start a blog or add your existing one onto other pages

If you've been delaying starting your blog, a good place to start is look at your longer captioned social media posts for content ideas. Hot tip: avoid using the AI blog content providers as Google is onto them! If you can't write blog content yourself, hire a real human to help. And if you already have a blog, add featured posts onto other pages like Home or Services to make it easier for users to get to your content.

✨ 4. Add an FAQs page

This is one of the best things you can do for your website (and your potential clients). Google will love you! Answer frequently asked questions in short, non-jargony responses and link to other relevant pages on your site (like blogs explaining more).

✨ 5. Do some basic SEO

Basic SEO includes editing the meta information throughout your site (your meta titles and descriptions). Use free keyword search tools to see what keywords people are using to find your services, or sign up for a trial for something like Ahrefs or SEMRush.






I recently spoke to Lawyers Weekly about how small law firm owners can get maximum mileage out of their marketing effort...
30/08/2022

I recently spoke to Lawyers Weekly about how small law firm owners can get maximum mileage out of their marketing efforts. Check out the link below to listen! 🙌

Although it's aimed at lawyers, my key tips are relevant to all small service based business owners.

Marketing platforms and channels have changed, but the fundamentals remain the same. I talk more about how to be strategic in your marketing program to reach the right people in an authentic way.

Hope you find some value out of this episode. Thanks to for the great chat. ✨

PS - For those who only follow this account, DJ Aleks Mac is my DJ "stage name", FYI. I have two very different businesses! 😎

https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/podcast/35353-the-boutique-lawyer-show-getting-maximum-mileage-out-of-your-marketing

I've absolutely loved working with my regular client, Guest Work Agency. GWA is an art law and advisory firm and its fou...
18/07/2022

I've absolutely loved working with my regular client, Guest Work Agency. GWA is an art law and advisory firm and its founder Alana Kushnir is a thought leader in the art community both in Australia and overseas. 👏

I stepped in last year to help out more on the legal marketing side. We've put in place some marketing foundations that I'd recommend for any service-based business, no matter what niche you operate in. These include:

đŸ”Ĩ Key messages and descriptions of services, projects and clients
đŸ”Ĩ A business bio that's regularly updated
đŸ”Ĩ A Google Business profile (amazing for SEO and you can start to gather Google reviews from clients)
đŸ”Ĩ Website FAQs
đŸ”Ĩ Basic website SEO.

Thanks to Alana for her kind words:

"Aleks is creative, responsive and has excellent attention to detail. The brand of GWA is undoubtedly stronger as a result of her ideas and ex*****on. I can't recommend her highly enough."

Having these marketing foundations in place for GWA has helped with so many other marketing activities. If you are struggling with the fundamentals and need some help, get in touch via DMs or [email protected]. 💌

Photo credit: Justin Ridler

3 key marketing elements for service based businesses! 🤩I wrote an article on LinkedIn yesterday about the 3 key marketi...
28/04/2022

3 key marketing elements for service based businesses! 🤩

I wrote an article on LinkedIn yesterday about the 3 key marketing elements for boutique law firms, but it applies to every service based business owner (in my opinion and based on my experience!). đŸ’¯

Nailing these 3 marketing elements will set you up with a very strong foundation for your marketing program:

✨ 1. A brand you're proud of and feel aligned with.

This is where it all begins - with your brand! This is your business' identity: who you are, who you serve, your values, your visual identity and your tone of voice. It should filter through to all of your marketing and communications, from something as simple as your email signature through to the language you use to describe your services across multiple marketing platforms.

✨ 2. A killer website (including blog and SEO).

A good website is a powerhouse of content and information. Throw in an easy-to-navigate, optimised blog that's regularly updated, and it becomes even more valuable. And if you get the SEO basics right, you'll find you are getting found on Google more and by the right people (ie those you actually want to attract!).

✨ 3. External endorsements and accolades

If you tell someone you're the number one business in your niche, why should they believe you? Leave the endorsements of your firm to others! Seek out client testimonials and case studies, say yes to speaking/podcast/presenting opportunities and get yourself published on guest blogs, industry publications, etc!



It's been over 4 years since my partner and I started our wedding DJ business and I'll tell you what - there is nothing...
30/03/2022

It's been over 4 years since my partner and I started our wedding DJ business and I'll tell you what - there is nothing like being involved in one of the most important days of someone's life to teach you about what clients want from a service based business - and how you should market to them! 👋

Being in the business of weddings is intense, with emotions often running high (and this is before a pandemic is thrown in) and everything being just so damn PERSONAL. Here are the top 3 things I've learnt that can be applied to any small service-based biz:

💞 1. In this noisy world, clients need to be able to trust you.

Finding service providers you trust is HARD. Content is everywhere. If you can build trust with your audience, you are well ahead of the pack. If you make a claim in your marketing, you have to be able to back it up with solid proof.

💞 2. Clients want a personalised service, not a faceless one.

Whether you are a solopreneur or a multi-op business, your clients want to deal with a real person. They want to have access to that person and know they are looking after them. I had a new client tell me yesterday that they liked me and my partner's business because they could see exactly who they were dealing with, whereas other suppliers looked like "corporations".

💞 3. Empathy goes a long way.

You have to have genuine empathy to be able to solve your clients' problems. When you're dealing with them x 20 it can feel like just another problem to you, but remember, everyone is at the centre of their own universe, so step into your clients' shoes and try to see their point of view!

All of this should be reflected in your marketing! If you're feeling like you may not be connecting with your audience in the right way, get in touch to have a chat about how your marketing strategy can remedy that! 💃đŸŧ

(Pic is of me working at a wedding a couple of weeks ago. Neon hearts by ). 💓






24/02/2022

Who is your ideal client? 🧐

There's a lot of talk in marketing about creating client "personas". This involves going into depth about demographics, etc, of your ideal clients, and getting granular by segmenting them. 🤓

But in practice, I find asking the following questions (not an exhaustive list - but you get the gist!) is super helpful:

đŸ”Ĩ What do they do for work? And for fun?
đŸ”Ĩ Where do they hang out (online and in real life)?
đŸ”Ĩ What are their goals, aspirations and beliefs?
đŸ”Ĩ Who else do they buy from?
đŸ”Ĩ What are the challenges and struggles they have that you can help address?
đŸ”Ĩ What do they value in a service provider?

As your business grows and changes, you'll be able to get more specific with your answers. And the profile of your ideal clients will change too. 🙃

Why's all this important? Well, Captain Obvious here, but if you don't know who you're talking to in your marketing, how will you know what to say? If you're planning our your marketing activities, the "Who" is a big part of it! 👤

And of course (usual spiel) - if you're struggling to define your ideal audience, give me a yell and we'll smash it out in a 90 minute coaching session! 😎

How a video coaching session with me looks! It may not be that glam, but it's effective (and hey, you don't have to leav...
18/01/2022

How a video coaching session with me looks! It may not be that glam, but it's effective (and hey, you don't have to leave your house, so it's convenient too!). 🏡

I pack a lot into 90 minutes! I could talk for hours, so to prepare myself for my marketing coaching calls I like to keep things tight and focused by:

đŸ”Ĩ Sending you a short pre-session questionnaire. This is really simple and includes questions about what you're currently doing from a marketing perspective, how your current clients find you and what you're hoping to improve in terms of your marketing activities.

đŸ”Ĩ Writing out a plan of my recommendations to discuss in our session ahead of the call. Before we chat I take the time to put together a whole plan of attack to discuss in our session. My client last night took four pages of notes! I've done the strategic thinking for you so the suggestions I give you are practical, which means you can get started straight after the call (it's all about real ACTION to make things happen!).

đŸ”Ĩ Sending you a recording of our session afterwards, with any follow up links or resources mentioned during our chat.

I am genuinely passionate about my clients smashing their marketing goals so I encourage you to check in with me afterwards. I've had clients send me website copy drafts, design ideas or just check in to see if they're on the right track. I really welcome this because I want marketing to take your business to the next level and if I can help you get there, that will make me one very happy little marketer! 😃

06/01/2022

If you're a service based business owner, establishing credibility and earning trust is crucial, no matter what niche you're in. Your audience won't buy from you if they don't trust you. 🤷

Whether you're a lawyer or musician, building trust requires positioning yourself as an expert in your field. 🤓

So how do you do this? Here are some tips:

👉 Tell your audience about what you know - be generous in the insights you share through your content marketing. The more you demonstrate what you know, the more trust you'll build. You're the expert and your expertise is what clients will pay for.

👉 Always keep language simple - avoid using industry or niche specific jargon. Ask a friend outside of your industry if what you've written makes sense to them.

👉 Seek endorsement from credible third parties - are there industry specific awards, directories or testimonials that you would be happy to align with? And don't forget reviews from past clients, especially those who are like the ones you most want to attract.

👉 Speak at industry events or contribute to publications - put yourself out there as a thought leader. Industry podcasts are another great channel to pursue. Podcast hosts are always looking for interesting guests.

👉 Be genuine in your efforts to educate your audience to help them achieve their goals! Your audience will trust you more if your content serves them and isn't all about selling your services. Always be genuine and have the goal of providing value to your audience, even if it doesn't directly lead to a sale. These things take time!

Message me to book in a 90 min marketing coaching session if you want to brainstorm ways you can (authentically) build trust with your ideal clients in 2022! 🎉

Happy new year! I spent yesterday celebrating early new year wins with my client, Kelly (pictured), an absolute powerhou...
04/01/2022

Happy new year! I spent yesterday celebrating early new year wins with my client, Kelly (pictured), an absolute powerhouse of a woman. She's in the wedding industry like me, providing singing, DJing and MCing services all in one through her business .entertainment.đŸ”Ĩ

We had a marketing coaching session late last year and our chat (as they normally do) went way beyond brand and marketing. We talked through Kelly's whole offering, how she was pricing her services and where she'd like to focus her energy in her work. And she thought we'd be talking about a potential rebrand! 🙃

I steered her away from this more towards a strategic discussion (which included some hard hitting questions and serious soul-searching!), which only then led to a practical plan of attack for her brand and marketing efforts. 🎉

She says: "Since implementing a few ideas and being bold in my marketing (like I am), I'm seeing a shift in my marketing engagement for the better and feel like there is so much more ahead for me." đŸ’¯

It's a lot to achieve in 90 minutes, but it's amazing how much a third party perspective can make you see! Yesterday we had a few drinks to celebrate Kel landing her first client with her revamped approach. Cheers to that! đŸĨ‚

If you're feeling inspired for 2022, drop me an email ([email protected]) and let's see what we can get done in one marketing session! ✔

No matter the channel... great content is great content. đŸ”ĨI've been enjoying a podcast by fellow marketer Mia Fileman fr...
15/12/2021

No matter the channel... great content is great content. đŸ”Ĩ

I've been enjoying a podcast by fellow marketer Mia Fileman from called "Got Marketing?". On a recent episode she discusses how bored we all are of social media marketing. A lot of this is due to a lack of originality (hello, repetitive Reel trends), which means that as users, we're not getting value or getting inspired. We're just seeing the same crap that's being - as Mia puts it - REGURGITATED. đŸ¤ĸ

I could not agree more and I always say it - find the content (the idea, the story, the new angle) first, then choose the channel/s. This obsession to be visible everywhere all the time and keep up with the newest marketing trend is not only unhealthy, it's taking up your precious time and energy and perhaps not getting you any results for your business. 👎

It's also reactive, not strategic. 🙁

Like Mia, I'm a huge fan of blogging and SEO. If you start with a substantial blog post covering an important aspect of your service in depth or answering a frequently asked question, you've got a piece of content that will work for you to years to come (literally) and that you can slice up, dice up, repackage and repost a number of times in different ways and on different channels.

When it comes to your content, get more bang for your buck and always focus on the value you're adding for your audience. 👏

If you need a bit of a marketing kick up the butt, get in touch via my DMs. 😋

Important lessons that small service based business owners can learn from the corporate world! 🤓I spent 16 years in PR/m...
01/12/2021

Important lessons that small service based business owners can learn from the corporate world! 🤓

I spent 16 years in PR/marketing teams at organisations before working for myself full time. 13 of those years were spent in medium to large law firms. I'm incredibly grateful for my corporate experience because it taught me how to be a professional from day one. 🙌

Here are 5 important lessons from the corporate world that I've applied to my small businesses:

đŸ”Ĩ 1. Communication is key.
đŸ”Ĩ 2. Stand by your pricing and focus on value.
đŸ”Ĩ 3. Nurture your existing/repeat clients.
đŸ”Ĩ 4. Maintain your professional network.
đŸ”Ĩ 5. Be accountable!

Comment below if there are others you want to share! 👇

PS - I practice what I preach re repurposing content. This topic was one that I covered with my partner on our wedding industry podcast ! 😋

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