Episodes

[00:00 – 03:00] Marketing gets overcomplicated when channels, tools, and tactics pile up before the basics are clear.

[03:00 – 06:00] Start with a valuable offer that solves a real problem and makes the transformation obvious.

[06:00 – 09:00] Know the people who need the offer by understanding their situation, language, concerns, and desired outcome.

[09:00 – 12:00] Differentiate through perspective, experience, values, and point of view rather than chasing a revolutionary method.

[12:00 – 15:00] Communicate clearly and consistently; content carries the strategy, but it is not the strategy itself.

[15:00 – 17:00] Ask for the sale explicitly so the next step is obvious and buying is easy.

[17:00 – 19:00] Treat funnels, automations, AI, and ads as support tools, then use a short fundamentals audit and VIP-day support to fix unclear messaging.

And welcome back to another episode of the Hayley Osborne Show. I’m Hayley, and I’m your host. I am the business strategist, the founder. I’m a mum of three, and I’m someone who is very passionate about helping health brands to build businesses that they are genuinely proud of, and today I want to talk about marketing, just marketing like proper marketing.

Because I have this thought that keeps coming up for me lately, and it’s through conversations with clients, it’s through the different strategies that I’m building, and through what I’m seeing online. And I like to be able to use this as a platform to be able to share the things that I’m learning and seeing, and the things that I like, the ebbs and flows of marketing, to be able to bring them to you, so that you can also upskill and learn and do all the things.

Because what I’m seeing, you know, through what I’m seeing online, and honestly through looking at my own business too, is I think that we have made marketing too bloody complicated. Okay, so there it is. I said it. That’s what today’s episode is about. We’ve made it too complicated, and we’ve got funnels, lead magnets, SEO, email sequences, meta ads, Google ads, reels, stories, carousels, LinkedIn, TikTok, podcasts, YouTube, webinars, and then let’s talk about like the many chat chatbots, AI, content pillars, all the things.

And then we talk, you know, we’ve got our personal brands, our founder brands, like the hooks, the call to action that we’ve got to think about all the time, keywords, retargeting, Google profile, Google business profile, and now we’re supposed to understand like whatever the hell the algorithm decided it likes this week, as well as run our business and do the things that we’re really good at. And it is a lot.

And you know, I genuinely really love this stuff, and this is my world. I love strategy. I love looking at data. I love social media. I love a clever campaign. I love a clever campaign.

Like, I’m the person that sits in the cinema when the commercials are on before the movie, and I love usually those commercials pre movie, they never show the brand of who it is that is like they’re talking about, and they’re real emotive, like the cinema commercials, and I always love to guess this is a Corona brand. This is, and usually it’s alcohol. I don’t know why.

Or this is McDonald’s, Apple, Jack Daniels. I love like looking at what Jack Daniels are doing in Australia. Always have since I finished working there. I’m always like looking at their billboards and their bus shelters, and you know when they roll out the cinema commercials, and obviously, advertising here with alcohol in this country is different to what it is in the U.S. And it just fascinates me, and I literally love all of it.

Okay, I love figuring out why something worked and why something else didn’t, and I love doing it for brands. And I think that we’ve reached a point where all of these tools have started making business owners feel like marketing itself is incredibly complicated, and I have had chats recently with business owners who have told me this, and you know I don’t think it is.

I think marketing’s become more sophisticated, and the fundamentals of how we show up and market haven’t really changed. So today I want to strip back everything. Okay, and if you took away your Instagram account, all right, if you took away your funnel and your Canva templates and all the beautiful things that make you your business help your business to show up and like the fancy software and the AI and blah blah blah, like what would be left?

And that’s what I want to talk about because underneath everything, I think like really good marketing comes back to like five super simple things. Okay, so the five simple things are the first one is like have something valuable to talk about, and that’s where you need to start.

So before you start promoting the thing, let’s make sure that the thing is actually really good. Is it valuable? Does it solve a real problem? How does somebody what have the problem that you are offering to solve, and do they want the transformation that you are saying that you provide, and does it deliver what you say that it delivers? And would your existing clients recommend it?

Hello, lots of Google reviews, please. Okay, because that will help you. Because sometimes I think we try to use marketing to kind of try and fix an offer or a problem. But those are different problems.

Okay, so if you have an amazing offer that no one knows about, fantastic. You know, I think that’s a marketing problem. Like we can solve that. But if people are seeing and they don’t understand why they need it, and they’re not buying it, and the positioning feels a little bit like unclear and muddy, and the offer itself isn’t really connecting something with like the your audience seeing is valuable.

Like I don’t think that you should be making more content about it. Okay, that’s when you need to look at what it is you’re offering, and this is really important in health and wellness space because you might understand the technical value of what you do incredibly well.

You’re the expert. Hello, you’ve studied for X amount of years, but your customer probably isn’t walking around saying like, “I really need a 12 week evidence informed multidisciplinary intervention. Like they’re just not. That’s not household talk, okay?

They’re thinking I’m exhausted. My back hurts. I don’t feel like myself. I’m annoyed with the world. I want to be able to run again. My hips hurt. I want to feel stronger. I need help. Like layman terms, okay?

And the that’s the value that they understand. Like just calling a spade a spade. Like for me, it’s black and white. There’s no gray areas, so I recommend that you start there. All right, and you’re probably like Hayley, you’re you’re a genius.

No, like I see this all the time. Well, I am a genius, yes, but that’s where you need to start. They are the pain points, not like this complicated thing. And I I have recently attended a few networking events and like seeing like the what people say that they do.

Some of them are so complicated. Like I don’t even know what you do. So how’s anyone else supposed to know? All right. So start there. Start like simplifying things. Like what does the thing that you sell actually help somebody do?

How does it make them feel or change or achieve something? And get get really clear on that before you worry about the algorithm and what’s trending and this and that.

Okay. So the second one is know who actually needs it as well. So it sounds really basic, and this is a basic bitch episode to get you thinking about the basics again because it is not complicated.

Okay, it’s a lot. I get it, and that’s why you know I work with business owners to to do it for them because I feel like you know this changes their world, and that’s through VIP days, through strategy, you know.

But this is where so much marketing goes sideways. Is that I think like know who actually needs what you have to offer. Like who are you talking to?

And I don’t want you to create a 14 page like ideal client avatar, Susan who drives a a white four wheel drive, drinks like lattes. Like give a shit. Shops at Country Road, unless somehow that’s really relevant.

But I mean, like, who has the problem that you solve? And when you think about that, think about the somebody. I say think about your ideal client, but let’s dumb it down a bit more.

Think about the person that you saw last week that you would want to see like 100 more of these people. Okay, that is the problem that you solve. What’s happening in their life when they start to look for you? What happens?

What have they already tried? What have they done? What do they misunderstand? What do they care about? What are they worried about? Like those kind of things, you need to answer.

What outcome do they actually want? And what language do they use to describe what it is that they actually need?

Okay, and you know, these questions are a little bit difficult to answer when you are the business owner because you are so close to this business, we tend to overcomplicate the answers when they don’t need to be, and the the the answers are usually right in front of you.

But because you’re so close to it, you cannot see them anymore. But that’s okay, and that’s why you you know bring in the help to be able to then you know you might feel like you’re taking a couple of steps back in investing in help, however, that then eventually springboards you like 20 steps forward.

But you got to take a few steps back to be able to get there because the better that you understand that person, the less generic your marketing becomes.

Okay, and you start saying things that make people stop and think that oh my god yes that’s me oh my god she’s amazing oh my god I need her to help me with the problem that I have or him whatever it is.

And I think that’s where it’s really powerful so one of the reasons I talk a lot to health brands now is because I’ve become really clear myself on the businesses that I love. Working with and the problems that I can help solve, and the businesses, and it was staring me right in the face.

I just couldn’t see it. That most of the businesses I have worked with and work with currently are health and wellness brands, and it was crazy for me not to start talking to that more.

Okay, because that clarity makes my marketing easier, and it will help you to make your marketing easier as well. It’s just the way it is, and you know I don’t have to speak to everyone, so neither do you.

You just need the right people to recognize themselves in what you’re saying, okay? And do I have other businesses that I help that aren’t in the health and wellness space? Absolutely, I do.

And some of them have been my clients for like six plus years, and I love that so so much. However, I need to evolve and get clearer and understand. You know what lights me up, and I love working. I love working with the right people.

Okay, so you know I have niched in on health and wellness brands, but and that’s okay. So number three is let’s just move on from that. But it’s not about me; it’s about you and how I can help you and what I see and what I’ve seen in in my world.

You know, the last couple of weeks, which is why I wanted to bring it back down to earth. Okay, so I want you to think about giving me a reason to choose you. That’s the third one of five.

Okay, so now we get into like brand because chances are you’re not the only person offering what you do. There’s like so many people that do what you do out there. It’s just you. How are you going to be different?

Okay. Remember that there is no unique message ever. There’s only unique messengers, and that’s you. So you might like the way I say something, and it might be really clear, and you might resonate, and you you vibe with that.

But then you hear someone else similar, and you’re like, just something about it that I don’t like, and that’s cool. And that’s the same. There’s lots of physios, there’s lots of dieticians, nutritionists, psychologists, like coaches, clinics, like heaps, and there’s certainly other business strategists.

So why you? And please don’t panic and think suddenly you know you need some like revolutionary like methodology and framework that nobody on this planet has ever thought of before because you don’t.

But you need to understand what makes your business distinctive and stand out. Okay, so it might be your experience, your process, your specialization, your approach, philosophy, personality, like values, vision, mission-like all those things.

Your point of view is really important, and the way that you communicate all these things. And if you’re building a personal brand, this has become more and more important because you are part of the differentiation, 100% every single day of the week.

And I’ve spoken about this recently on a podcast. You know, AI can produce lots of information, give people lots of tips. It can explain things. It’s boring.

Everyone’s saying the same shit. So you know, information is becoming less of a differentiator. Hate to say it, it’s your lived experience, your judgment, okay, opinions, what you think of things, your stories, what happens when you’re out and about, okay?

And that perspective becomes very valuable, and that’s what makes you you. And so I think that I keep saying, you know, put more of you into your marketing because I want you to give me something to remember and associate your name with something.

It’s really important, you know. Your marketing, if hopefully, you know, if you if you do it well, and we remove your logo, um, would people still notice you? If not, you’ve got work to do.

Okay. The fourth one is communicate it clearly and often because if you’re not doing that, okay? And you’re not repeating yourself. How you will just disappear into the ether of sameness with everyone else, okay?

Consistency is the winner, and but firstly, you need to get the groundwork, which is number 123, And so now, once you’ve done that, communicate it clearly, communicate often.

Be consistent. Repeat yourself over and over again. Just because you’ve heard it a million times, this is the first time someone else has probably heard it.

All right. So you don’t need a brand new marketing message every single Monday. That’s not how it works. You need a strong message, and you need to be able to tell your story over and over again in different ways.

That might resonate with this person or that person or male or female or whatever that looks like, but give them something to remember because that’s what helps you to stick in their brain, okay?

So you get bored of your own marketing much quicker than what somebody else would, and I I even struggle with this, but I know fundamentally that I need to keep. But very consistent, okay.

Just because you see everything doesn’t mean everyone else does. All right. So tell me why it matters. Tell me in a different format and a different story.

Teach me something. Show me behind the scenes. Do all the things. This is where the strategy helps enormously because the amount of content that you need to produce is becoming more and more.

But if you’ve got the fundamentals right, you know. Instead of waking up every day thinking, “Ah, what am I going to post today? I don’t know. You know, you know the core message.

You know that your business needs to own that. Then the content becomes the vehicle for that to carry those messages to market. Okay, that makes it commercially viable.

That will bring home the dollar for you. Content isn’t the strategy. Content carries the strategy. Okay, mic drop. Yes, I will repeat that.

It’s the content that’s not the strategy. The content is the thing that carries the strategy. So, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t give a shit what the algorithm is doing.

I literally don’t care because if your content is good, whether it be one image, whether it be a carousel of 10 images, whether it be a video, whether it be a you know well put together, edited like not so well video face to camera, but you know the the other type of edited content that’s got the music and the transitions and blah blah blah blah blah.

Like who gives a shit? Like if it lands, it lands. Okay. Anyway, rant over, but that’s what it is. It’s it’s the content carries the strategy, so it doesn’t matter what what it is.

Okay. Now the last one, and this is really important, is you actually need to ask people to buy from you.

All right. This one makes me laugh because we can do all the marketing in the world, and then we forget to sell. Like we educate, we inspire, we entertain.

You know, nurture this and that. Lots of beautiful content takes bloody ages, and then we quietly like hope that the person that is on the other end of the content figures out how they can pay us.

No, make the offer. Tell people what you want. Tell them what to do next. Send me a DM. Book the call. Press a button.

Submit. Reply to my email. Whatever is the next step. You know, when I email out to my audience every single week, I often ask.

I haven’t done it for a while. Like reply and tell me this, and I get responses, and it’s so nice because it’s me that’s checking those emails.

Okay, so if you’re getting an email from me and you reply, it comes to me. So reply because I love hearing from you.

Okay, and I think you don’t need to turn every single like post, email, video, blah blah blah into a sales pitch. You don’t need to do that.

But your audience absolutely should know how to give you money. Right, that’s business. We’re not here for a haircut. We’re here to make money.

We’re here for business. So I think where did we go wrong? Like I don’t actually think any of the modding, the modding, the modern marketing tools are a problem.

They’re not okay. I think AI is a real help when you can use it to for good, right, and not evil. I think everything that we have right now, funnels, automations, like the chats and this and that.

Like they are brilliant when they are attached to a strong strategy every single day of the week. I think where it becomes complicated is when we start adding tactics like before we’ve answered the basic questions.

So we have an Instagram strategy without clear positioning, all right, and then adds to an offer that nobody really understands, and then you’re just putting money down the drain, all right.

And I want you to remember this: that you know, more marketing can’t compensate for unclear marketing. I’ve said this a lot in my social media and my own marketing in different ways, and I think it’s time for me to say it again.

But more marketing can’t compensate for unclear marketing. More marketing can’t compensate for a unclear message. It doesn’t solve that. It just masks it.

All right. So the smartest thing you can probably do is like have another look at it and strip everything back and start from scratch and see where you’ve gone wrong. If that’s where you’re at.

Okay. So here’s your homework for today. Take five minutes and answer a couple of questions like what am I selling, like what is the problem that I solve, who do I help, what is the transformation I provide, okay?

Can I explain this very simply? Who needs it? Why should they choose me? Why should they choose us? Us? Am I clear in my communication, or am I using like industry jargon that no one understands and acronyms that confuse people.

Is it really obvious for me to give you money? Okay, and you know, have a look. I know I ran through that quickly. Sorry, but you can find the transcript on my website to this podcast.

But you might need to just fix the fundamentals, okay? You might not need another funnel. You might not need like more content. It’s just going back to basics sometimes, and I think we all need to do that.

You know, because what worked when we started isn’t where we are right now, and that’s just the way it is. We constantly evolve, we grow, we grow our knowledge, and therefore we grow and know what we want to then work on and move through with our business strategy.

Okay, and funnily enough, you know this is one of the reasons that my VIP days exist because I think when you’re inside your business every single day, why no? Everything feels really important all the time.

The website needs updating. Your Instagram needs work. Like you’ve been meaning to start an email to send out to your database. Someone told you should should be on LinkedIn. You should be doing this.

You need a lead magnet. You need this. Like blah blah. There’s so many things that you need to do work to work on your business. But you know, in the day to day, you’re working in your business, and it’s very, very different.

Okay, so there’s a big list there of things that you need to do, and that’s exactly what we do when I get in the room with you.

We zoom out and we look at your business first. What are we building? What are we selling? What’s working? What’s not working? Who are we selling to?

Like, what do you want to be known for? Are you missing any revenue opportunities? And then we look at the marketing that is required to support those things.

Okay, positioning, messaging, socials, content, the customer journey. I’ve spoken about that also in a couple of episodes ago. Okay, what are your offers like? Can we build a plan from there?

It sounds really simple, but I find a lot of people just can’t get themselves out of their own heads to be able to see it in front of them.

Okay, I want your marketing to have a job, all right, and I want you to know why you’re doing it. Okay, who it’s for, and what you want it to create for the business, and how you want it to grow the business.

Don’t move into 2027 with the same like cloud over your head. So if you’ve been listening today thinking, “Hayley, I have made this way too complicated,” come and spend a VIP day with me.

Okay, just DM me VIP day, send me an email, or head to the link in the show notes, and let’s talk about where your business is at.

You can email me at Hayley at Hayley osborne.com. It’s very simple, and then remember, like you started a business because you had something valuable.

All right, people need what you have to offer. You just need to give them a reason to choose you and communicate that really clearly and consistently.

It’s very simple, and then actually ask them to buy from you. That’s marketing. That is back to basics marketing. So everything else is a tool, and we can use those five things to make it work harder.

All right, all right, awesome human. That’s all from me today. Have the best day, and I will see you next week for another episode of the Hayley Osborne Show.

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