Five Things I've Learned That People Starting Out Think They Need for Content & Marketing (And the Five Things They Do)

Five Things I've Learned That People Starting Out Think They Need for Content & Marketing (And the Five Things They Do)

By Ben Tierney-Morrison | Morrison Media, LLC

Here's a scene I've watched play out more times than I can count.

A business owner sits down across from me at the studio. They've got a notebook — sometimes it's on their phone, sometimes it's actual paper. They're fired up. They've been watching their competitors online, reading articles, and now they have a list of everything they need to do to "finally get their marketing right."

The list is ambitious. It involves going viral. It involves every social media platform in existence. It probably involves hiring a full-time social media manager before they've filmed a single thing.

I read the list. I smile. And then I ask one question: "What does your website look like right now?"

Usually — not always, but usually — the answer involves a stock photo from 2015, a paragraph that starts with "Welcome to our website," and a headshot that was taken at a company holiday party.

Here's what I've learned after 15+ years behind the camera and in front of clients across La Crosse and the Midwest: most businesses don't have a credibility problem. They have a visibility problem. The work is good. The people are great. Nobody just knows about it yet.

So let's fix that.