First, a personal life update: The family emergency situation seems to be settling down a bit but life is far from back to normal.
Things are still...a lot.
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And somewhere in between all of it I'm slowly transitioning back to tending to my business.
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I know I'm not the only one who's in a season of running a business while facing hard things. I know because many of you shared that with me in response to my last newsletter. And for every one person who shares their story, there's gotta be at least 20 others who are quietly going through it.

If you're in such a season, this one's for you. And if you're not, maybe save this for a rainy day.
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Let's talk about how to handle our organic marketing efforts during these times.
​Note: I'm writing this from the perspective of someone who does 100% of their marketing with no support.

Here are a few things to consider that I've found to be really helpful.
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​ 1. If possible, take a pause.

How long for? As long as you can or need in order to recalibrate. I took a lil' over two weeks being 99% hands off to tend to my family and my mental health. Two weeks of no organic marketing activities, generally, won't result in anything catastrophic for your business. But it'll make such a difference for your well-being.
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Everyone's situation will be different but it was definitely the right decision for me.
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​2. Lean on low-effort marketing.

Marketing takes effort. But the good news is, there is an effort spectrum. When you have some space to return to marketing (maybe things are a little less intense, maybe you're learning how to manage the situation better...etc.) but the storm is still storming—opt for the smallest doable version.

Maybe that's one weekly post instead of three.
Maybe that's one newsletter every two weeks instead of 2x/week.
Maybe you write shorter newsletters.
Maybe you do more reposting with your added thoughts.
Maybe you're only resharing your past content.
Maybe you take a break from the usual topics you brand is about and simply share honest "where I'm at these days" posts.
Maybe you only lean on content formats that are easiest for you to execute.
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The smallest doable version of marketing yourself should allow you to stay in relationship with your audience without overstretching yourself.
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​3. Open up intentionally.​
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First off, you don't have to share about what you're going through at all. But if you decide to, just be clear on your boundaries and intentions.
You don’t have to share all the details.
You don’t have to turn your pain into content.
In fact, I don't recommend sharing anything painful that you haven't had a chance to process in private.
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This is not about being vulnerable for clicks. It's about leaving room for the unpolished parts in your personal brand. Being a professional doesn't mean you have to pretend that you have your life together at all times.
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​4. Don't shy away from sales content.​
When you’re going through a tough time, selling can feel…awkward. "Should I be selling anything when I'm not in a headspace to deliver...?" I hear you.
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If you have products that don't require hands-on delivery, sell those.
If you're a service provider, you could give your buyers the opportunity to book you well ahead of the delivery date.
Depending on your circumstances, it might also be worth it to temporarily tweak a current product/service to a scaled-back version that you can manage.
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Then post about it. Send the emails. It can be as simple as a one-liner invitation tacked on at the end of any of the low-effort examples I shared above in no. 2.
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You can show up as someone who is navigating a tough time and sell stuff.
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​5. Tap your network.​
Ask past clients, referral partners, peers in your network to spread the word about your product/service. Word-of-mouth marketing is suuuch a blessing when you don't have the bandwidth to be fully hands-on in your marketing.
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That's all for now, my friend. I hope this was useful for you.

Something else you might find useful—if you're looking for help with content creation—is Momentum. The price goes up 2.2x on December 1st.

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Take good care,
Natalia
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