Ethical business marketing: The course that will change your outlook and business
Imagine a situation where you feel totally comfortable making the marketing decisions for your business.
Imagine you know what to prioritise; what will get results; what to ditch; what to outsource (and how); and which metrics actually matter.
Imagine that you know exactly what social media you’re going to use; and what you’re going to post.
Imagine that you learn all of that through an ethical lens; where people and planet are as important as profit.
And imagine getting there for less than the cost of a couple of days of ‘consultancy’.
Taking the sleaze out of marketing
Ethical businesses need marketing. Your voice needs to be heard, so that we can make ‘ethical’ easy and the norm.
I’ve spent 20 years working with purpose-led businesses and non-profits - so I know why traditional, mainstream marketing often feels pretty sleazy. Using sneaky psychological tricks to encourage people to ‘buy for the sake of it’ doesn’t sit comfortably with conscious businesses.
Plus, we have conscious customers: they don’t fit the mould of ‘typical consumers’. So even if we use traditional marketing techniques in ways that feel OK? It can be pretty ineffective - because ethical buyers are a whole different kettle of fish.
The good news? There is another way. That’s why this course is different. It’s for people who need to get the word out about what they do - ethically.
Take the mystery and mystique out of marketing. Make marketing fit your organisation. Never again will you post on Facebook ‘because you have to’.
No ick. Purpose-driven. Designed with ethically-focused customers in mind.
What you’ll discover
The course is split into eight modules over eight weeks. The first two weeks are all things ethical: what customers look for in an ethical brand, uniquely ethical dilemmas, ethical pitfalls and ethical solutions.
When we’ve got our ethical ducks in a row, we get hands-on and dirty (in a clean, green and ethical way, obvs) - we put ethics into practice.
In the next six modules we put in place the building blocks that mean you have a marketing strategy and plan that work for you and your business, and that you’re totally comfortable with.
And that you’ll be totally comfortable updating next year, and the year after that.
You’ll feel confident that you’re using the right marketing tools for your business. You’ll know how to measure if they’re working, and how much time they should be taking. You’ll know what to outsource, what to ditch, and what to keep in-house - and you’ll know how best to work with your agencies and suppliers.
Plus, there’s a bonus module on creating content. Never again will you dread the dilemma of what to post on World Sock Day.
How it works
Next intake is October 2024
The full course takes eight weeks, but you can take it slower if life gets in the way
Weekly, pre-recorded modules are backed up with a weekly live Q+A (recordings are available if you can’t make it)
Content is available on Thursdays, with Q+As on Wednesdays at 7pm UK (that’s 11am PST and 8pm for much of Europe)
Q+As start on 30 October and run each week until 18 December
Available online, with a mix of videos, podcasts, case studies of ethical businesses and more
Real life: put into practice what you learn, as you learn it
Lifetime access to future course updates as the marketing landscape changes
1-2-1 sessions at the start of the course, and again around week 7 to focus on YOUR business
Bonus content creation module
Just £780 - less than the cost of a couple of days from an agency or consultant
Money back guarantee
Is it right for you?
It’s for busy people who care about the planet and its people, as well as profit.
Learners are often the owners and managers of small, ethical businesses - zero waste stores, the creators of ethical products like soaps or reusable alternatives, and ethical service providers like graphic designers and coaches.
Others are working for social enterprises, CICs, charities and non-profits. Still others are early career professionals with drive and passion (but they’re not yet marketers).
But ‘ethical’ is more about attitude than product. If you’re more interested in sustainable business practices than squeezing every cent out of every last sale; then the chances are that what you’ll learn here will sit far more comfortably than the run-of-the-mill marketing courses out there.
Still not sure if you fit the bill? Drop me a line or book a call. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to sell it to you if I don’t think it’s the right option for you - that’s not the way we do things round here.
What you’ll learn
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Module 1
Getting your ethical ducks in a row
To get started we deep dive into a really ethical mindset. We explore what customers look for in an ethical brand. We get to the heart of some uniquely ethical dilemmas; from pricing to passion and the expectations of expertise, education and economics.
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Module 2
Pitfalls and solutions
Claim to be ethical and the goalposts move. We build upon the dilemmas of last week by looking at the pitfalls that await ethical businesses - and, more importantly, we look at how to avoid them (and, in the worst case scenario, deal with them if they happen).
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Module 3
Fitting your marketing into your business
After this week’s module, never again will you post on TikTok “Because you have to”. All those ‘rules’ and ‘must do’s? We’re tearing them up and throwing them away. I can’t promise that there will be no overwhelm left… but there should be much less than there was a week ago!
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Module 4
All things customers and clients
You’ve probably spent time thinking about who your customers are. We’ll go so much deeper. Where are they - not just physically, but in terms of their ethical journey? How best to reach them and talk to them? We’ll also look at the different types of customers and clients - it’s an eye-opener!
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Module 5
The sales funnel
If you’ve heard that phrase before then you probably know that sales funnels can feel pretty sleazy and manipulative. Our sales funnel isn’t like that! We look at how customers and clients move from awareness to engagement and purchase, and which marketing tools work. But without the ick.
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Module 6
Which tool, when?
This module is such a biggie that it’s spread over two weeks. We get super-personal and think about what tools are best for you. We look at different types of marketing (social channels, website, email, basic SEO, word of mouth etc), how to select the right tools and how to know if they’re working.
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Bonus module
Creating content
THE biggest marketing mistake I see is placing too much importance on channels, and not enough on content. This stand-alone module changes that. It’s a personalised interrogation of the nuts and bolts of how to deliver great content, regardless of the platform or your content mind monkeys.
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One-to-one
Let’s get personal
By Module 6 you’ve got enough behind you to be turning some big ideas into reality. And now is probably the time that you could do with a little one-to-one. So let’s hammer out those niggles and squish those mind monkeys, with an hour’s one-to-one to go through whatever key issue that you want to focus on.
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Module 7
Pulling it all together
It’s time to put the pieces together. Let’s go through that plan you’ve been creating over the past seven weeks, and double check it’s ticking your boxes. With an added session on outsourcing – when to do it, what to expect etc - this is the point to reflect on what you’ve learnt and delivered already, before stepping forward with a whole new outlook.
Your mentor
My career in marketing and communications started out pretty conventionally - except that I only ever worked for organisations that make a difference.
When our eldest was born I became self-employed. After a couple of years of taking on the wrong kind of projects, I was overwhelmed, disillusioned and very, very tired. I rejected marketing. Selling wetsuits to make other people rich wasn’t cutting it for me.
But in all the chaos of children, new homes and hitting my (mid) 30s, it took me a while to realise that I’d thrown the baby out with bath water.
No matter what I tried, I kept coming back to communications and marketing.
The truth? I love marketing. But only when it’s done for good things. And honestly? I’m really good at it. Not just because I’ve been doing it, ethically, for 20 years.
I love the cleverness and simplicity of effective communication. I love the problem solving. I love the buzz of helping people make the buying decisions that are right for them. And I love knowing that I help ethical businesses make their voice heard.
It’s been a long journey to get here, but I’ve hit my 40s and finally found my sweet spot. I’m sharing my experience and expertise to help as many businesses, social enterprises and non-profits as possible to do their thing to make the world a little bit better. Happy days.
Need to know
If you’re ready to enrol just click the image or the button below, and you’ll be taken to the check-out. I cannot wait to work with you!
Feel free to book a call - it’s a commitment and an investment, so I always prefer to have a conversation before you join, so we both know it’s right for you
If you’re in Canada and would prefer to pay by e-transfer, just let me know
If you have an ASP discount, you can add this at check-out
Designed to last over eight weeks - but you can be flexible
Lifelong access to all course updates
Places are first-come-first-served
Money back guarantee
Just £780 - less than the cost of a couple of days from an agency or consultant