Marketing strategy made simple for small businesses. Generate leads & income using marketing more strategically. Your guide from confusion ➡️ clarity. Strategy, coaching and training. 20+ experience. Take the quiz!👇

You’re brilliant at what you do. Your clients get real results. But your marketing? That’s another story.

Most coaches and consultants I work with are 2–5 years into business and stuck in the same cycle:
- Relying on referrals and their network
- Posting in short bursts, then disappearing
- Feeling invisible on LinkedIn despite their expertise
- Second-guessing every post because the messaging isn’t clear
- Trying to “do all the things”, but nothing creates a steady client flow

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Your work isn’t the problem - your system is.

🌿 What I do
I’m a marketing strategist for coaches and consultants who are ready to move from unpredictable, referral-only marketing to consistent visibility.

No hacks. No overwhelm.

I use The Hive Method - my 3-stage system (Message → Map → Momentum) that turns messy, reactive marketing into a calm, repeatable rhythm that supports your business every single week, even when client work is busy.

This work helps you:

✨ Clarify your message so people immediately “get” what you do
✨ Build a simple LinkedIn-first marketing system that feels doable
✨ Show up consistently without burning out
✨ Create visibility that actually leads to enquiries — not just noise

What working together looks like: 

Whether you want to learn the system yourself or get guided support, I can help you:

🔹 Get clear on whom you serve and what you’re known for
🔹 Define a simple marketing plan that fits around your life
🔹 Create a LinkedIn content rhythm you can maintain
🔹 Build confidence and consistency - without the overthinking

Most importantly: You stop doing random tactics… and start doing strategic marketing that compounds.

💬 What clients say
“Marketing finally makes sense. I’m posting with purpose, I’m seeing engagement, and I’ve already had enquiries from outside my network.”

“I used to dread LinkedIn. Now I enjoy creating content - and clients are finding me.”

“The structure, clarity, and accountability changed everything. I no longer feel overwhelmed.”

Ways to work with me:

✨ The Hive Method – DIY Course
A step-by-step toolkit to build your marketing strategy at your own pace.
✨ Marketing Momentum (6-month group programme) 
Build your message, map your system, and create a calm, repeatable LinkedIn rhythm - with support, accountability, and a personalised Notion dashboard.
✨ 1:1 Strategy Support
Deep, focused work to transform your marketing foundations and visibility.Ready to move from messy marketing to momentum? 

DM me and let's chat!

Katie Brown

It had been a long day, why oh why had I bought a networking ticket for the evening?! 

You know the feeling, you bought the ticket, you know it'll be great, but you also know you're showing up alone and navigating a room full of strangers, hoping someone talks to you (or god forbid you have to break into a conversation!).

Pleased to report that true to their reputation, the Female Founders Rise event was an absolute joy. ❤️

Loved bumping into Lisa Whalley-Smith, Laurie Kozan, Angela Wilkins-Green ACC, Helen Smith and new connections Karen Farrell, Christabel Biella, plus lots more whose LinkedIn's I didn't get! 

It was brilliant to learn about the charity that the evening was supporting The Girls'​ Network - what an inspiring story. 

I definitely achieved Emmie Faust's target of chatting to at least 6 other women I didn't know! It wasn't hard! 

It was good to be reminded that these events always feel like a hassle beforehand; it would be so easy not to go, but I am always so pleased I made the effort!

Marketing strategist for coaches + consultants. Creator of The Hive Method, a 3-stage system to turn messy, reactive marketing into steady, strategic visibility. DIY course | Marketing Momentum | 1:1’s. DM me! 💬

3 days of no screens, activity and fresh mountain air! 

A friend and I took our 16 year old daughters skiing for the weekend. 

So much laughter, just bombing down slopes everyday in the sunshine. 

Hard to come back to my desk today, but a lot of happy memories. 

In fact the most memorable and meaningful International Women's Day I have ever had! ❤️

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There are some signs I notice with clients before their marketing really starts to kick in.

One of them is that they stop asking, “What should I post this week?”

They make a subtle shift to instead think “what do I want my marketing to achieve this month?”

When you’re stuck in “what should I post?”, you’re usually reacting. You’re looking at what other people are doing. You’re trying to be helpful. You’re scanning for inspiration. And more often than not, you’re stuck in indecision.

But when you switch to thinking about what function your marketing has in your business, and what you need it to achieve, it’s a bit like someone turning on the lights.

You get a clearer and broader perspective (you stop overanalysing any one piece of content), and you become really clear about what you’re trying to say and to whom.

Marketing stops feeling like a bunch of disjointed tactics and feels unified, driving towards one outcome.

Is this a shift you’ve experienced, or one you’d love to make happen?

📌 I’m Katie Brown, a marketing strategist with over 25 years of experience. I help coaches and consultants cut through all the noise to figure out their marketing strategy and, more importantly, to make sure it starts delivering for them.

My first proper job was in a private detective's office. 🕵️♀️

Well… it was actually a tiny ad agency, but the office was exactly as you’d imagine a private detective's office. Wooden door with frosted glass, gold letters underneath, in the heart of Soho - everything you’d imagine.

It was with a guy who had worked in big agencies, but he was in the twilight of his career, and he was called Harold. I was fresh out of uni, having completed a degree in modern history and international relations. Desperately trying to make up ground as the degree in advertising that I’d wanted to do had been deemed ‘not academic enough’ by my parents!

So there I was with Harold, and every morning we would have a cup of tea and spend the first hour of the day doing the Times crossword together (I know 😂!).

I lasted a year, saved enough money to go travelling, and off I went on my adventure.

After that, the jobs thankfully went on an upward trajectory, working with the likes of SmithKline Beecham, Lastminute.com, Macmillan Cancer Relief, and Greenpeace, plus many more.

But I often wonder what became of Harold…

What funny first job stories do you have?

Sadly, I don'thave a photo - because in those days taking your camera to work would have been a bit weird!

When the sun’s out, and I get to work in this 900-year-old barn!

On a break between calls, popping outside where the donkeys sidle up to us.

This barn sat empty for years, and I drove past it often, thinking how incredible it would be to work from somewhere like that.

Then a good friend took over the main part of the barn for her interior design business. My friend and I, Kathryn Pinkham, jumped at the chance to take on one of the smaller spaces.

If I ever manifested something…it was this!

We share the beautiful building with a pilates studio, a local plumber, and a tech company (as well as a ton of spiders, mice and a bat that lives in our ceiling!)

What’s your preferred working setup? Do you like co-working or prefer your own space? I love having other people around, so this has been a godsend...

Heading into London for a day in a clients office followed by the Female Founders Rise IWD celebration. 

Anyone in my network going to be there? I'd love to see you so drop me a comment and let me know! 👇🏻

I often get compliments on how consistent I am with my marketing (phew!).

So, I thought I'd share 5 ways that genuinely help me stay on track (without it taking over my life) 👇

1️⃣ I decide my focus before the week or month starts

If I don’t do this I’ll procrastinate. So I choose one priority: a theme, a key message or one offer I’m focusing on

2️⃣ I try to reduce the number of decisions I need to make

I don’t reinvent everything every week:

I use repeatable content themes
I focus on LinkedIn, email and Instagram (only if I have time).

3️⃣ I work in batches

I’ll block 60–90 minutes and draft multiple posts, map out the next couple of weeks and outline ideas while they’re fresh.

Even if they’re not fully written, it’s a starting point which helps

4️⃣ I measure momentum, not virality

I’m not looking for fireworks, I look for: better conversations, clearer positioning and warmer inbound messages

I’ll take less reach and more of this 👆any day!

5️⃣ I build systems that survive busy weeks

This is important because if your marketing only works when you’re calm and motivated, then it’s fragile.

My system has to work in a busy week when the focus is on client work, or the weeks would pass by, and nothing would move forward.

I'd love to know if this is helpful to hear - what aspect do you struggle with most?

📌 These are the systems I help my clients build inside Marketing Momentum - DM me if you'd like more details.

The days are finally getting brighter! ☀️

I’m starting to feel excited about the prospect of the Spring finally springing!

After a fairly busy start to the year, I’m looking forward to finding a bit more balance and getting back to some things I love and coming out of hibernation!

Here are a few things I'll be focusing on in March...

Read 2 books (at least!)
Gym 3 times per week
Spend more time with the kids (not just watching movies!)
Reduce my screen time
Less snacking after dinner!
Talk more about Marketing Momentum  Sprint
Attend 2 networking events
Focus on email list growth
Plan another workshop/masterclass
Eat less chocolate
Get outside more
Switch off more on weekends
More water - less tea!

What’s on your list for March?  🌿🌷

I find that when I do this one thing, I never fail to make sales.

I shut my eyes and picture someone that I know who would absolutely benefit from the thing I’m selling.

I then write my email/post or whatever I’m creating, to them specifically.

I start to feel much more connected to the person I am thinking about, who I know needs the thing that I’m selling. I can imagine how they feel, and what they need to hear from me.

This approach might help you if:

🔹 Your messaging is too broad – Trying to speak to 'everyone' means you end up attracting no one. Your marketing should make your ideal client feel like you're speaking directly to them.

🔹 You're making it hard for people to see the value – If your messaging is vague or overly clever, people won’t take the time to figure out what you do.

🔹 You’re focusing too much on your processes, instead of the transformation you offer – People buy solutions, not services.

Next time you are writing a piece of content, write it to one person and see how it feels!.

Do you ever do this? Do you find it helpful?

A little re-introduction, because it feels like there are quite a few new faces here lately.

I’m Katie 👋. I live in Buckinghamshire, and having spent 10 years in Hong Kong, I love the green open countryside and wouldn’t swap it for city life again.

I didn’t grow up in one place. I went to school in Munich, moved back to the UK for university with a slightly confused (American) accent, and then later moved to Hong Kong in my 30s. I think my slightly nomadic upbringing has definitely helped shape who I am today.

I’m naturally someone who likes things to make sense. I like structure. I like calm plans. I like knowing what I’m trying to build and seeing the momentum and results.

For a long time, I thought that made me unsuited to “online marketing” because so much of what I saw felt loud, performative, or relentlessly high-energy.

It turns out I just needed to do it in a way that suited me.

Some things about me that don’t usually make it into my content:

- I love salt and vinegar crisps (almost more than life itself)
- Currently having a Babybell obsession
- I’m strictly one coffee a day - but make it a good one
- I co-work from a 90 year old barn that has far more spiders than I would like, but it’s usually my Zoom backdrop if you speak to me.
- I spent 2 days. week in my client's office in the City - a Fintech, helping them map out their marketing as they rapidly scale.
– I love face-to-face conversations much more than Zoom.
– And I am deeply motivated by helping capable people feel less alone in figuring things out.

You’ll mostly find me talking about marketing here, yes. But underneath that, I’m really interested in how we build businesses that feel steady and sustainable, not frantic.

Anyway. That’s me!

If we haven’t said hello before, I’d genuinely love to know a bit more about you - like what's your favourite crisp flavour!?

Before you disappear into client work this week, it’s worth asking yourself one question:

What is my marketing actually here to move forward over the next five days?

If you don’t decide that upfront, marketing becomes the thing you “fit in” around everything else, and we both know how that usually ends!

So here’s what I’d focus on.

1️⃣ Choose a theme or priority for the week. When that’s clear, content decisions get much easier.

2️⃣ Start one proper conversation. A follow-up you’ve been meaning to send, a message to someone who’s been engaging. It's easy to underestimate how important these small actions are.

3️⃣ Remove one recurring decision: decide your posting days, reuse a format that works or reshare something that performed well. Momentum improves dramatically when you stop reinventing the wheel every Monday.

Finally, measure what actually matters. Not just reach. Are you having better conversations? Are the right people responding? Is your positioning getting clearer?

You don’t need to overhaul everything this week. But you do need to stop drifting.

What’s the one thing you’re committing to moving forward before Friday?

There’s a very particular stage of business where things can get a little unstuck.

You’re good at what you do, and your clients get results.

Referrals still come in, but…you have no control over them.

You want to know how to dial new business up and down, not simply be at the mercy of referrals.

You realise that if two clients paused at the same time, you’d be in trouble.

You’ve dabbled with your marketing, you’ve got a website, and you sporadically post on LinkedIn, but you’ve never been sure about how to intentionally turn it into a joined-up system underneath.

That’s exactly why I created the *Beyond the Referrals Roadmap* for that in-between stage.

It walks you through:

– what’s actually missing when marketing feels messy

– how to move from reactive bursts to a calmer structure

– and what building visibility outside your network really looks like

This is the structure I use with my clients to help them build a system.

You can download it here 👇 I’d love to know what you think. https://lnkd.in/eiHsjsDP

Is it important to post on LinkedIn at the same time every day? ⏰

It’s a bit like getting the same commuter train every day.

You get to know familiar faces, and you might even have a chat here and there.

Get a different train in, and it’s a totally new set of people.

Of course, LinkedIn is a bit different, as your content can still reach people in your audience later in that day or the next day.

But, if you’re switching between posting in the morning, lunchtime, or evening, you might see a dip in engagement because there’ll be a new crowd who will be first to read your content, and they don't know you yet.

I'd love to know if you shifted your posting patterns and what you discovered. Or if you like to switch around your posting times on purpose? 

I'm a creature of habit, and I have always stuck to pretty consistent timing, with the view that early engagement from a familiar crowd helps push my content out further. 

What's your experience been?  


📌 I'm Katie, a marketing strategist with 25+ years of experience.

I work with coaches and consultants to help them shift beyond their referral network and build a marketing system that gets them in front of new clients.

If I only had one hour this week to market my business, this is how I’d spend it…

The first thing I’d do is look at my last few posts and see which one sparked the most conversation or engagement. Just a quick sense check.

Then I’d take that idea and extend it slightly and bring it back to life.

Maybe share a follow-up perspective, or expand on something I only touched on briefly the first time.

One of the easiest ways to stay visible on LinkedIn isn’t constantly inventing new ideas. It’s developing the ideas that are already landing with people.

Then I'd spend 10 minutes mapping out the month very roughly, just so I have a rough idea of what I'm focusing on selling and talking about.

After that, I’d spend the rest of the hour doing something far less glamorous but usually far more valuable: joining conversations.

Replying properly to comments.

Commenting on posts from people in my world, responding to messages that I’ve been meaning to come back to, messaging new connections who look interesting.

LinkedIn works far more like a professional networking space than a broadcasting platform for consultants and coaches that we sometimes realise. The content backs up the conversations, but it doesn't do all the legwork for you!

Over time people start to see you more often, understand what you talk about, and associate you with a particular type of thinking, which is usually what leads to the interesting enquiries later on.

So if I genuinely only had an hour this week, that’s probably where I’d spend it.

If you had one focused hour for marketing this week, where would you put it?


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 is a short, focused programme for coaches and consultants who want to move beyond referrals and build a calmer, more reliable and effective marketing system.

We clarify your audience, message and visibility so your marketing works consistently alongside client work. DM me if you’d like to find out more!

Are you like a magpie when it comes to shiny new marketing ideas?

Starting a blog one week, an email newsletter the next, testing out new platforms as soon as they get announced?

It’s sooooo tempting! I’ve done my fair share of starting things, only to abandon them a few weeks down the line (hello ‘threads’ 🙄)

These are the 5 checks I use before I decide if something’s worthwhile:

𝟭. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘁 - Will this reach the people I actually want to connect with?

𝟮. 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘃𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 - Does the likely payoff justify the time and money?

𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 - Can this idea become more than one thing?

𝟰. 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - Will I be able to tell if it worked?

𝟱. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 - Is now the right moment, or will it distract me from bigger priorities?

So next time a new marketing idea grabs your attention, pause before you dive in.

Run it through these five checks first.

Let it sit for a bit, and see if the shine wears off.

What was something you started that, with hindsight, was a bad idea?

The wobble, calm, scramble cycle... 🤪

Do you know it? If you’re a coach or consultant, I’d be surprised if you haven’t experienced it at some point. I know I have.

Things feel steady. Clients are in, the work is good, you’re busy delivering, and marketing quietly slips down the list because nothing feels urgent. You tell yourself you’ll come back to it properly when you have a bit more headspace.

Then something shifts - a contract ends, a project wraps up, a couple of conversations you were relying on don’t quite materialise. It’s not dramatic, but you feel the wobble.

So you react, and you post more consistently for a couple of weeks, or you message a few people you haven’t spoken to in a while. You dust off your contacts and book a few coffees. You promise yourself that this time you’ll stay on top of it.

Eventually, things settle again. Work picks up. Relief. And without really meaning to, marketing slides into the background (again!).

It sounds ridiculous when you write it down, because we always say we’ll do it differently next time. And yet the cycle repeats.

Referrals are brilliant - they’re warm, they convert well, and they’re a sign you’re doing good work. But they’re not a structure - they’re an outcome.

If your marketing only moves when you feel the wobble, then it will always feel slightly exposed.

That’s exactly why I created the Beyond the Referrals Roadmap. It’s designed for that in-between stage, when you’re established and capable, but quietly aware that you don’t want to keep relying on the scramble to generate momentum.

If you’re ready to step out of that cycle and build something steadier alongside your referrals, you can download it here 👇

Open article:  by api.leadconnectorhq.com

“I’d love to sort my marketing… just not right now.”

It’s something I hear surprisingly often.

Not because people don’t care about their marketing, or because they don’t understand how important it is. Usually it’s because there are simply too many other things competing for their attention.

Client work is busy. There are projects to deliver, decisions to make, and all the background noise of running a business. Marketing becomes the thing that gets pushed slightly to the side, with the intention of coming back to it properly when things feel a little calmer.

The trouble is, that calm month rarely appears.

Most service-based businesses run in waves. When work is full, marketing drops away. When a project finishes or a contract comes to an end, marketing suddenly becomes urgent again. So there’s a short burst of activity, a few posts, some outreach, maybe an email or two, before things settle down again and attention shifts back to delivery.

And before long the cycle quietly repeats itself.

What many people assume they need is more time, but in my experience the real difference comes from having some structure underneath the work. Structure doesn’t add more to your plate; it removes the constant need to decide what to do next.

When you know what your marketing is there to achieve, who you’re speaking to, and what role it plays in the wider business, it becomes much easier to keep it moving even when client work is taking priority.

Without that foundation, marketing has a tendency to drift. Weeks pass quickly, then months, and eventually you find yourself back in that familiar position of needing it to work quickly.

If you’re at the stage where referrals have taken you a long way but you’re starting to want something a little more predictable alongside them, I created a short guide called 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 that walks through how to start putting that structure in place.

You can download it here 👇https://lnkd.in/eiHsjsDP

✒️SEO & WEBSITE COPY AND CONTENT WRITER ► Working with you or your clients to improve visibility, credibility, and conversion. A service-business website won’t convert just because it’s a great design. It won’t automatically attract organic traffic just because it looks great either. 

Great websites start with great copy that supports the user journey and conversion. SEO starts there. 

You might already know '75% of people judge a business’s credibility by its website'. You probably do it yourself. We all know how Google judges websites - and SEO is an ongoing process.

Website copy:
➡️Impacts sales. 
➡️Impacts opportunities.
The right, properly search-engine-optimised website copy helps a well-designed website perform even better. 

If you’re the website designer, the better your website performs for your clients, the better you look. If you’re a marketer or business coach who has recommended a website refresh, it’s the same: the better it performs, the better you look. 

✍🏼 NOT JUST ANOTHER SEO & COPYWRITER ► As well as extensive training in copywriting and SEO, I've I've got a background in language and languages, giving me an advantage: I'm a creative who needs to know the details of all the whys and hows. My copy is designed for both human readers and search engines and my SEO services are informed by every element of on-page and technical search engine optimisation, not just shoehorning in some keywords.

✔️I’ve got years of experience of helping service businesses look good, grow their organic traffic, and stay ahead. 
✔️I’ll help you or your clients get found online by more of the right people - and build trust and authority too.
✔️I love working in a team. It helps the professionals involved in creating websites produce better results - together. It also gives our clients a smoother, easier, and less stressful experience. 

➡️MY SERVICES ► Copy that supports what a business needs to achieve and effective website design. Content support and technical SEO to keep it all up to date, appearing in searches, and converting. I work with other professionals and directly with service businesses.

🆓NEWSLETTER & RESOURCES ► Join my list for offers, tips, and information you really shouldn't miss: https://rbwriting.kit.com/af8af1e323

Find more information in my blogs: https://rachelbraywriting.com/blog/ 

🤝 LET'S TALK ► Ring the bell on my profile, message me and let me know how I can help you, or book a call:

📅https://calendly.com/rachel_bray

🙋🏻‍♀️ WHAT ELSE? ► Open water swimming, running, yoga, ceramics, reading...

Rachel Bray

Why do SEOs want you to sign for 3 or 6 months? Or longer?

(It’s an ‘it depends’ type of answer.)

Bad SEOs want you to sign up for a minimum term because it’s free money. 

Good SEOs want you to sign up for a minimum term because:

- There’s a huge amount of work to do at the outset that will have longer term results you won’t necessarily see straight away.
- It’s a slow process and there’s no point deciding after just one or two months it’s not working. 

If you’re seeing consistent, strategic changes over time, you’ll understand it works.

Bad SEO promises first page of Google and super-fast results.

Good SEO needs a plan. It needs structure. It needs intent. And it needs time.

Good SEO works for AI search too, the two don’t need separate approaches (that’s another red flag). But committing to paying for months of something you can’t be sure will even work can be scary. As with everything, finding someone you can trust is key.

Are you a sceptic? Or have you met the right people?

Website copywriter and SEO for service businesses - working with website designers, marketers, and coaches. Helping you and your clients get found online, convert customers, prove expertise, and build trust.

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The Battle

Katie Brown

Rachel Bray

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taplio

The Battle

Katie Brown

Rachel Bray

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Katie Brown's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreRachel Bray's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreKatie Brown's LinkedIn Performance