The Unsexy Marketing That Actually Makes Money

If you've been seduced by the latest marketing trend only to see zero results, or if you're exhausted from chasing shiny objects while your revenue stays flat, this episode is going to validate everything you've been secretly thinking.

Everyone wants sexy marketing—going viral, explosive growth, cutting-edge funnels, algorithm hacks that promise overnight success. It sounds amazing. It's exciting. And for 99% of businesses, it doesn't work.

Meanwhile, the businesses making consistent money aren't doing anything fancy. They're not going viral. They're not on every platform. They're not running elaborate campaigns. They're doing boring, basic, repetitive marketing activities consistently well. And they're making reliable revenue while everyone else chases lottery tickets.

Here's the truth: sexy marketing is unreliable and unsustainable. Unsexy marketing is a paycheck. And if you want sustainable revenue instead of hoping for a viral moment, it's time to embrace boring.

What you'll learn:

• Why sexy marketing is a trap (and why we're all drawn to it anyway)
• The 6 unsexy marketing tactics that actually generate revenue (weekly emails, follow-ups, referrals, repurposing, process improvement, consistent posting)
• Why boring beats exciting every single time (it's sustainable, compounds, and your competitors won't do it)
• What to stop doing so you have time for unsexy marketing
• The realistic results timeline (hint: week 1-4 feels like nothing is happening)
• How to make peace with doing marketing that won't impress anyone at parties

Sexy marketing is a lottery ticket. Unsexy marketing is a paycheck. This episode shows you how to build your business on paychecks.

Transcript

Hey. Welcome to the New School of Marketing podcast. I'm Bianca McKenzie and this is the place where we break down marketing strategies that actually work without the overwhelm.

Before we dive in, I want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land I live and work on, the Palawa people of Lutruwita. I pay my respects to elders past and present and acknowledge the deep connection they have to this land, culture and community.

You let's dive in and make marketing work for you.

So if you've ever been seduced by the latest marketing trend only to see zero results,

or if you're exhausted from chasing shiny objects while your revenue is staying flat,

or if you secretly suspect that the boring basic marketing activities might actually work better than the exciting ones,

then this episode is going to validate everything you've been thinking.

Today we're talking about unsexy marketing. The boring, basic repetitive activities that actually generate revenue while everyone else is chasing viral moments and algorithm hacks.

Because here's the truth.

The businesses making consistent money,

they're not doing anything fancy,

they are doing the unsexy stuff consistently well.

And if you want sustainable revenue,

it's time to embrace boring.

Let's start by talking about why we're all drawn to sexy marketing in the first place.

So sexy marketing looks like this going viral with a clever post,

or launching a TikTok channel and blowing up overnight, or creating elaborate funnels with trip fires and upsells and all the bells and whistles,

or using the latest platform feature before everyone else,

or growth hacking your way to thousands of followers, or running cutting edge ads campaigns with like a crazy return on investment.

Sexy marketing promises are quick results, explosive growth,

massive visibility,

and impressive numbers you can brag about,

so no wonder everyone wants it. It sounds pretty amazing.

The problem is that sexy marketing is unreliable. It's unsustainable and usually doesn't work for normal businesses.

Sure,

you'll hear about someone who went viral and made 100k, but what you won't hear about are the tens of thousands of people who tried the same thing and got nothing.

Sexy marketing is a lottery ticket,

but unsexy marketing is a paycheck.

Let's define what we're talking about when I say unsexy marketing.

Unsexy marketing is repetitive,

boring to talk about,

not impressive at parties,

slow to show results.

It's simple to understand,

but requires discipline.

It's focused on fundamentals, not on innovation.

And it's proven over years, not over months.

And here's what I find. Unsexy marketing. Emailing your list every single week with valuable content.

Following up with leads who didn't buy.

Asking happy customers for referrals.

Posting consistently on one platform instead of chasing new ones.

Optimising your most popular content instead of always creating new stuff.

Improving your sales process based on data.

Building relationships through one on one conversations.

None of this is exciting, right? I mean I find it exciting, but I know a lot of people don't.

None of it will make you feel like a marketing genius and all of it will actually make you money.

Before we dive into specific tactics, let's talk about why boring actually beats exciting.

Reason number one is it's sustainable.

You can send a weekly email forever,

but you can't maintain viral level creativity forever.

Unsexy marketing doesn't depend on inspiration.

It doesn't depend on luck or perfect timing. It's a system that you can maintain through busy seasons, through low energy periods,

through challenging times.

Reason number two is it compounds.

Each weekly email, builds your relationship with subscribers. Each follow up conversation increases your conversion rates.

Each referral request generates word of mouth boring activities done consistently compound into significant results.

But exciting, you know, one off tactics, they don't compound,

they just spike and disappear.

Reason number three, it's reliable.

You know what to expect from unsexy marketing.

You know, send X emails, get Y responses, follow up with Z leads, close W deals.

You can fill in the numbers,

letters. In this case the predictability lets you forecast it, lets you plan it. You lets and build a sustainable business.

Sexy marketing is literally is too volatile to build a business on.

Goes up, goes down.

Reason number four,

your competitors won't do it.

Everyone wants the sexy stuff,

but very few people have to discipline to do the boring work consistently.

That's your competitive advantage. While they're off chasing trends, you you're building relationships and you're generating reliable revenue.

Now let's get specific.

Here are the boring marketing activities that generate the most revenue and sexy tactic number one is a weekly email to your list. This is the most unsexy, most effective marketing you can do.

Every single week,

send your email list something valuable.

A helpful tip, A story with a lesson, an answer to a common question. A behind the scenes look and you want to include occasional mentions of your offer.

It might not have to be in every email,

but regularly tell them about what you sell and invite them to work with you or buy from you.

You can say things like, you know, if you're struggling with this, my I don't know course service membership helps you solve it.

There you go.

It works because you stay top of mind.

When they're ready to buy, they're going to think of you.

And email converts better than any other channel.

It generally gives you consistent 20 to 40% open rates and the highest return on investment of any marketing tactic.

You own the list and no algorithm is going to control your reach.

But I know there's resistance and people don't do it. And a lot of people don't do it because you know, it's boring,

it's repetitive,

the results are not necessarily immediate and it takes discipline.

But businesses with engaged email list have the most stable revenue and this is going to be the hill I'll die on.

I am happy with unsexy, boring,

stable revenue.

Unsexy tactic number two following up with leads.

Someone inquired about your service but they didn't book.

Someone downloaded your lead magnet but didn't buy your course.

Someone abandoned their cart.

Most people only follow up once, maybe twice, and then they give up.

Follow up five to seven times over the next two to three weeks. Not in a pushy way. Just be helpful.

Just say, hey, just checking in, do you have any questions that I can answer? Or you know, oh, I know you were interested in blah blah blah offer.

Is the timing just not right or is there something else holding you back? Literally? It's not like you're not slapping them in the face going, oh, why didn't you buy?

No, just reach out.

Sometimes people forget or they get busy and like it's been in the back of their mind, but they just haven't gotten to it.

Most people don't actually say no.

They literally just get distracted or they might not be ready yet.

So following up, it's going to remind them and it's going to give them another chance to say yes.

Studies show that 80% of sales require more than five follow ups.

But the problem is that 44% of salespeople give up after one.

So keep following up. Even if you have to build an automation to do it, do it. Keep following up.

And I know why there's resistance.

We all fear being annoying.

We fear being pushy.

Also,

it's kind of like tedious to track who needs following up. And that kind of stuff, but this single activity can double your conversion rate. Like,

I don't know if you're running a business, I reckon it's worth the discomfort now. Unsexy tactic number three Asking for referrals and testimonials.

So you've delivered a great result for a client or for a student.

They're happy. Now what?

Now you need to ask them directly.

You can literally reach out and say, hey, I'm so glad this worked for you. Would you mind sharing a testimonial I can use?

Or do you know someone else who might benefit from this?

And ideally you make it easy. Like you just send them a few questions that they can answer or ask them if you can use their email or their comment as a testimonial.

Social Proof is one of the most powerful sales tools.

Testimonials from real people convert better than anything else that you could say about yourself.

Referrals are the highest quality leads because they come pre warmed by someone who actually trusts you.

Like it's super valuable. But I know it feels awkward. This is usually one of my biggest barriers.

I feel awkward doing this. I know I need to do it and I push through it, but I still feel awkward doing it. We worry about rejection and you know, we don't want to air quote bother happy customers.

But here's the thing. Happy customers usually want to help you.

You just have to ask.

I mostly fill out the reviews for things I buy online because I know it's going to help someone else because I read the reviews too to make a decision.

Okay. Unsexy tactic number four,

Repurposing high performing content.

So you created a post six months ago that got tons of engagement. It got saves and had link clicks like lots.

Now most people move on to new content.

I want you to post it again.

You might want to rewrite it slightly, post it again,

turn it into an email, make it a carousel,

create a video version, whatever you want to do with it. But your best content deserves to be seen multiple times by your audience and definitely deserves to be seen by people who missed it the first time.

Not everyone saw it the first time.

Your audience has probably grown since then.

Good content doesn't expire.

So I don't know, I'm exhausted. Constantly creating new content,

even with AI, you know, it speeds up the process, but it's exhausting.

And repurposing your content is, is efficient.

And I know people feel resistant because, you know, it feels like cheating.

And you might worry that people will notice because you know you posted that at some point,

you might want to share something new, but honestly, your audience is not going to remember every single post. They won't notice.

And even if they do,

good content is worth seeing twice.

So repurpose Unsexy tactic number five, improving your sales process. I know that just sounds boring, right?

So if you have a standard sales process, whether it's like a discovery call, a sales page, a DM conversation, whatever, I want you to track your conversion rate.

And if 10 people book calls and three buy, that's 30%.

Can you get it to 40% by improving how you handle objections?

Or maybe by adding social proof or by clarifying your offer?

So make small tweaks,

test it again,

measure it again.

You can improve things incrementally.

Only change one thing at a time because otherwise you don't know what you know made the difference.

But it works. Because even a 10% improvement in conversion rate means 10% more revenue with the same effort.

And it's going to compound year over year.

So small improvements create massive results.

And most people don't do it because it's boring.

It requires tracking data, and it's way more exciting to focus on getting more leads than it is to convert existing ones.

But doubling your traffic is hard.

Improving your conversion by 20% is achievable and has the same effect.

So you know you choose unsexy tactic number six,

consistent posting on one platform.

And I'm not talking about daily viral content.

I'm not talking about jumping on every trend.

Just showing up two to three times per week on one platform with valuable, helpful content.

I know it's unsexy, right?

But here's what you need to do. Choose your platform,

create a simple content rhythm and stick to it for six to 12 months.

No fancy graphics needed, no complicated strategies, just regular,

valuable content.

Consistency builds trust and it builds recognition.

And then people start to associate you with your topic.

And funnily enough, algorithms actually favor consistent accounts.

You're going to get better reach when you keep showing up regularly.

I know it's super boring.

People don't want to do it because, you know, half of the time it feels like it's not working because results are actually gradual and you might be tempted to switch platforms,

but then you're going to miss out.

So get known on one platform because if you keep switching, you're just going to be invisible on all of them. So just one.

So if you're going to embrace unsexy marketing,

you need to stop wasting time on sexy but ineffective tactics.

You need to stop Chasing every new platform.

So remember when Threads launched,

everyone's like panicking about like, you know, being early.

Six months later it's pretty dead.

So master one platform before adding another.

Also, stop creating elaborate funnels. You don't need a 17 step funnel with Tripwise and downsell and order bumps when you're like making 50k a year.

Just start with a simple funnel, like a lead magnet, an email sequence and offer that's doesn't need to be hard.

Stop obsessing over viral content.

Trying to engineer virality takes time and it rarely works.

And when it does, it often attracts the wrong audience.

So instead create valuable content,

do it consistently and make sure that it serves your ideal customer.

Also, stop jumping on every trend. I'm definitely not a trend jumper. I can't be bothered,

honestly. Don't worry about the latest Instagram feature or the newest AI tool or the hottest marketing tactic.

You can't do it all.

Just start by picking proven tactics and do them well. And don't pick too many.

Also,

stop building before you have buyers creating an entire course before you've sold it.

There's no need to.

Don't build a complicated membership before you have members.

Honestly,

sell it,

then build it.

Or build the minimum version and improve based on feedback.

Like with my membership, I had the first module ready released before I actually opened up the doors to my membership.

And then I started adding more lessons and more modules.

But nobody's going to work that fast through, you know, 12 months of modules, so. So I didn't have to have everything ready when I launched.

All right,

here's the hard truth about unsexy marketing Results take time.

When you start doing this,

for the first few weeks, you'll feel like nothing is happening. Your email list is going to grow really slowly. Your engagement is, you know, very modest. There's no sales spikes and.

And you're probably going to be tempted to quit and try something sexier.

Then over the next few months, you start seeing some small results. You get more email subscribers.

Someone mentions, you know, that they've been enjoying your emails.

You might be getting an inquiry from someone who's been following for a while. Still, nothing dramatic, nothing too impressive.

Then after, you know, about four to six months,

things are starting to compound. Your email list is getting bigger.

People tell you that they're looking forward to your weekly email.

You close a sale from someone who's been on your list for months,

and then the Next, you know, seven to 12 months,

your compounding accelerates and your list is like three times the size it was. You're getting multiple sales every month from your email. You might be getting some referrals.

People start seeking you out because you know they've been following your content.

Then, in your second year,

you have a reliable, predictable revenue from your marketing. Your email list is your most valuable asset.

You're known in your space.

Sales conversations are easier because people already trust you.

This timeline requires patience.

Sexy marketing promises results in in weeks.

But unsexy marketing delivers results that last.

So finally, let's talk about the mindset shift required to embrace unsexy marketing.

Firstly, you need to accept that no one will be impressed when someone asks what marketing you're doing and you say, I email my list weekly and I follow up with leads.

I know that doesn't sound exciting,

but your bank account will be more impressed than any dinner party guest.

Secondly, you need to embrace the compound effect.

Small boring actions done consistently create extraordinary results over time.

Trust the process even when individual actions feel insignificant.

Also, stop looking for shortcuts. There aren't any.

Sustainable revenue comes from sustainable activities.

Unsexy marketing is the long game and the long game wins.

Also,

find satisfaction in systems and not in tactics. I know boring systems.

Get excited about building a marketing system that actually works while you sleep and not about, you know, executing one clever campaign.

And remember why you're doing this. You're building a business.

You're not trying to be a marketing influencer. At least I don't think you are.

Your goal is revenue and impact,

not impressive marketing stories. We'll leave that up for the, you know, fancy agencies.

So boring.

Basic repetitive marketing activities done consistently will outperform sexy, innovative tactics every single time. And you already know how to do all of this.

You just need to actually do it.

So here's your step. Pick one unsexy marketing tactic from today's episode and commit to doing it consistently for the next 90 days. Just one.

Maybe it's weekly emails, maybe it's following up with leads. Maybe it's asking for referrals. Pick one and execute.

And if you want support, actually implementing unsexy marketing activities with templates, accountability and a community doing the same, you know, boring but effective work.

That's exactly what we do in the Marketing Momentum membership.

I will pop the link in the show notes so you can have a look at what we do, what we stand for, and all the things you can get on board with.

Now, if this episode gave you permission to stop chasing shiny objects and focus on what actually works, we would you please leave me a review and send me a screenshot of it.

If you send me a screenshot of your review, I will send you my Marketing Momentum playbook for free.

Just send your screenshot to helloiancamckenzie.com or DM me on Instagram biancamackenzie and I'll send you that playbook.

Now remember, sexy marketing is a lottery ticket.

Unsexy marketing is a paycheck.

Build your business on paychecks.

Thank you so so much for tuning in to the new school of marketing podcasts. Remember, the most profitable marketing is usually the most boring and just embrace it.

I'm Bianca McKenzie and I'll catch you next week. Until then, keep making marketing work for.