This blog post is adapted from a talk that I delivered for The South Yorkshire Health & Fitness Network on 20 June 2024.
My name is Will Hitchmough, I run a business called Wildcat Digital and we do digital marketing for businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK. Last year we won an award.
That was a rubbish intro wasn’t it. I made it rubbish on purpose.
It was rubbish because all I talked about was myself, and no matter how much you tried to pay attention, you don’t care what I do – a skinny computer nerd from Sheffield with long hair who sits at a desk all day. You certainly don’t want me to tell you how to run your business.
And this is where so many businesses go wrong with their marketing messaging and personal branding.
That’s what I want to talk to you about today.
I could wax lyrical about the values of website speed or the core fundamentals of search engine optimisation, but what I’m about to tell you about is more likely to help you gain your next three clients.
Important Note: I didn’t create this philosophy. It was adapted from a famous marketing book called Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. You can read this book at some point and it will be well worth your time. But unfortunately, our event organisers couldn’t afford Donald’s appearance fee so you’ve got me instead.
So if we jump back to the start now. Not to the start of this talk, but to the start of our lives…
We’ve all probably got a favourite film that we enjoyed growing up. It’s likely that the reason we liked that film was because it followed a very simple formula that many films follow.
It’s this same formula that you can apply to your marketing messaging to speak more directly to your target audience.
Now the example that I’m going to use is Lord of the Rings. The reason I’m using Lord of the Rings is because if you haven’t seen it yet, you’re probably not going to mind me spoiling the ending for you.
Lord of the Rings has a hero, that central character in the story, Frodo Baggins.
Our hero has a problem. He inherits a ring that has the potential to end the world.
To help him solve his problem, he enlists the help of a guide who knows what he’s doing in these matters. Gandalf is a 55,000 year old Wizard who’s been around the block a bit.
Being a reliable guide, Gandalf provides Frodo with a plan to head to Mordor and destroy the ring, and in doing so saving the world.
Now Frodo is low on confidence and he’s only 3 feet tall, so Gandalf assembles a team of misfits to help him. This is his Call to Action.
Three films follow. Frodo reaches Mordor, destroys the ring and they all live happily ever after. The Success.
However, throughout the film we’re made abundantly aware of an alternative failure that exists if he doesn’t meet his goal. Death, peril and the end of Middle Earth as we know it, reiterated through 10 hours of cinema.
A hero. A problem. A guide who knows what he’s doing. A plan. A call to action. The success. The potential failure.
Now for you to truly engage your potential customers in your website content, in your social media posts and in the way you speak to them on a daily basis, I’m going to recommend you follow this same formula. No one wants to know how much you lifted in the gym this week or what qualifications you have, they want to know how you’re going to help them.
So back in the room, now we’ve dissected 100 years of Hollywood script writing…
You all have a hero ready to go in your marketing messaging don’t you. Who do you think the hero in your marketing messaging should be???
Of course, it’s your client!
Now, I appreciate you probably thought you should be the hero in your story, but no. You’re the guide. You’re the 55,000 year old wizard who can solve your clients’ problems.
What I want you to do at this stage is imagine a client of yours. A typical client.
Could it be that they’re a good runner? Could it be that they work long hours? Could it be that they have kids?
The Hero: What I want you to do is write down on a piece of paper, what makes your client a hero in their world?
Now we have your hero, I want you to summarise what this client’s problem is. Why did they reach out to you in the first place?
Maybe they’ve got a holiday coming up and they need to lose a few pounds. Maybe they’ve got an injury and it’s stopping them running. Maybe they want to win a competition, but they don’t have the expertise to help them train correctly.
The Problem: Summarise your client’s problem on the piece of paper… Why did they reach out to you in the first place?
Now we need to think about what makes you the wizard that can solve their problem. Is it your qualifications? Is it your specialism? Maybe you’ve worked with 100s of clients before with exactly the same problem.
This is the part where you get to big yourself up.
Why are you the guide?: Summarise on your piece of paper, what makes you the knowledgeable guide they’re looking for?
Now for the plan, thinking of that client and their particular problem, how would you help them solve that problem. Now this can be as detailed as you think it needs to be, but for the purpose of this exercise, try to summarise it in one or two sentences.
Your Plan: What’s your plan for them? Write this down on your piece of paper.
Now for the call to action. What is the first step that your client needs to take in order to work with you?
Do they need to book a free consultation? Do they need to visit a taster session? Do they simply need to pick up the phone?
The Call To Action: Write down on your piece of paper what that first step is for your business.
Once you’ve done that I want you to summarise what the outcome is if they work with you and stick to it.
Is it the body of their dreams? Is it being injury free and enjoying their sport again? Is it achieving a PB?
And summarise what happens if they fail… Low self esteem? Lack of organisation in the gym? Does their injury get worse?
The success and failure: Summarise what the positive outcome is and what the alternative failure will be if they don’t work with you.
So now you have: a hero, a problem, a guide who knows what they’re talking about, a plan, a call to action, an Outcome and an alternative if it fails.
What you have on the sheet of paper in front of you is the blueprint to how you can talk to clients just like the one you had in mind. You can tailor this message to see what might perform best and of course you can follow the framework for clients’ with slightly different problems, but this will help you connect with your clients on a personal level no matter which platform you’re using.
It could be your website, your social media or it could be how you communicate on your sales call or consultation.
So if we look at how this can work in reality, let’s go back to that rubbish introduction that I did at the start. How much better would it have been if I’d have said…
You’re all successful, well trained and knowledgeable fitness health professionals who can help anyone lose weight, get fit and get healthy…. You really are heroes.
The problem is, you need more clients so that you can make more money, but many of you struggle with confidence when it comes to communicating with potential clients on social media or your website….
Well that’s where I come in. Let me be your guide… I’m a marketing wizard called Will and we currently work with over 60 businesses just like yours helping them get more leads…
The plan today is that in the next 10 minutes I’m going to talk you through an easy framework that will help you create killer social media posts and content. It will even help you with networking events like this one.
All you have to do is listen and engage.
By the end of this talk you’ll no longer suffer from writer’s block with your marketing and you’ll be able to craft your message so your clients know exactly how you can help them.
Or… You can carry on creating dull posts that no one likes, and that fail to generate you any leads or interest.
I hope that sounded more exciting and I hope you enjoyed my talk.
Just quickly, if you scan the QR code on your exercise sheet or on the screen, this will take you to a transcript of this talk and BONUS PRIZE, there’s a video on there showing you how you can turn your scribbles into your next social media post using AI.
I don’t normally recommend using AI to create social media posts or web copy, because it tends to be dull and generic, but with this framework it will be unique to you.
Watch this video to see how you can turn what you’ve learnt today into an unique social media post that speaks to your target customer.
Managing Director
Founder
Our founder, Will Hitchmough, worked at a number of high profile Sheffield Digital Agencies before founding Wildcat Digital in 2018. He brings an extensive knowledge of all things related to SEO, PPC and Paid Social, as well as an expert knowledge of digital strategy.
Digital Marketing can be a minefield for many businesses, with many agencies ready to take your money without knowing how to deliver results. I founded Wildcat Digital to deliver digital success to businesses with smaller budgets in a transparent way.
Content Strategist Team Lead
With a degree in Marketing and a background in more traditional, offline marketing, Chloe joined Wildcat in 2021 after deciding to move into the digital marketing industry. She joined us as a Content Specialist and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a Content Strategist and later an SEO Team Leader.
Outside of work, Chloe is an avid creative. If she’s not knitting, you’ll likely find her behind a sewing machine or in the kitchen trying (and often failing!) to make sourdough.
SEO Account Director
Paul has a strong background in SEO, having previously founded and ran a successful eCommerce business, as well as running a personal blog that achieves an average of 17K users per month. Paul’s knowledge of SEO is extensive, with a strong emphasis on client handling and technical SEO.
Outside of work, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and staying active with weight lifting and combat sports.
Head of Operations
Nadea joined Wildcat in 2021 and has since overhauled the way we work. She has a background in various administrative, operations and HR roles, which gave her the experience and skills needed to lead and organise a growing business.
Outside of work, Nadea loves anything that keeps her active, but she especially enjoys hiking, camping and mountain biking.
SEO Account Manager
With a background in sales, Molly is a natural Account Manager, brilliantly handling any issues that come her way. Having joined us as a Digital Marketing Executive, and working part-time through her final year of University, Molly is a shining example of how hard work pays off. She is now an SEO Account Manager with a particular interest in Content and Client Management.
In her spare time, Molly loves to get out in nature, hiking and exploring the Peak District. She also loves cooking and likes to unwind with a bit of yoga.
Senior PPC Account Manager
Libby joined Wildcat in 2021 as our first PPC hire. With a degree in Digital Media Production, a Master’s in Digital Media Management and previous experience in Social Media Management, Libby hit the ground running and has since climbed the ranks to Senior PPC Account Manager and has a particular interest in the eCommerce sector.
Outside of work, Libby likes gaming, and cooking and likes to keep active by lifting weights.
SEO Account Manager
Jasmine joined Wildcat in 2022 with a strong background in SEO and Account Management. At the time, she was finishing up a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has since worked her way up to SEO Account Manager. Jasmine excels at content writing and promotion, and particularly enjoys finding creative ways to join the dots on multi-channel campaigns.
In her spare time, Jasmine volunteers at a charity, helping combat loneliness & social isolation experienced by older neighbours. Outside of Wildcat, she owns a catering company, Savery Grazing, creating delicious grazing tables & platters for a range of events. She also loves skiing and exploring the Peak District.
Senior PPC Executive
Prior to joining Wildcat, Braden founded and ran his own Social Media Management agency where he gained valuable skills in growing brands’ online presence, which has since proven invaluable in his role at Wildcat.
Outside of work, Braden is a big football fan, regularly travelling to Pride Park to support Derby County. He also enjoys watching and playing snooker, hiking in the Peak District, and attending air and car shows.
Senior SEO Executive
After spending ten years managing businesses, restaurants, cafes and event spaces across Sheffield, Jon decided to change careers and joined Wildcat as an SEO Executive in 2022. He especially enjoys the client management side of the job, helping them to understand digital marketing and ways in which they can build their business’s presence online.
Outside of work, Jon likes to keep fit with running, badminton and football, and also loves music.
SEO Executive
Rachel joined us as a graduate, having recently graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in English Literature. Since joining, Rachel has proven herself to be a Content Queen, and particularly enjoys getting stuck into projects that allow her to explore her creative side.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including rugby, singing, reading, and spending time with her family and three labradors.
PPC Team Leader
Carl joined Wildcat in 2023 with a wealth of experience in PPC. He has experience working with a wide range of clients, industries and budgets, from small local businesses all the way to international e-commerce businesses. Carl has a particular interest in strategic planning and forecasting. He is passionate about data analysis and creating sustainable long-term cross-channel strategies.
In his spare time, Carl enjoys keeping fit by lifting weights, bouldering and running. He’s also a keen musician, having played the double bass and bass guitar for 20 years.
Team Lead & Technical SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Computer Science and SEO experience dating back to 2017, Dariusz has a wide range of SEO skills and knowledge. His specialist knowledge of Technical SEO has firmly landed him the title of Wildcat’s Technical Wizard, and he has recently taken on the responsibility of Team Leader for the Panthers Team.
In his spare time, Dariusz loves hiking, experimenting and trying new coffees and loves learning new things. He is currently learning more about CRO and AI and how this could benefit our clients.
SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Film and TV production, and a varied career history, Jamie made the move to marketing with a Masters degree in Digital Media Management. He has since worked in SEO at Agencies across Sheffield, before joining Wildcat and working his way up to SEO Account Manager. Jamie has a particular interest in backlinks and Digital PR and has recently gained a client a valuable backlink from Forbes!
In his spare time, Jamie is an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants and cuisines. He also loves to travel and spent a year travelling to Australia after university.
SEO Executive
Andy joined Wildcat in 2023 after starting his digital marketing career in-house for a local Sheffield company. Since joining, he has developed a strong interest in Technical SEO and has strong skills in Account Management.
Outside of work, Andy loves music and plays in a couple of bands. He also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, photography and good food.
Client Success Coordinator
Siena joined us in 2023 with a background in sales and digital marketing. She leads on client relationships across the company, ensuring that our customers are happy throughout their journey with us, from their initial consultation through to onboarding and beyond.
Outside of work, Siena enjoys travelling and getting stuck into the local culture. She likes to make the most of her experiences and particularly enjoys watching sunrises and sunsets from beautiful locations around the world.
Senior SEO Executive
Thea has a wealth of experience in SEO, having previously worked for other Digital Marketing Agencies in Sheffield. She has a particular interest and skills in Technical SEO, but is more than willing to get stuck in and give anything a go.
Outside of work, Thea spends most of her time with her children, but also loves reading, photography and gardening.
PPC Executive
Before joining Wildcat, Tom worked across different industries, building skills in sales and customer service. He later developed a passion for digital marketing whilst working on personal marketing projects and freelance ventures, and gained numerous certifications in PPC and Social Media.
Outside of work, Tom enjoys staying active by going to the gym and hiking. He also loves travelling and motorbiking.
Head of Growth
Rich joined us in May 2024 to head up our growth team. With years of experience helping other agencies to grow, Rich joins us at an exciting time as Wildcat is working on a five-year plan to become one of the biggest agencies in the UK.
Outside of work, Rich is a father to three children, which keeps him very busy! He’s also recently started running again to keep fit and loves a bit of DIY.
SEO Executive
Kezia joined us in July 2024 after completing a CIM Certificate in Digital Marketing and gaining experience in Content SEO at another Sheffield agency.
In her spare time, Kezia loves to get outdoors, bouldering, hiking and travelling.
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