Here’s an outline that can be transformed into a slide deck for teaching a workshop on “Calm Marketing for Creative Businesses.” This syllabus includes major topics, subtopics, and activities that would guide your presentation.
Workshop Title: Calm Marketing for Creative Businesses
How to market your business with authenticity, without stress, and without relying on social media.
I. Introduction to Calm Marketing (5-10 mins)
• Definition of calm marketing.
• The stress of hustle culture in creative businesses.
• What it means to market authentically.
• Transitioning from hustle to a calm and sustainable business model.
• Key learning objectives for the session.
II. The Creative Business Dilemma (10 mins)
• Why creatives often start businesses: passion over profit.
• Frustration with shallow hustle culture.
• Shifting focus: building a business that aligns with life and creativity.
• Personal story: Success without social media.
III. The Decline of Social Media Marketing (10 mins)
• The reality of social media today: overcrowded platforms and declining organic reach.
• Algorithm-driven content: the “fast food” content problem.
• The superficial nature of social media engagement.
• Downsides of social media: stress, time-suck, comparison, and burnout.
• Discussion: How has social media affected your creative business?
IV. The Mindset Shift: Quality Over Quantity (15 mins)
• Debunking the myth: More followers don’t equal more sales.
• Case Study: Small, engaged email lists vs. large, passive social media followings.
• Focusing on a smaller, engaged audience.
• Group Activity: Visualize your ideal client/customer.
• Who are they? What do they care about? How do they find you?
V. The Calm Marketing Framework (20 mins)
• Key pillars of calm marketing:
1. Substance over surface-level content.
2. Building real personal connections.
3. Focus on providing value to your audience.
• Creating content with substance: Long-term, searchable, evergreen.
• Understanding your audience and where to find them.
• Activity: Create a profile for your ideal client or customer.
VI. Business Infrastructure for Calm Marketing (15 mins)
• The importance of a website as the central hub of your business.
• Why your business cannot rely on social media.
• The role of SEO in discoverability.
• The power of email marketing:
• Why email? – Guaranteed visibility and personal connection.
• How to create a freebie or lead magnet to grow your list.
• Long-term benefits of email over social media.
• Case Study: How to build trust and value through email marketing.
VII. Content Creation for Discovery and Connection (20 mins)
• Effective content marketing: Original, high-value, and evergreen.
• Discovery Channels: Blogging, YouTube, Pinterest.
• Nurturing Channels: Email lists, newsletters, Patreon.
• How to reach new audiences through PR and collaborations.
• Guest posts, podcasts, speaking engagements as discovery tools.
• Group Activity: Identify your best discovery and nurture channels.
VIII. PR & Collaborations (15 mins)
• Leveraging other people’s audiences: How to get in front of the right people.
• Steps to building relationships with other creators and platforms.
• Developing a strategy for guest posts, podcasts, and interviews.
• Networking for creatives: Tips and strategies.
IX. Long-Term Strategy & Patience (10 mins)
• The importance of patience in business growth.
• Setting realistic goals: It might take 6 months to 2 years, but it will work.
• The snowball effect: Consistency leads to exponential growth.
• Case Study: How consistent content creation and email marketing builds a body of work.
• Activity: Develop your calm marketing strategy (using workbook).
X. Recap and Q&A (10-15 mins)
• Review key takeaways.
• Address any lingering questions or concerns.
• Encourage participants to complete their calm marketing plans with workbook support.
XI. Conclusion (5 mins)
• Final thoughts: You don’t need a huge audience to make a living.
• Call to action: Begin building your calm marketing infrastructure.
• Provide links to additional resources, including the companion workbook.
Key Slide Deck Sections:
1. Introduction to Calm Marketing
2. Social Media Reality Check
3. The Mindset Shift: Quality vs. Quantity
4. Calm Marketing Framework
5. Building a Business Infrastructure
6. Content Creation & Discovery Channels
7. PR & Collaboration Strategies
8. Long-Term Marketing Success
9. Workshop Wrap-up & Q&A
This structure should guide your slide creation and teaching, emphasizing a calm, strategic approach to marketing that avoids the frenzy of social media.
