When Melissa Maker started her Toronto-based, upscale cleaning service, Clean My Space, in 2006, little did she know that a few years down the line, she’d be the leading purveyor of online content in the cleaning niche – and making a bucket load of cash from it to boot! A woman after my own heart, Melissa understands the incredible power that content marketing (AKA helpful marketing) can have for businesses large and small. And if you’re a sceptic, I really hope that by listening to this week’s episode, you’ll be inspired to create your own Youtube Channel, blog series or podcast and start becoming the most helpful person in your industry. Somebody has to be ;0)
In my chat with Melissa, she provides heaps and heaps of powerful marketing learnings that I know we can all learn from. Most importantly, she’s somebody who tried and tried again and never gave up when her video content didn’t see the kind of views she wanted – and that perseverance has paid off massively. Like my guests keep saying on the show, success in business is all about taking ACTION.
Press play and get stuck into Episode 197 of Australia’s #1 marketing podcast. Go!
In this session of Small Business Big Marketing, you’ll discover:
- How Melissa Maker diversified her cleaning business and now makes money as a spokesperson and with online content.
- Why there is content marketing to be created in absolutely every niche – no matter how dry or boring you think your business niche might be.
- How entertaining people and making people smile can have a direct impact on your bottom line.
- Why creating content requires determination to see results – but it’s totally worth it in the end.
- The power of letting somebody into your world and creating something that feels authentic with video content.
- How re-purposing your older content across your website and social channels can boost your marketing power.
- How to get people to find you organically via Google search – optimise your content, folks.
- Why engaging in conversations with your audience and consumers is so important in content marketing.
- How Melissa went from 1000 Youtube subscribers after a year of hard graft to landing major appearances on the Today Show.
- Melissa’s favourite room to clean in her house…
Episode Timeline
- 4.00 I offer one listener a few tips with their video marketing strategy.
- 6.30 Remember to send Netregistry your online marketing questions and they’ll sort you out.
- 11.00 Introducing Melissa Maker, the founder of Clean My Space who reveals that she doesn’t like cleaning at all!
- 12.00 Melissa talks about the two sides of her business: the upscale cleaning service in Toronto, and the online content business.
- 16.45 Melissa tells me about the windows of opportunity that have opened to her since she started content marketing.
- 18.30 The power of creating multiple revenue streams and not putting all your eggs in one basket.
- 21.30 Melissa talks about the importance of a posting schedule for content marketers – people want a regular fix.
- 27.30 Continuing the conversation with your audience via social media replies.
- 30.00 Melissa introduces the 80% of her business you don’t see – her husband.
- 33.30 Melissa talks nerves in front of the camera but why you simply have to get over it.
- 39.30 The process of getting people to find your content organically, via Google Search.
- 42.30 Melissa talks about re-marketing old content, and using Facebook and Google + as channels to promote that content.
- 45.30 Melissa’s advice to anybody who wants to succeed in video content – be authentic and let your audience in.
- 49.45 Sort out your business’ small design fixes with Swiftly.
- 50.30 My top threee takeaways from my fireside chat with Melissa.
Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode
- Clean My Space cleaning business in Toronto
- Clean My Space online content
- Netregistry answers your marketing questions for free
- Swiftly.com – for small design jobs
- The Small Business Big Marketing online community
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Over to you!
Let us know YOUR key takeaways from this episode by leaving a comment below. I personally read and respond to every comment!
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28 thoughts on “197 – How creating helpful marketing can change your life, with Melissa Maker from Clean My Space”
OMG!!! I may be a little bias, but this may be the best episode yet!!! So much GOLD! It gave me a great idea for a video series foe my painting business. I’ll be sharing in the forum.
This is a great example of punching WELL above your marketing weight. Thank you Melissa for sharing.
Totally agree with you, Nick. And go ahead and be as biased as you like – you did introduce me to Melissa. What a great find. Who would of thought marketing could have such an impact on a business and someone’s life as well?!
I am inspired. Great episode Timbo. We have been creating a weekly highlight vodcast, and it has been more about us and what happened the week past. We keep forgetting to make it about the listener.
This weeks task: to bring back the helpful videos
Thanks VP. Yep, write it on the wall(s) … it’s all about THEM. Our customers. We should never forget that. Looking forward to seeing those helpful videos. Go!
One important point that is made is the need to be both persistent and consistent. How many times have we done some marketing and had reasonable results, but never done it again. The secret to effective marketing is to have your message in front of the potential client when they are ready to buy or, to have your message “in their brain” so that it is there when they are ready. It usually only the major corporations that can afford to run TV ads just for the brand recognition.
You must do it regularly to be recognised as a solution to their problem when they need it. This is discussed further here: http://bignotemarketing.com.au/sales/continuous-marketing-the-rule-of-seven/
Don’t spend all your marketing budget on a one hit campaign. You are better off contacting 1000 people 5 times than contacting 5000 people once. This the real value in email marketing and having a blog, as regular contact is so cost effective.
Graham Apolony
Big Note Marketing
Hey Timbo,
Thanks once again for providing another bloody brilliant episode, she was awesome!
One of the big pickups that I got from that, of which I had never heard before in relation to marketing was to end with a question for the audience. This way they would respond back with answers and then you could in turn reply back to them of which would keep the conversation going. I remember doing this sort of thing back before I was married when you would go these first dates and so that you weren’t talking about yourself the whole night you would always finish whatever you were saying to them with a question about them.
After listening to the episode I went to her YouTube channel and watched her do this at the end (which by the way wasn’t hard to watch as she is pretty easy on eye) and she does the whole question thing really good. I’m not too sure if it will work in my industry but hey can’t hurt trying.
The question I have got, and I have been to both of her websites is how is she monetizing the whole video side of it. I understand she has got a cleaning business and it is based in Toronto but even as you reference she hasn’t got that listed anywhere on here YouTube channel or her own website. Yes on the businesses website it has her YouTube channel referenced, so if you go there first then I can see that the idea is that she is showing you that she is an authority in the market place. But what about if you first see her on Youtube or her own website, how does she then make money from you.
Is she may be trying to do similar to yourself and become and authority and then once she makes a name for herself she can then go out on the talking circuit?
I don’t know did I miss something, not that I don’t like what she is doing, I think she is fabulous but I am just trying to see if I have missed a learning in there somewhere, what do you think Timbo?
Regards
Ben
Ps, see I can implement what I learn, see what I did at the end there, finish with a question 🙂
Totally agree, Graham. This type of marketing is a marathon not a sprint. Don’t expect quick results, but expect amazing results if you really lean in and commit to it for the long haul.
Tim this episode ranks as one of my all time favourites. Melissa was so articulate in her detailing of her content marketing strategy. Her tips reinforced the importance of consistency and the power in knowing your editorial mission. Thanks as always Tim for this marketing GOLD! Brad (POGO Physio)
Loved listening to the podcast.
Developing multiple income streams while establishing your brand with content marketing is an interesting perspective. Great to see examples of small businesses being able to do this.
excellent episode. Have been listening to this podcast for a year, and just joined the forum because of the high quality of these podcasts. Tim seems to always ask the question that I’m thinking as I’m listening to the interviewees. I like how he asks speakers to clarify their “general” responses, to dig down and get the specifics. One thing I was wondering about Melissa’s videos is what she would suggest about editing. I have just a few 2 minute talk to camera clips and am planning on doing more of them to add to my youtube channel, and I dont know what the most essential editing bits would be. Just a logo/website slide at the end? Put a call to action in there? I notice Melissa does a “email Melissa’ bit, and wondering if that’s the way to go….
Hi Timbo, Ben,
Thanks for the kind words!
I just was featured in an article here, I explain the monetization somewhat so you can check that out: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/day-to-day/its-not-about-following-your-passion-for-these-entrepreneurs/article19886803/.
But briefly, YouTube content creators do make money once their content starts to do well – we receive a portion of advertising revenue earned by YouTube on any content we have live on the platform (I cannot disclose how much the split is). Moreover, there are sponsorship and spokesperson work that comes around too. It’s a very viable business!
I hope that helps,
Melissa
That’s a great point, Graham! Regular, predictable content is THE secret to a successful marketing plan for this kind of work.
Totally – put your listener first, always think of them and what gets them going and you’ll be just fine!
Nick, it was a pleasure meeting you (virtually) and thank you so much for putting my name forward. I am so pleased you enjoyed the podcast!
So, this is a great question! Think about what is MOST important to you and make that your call to action. Do you want more subscribers? Ask for that. Do you want them to join your email list? Ask them to use the bitly link in the description box to do it. Be clear and consistent with your CTA. When filming, be mindful about rambling. People want to juicy stuff, and even though you might be funny, witty, smart or experienced in other areas, your audience want your knowledge in this area specifically so give them exactly that! I hope that helps :).
Wow, thanks Brad!
I am so happy that you found it helpful and useful, I hope you are able to find ways to weave my info into your business too!
Hi Melissa,
Thanks heaps for replying to my message, I really appreciate that.
And yes that does make a lot more sense now, and silly me I should have known that as I now remember hearing that last year about another guy on YouTube who was also getting a percentage of the revenue from them.
It’s actually a pretty cleaver idea really and just shows how many different ways there are out there at the moment to succeed as long as your willing to put in the effort and master your trade.
Good on you for seeing the opportunity and then running with it, I wish you all the very best for the future and look forward to watching what path you will take next.
Hey Timbo,
Loved this podcast. Such a powerful message on the ever evolving marketing landscape. Video is becoming such a fantastic medium to connect with new clients on a more personal level. This podcast has really inspired me to go out and start producing some “Helpful” video content.
Thank you
I loved listening to how this journey evolved. Being prolific rather than perfect and just continuing to do what she does. And now 175,000 subscribers on YouTube! You gotta love that.
And the constant reminder to not watch the scoreboard and just keep creating the content. It motivated me to get that next blog out this morning. Thanks Timbo.
Good on you, Geoff. Production, not perfection. That’s what its all about. Once mastered, you can then move on to being perfect ;0)
Karl, someone has to be the most helpful in your industry. It may as well be you ;0)
Thanks for your insights in to my show, Kirrilie. I always put my self in the shoes of my listeners, so as I’m chatting to guests, I make sure that I ask (and exhaust) all the questions my listeners have. I don’t always succeed, but I do make a point to be curious and inquisitive.
Calls to action are so important. I’d go as far as saying that you should have one for every peice of marketing material you produce. It doesn’t need to be you asking for the sale – as Melissa says, it can be asking them to join your list, download a free report, book an appointment. But do know what you want someone to do having read your blog, listened to your podcast, visited your website etc.
Vinay, I agree. I love how it’s possible to build a business and establish one’s personal brand at the same time. mazing things happen when you do, as Melissa is proof of. Time to action!
I agree, Brad. I don’t always rank my episodes from best to worst, in fact hardly ever. There’s ideas in each if we look. That said, Melissa shared some gold. Non stop gold, in y opinion. In an easy to understand and implement way. For this reason, I rank this episode right up there. Right up there!
Ha Ha love it!, The first thing I did was go and look for her 1st videos. She was right, not perfect but it didn’t matter and her subscribers lover her.
Production, not perfection, Lee. Go!