May 19, 2025 • 23 mins
Have you been duped by marketing agencies in the past? Or maybe you're not sure if you have before. Our guest today is Amber Gaige, who shares with us The Four C’s to help avoid getting duped.
TODAY'S WIN-WIN:
Do not be discouraged, there are good marketers out there that can help you.
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
- Listen to Ellen Rohr's Podcast episode here: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/why-trouble-makers-make-good-entrepreneurs/
- You can visit our guest's website at:
- www.FarBeyondMarketing.com
- Get a copy of our guest's book: CLICK HERE.
- Attend our Franchise Sales Training Workshop:
- https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/franchisesalestraining/
- If you are ready to franchise your business or take it to the next level: CLICK HERE.
- Connect with our guest on social:
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/farbeyondmarketing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-gaige-55880826/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/coachambergaige
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/farbeyondmarketing/
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Amber is a third-generation entrepreneur and certified StoryBrand Guide with over 15 years of experience as a marketing strategist, working with industries such as Home Services, Construction, SaaS, Beauty, Health, Home Building, Manufacturing, Medical, and Family Businesses. She is passionate about demystifying marketing for entrepreneurs and helping small, service-based businesses build marketing and sales systems that consistently attract clients and create steady cash flow. As the creator of The Four C’s of Effective Marketing, a proven system that has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs nationwide, Amber combines effective strategies with mindset work to help business owners confidently achieve their goals while simplifying their lives. She is the author of the international best-selling book, The Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook, and is a sought-after speaker.
ABOUT BIG SKY FRANCHISE TEAM:
This episode is powered by Big Sky Franchise Team. If you are ready to talk about franchising your business you can schedule your free, no-obligation, franchise consultation online at: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/.
The information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any business decisions. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Big Sky Franchise Team, or our affiliates. Additionally, this podcast may feature sponsors or advertisers, but any mention of products or services does not constitute an endorsement. Please do your own research before making any purchasing or business decisions.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tom DuFore (00:01):
Welcome to the Multiply your Success podcast,
where each week, we helpgrowth-minded entrepreneurs and
franchise leaders take the nextstep in their expansion journey.
I'm your host, tom Dufour, ceoof Big Sky Franchise Team, and
as we open today, I'm wonderingif you have been duped by
marketing agencies, or maybe youthought you were duped or
(00:22):
weren't even quite sure if youwere.
Well, our guest today is AmberGage, and she shares with us the
four C's in marketing that sheuses to help avoid getting duped
.
Now I'm excited for Amber to beon the show for a bunch of
reasons, but largely becauseAmber and I have a lot of mutual
friends, in particular EllenRohr, who, if you've been a
(00:45):
longtime listener, ellen, was aguest on episode 20.
I'll link that in the shownotes here.
Ellen is just an amazing person.
She's one of my favorite peopleand she's fantastic.
She's a longtime client andsomeone I just think very highly
of, and Amber and I connectedtogether through Ellen.
We didn't even realize it, andAmber's background is she's a
(01:05):
third-generation entrepreneurand she's a certified story
brand guide with over 15 yearsof experience as a marketing
strategist, working withindustries such as home services
, construction software as aservice, beauty, health, home
building, manufacturing medicaland family businesses.
She's passionate aboutdemystifying marketing for
entrepreneurs and helping smallservice-based businesses build
(01:26):
marketing and sales systems thatconsistently attract clients
and create steady cash flow.
As the creator of the four C'sof effective marketing and a
proven system that has helpedhundreds of entrepreneurs
nationwide, amber combineseffective strategies with
mindset work to help businessowners confidently achieve their
goals while simplifying theirlives.
(01:47):
She's the author of theinternational bestselling book
the Far Beyond MarketingGuidebook and is a soft after
speaker.
Her book also is linked in ourshow notes.
You're going to love thisinterview, so let's go ahead and
jump right into it.
Amber Gaige (02:01):
Hey, tom.
Thanks so much for having metoday.
It's a blessing to be here.
My name is Amber Gage.
I am the founder of Far BeyondMarketing.
We are a white glove agency outof McKinney, texas, and I just
refer to myself as the chiefstrategic advisor.
I love helping companies growwith marketing, and kind of a
nerd when it comes to that, sothat's what I do.
Tom DuFore (02:23):
I love it.
Well, and really the big topicfor us to talk about today is
your book, titled very similarlyto your company name with the
Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook.
So I'd love for you just togive us a quick overview of the
Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook,and then let's talk about what
led you to want to write a book.
Amber Gaige (02:44):
And then let's talk about what led you to want to
write a book.
Yeah, so the Far BeyondMarketing Guidebook was a year
and a half labor of love andpain and everything else that
goes into writing a book.
It was born out of necessitybecause I found myself sounding
like a broken record.
Over and over again.
I was taking the same approachwith my clients when it came to
cleaning up, streamlining andoptimizing their marketing, and
(03:07):
I found, with over 20 years ofexperience in doing marketing
for franchisees and doing a lotof consulting for franchisors,
that there was a simple modelthat, when followed, we got more
out of the same level of spend.
And that's what the book is allabout.
It's about the four Cs ofeffective marketing how to stop
being duped by bad marketing.
Tom DuFore (03:29):
Well, I think that's a great segue point here,
because I think anyone who'sbeen in business long enough,
who's run their own marketingand gone through that has been
duped or felt like they've beenduped.
Maybe they weren't but therewas maybe a misunderstanding, a
lack of knowledge from the otherside.
I know I've been there whereI've been in that position.
(03:51):
Maybe talk through how the bookhelps avoid being quote, duped
or misled, maybe in a wrongdirection, and some of the
things you recommend there.
Amber Gaige (04:00):
Yeah, absolutely so .
I think a lot of times we asmarketers fall into the fatal
trap of assuming that ourclients are also marketers and
the bottom line is that they arenot and quite frankly, they
should not be.
But I do believe that everyentrepreneur should know enough
about marketing to be dangerousand to make well-informed
(04:22):
decisions.
So, unfortunately, when peopleget duped by bad marketing,
they're getting duped becausethey don't understand or are
placing blind faith and trust ina company who is making
recommendations, who are nottaking the time to really dig
into the operational goals andnuances of their client.
(04:45):
So the way that the book isstructured, it should be a
literal back pocket guidebookfor any busy entrepreneur to get
the 411, the down and dirty ofthe essentials of marketing.
There's even an appendix in theback that explains what the
abbreviations of SEO, roas andROI are, so that they can feel
empowered walking into anymeeting that they go into.
Hendix in the back thatexplains what the abbreviations
of SEO, roas and ROI are, sothat they can feel empowered
(05:06):
walking into any meeting thatthey go into so that they can
make well-informed decisions.
Tom DuFore (05:12):
That kind of just explaining the acronyms, right,
there's so much language andcontent and if you're not using
it every day, you might hear itas an owner here and there, but
do you really understand what itmeans?
I think that's a great littleresource.
And well, let's talk about thefour C's.
You mentioned the four C's.
Talk through that if you will.
Amber Gaige (05:30):
Yeah the four C's of effective marketing.
So the first C is copy, clearcopy.
We spend or we see rather somany businesses who are
passionate about investing money, thousands of dollars a month
in paid ads per se, but they'venever sat down with their team
(05:51):
and really clarified what theircompany message is.
What is their unique sellingposition?
What is their brand story?
We piecemeal togetherbusinesses.
I'm a third generationentrepreneur myself.
I know what it's like to juststart a business, wear all the
hats and then just grow, grow,grow, grow, grow by the
Frankenstein effect right.
(06:11):
But when you do that and youdon't take time to clarify your
message and understand who youare as a company, the problems
and services you solve for yourclients, then your marketing is
in fact confusing and it missesthe mark when you're trying to
talk to these essential clients,right.
So the first C of effectivemarketing is clear copy.
(06:35):
Know how to talk about yourbusiness in a way that people
will shut up and listen.
Tom DuFore (06:40):
When you think about creating that clear copy.
What does that look like?
Amber Gaige (06:44):
So I take my clients through the StoryBrand
seven-part framework created byDonald Miller.
There's only a few hundred ofus in the world that are
certified to do this.
It's a great framework.
It's a wonderful book that Donwrote, and I find that if you
spend just 90 minutes with aclient in the room, or even
virtually, that you're able toget everyone on the same page
(07:05):
with their calls to action,their unique selling position,
their brand story, theirelevator pitch.
And if we take the time to dothat, then that messaging
informs all the creativecollateral that we might create
afterwards.
Tom DuFore (07:19):
Love it.
Well, we talked about clarity.
What's the next C on the list,or getting clear?
Amber Gaige (07:23):
for clear copy, I should say yeah, the next C on
the list is consistent branding.
Isn't it so tempting, tom, tojust put something on the side
of a truck or slap another fonttogether or test another ad that
has nothing to do with whatyou've done previously?
Consistent branding is key.
If you confuse your clients,you're going to lose them.
So making sure that, whetheryou are at the ballpark with
(07:46):
your kids sponsoring the littleleague team, or whether you're
networking at a chamber event,or whether you're at a workshop
or a trade show, your brandingis crisp and clean and
consistent and that you areputting it out there
consistently wherever you are.
Marketing has no silver bullet.
It's a frequency overreach andit's a numbers game.
(08:08):
So making sure that yourbranding is cohesive, making
sure that you are consistentlyputting it out there so that
people can find you and thenknow who you are, what you do,
what problems you solve.
Man, you would be surprised athow quickly that solves a lot of
problems for people.
Tom DuFore (08:25):
Definitely one of the things I've seen, and even
working with our own clients andeven as an owner and an
entrepreneur myself theconsistency.
It's one thing to get it set up, get clear, but then to be
consistent with that brandingand the messaging in all facets.
Even I think of somethingsimple like just a business card
.
You mentioned the decals on atruck and then your business
(08:46):
card and other little thingsthat are easy to say oh well,
we've had this business card andI don't wanna change.
Vehicles have been lettered andlogoed and decaled and well,
it's fine the way it is, butwhat you're saying is that's
wrong, it's not.
Amber Gaige (09:02):
No, no.
You need to make sure that it'sconsistent all the way through.
The human brain lovesconsistency, patterns and
clarity, and if you confuse, youlose.
Tom DuFore (09:13):
Well, let's talk about the third C on your list
here.
Amber Gaige (09:16):
The third C is customer demographic.
How tempting is it to makeeverybody your client In the
beginning, especially for smallbusinesses?
They are grasping at straws.
They just want to sellsomething.
Whatever it is right.
If you need it, we'll do it,but the bottom line is that as a
company scales, the more nichedown a company is, the more
(09:41):
perceived they are as theexperts in their industry and
the more that they can charge.
So again, don't commit thecardinal sin of throwing your
marketing out there withoutknowing who your target customer
is.
And this goes beyond male,female, household income,
household value, brand awareness, although these are great
(10:02):
things that I find many clientsdon't even know.
You need to think about thepsychographics of your target
customer.
Why are they buying from you?
What are their motivatingfactors for doing business for
you or with you?
Honestly, tom, it's so easy toget a snap study of a customer
demographic.
All we need is a database witha minimum of 50 records.
(10:22):
We can show you exactly whothey are, whether they're eating
at Olive Garden or Chick-fil-A.
Tom DuFore (10:26):
Fantastic.
And what have you found whenyou go through this exercise
with some of your clients whereI would imagine I'm just curious
I'm thinking off the top of myhead here but you meet with a
client and they think theyunderstand or know who their
customer is.
They describe this customer orpotential buyer or know who
their customer is.
They describe this customer orpotential buyer and then you run
(10:47):
your analysis on this and youcome back and it's different
from what the leadership orowners think.
So I just like, maybe just foran anecdotal example here, just
to hear a story or two aboutsomething like that.
Amber Gaige (10:57):
Yeah, it happens so frequently, Tom.
So what we find is there is aperceived assumption about who
the target audience is, and thenwe request that our client will
run a database analysis,cross-referenced with their top
revenue generating line items,right?
What is it?
And when we see exactly whatline items are being used to
(11:21):
support the growth of thebusiness, there's usually an aha
moment, because the bottom lineis, your target customer is the
one that's buying from you andbuying the most from you, and
it's not always who you think itis.
Just because you want to beperceived in your marketplace
with a great call to action orproduct or service that you, as
(11:42):
the owner, are passionate about,it doesn't mean it's actually
made a dent in the market, right?
So, understanding who yourbuyer is, what they're buying,
why they're buying, and thenwhat we find, tom, is that the
call to actions that are beingused in the marketing currently
really need to be adjusted tobecome much more appealing to
(12:04):
the people who are actuallymaking the buying decisions,
because they may not care aboutdonuts if they're buying donut
holes, right?
So we got to adjust these callsto action to appeal to the
people that are actuallycreating the revenue.
Tom DuFore (12:18):
That makes so much sense and I'm thinking about.
Sometimes I've seen this happenwith either a marketing agency
that is not going through aprogram like yours or owners
that get kind of this shinyobject syndrome where they start
chasing this new idea or thisnew thing that they want to go
(12:38):
after, when the new thing isjust a new, fun and interesting
thing for the owner but it's notactually what's producing or
driving results into theorganization.
So how do you work with anowner that comes in or maybe the
owner had worked with an agencypreviously that was kind of
chasing after some of thesedreams or visions how do you
(12:58):
kind of help rein it in andbring them back?
Amber Gaige (13:01):
Yeah, I think you know I'm famous among my team
for saying swim lanes, swimlanes.
People like let's keep itbetween the lanes.
So I try to encourage mybeloved clients that a great new
idea is wonderful, it's a greatnew idea, but let's put
parameters around it.
Let's assign our own budget,let's create a test campaign,
(13:23):
let's segment it out so that wecan thoroughly A-B test it and
see what the hard data saysabout this wonderful idea.
An owner is by nature an expertin their field and we should
never diminish that.
They have become successful inand of themselves by their own
(13:43):
blood, sweat and tears.
That should be acknowledged andit should be buoyed.
But let's not let the passionand the drive cloud the judgment
at the behest of the successfulbusiness that they already have
.
Great ideas are great, but wedon't throw the baby out with
the bathwater, as we say in theSouth.
Tom DuFore (14:02):
Thank you for sharing that.
That was really good.
This final C let's have aconversation about that.
Amber Gaige (14:08):
The final C is channel management, and I do use
this term loosely becausechannel management is in itself
its own due process and looksvery different based on the
industry that a business may bein.
But what I mean by channelmanagement is the rinse and
repeat cycle of upselling to anexisting client.
We know that it is so much moreexpensive to sell and obtain a
(14:32):
new client versus upselling andcontinuously serving an existing
client.
If you are sinking marketingdollars into your business and
you got a turn them and burnthem attitude, you're going to
have a turn them and burn themkind of culture, and what we
know is that brands that sustainare brands that upsell.
(14:52):
So what is the internaloperational process that can get
married with marketing so thatyour marketing works in the
background and all you have todo is rinse and repeat?
Maybe it's a membership program, maybe it's an A-B test, maybe
it's switching out the call toaction on an existing campaign
while your branding is stayingconsistent.
Maybe it's a seasonal offer,but we need to put thought,
(15:14):
energy and effort intometiculously and passionately
and continuously serving thoseexisting clients.
Tom DuFore (15:22):
How do you work with your clients in helping them
serve their customers or maybeidentifying different ways?
I'm thinking of, for example,maybe a restaurant that comes in
and says, well, I don't reallyknow what I can do.
Or maybe there's a homeservices provider that's an
emergency type business.
How do you work with folks inhelping see a bigger picture?
Amber Gaige (15:42):
Yeah well, we really strive to take a
consultative approach, tom.
How do you work with folks inhelping see a bigger picture?
Yeah Well, we really strive totake a consultative approach,
tom.
So, whether we are having aconversation with them in person
or virtually, whether we'replanning out a social media
campaign for the next 12 months,whether we're planning a paid
campaign or an OTT campaign,we're going to work with them to
think outside of the box.
We're going to work with themto think outside of the box.
We're going to sit down withthem and really learn about the
(16:04):
seasonality of their business,about the different calls to
action and products and servicesthat they offer, and then,
underneath their guidance andtheir expertise of their
business, we can help them comeup with some upselling
opportunities and some marketingplatforms that will support
those goals.
Tom DuFore (16:21):
Excellent.
Well, and while we're on thistopic of the four Cs in your
book, I forgot to ask how cansomeone get a copy if they're
interested.
Where can they go to get a copyof this?
Amber Gaige (16:29):
Absolutely, tom.
So the book is available onAmazon.
It was an internationalbestseller in four countries, so
you can get the digital versionor the hardback and paperback
version on Amazon.
You can also get a copy of iton our website,
farbeyondmarketingcom, and, youknow, if you're ready to take it
a step further and you're likeme, you're a lifelong learner,
(16:50):
you can even sign up for ourcourse that expands upon the
content of the book and empowersyou to put the practices in
place in your business by goingto our course and taking it.
Tom DuFore (16:59):
For someone, amber, who maybe says well, I like this
, amber, but I'm not one who'smaybe going to read books or
attend a course.
I'd rather just hire someone orwork directly with you or your
company.
How can they do that?
Amber Gaige (17:12):
Absolutely, we have that covered too.
We're a full-servicewhite-glove agency.
Even our company phone numberis text-enabled, so when someone
texts us, our entire team seesit.
So you can go tofarbeyondmarketingcom and
request a free consultation.
We'll always meet for you forthe first time and gift you 30
minutes of my time or one of myproject manager's time.
Be glad to help you makewell-informed decisions about
(17:34):
your marketing.
Tom DuFore (17:35):
Wonderful.
Well, this is a great time inthe show, amber, and we make a
transition and we ask everyguest the same four questions
before they go.
And the first question we askis have you had a miss or two on
your journey and something youlearned from it?
Amber Gaige (17:49):
Oh man, just one or two.
I feel like I define mygrandmother's definition of a
blind squirrel that found a nut.
I mean, you just sometimes keepgoing until you find some
success.
But yes, the miss on my journeywas certainly imposter syndrome
early on.
I think when we make thetransition, we have to really
believe that we add value, andit took a few years for me to
(18:12):
find my unique voice, eventhough I had over 20 years of
experience in marketing.
So know that as an entrepreneur, there is room in the market
for your uniqueness and leaninto it and try and say no to
imposter syndrome.
The other thing that was amassive miss for me was not
delegating.
Early on I thought I could wearall the hats, be a mom and run
(18:33):
my business, and boy was I wrong.
The best thing I ever did formyself was to hire a team and
hire people that are so muchsmarter than me.
Tom DuFore (18:42):
Excellent.
Well, let's look on the otherside.
We talked about a miss.
Let's talk about a make or two,a highlight.
Amber Gaige (18:48):
I would say a make has been developing great
relationships with affiliatepartners.
No company can do everythingwell.
We should always have a subsetof expertise, and I actually
have a page on my website whereI feature my affiliate partners
and I say look, if you're abusiness owner and you're
looking for these services, I'mnot your girl, but I've been in
(19:10):
business long enough to knowwho's worth their salt and who I
feel confident recommending.
So having a great network ofaffiliate partners that you know
will serve your clients well isa great opportunity to also add
value and bring peace of mind.
Tom DuFore (19:25):
Wonderful.
Well, the name of the show iscalled Multiply your Success,
and we always like to ask ifyou've used a multiplier to grow
yourself, personally orprofessionally, or other
businesses you've run.
Amber Gaige (19:37):
Yes, absolutely so.
A CRM is a great multiplier.
I love a great system.
I'm a big proponent for sayingsystems over people.
People come and go, but systemsrun a multiplier.
I love a great system.
I'm a big proponent for sayingsystems over people.
People come and go, but systemsrun a business.
I learned that from my daddy.
I love Go High Level.
I love Asana.
I love Slack Any kind ofplatform that allows my team and
I to work copacetically and isgoing to help my business run
(20:00):
while I sleep.
Huge multiplier in my business.
Tom DuFore (20:05):
Well, the final question we ask every guest is
what does success mean to you?
Amber Gaige (20:09):
Well, I'm from Texas and from Texas we value
freedom over pretty muchanything else.
If you've been to Texas youknow that's kind of our MO.
So success for me looks likefreedom, it looks like
flexibility and it looks like, Imean, money's a driver right.
So having the freedom to workwhen you want, how you want and
play when you want, I would say,is a big factor in success for
(20:31):
me.
Tom DuFore (20:32):
Wonderful and, as we bring this to a close, amber,
is there anything you are hopingto share or get across that you
haven't had a chance to yet?
Amber Gaige (20:40):
You know, the only thing I would share with your
listeners, tom, is to not bediscouraged that they shouldn't
be a marketing genius, but thereare people out there who want
to help them achieve their goalsand that marketing can
absolutely work for them and befun.
The only other thing I'll sayis that I actually do offer an
entrepreneurial toolkit toanyone that needs a leg up in
(21:00):
marketing.
You can go to my website.
You can get an annual socialmedia marketing plan, a quiz
about your marketing and a freechapter in my book.
Tom DuFore (21:09):
Amber, thank you so much for a fantastic interview
and let's go ahead and jump intotoday's three key takeaways.
So takeaway number one is whenshe talked about the four C's of
marketing that she talks about.
Number one was copy and havingclear copy.
Number two is consistentbranding.
Number three is customerdemographic and really being
(21:32):
specific on who that customerfocus is.
And number four is channelmanagement, and she talked about
how upselling is so important.
Takeaway number two is, she said, marketers oftentimes fall into
the trap that their clients aremarketers as well, meaning that
(21:52):
marketers think that you, dearlistener, happen to be a
marketer also, and that, in turn, sets up a dynamic which she, I
think, is saying because themarketers assume that their
customer or their clients knowmore than they probably do,
therefore creating acommunication and knowledge gap.
Takeaway number three istalking about upselling to
(22:16):
existing clients.
Again, and she made a reallygreat comment that stuck with me
, and she said brands thatsustain or endure upsell,
meaning that they find otherproducts and services to sell to
their existing customers.
And I think what she's sayingthere is you don't have to quote
(22:36):
, sell unquote.
Provide solutions, provide itas a solution to your customer.
And now it's time for today'swin-win.
So today's win-win came at theend when she said really to me,
to you, to anyone out therethat's maybe had a not so great
(22:59):
experience with a marketer, shesaid do not be discouraged,
there are good marketers outthere, like Amber and others,
that can help you.
And so that's the episode.
Today, folks, please make sureyou subscribe to the podcast and
give us a review and rememberif you or anyone you know might
be ready to franchise ourbusiness or take their franchise
company to the next level,please connect with us at
(23:21):
BigSkyFranchiseTeamcom.
Thanks for tuning in and welook forward to having you back
next week.
Welcome to the Multiply your Success podcast,
where each week, we helpgrowth-minded entrepreneurs and
franchise leaders take the nextstep in their expansion journey.
I'm your host, tom Dufour, ceoof Big Sky Franchise Team, and
as we open today, I'm wonderingif you have been duped by
marketing agencies, or maybe youthought you were duped or
(00:22):
weren't even quite sure if youwere.
Well, our guest today is AmberGage, and she shares with us the
four C's in marketing that sheuses to help avoid getting duped
.
Now I'm excited for Amber to beon the show for a bunch of
reasons, but largely becauseAmber and I have a lot of mutual
friends, in particular EllenRohr, who, if you've been a
(00:45):
longtime listener, ellen, was aguest on episode 20.
I'll link that in the shownotes here.
Ellen is just an amazing person.
She's one of my favorite peopleand she's fantastic.
She's a longtime client andsomeone I just think very highly
of, and Amber and I connectedtogether through Ellen.
We didn't even realize it, andAmber's background is she's a
(01:05):
third-generation entrepreneurand she's a certified story
brand guide with over 15 yearsof experience as a marketing
strategist, working withindustries such as home services
, construction software as aservice, beauty, health, home
building, manufacturing medicaland family businesses.
She's passionate aboutdemystifying marketing for
entrepreneurs and helping smallservice-based businesses build
(01:26):
marketing and sales systems thatconsistently attract clients
and create steady cash flow.
As the creator of the four C'sof effective marketing and a
proven system that has helpedhundreds of entrepreneurs
nationwide, amber combineseffective strategies with
mindset work to help businessowners confidently achieve their
goals while simplifying theirlives.
(01:47):
She's the author of theinternational bestselling book
the Far Beyond MarketingGuidebook and is a soft after
speaker.
Her book also is linked in ourshow notes.
You're going to love thisinterview, so let's go ahead and
jump right into it.
Amber Gaige (02:01):
Hey, tom.
Thanks so much for having metoday.
It's a blessing to be here.
My name is Amber Gage.
I am the founder of Far BeyondMarketing.
We are a white glove agency outof McKinney, texas, and I just
refer to myself as the chiefstrategic advisor.
I love helping companies growwith marketing, and kind of a
nerd when it comes to that, sothat's what I do.
Tom DuFore (02:23):
I love it.
Well, and really the big topicfor us to talk about today is
your book, titled very similarlyto your company name with the
Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook.
So I'd love for you just togive us a quick overview of the
Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook,and then let's talk about what
led you to want to write a book.
Amber Gaige (02:44):
And then let's talk about what led you to want to
write a book.
Yeah, so the Far BeyondMarketing Guidebook was a year
and a half labor of love andpain and everything else that
goes into writing a book.
It was born out of necessitybecause I found myself sounding
like a broken record.
Over and over again.
I was taking the same approachwith my clients when it came to
cleaning up, streamlining andoptimizing their marketing, and
(03:07):
I found, with over 20 years ofexperience in doing marketing
for franchisees and doing a lotof consulting for franchisors,
that there was a simple modelthat, when followed, we got more
out of the same level of spend.
And that's what the book is allabout.
It's about the four Cs ofeffective marketing how to stop
being duped by bad marketing.
Tom DuFore (03:29):
Well, I think that's a great segue point here,
because I think anyone who'sbeen in business long enough,
who's run their own marketingand gone through that has been
duped or felt like they've beenduped.
Maybe they weren't but therewas maybe a misunderstanding, a
lack of knowledge from the otherside.
I know I've been there whereI've been in that position.
(03:51):
Maybe talk through how the bookhelps avoid being quote, duped
or misled, maybe in a wrongdirection, and some of the
things you recommend there.
Amber Gaige (04:00):
Yeah, absolutely so .
I think a lot of times we asmarketers fall into the fatal
trap of assuming that ourclients are also marketers and
the bottom line is that they arenot and quite frankly, they
should not be.
But I do believe that everyentrepreneur should know enough
about marketing to be dangerousand to make well-informed
(04:22):
decisions.
So, unfortunately, when peopleget duped by bad marketing,
they're getting duped becausethey don't understand or are
placing blind faith and trust ina company who is making
recommendations, who are nottaking the time to really dig
into the operational goals andnuances of their client.
(04:45):
So the way that the book isstructured, it should be a
literal back pocket guidebookfor any busy entrepreneur to get
the 411, the down and dirty ofthe essentials of marketing.
There's even an appendix in theback that explains what the
abbreviations of SEO, roas andROI are, so that they can feel
empowered walking into anymeeting that they go into.
Hendix in the back thatexplains what the abbreviations
of SEO, roas and ROI are, sothat they can feel empowered
(05:06):
walking into any meeting thatthey go into so that they can
make well-informed decisions.
Tom DuFore (05:12):
That kind of just explaining the acronyms, right,
there's so much language andcontent and if you're not using
it every day, you might hear itas an owner here and there, but
do you really understand what itmeans?
I think that's a great littleresource.
And well, let's talk about thefour C's.
You mentioned the four C's.
Talk through that if you will.
Amber Gaige (05:30):
Yeah the four C's of effective marketing.
So the first C is copy, clearcopy.
We spend or we see rather somany businesses who are
passionate about investing money, thousands of dollars a month
in paid ads per se, but they'venever sat down with their team
(05:51):
and really clarified what theircompany message is.
What is their unique sellingposition?
What is their brand story?
We piecemeal togetherbusinesses.
I'm a third generationentrepreneur myself.
I know what it's like to juststart a business, wear all the
hats and then just grow, grow,grow, grow, grow by the
Frankenstein effect right.
(06:11):
But when you do that and youdon't take time to clarify your
message and understand who youare as a company, the problems
and services you solve for yourclients, then your marketing is
in fact confusing and it missesthe mark when you're trying to
talk to these essential clients,right.
So the first C of effectivemarketing is clear copy.
(06:35):
Know how to talk about yourbusiness in a way that people
will shut up and listen.
Tom DuFore (06:40):
When you think about creating that clear copy.
What does that look like?
Amber Gaige (06:44):
So I take my clients through the StoryBrand
seven-part framework created byDonald Miller.
There's only a few hundred ofus in the world that are
certified to do this.
It's a great framework.
It's a wonderful book that Donwrote, and I find that if you
spend just 90 minutes with aclient in the room, or even
virtually, that you're able toget everyone on the same page
(07:05):
with their calls to action,their unique selling position,
their brand story, theirelevator pitch.
And if we take the time to dothat, then that messaging
informs all the creativecollateral that we might create
afterwards.
Tom DuFore (07:19):
Love it.
Well, we talked about clarity.
What's the next C on the list,or getting clear?
Amber Gaige (07:23):
for clear copy, I should say yeah, the next C on
the list is consistent branding.
Isn't it so tempting, tom, tojust put something on the side
of a truck or slap another fonttogether or test another ad that
has nothing to do with whatyou've done previously?
Consistent branding is key.
If you confuse your clients,you're going to lose them.
So making sure that, whetheryou are at the ballpark with
(07:46):
your kids sponsoring the littleleague team, or whether you're
networking at a chamber event,or whether you're at a workshop
or a trade show, your brandingis crisp and clean and
consistent and that you areputting it out there
consistently wherever you are.
Marketing has no silver bullet.
It's a frequency overreach andit's a numbers game.
(08:08):
So making sure that yourbranding is cohesive, making
sure that you are consistentlyputting it out there so that
people can find you and thenknow who you are, what you do,
what problems you solve.
Man, you would be surprised athow quickly that solves a lot of
problems for people.
Tom DuFore (08:25):
Definitely one of the things I've seen, and even
working with our own clients andeven as an owner and an
entrepreneur myself theconsistency.
It's one thing to get it set up, get clear, but then to be
consistent with that brandingand the messaging in all facets.
Even I think of somethingsimple like just a business card
.
You mentioned the decals on atruck and then your business
(08:46):
card and other little thingsthat are easy to say oh well,
we've had this business card andI don't wanna change.
Vehicles have been lettered andlogoed and decaled and well,
it's fine the way it is, butwhat you're saying is that's
wrong, it's not.
Amber Gaige (09:02):
No, no.
You need to make sure that it'sconsistent all the way through.
The human brain lovesconsistency, patterns and
clarity, and if you confuse, youlose.
Tom DuFore (09:13):
Well, let's talk about the third C on your list
here.
Amber Gaige (09:16):
The third C is customer demographic.
How tempting is it to makeeverybody your client In the
beginning, especially for smallbusinesses?
They are grasping at straws.
They just want to sellsomething.
Whatever it is right.
If you need it, we'll do it,but the bottom line is that as a
company scales, the more nichedown a company is, the more
(09:41):
perceived they are as theexperts in their industry and
the more that they can charge.
So again, don't commit thecardinal sin of throwing your
marketing out there withoutknowing who your target customer
is.
And this goes beyond male,female, household income,
household value, brand awareness, although these are great
(10:02):
things that I find many clientsdon't even know.
You need to think about thepsychographics of your target
customer.
Why are they buying from you?
What are their motivatingfactors for doing business for
you or with you?
Honestly, tom, it's so easy toget a snap study of a customer
demographic.
All we need is a database witha minimum of 50 records.
(10:22):
We can show you exactly whothey are, whether they're eating
at Olive Garden or Chick-fil-A.
Tom DuFore (10:26):
Fantastic.
And what have you found whenyou go through this exercise
with some of your clients whereI would imagine I'm just curious
I'm thinking off the top of myhead here but you meet with a
client and they think theyunderstand or know who their
customer is.
They describe this customer orpotential buyer or know who
their customer is.
They describe this customer orpotential buyer and then you run
(10:47):
your analysis on this and youcome back and it's different
from what the leadership orowners think.
So I just like, maybe just foran anecdotal example here, just
to hear a story or two aboutsomething like that.
Amber Gaige (10:57):
Yeah, it happens so frequently, Tom.
So what we find is there is aperceived assumption about who
the target audience is, and thenwe request that our client will
run a database analysis,cross-referenced with their top
revenue generating line items,right?
What is it?
And when we see exactly whatline items are being used to
(11:21):
support the growth of thebusiness, there's usually an aha
moment, because the bottom lineis, your target customer is the
one that's buying from you andbuying the most from you, and
it's not always who you think itis.
Just because you want to beperceived in your marketplace
with a great call to action orproduct or service that you, as
(11:42):
the owner, are passionate about,it doesn't mean it's actually
made a dent in the market, right?
So, understanding who yourbuyer is, what they're buying,
why they're buying, and thenwhat we find, tom, is that the
call to actions that are beingused in the marketing currently
really need to be adjusted tobecome much more appealing to
(12:04):
the people who are actuallymaking the buying decisions,
because they may not care aboutdonuts if they're buying donut
holes, right?
So we got to adjust these callsto action to appeal to the
people that are actuallycreating the revenue.
Tom DuFore (12:18):
That makes so much sense and I'm thinking about.
Sometimes I've seen this happenwith either a marketing agency
that is not going through aprogram like yours or owners
that get kind of this shinyobject syndrome where they start
chasing this new idea or thisnew thing that they want to go
(12:38):
after, when the new thing isjust a new, fun and interesting
thing for the owner but it's notactually what's producing or
driving results into theorganization.
So how do you work with anowner that comes in or maybe the
owner had worked with an agencypreviously that was kind of
chasing after some of thesedreams or visions how do you
(12:58):
kind of help rein it in andbring them back?
Amber Gaige (13:01):
Yeah, I think you know I'm famous among my team
for saying swim lanes, swimlanes.
People like let's keep itbetween the lanes.
So I try to encourage mybeloved clients that a great new
idea is wonderful, it's a greatnew idea, but let's put
parameters around it.
Let's assign our own budget,let's create a test campaign,
(13:23):
let's segment it out so that wecan thoroughly A-B test it and
see what the hard data saysabout this wonderful idea.
An owner is by nature an expertin their field and we should
never diminish that.
They have become successful inand of themselves by their own
(13:43):
blood, sweat and tears.
That should be acknowledged andit should be buoyed.
But let's not let the passionand the drive cloud the judgment
at the behest of the successfulbusiness that they already have
.
Great ideas are great, but wedon't throw the baby out with
the bathwater, as we say in theSouth.
Tom DuFore (14:02):
Thank you for sharing that.
That was really good.
This final C let's have aconversation about that.
Amber Gaige (14:08):
The final C is channel management, and I do use
this term loosely becausechannel management is in itself
its own due process and looksvery different based on the
industry that a business may bein.
But what I mean by channelmanagement is the rinse and
repeat cycle of upselling to anexisting client.
We know that it is so much moreexpensive to sell and obtain a
(14:32):
new client versus upselling andcontinuously serving an existing
client.
If you are sinking marketingdollars into your business and
you got a turn them and burnthem attitude, you're going to
have a turn them and burn themkind of culture, and what we
know is that brands that sustainare brands that upsell.
(14:52):
So what is the internaloperational process that can get
married with marketing so thatyour marketing works in the
background and all you have todo is rinse and repeat?
Maybe it's a membership program, maybe it's an A-B test, maybe
it's switching out the call toaction on an existing campaign
while your branding is stayingconsistent.
Maybe it's a seasonal offer,but we need to put thought,
(15:14):
energy and effort intometiculously and passionately
and continuously serving thoseexisting clients.
Tom DuFore (15:22):
How do you work with your clients in helping them
serve their customers or maybeidentifying different ways?
I'm thinking of, for example,maybe a restaurant that comes in
and says, well, I don't reallyknow what I can do.
Or maybe there's a homeservices provider that's an
emergency type business.
How do you work with folks inhelping see a bigger picture?
Amber Gaige (15:42):
Yeah well, we really strive to take a
consultative approach, tom.
How do you work with folks inhelping see a bigger picture?
Yeah Well, we really strive totake a consultative approach,
tom.
So, whether we are having aconversation with them in person
or virtually, whether we'replanning out a social media
campaign for the next 12 months,whether we're planning a paid
campaign or an OTT campaign,we're going to work with them to
think outside of the box.
We're going to work with themto think outside of the box.
We're going to sit down withthem and really learn about the
(16:04):
seasonality of their business,about the different calls to
action and products and servicesthat they offer, and then,
underneath their guidance andtheir expertise of their
business, we can help them comeup with some upselling
opportunities and some marketingplatforms that will support
those goals.
Tom DuFore (16:21):
Excellent.
Well, and while we're on thistopic of the four Cs in your
book, I forgot to ask how cansomeone get a copy if they're
interested.
Where can they go to get a copyof this?
Amber Gaige (16:29):
Absolutely, tom.
So the book is available onAmazon.
It was an internationalbestseller in four countries, so
you can get the digital versionor the hardback and paperback
version on Amazon.
You can also get a copy of iton our website,
farbeyondmarketingcom, and, youknow, if you're ready to take it
a step further and you're likeme, you're a lifelong learner,
(16:50):
you can even sign up for ourcourse that expands upon the
content of the book and empowersyou to put the practices in
place in your business by goingto our course and taking it.
Tom DuFore (16:59):
For someone, amber, who maybe says well, I like this
, amber, but I'm not one who'smaybe going to read books or
attend a course.
I'd rather just hire someone orwork directly with you or your
company.
How can they do that?
Amber Gaige (17:12):
Absolutely, we have that covered too.
We're a full-servicewhite-glove agency.
Even our company phone numberis text-enabled, so when someone
texts us, our entire team seesit.
So you can go tofarbeyondmarketingcom and
request a free consultation.
We'll always meet for you forthe first time and gift you 30
minutes of my time or one of myproject manager's time.
Be glad to help you makewell-informed decisions about
(17:34):
your marketing.
Tom DuFore (17:35):
Wonderful.
Well, this is a great time inthe show, amber, and we make a
transition and we ask everyguest the same four questions
before they go.
And the first question we askis have you had a miss or two on
your journey and something youlearned from it?
Amber Gaige (17:49):
Oh man, just one or two.
I feel like I define mygrandmother's definition of a
blind squirrel that found a nut.
I mean, you just sometimes keepgoing until you find some
success.
But yes, the miss on my journeywas certainly imposter syndrome
early on.
I think when we make thetransition, we have to really
believe that we add value, andit took a few years for me to
(18:12):
find my unique voice, eventhough I had over 20 years of
experience in marketing.
So know that as an entrepreneur, there is room in the market
for your uniqueness and leaninto it and try and say no to
imposter syndrome.
The other thing that was amassive miss for me was not
delegating.
Early on I thought I could wearall the hats, be a mom and run
(18:33):
my business, and boy was I wrong.
The best thing I ever did formyself was to hire a team and
hire people that are so muchsmarter than me.
Tom DuFore (18:42):
Excellent.
Well, let's look on the otherside.
We talked about a miss.
Let's talk about a make or two,a highlight.
Amber Gaige (18:48):
I would say a make has been developing great
relationships with affiliatepartners.
No company can do everythingwell.
We should always have a subsetof expertise, and I actually
have a page on my website whereI feature my affiliate partners
and I say look, if you're abusiness owner and you're
looking for these services, I'mnot your girl, but I've been in
(19:10):
business long enough to knowwho's worth their salt and who I
feel confident recommending.
So having a great network ofaffiliate partners that you know
will serve your clients well isa great opportunity to also add
value and bring peace of mind.
Tom DuFore (19:25):
Wonderful.
Well, the name of the show iscalled Multiply your Success,
and we always like to ask ifyou've used a multiplier to grow
yourself, personally orprofessionally, or other
businesses you've run.
Amber Gaige (19:37):
Yes, absolutely so.
A CRM is a great multiplier.
I love a great system.
I'm a big proponent for sayingsystems over people.
People come and go, but systemsrun a multiplier.
I love a great system.
I'm a big proponent for sayingsystems over people.
People come and go, but systemsrun a business.
I learned that from my daddy.
I love Go High Level.
I love Asana.
I love Slack Any kind ofplatform that allows my team and
I to work copacetically and isgoing to help my business run
(20:00):
while I sleep.
Huge multiplier in my business.
Tom DuFore (20:05):
Well, the final question we ask every guest is
what does success mean to you?
Amber Gaige (20:09):
Well, I'm from Texas and from Texas we value
freedom over pretty muchanything else.
If you've been to Texas youknow that's kind of our MO.
So success for me looks likefreedom, it looks like
flexibility and it looks like, Imean, money's a driver right.
So having the freedom to workwhen you want, how you want and
play when you want, I would say,is a big factor in success for
(20:31):
me.
Tom DuFore (20:32):
Wonderful and, as we bring this to a close, amber,
is there anything you are hopingto share or get across that you
haven't had a chance to yet?
Amber Gaige (20:40):
You know, the only thing I would share with your
listeners, tom, is to not bediscouraged that they shouldn't
be a marketing genius, but thereare people out there who want
to help them achieve their goalsand that marketing can
absolutely work for them and befun.
The only other thing I'll sayis that I actually do offer an
entrepreneurial toolkit toanyone that needs a leg up in
(21:00):
marketing.
You can go to my website.
You can get an annual socialmedia marketing plan, a quiz
about your marketing and a freechapter in my book.
Tom DuFore (21:09):
Amber, thank you so much for a fantastic interview
and let's go ahead and jump intotoday's three key takeaways.
So takeaway number one is whenshe talked about the four C's of
marketing that she talks about.
Number one was copy and havingclear copy.
Number two is consistentbranding.
Number three is customerdemographic and really being
(21:32):
specific on who that customerfocus is.
And number four is channelmanagement, and she talked about
how upselling is so important.
Takeaway number two is, she said, marketers oftentimes fall into
the trap that their clients aremarketers as well, meaning that
(21:52):
marketers think that you, dearlistener, happen to be a
marketer also, and that, in turn, sets up a dynamic which she, I
think, is saying because themarketers assume that their
customer or their clients knowmore than they probably do,
therefore creating acommunication and knowledge gap.
Takeaway number three istalking about upselling to
(22:16):
existing clients.
Again, and she made a reallygreat comment that stuck with me
, and she said brands thatsustain or endure upsell,
meaning that they find otherproducts and services to sell to
their existing customers.
And I think what she's sayingthere is you don't have to quote
(22:36):
, sell unquote.
Provide solutions, provide itas a solution to your customer.
And now it's time for today'swin-win.
So today's win-win came at theend when she said really to me,
to you, to anyone out therethat's maybe had a not so great
(22:59):
experience with a marketer, shesaid do not be discouraged,
there are good marketers outthere, like Amber and others,
that can help you.
And so that's the episode.
Today, folks, please make sureyou subscribe to the podcast and
give us a review and rememberif you or anyone you know might
be ready to franchise ourbusiness or take their franchise
company to the next level,please connect with us at
(23:21):
BigSkyFranchiseTeamcom.
Thanks for tuning in and welook forward to having you back
next week.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.