Ep.55 Louisa Guise | How to Build Influence and Market Yourself

In this episode, I catch up with Louisa Guise who was the first guest on the My Local Marketer podcast, launched in 2024. This is the one-year anniversary of Louisa's book, which explores communication in the digital age, focusing on the benefits of using phones less and leaving unproductive group chats. Learn about Louisa's journey promoting her book, which included talks at bookshops and libraries, and unexpected opportunities like speaking at the Harrogate International Festival and appearing on Australian television. She shares insights on balancing book promotion with a full-time job, dedicating weekends and evenings to various activities such as scheduling posts, contacting libraries, and engaging with journalists. Louisa also provides valuable tips for aspiring authors, advising them to start building their web presence early and to develop a comprehensive marketing plan. She recommends her free marketing blog, "All About Digital Marketing," as a resource for authors. Finally, Louisa discusses the positive reception of her book and her future plans.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Proactive Marketing Pays Off: Louisa emphasises starting early to build a web presence and establish your expertise. This highlights that consistent effort in building your brand and putting yourself out there can lead to valuable, unpredictable PR and business growth opportunities.   Showcase Your Personality: Louisa suggests that business owners can gain a following by showcasing unusual hobbies or interests, as these personal touches make you more memorable and add personality.   Strategic Planning and Persistence are Crucial: Despite a full-time job, Louisa dedicated significant time on weekends and evenings to promoting her book. This underscores the necessity for business owners to have a robust, well-thought-out marketing plan and the persistence to execute it to see long-term results.   TIMECODES 00:00 Intro 00:51 Introduction to Louisa & her book 01:53 How Louisa has promoted her book over the last year 04:24 Find every opportunity to promote yourself 05:42 Louisa's most surprising opportunity this year 07:38 How Louisa had promoted her book alongside her full-time job 09:23 Working with journalists 10:39 Tips for people publishing their books 15:04 What has reception to Louisa's book been like 17:20 Louisa's plans for the future 19:23 Final thoughts