Hi Reader!

Welcome back to my newsletter. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this edition!

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As you probably noticed, I took a few weeks off my newsletter to start the new year.

I hope you didn't miss my articles too much!

I needed some time to focus on my client projects and put out some personal fires.

But I’m back.

This week, I wanted to explore a hot topic in the entrepreneurial space: organic growth versus paid ads.

What’s the Deal?

I’ve been chatting with a bunch of coaches lately, and let me tell you, the hesitation around paying for ads is strong.

They’re clinging to the belief that their organic efforts on social media are enough, even though those channels aren’t exactly bringing in clients.

Here’s the deal: Organic growth is like trying to grow a tree from a seed.

It’s slow, often painfully so, especially for coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs.

Sure, it’s free in terms of money, but it demands a hefty chunk of your time.

Even if you manage your social media as your full-time gig, it could take a year or more to see any real traction.

I Struggled Big Time

Take my story, for example.

I switched from Twitter to LinkedIn over two years ago and found it incredibly difficult.

New accounts on any platform, especially LinkedIn don’t have what I call “algorithmic trust.”

The algorithm doesn’t know you yet. So, it doesn’t believe your content will be entertaining, helpful, or useful to others.

Your content gets buried under posts from big creators.

I was posting like crazy but getting just one or two likes — definitely not enough to attract clients.

It took me eight grueling months to land my first client on LinkedIn.

That’s because I had to build relationships and an inner circle of supporters who would engage with my posts genuinely.

Of course, I could have created a shady engagement pod, but I made it my goal to establish meaningful conversations.

Conversations that the algorithm recognizes as valuable.

Even with all that effort, I almost quit at nine months because I wasn’t seeing the results I needed.

Organic growth is just too slow for most service-based entrepreneurs who need clients now.

Not in a year or two.

Buy Yourself Some Ads

The solution here is to use a balanced approach.

An approach that includes paid advertising AND organic channels.

Paid ads can give you an immediate boost while your organic efforts simmer in the background.

Experts like Justin Welsh advocate for this strategy: start with short-term channels (paid ads) and gradually shift.

Some of my clients started with 80% of their clients coming from paid ads and slowly shifted to 20%.

You don’t need to break the bank either.

A simple $5-a-day campaign on Meta can work wonders.

I spent $5 daily when I started and got over 100 potential clients within five days!

Look at what a connection did with an inexpensive ad campaign:

If you take anything from this email, it’s that there is no “either/or” approach. Use both, so you don’t cripple your business before it even starts.

Invest in paid advertising now and watch it create a client list for you while your organic presence grows.

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And that's all! I hope you enjoyed and learned something from this edition.

Take action right now using the ideas above, and let me know if you have any questions.

If you have found it helpful, it would mean A LOT if you could share the newsletter. And it would mean even more if you replied to this email to share your thoughts​!

Until next time.

All the best,

Ian Efford
Your Growth Partner

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P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you attract clients effortlessly:

1. ​Client Acquisition Audit: Get a 1:1 audit of your client acquisition process to identify what’s working, what isn’t, and how to create a system that brings in high-ticket clients consistently. 600 entrepreneurs have converted at least 1-2 extra clients from this audit.
2. ​Demand Sprint Product: Book a full day of support to establish a complex marketing system that consistently brings in high-ticket clients without filling up your calendar.