Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mindi Zissman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mindi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?
Many content marketers are obsessed – or if not highly leveraging – SEO. I ask my clients to go to their metrics and determine just how many of their customers come to them from web searches? Then, I ask: Is one of your go to market strategies to appeal to those searching online for a risk or insurance partner? Most often, the answer is “no.” Most of my clients earn and sustain customers through their expert, consultative knowledge of the risk and insurance space. Their work is tailoring solutions to the customers and businesses they serve. They’re not looking for the online customer who wants insurance cheap and quick via Google. When that’s not the case, it’s hard to make a financial case for investing in SEO. Attach your marketing efforts to your business goals, not just the popular shiny object out there. I’ve seen lots of companies waste good money on tactics that won’t bring them their ideal customer. Don’t be one of them!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was training to be a front lines reporter in a war torn country in the late 1990s. Once I graduated from college, I realized going to Afghanistan wasn’t what I really wanted to do! So… I did what any journalist who wants to make money did at the time – I went into trade journalism. Working as a magazine editor for a trade publishing company opened me up to learning an industry and reporting on it. I loved it! At the same time, I saw that freelancing was a new horizon and left the publishing world to start my own content marketing firm in 2004, well before the gig economy. My business grew 100% word of mouth. Clients would leave firms and bring me with them when they joined another.
That still happens today, although, now there are more tools to help businesses like ours grow, including LinkedIn, our website and the content we put out! At Zissman Media, our goal remains the same as it was in 2004, to be the voice of our clients. Today we do that exclusively for risk, insurance and compliance businesses. We write everything thought leadership for executives and businesses, from magazine articles and blogs, personal point of view pieces for executives to eBooks, white papers and annual reports. We have built up a roster of incredible journalistic writers and editors who maintain a high standard of quality both in the writing and research for each piece of content we help our clients create.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
One of the biggest misconceptions about social media is that it’s a path to quick fame and fortune. The opposite is actually true. Per LinkedIn, it takes a full 6-9 months of building your audience while posting regular content until you’ll see any fruits from your labor. The first client I got from LinkedIn came via DM a full 9 months after I started growing my connections and posting 3x/week. It was a referral from a woman I was connected to whom I did not know personally, but she felt like she knew me personally! She had been following my content, without ever liking or sharing or commenting on a post. I had no idea who she was or that she was a prospect. Since then, this has happened again and again! If you have the patience, time and energy, social media is a great way to build a community and carve out your niche, but you have to be willing to invest!
Have you ever had to pivot?
In 2022, my business was growing fast and I knew I needed to scale from the inside in some way. So, I did what any business owner does who needs to scale, I hired. Unfortunately, since I had never hired anyone in my nearly 20 years in business, I didn’t know how to select the right people, properly onboard, manage and fire. So, six months later I was back to my original team – me and my editor and a bunch of freelancers! Nearly simultaneously, I lost four clients – two due to the economy and two to a misunderstanding about how I was growing the business. It was a tough year for the business, but I made it through (thanks to amazing business coaches and accountability partners!). I learned a lot from that time, especially the types of risks I want to take, the size of business that works for me and how I prefer to manage. Now I’m back to scaling but in a smarter way that suits my skill set and management style!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zissmanmedia.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindi-zissman/
Image Credits
Speaking for and mentoring students from my alma mater, UW-Madison is a big part of my giving back. I’m an avid runner – all year round!