Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Paul Kobylensky. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Paul, thanks for joining us today. 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?

Marketing writers (copywriters, content/blog writers, technical writers, etc.) are the most important people in marketing. They’re also the most overlooked.

Think about it. The people writing a company’s website, press releases, blog content, email marketing, video scripts, and social media posts are the brand’s voice. No one else in the company has such a direct, tangible connection to their audience.

Now, think about a large, super-successful retailer or manufacturer with a top-notch sales staff and an e-commerce platform. The words a single writer puts on a product page will always move more of that product than even the best salesperson. And they’ll do it over and over across the product’s entire life.

Finally, quality marketing writers know how to communicate your message to a wide variety of audiences across different platforms while optimizing it for search algorithms, creating specific engagement, and more.

So, they are the public voice of your entire brand, the best salesperson you have, and their work optimizes your message in ways you might not even know you needed.

All that said, writers are often an afterthought for marketing departments and those crafting the budget. After all, “Anyone can write.”

I’m biased, but investing in an experienced marketing writer, preferably an expert in your field, is one of the best investments a brand can make. I promise.

Paul, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a freelance marketer that specializes in the musical instrument and professional audio industries. My main focus is on guitar and bass gear, as well as audio recording.

I started playing guitar when I was 13 years old. I’ve essentially had a one-track mind ever since. Growing up, I would spend all my time playing guitar and reading guitar magazines and websites. Once YouTube came around, that obviously took all my attention. I could never get enough.

I went to college for journalism with the goal of writing for one of those magazines. But once I graduated, I went right to work in sales and marketing for the guitar industry. I started in retail and then started working directly for various manufacturers. I’ve never left the music world since.

In 2015, I was hired as a copywriter at Sweetwater Sound, the largest online music retailer. So, my wife and I moved from our home in Seattle to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sweetwater was an incredible place to work, and I made a ton of great connections and friends around the industry. However, I noticed the need for my weird blend of music equipment expertise and marketing skills extended way beyond Sweetwater.

I realized that many gear brands either had no clue how to market themselves or they went with marketing agencies that, though they checked all the generalized marketing boxes, had no idea how to communicate with such a niche audience.

As a working musician who used – and obsessed – about these brands and products every day, I was their audience. And as a professional marketing writer, I knew how to get results. So, I left Sweetwater in 2019 and started my current company, The New Rockstar.

I truly believe that every human is unique and has immeasurable value. Therefore, every company does too. No matter what they do, there’s something that separates them from the competition, and that’s where the branding gold is. That drives my core mission: To help brands discover their own story and value and get that message out in a way that connects them to the right audiences.

I thought I’d stick to copywriting, but over the last several years, I’ve branched out into web design, branding, content writing and management, consulting, and product training at Sweetwater, and the list keeps growing. In my mind, though, it’s all journalism. I find their story and tell it in a compelling way.

I don’t know if there’s any one thing I’m “proud” of. But I do feel insanely blessed to wake up, learn and write about music equipment all day, then go play music at night. I’m no rockstar, but I do feel like I’ve “made it.”

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Nothing beats one-on-one networking, especially for freelancers and companies offering professional services.

When I first started my company, I was totally lost. I had a ton of “leads” but had no idea how to engage them or sell them on my services. I read a bunch of books, blogs, took classes, and listened to podcasts all claiming they had the secret to converting those leads into clients.

But guess what? Most of that is bullshit. Leads aren’t names in a spreadsheet or income sources. They’re human beings, and they have a problem that they’d love for you to solve. Once I understood that, I started reaching out to people as a peer in the industry, one who is genuinely interested in what they do. Whether via LinkedIn, phone calls, emails, or whatever, I asked questions and tried to get to know them before even considering pitching anything.

Some people inevitably assumed I was trying to sell them something and didn’t respond. That will always happen. But plenty of them did respond. Today, I’m lucky to call a lot of my former leads long-term clients. Many are even my friends. Our Zoom calls may focus on marketing goals, but they often end up being two people talking shop who love music gear.

There is obviously no replacing a great marketing/sales strategy, and it has its place. That said, every small business needs to spend more time thinking about the people behind their leads and less time obsessing over their analytics, SEO, and sales funnels.

Most importantly, don’t waste money on companies promising the golden ticket. This all takes time to build, just like all great relationships.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

I have to start by mentioning two pieces of advice I received years ago that got me through the tight times.

One was from a close friend, Max, who owns a very successful property maintenance company in Washington State. He told me about a terrible year he went through during the economic downturn of the late 2000s. Everything seemed to go wrong that year for him. When I asked him about it, he told me, “These things happen in business. You can either let it ruin you or keep pushing, and you’ll come out the other side stronger.

The other is from JHS Pedals founder Josh Scott. Though I know him a bit, this was actually something he spoke about on his YouTube channel (one of the best in the industry!) a while back. With his trademark wit, he talked about how he didn’t know he was supposed to pay taxes in his earliest years. I’m sure that came back to bite him hard! Now look at him. Josh and his company are the standard in guitar effects today.

I took both of these pieces of wisdom into my company back in 2019. I knew bad stretches were going to come and that I could make it through.

Less than one year later, the COVID pandemic hit, and I lost all of my contracts. Compounding the issue, I applied for the $10,000 Small Business Association grant to get through it. Unfortunately, I mistakenly applied for a $10,000 loan instead. Oh, and I didn’t understand estimated quarterly tax payments yet and got a nice big bill for those as well.

In my first year, the world shut down, I had very little income, and I now owed well over $10,000 by mistake.

I wish I could give a step-by-step for dealing with these situations. All I can do is offer the wisdom I received. I chose to keep going, pay off the debts, and focus on the future. I’ll be damned if Max and Josh’s inspiration wasn’t exactly right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TheNewRockstar.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kobyguitar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenewrockstar.net
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kobylensky/
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RFSGiB6y6F8WZ2JGv2fTG?si=Jes3ij0oQ6iDRykHD-xPDA