Adriana Tica Chats with Ellen: All things strategic marketing
Marketing that works, authority and newsletter strategy without the hacks.
This post is part of a new series Chats with Ellen. I’m sharing unedited conversations with peers in the online business, coaching and future of work space. Expect: trade secrets, advice we’re giving clients, and inspo to guide your business building.
BTW, we’re one month into Authority Club! 26 members strong and buzzing with wins, insights, and community momentum. Here's a glimpse inside 👇
Curious about joining? I’m offering 1-1 Authority consultations, where you’ll be able to get a personalised plan and decide if it’s right for you. Let’s chat.
Adriana Tica Chats with Ellen
Adriana Tica is a marketing expert, but importantly, grounds everything she does in strategy. A perfect guest here at The Ask.
We met inside a newsletter community and, naturally, share a love of newsletters, plus similar perspectives on what makes for great marketing in the online world.
Her own newsletter is aptly named Strategic AF and, I love how clear and bold Adriana is on what works.
In this conversation, we explore:
Authority building in the online space, and how long it takes to stand out
The importance of having One Big Idea for your work
Why Esther Perel is our joint career crush
Which social platforms are getting the best results and why some creators are moving to OnlyFans (but not for why you think 👀 )
The pros and cons of paywalling newsletters
Enjoy!
To follow Adriana: Subscribe to her newsletter, and check out her article about what it means to Resonate in your business & follow her insights on Linkedin.
The Ellen Edit
I’ve pulled out some of insights that stuck with me…
From Adriana
I wanted to be the provider for the people who want to build a business they actually believe in—not something they grow and then sell.
You can trick a couple of people a few times. But if you haven’t done the foundational work, you won’t look like someone who belongs on the big stage.
People can fall in love with someone’s writing and just want to support it—sort of like Patreon
You don’t need to be everywhere in the beginning. But you do need one discovery platform and one retention platform.
Newsletters are more complex than people think. You can be a great writer and still have an unprofitable newsletter if the email marketing part isn’t dialled in.
From Ellen
You have to slow down—get clear on your positioning, your offer, your message—so that when you do market yourself, it actually works. That’s how you speed up later on.
I can help clients finesse and structure and make sense of their work. I can’t hand over ten years of experience. You have to bring that.
The future of work is entrepreneurship. And if that’s true, we need a way for people to stand out—that’s where authority comes in.
Authority isn’t about masquerading as an expert. It’s about going deeper, not broader.
If you’ve come out of a career with loads of insights, you can start being an authority straight away
If you chase fame first, you might have some success. It just might be short-lived
M.R.R. is a SaaS concept, it’s not real for what most of us do
People are either doing amazing work and not talking about it, or talking a lot without doing much work. Authority lives in the middle
Dive Deeper
If you enjoyed the today’s topics have you checked out the Authority building foundations series I shared earlier this year?
Thanks for reading as alway, and until next time!
Ellen Donnelly, Founder & Chief Coach, The Ask.
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Trying to grow your newsletter? This should help.
