So, you want to know if CMA can really help you grow your business. I mean, there are a lot of options out there, and you’re probably looking at them all. First of all, let’s make sure you’re in the right place. Cool?
Awesome.
First of all, we’re not a marketing agency, we don’t have ‘clients’ and we will not do your marketing for you. If you’re looking for a marketing agency, you’re definitely in the wrong place.
However, if you’re the kind of business person, or marketing professional, that would like to master the skill of world class communication, content marketing, and become a leader in your industry, you are in the right place.
We’re teachers – that’s the best way to describe what we do.
Can you remember your favourite teacher from school? Think back.
A great teacher…
- Wants you to see you do well
- Communicates at your level
- Makes everything about you
- Gives you everything you need to be successful
This is what we do at CMA.
We work with business people, entrepreneurs and marketers, just like you, to help you master the skills required to grow your audience and build your business for the future.
All sectors, all ages, and all sizes – from architects to shed manufacturers, to marketing professionals to IT companies, and everything in between.
If you’re just getting started with content marketing, or if you feel you need help and expert direction to get more from what you’re already doing, then you’re absolutely in the right place.
Over the years we have curated and collected world class resources and expertise to help you navigate your way through content marketing. And we built a thriving community of the most supportive and cool business people on the planet along the way.
It’s about making sure your marketing efforts are growing your business, getting you customers and putting money in your bank. I mean, it has to be about that, right? Otherwise, what’s the point?
So, where should you start with the CMA & Chris Marr?
3 things…
1. The manifesto…
The first thing you should do is read my essay (opens in new tab). It’ll take you 10 minutes to read and will give you an exact understanding of what we’ve created here at the CMA.
In short, it’s about creating a learning community to help you to be the best you can be. Give you access to forward thinking people and the best resources. People that will help you with your questions, problems and help you move forward.
This place is better than Google – Linda
Learning and development is at the heart of what we do. Why? Learning improves confidence, reduces fear and inspires action.
2. Free: Content Marketing Crash Course
The next thing you should do is get the 10 day content marketing crash course. I put about 40 hours of work into this and it takes you through the fundamentals of content marketing and helps you to learn the basics. When you sign up you will get an email from me everyday for 10 days with a new lesson.
What’s that? Yeah, it’s completely free.
3. Join the CMA Membership waiting list
…and while you’re here, make sure you pop your name down on the waiting list for the CMA Membership Community. You don’t want to miss out on this when we open up more places.
Ok, that’s all pretty straight forward, right?
You should also jump over to our ‘Start Here‘ page, check out our blog and our podcast too – all free stuff for you to look at.
Who’s this Chris Marr guy?
When I was getting started with content marketing back in 2007, I was asking myself a lot of questions about where to start – What are the best practices? What are the best platforms? How to get better results? In the past 10 years a lot has changed, and marketing is perhaps the fastest changing landscape in business today.
I’ve learned a lot over the years, I’ve tried lots of different tactics and strategies, and I’ve made a lot of mistakes. What I help you to do, along with the CMA Community and our resources, is direct your learning, fast track you to the best practices and give you a faster route to success. However, I’d be straight up lying to you if I knew all the answers – there’s no silver bullet.
When it all started…
As soon as Facebook landed in the UK I jumped on board (circa 2007/2008). Ever since then social media and content marketing has been a big part of how I live my life and make my money.
It was in 2010 that I created my first platform and published my first blog. That’s when I started to see how this could all help me with my career going forward.
I was working at the University of St. Andrews at the time, and the book that really motivated me to take action was Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It. It was at that moment that I saw clearly the link between content, social media, how to grow an audience and build a business. It just makes complete sense to me.
I honestly didn’t have a clue what I was doing back then though, and perhaps you feel like that right now.
- What is a blog?
- What website platform should I use?
- How do I make sure my content is found by people?
- How can I build my business through content and social media?
- How will all of this get me customers and put money in my bank?
All I knew back then was that the world was changing and I wanted in. It was at this moment that I said to myself “I’m never going to write another CV ever again“.
And since 2010 I’ve never looked back. In fact, my first 5-figure consultancy contract was a result of my very first blog. And it was really shit!
So, over the past 10 years or so I have consumed everything I can about content marketing, social media and the new rules of marketing. I’ve read all the books, I’ve studied the important ones, and I’ve met all the people that matter. In fact, many are now good friends.
Related content
- Chris Marr’s top ten recommended content marketing books for business people (opens in new tab)
I now find myself immersed in this very cool world of content marketing, business growth, sales and entrepreneurship. It’s a very exciting time to be a business owner. I hope you feel excited too, you definitely should.
A millennial…?
Being born in 1981 means I’m on the cusp of being labelled a millennial, but I’m at the older end of the spectrum. The advantage this gives me is that I not only understand the Internet, social media and online communications, I actually know what it’s like to work in a large organisation, manage teams, work hard and grow a commercial business.
I’ve got the best of both. It means I know exactly what it takes to build a profitable business and navigate the online landscape.
Here’s a whistle stop tour of my career:
In 2001 at 19 years old I started work at the University of St. Andrews. I worked there for 10 years in various management and leadership roles. I had 100 people working for me along with a team of managers. It helped me craft my leadership and people skills. I’m hugely grateful for this 10 years of learning.
Throughout my whole career I have been involved in personal development. In fact, I remember my first personal development experience – I was 14 years old, my Dad took me to a Jack Black conference with my brother Colin. My Dad is a smart man.
In 2009 I started a part time degree in business management at University of St. Andrews. I worked full time and studied part time for 2 years.
In 2011 it was time for me to leave my job, and I went to university full time to finish my degree.
2009 – 2011 was a transitional time for me. I was studying academically and non-academically, I started blogging and was fired up about the potential of social media and content marketing.
This is when I started to help small businesses in my spare time, cutting my teeth with social media and content for commercial enterprises. It makes sense now, looking back, that when I left my job to go to university, that I decided to never work for anyone else ever again.
So, my story isn’t that dramatic – I didn’t quit my job to become an entrepreneur. I simply decided to not get a job after university.
I now use a lot of the skills and experience I gained not only from my career in management, but from running a music promotions company, selling photography services, consulting, agency work, facilitating workshops and live events, speaking all over the UK and being the founder of CMA.
CMA was registered in 2012 and I become a Director the day I graduated from the University of St. Andrews in June 2013.
No one has ever asked my about my degree, and no one has ever asked me for my CV. This stuff doesn’t matter anymore.
What matters is this: how can I help you to get customers and grow your business?
How does the CMA work?
So, a few things have changed around here since I started the business in 2012/3. I’ll give you the short version…
I’m not like other business people that you may have met before. I wear Diesel Jeans, Converse Trainers, checked shirts and Johnny Cupcake T-Shirts. I have tattoos, listen to shouty music and I love my New Era 59Fifty Caps. Oh, and I have a beard.
It wasn’t always this way though, I used to wear a suit. I stared out like most people do, as a consultant. I quickly realised that no one knew me and it was tough to get clients. I started facilitating live events and workshops, which helped me build my audience. I ran meet-ups and workshops for years to establish myself. Gained clients, did some agency work, and then one day, when I was standing at my desk creating someone else’s content, I realised that I wanted to make a bigger impact. This wasn’t how I was going to do it.
I did what I’ve always done. I worked my face off.
But I wasn’t enjoying it. It doesn’t make much sense to create something you own and not enjoy it. Something had to change.
So, I went back to the first ever business model I created, which was a membership organisation. It took me about 18 months to transition from a full marketing agency to a membership organisation, and in October 2016 we left our last client and officially became a fully-fledged membership business.
We completely changed our our business model and we now have over 130 members from all over the world, and we’re growing steadily.
Join the waiting list
The biggest catalyst for the change in our business has been our flagship live event, CMA Live. This is our annual conference that takes place in the summer in Edinburgh. It’s where the CMA community come together every year to celebrate being awesome.
I now find myself working with the best people I’ve ever met in my entire working life, and I’m enjoying my work more than I ever have.
In January 2017 we introduced a 12 week training programme in partnership with Marcus Sheridan and his team at The Sales Lion, and we are now teaching people from organisations from all over the world to grow their business using the principles of content marketing.
You’ve read this far…
…how do you think I can help you?
My door is always open if you would like to ask me a question, or find out how you can join us. Send me an email at [email protected] and I look forward to hearing from you 🙂
DFTBA!
Chris.