“I Hate Marketing” — Until This Happened

The unexpected moment everything changed for one local business owner (and how you can skip the hard part)

“I hate marketing.”

That’s what she said — arms crossed, eyes tired, tone flat. Let’s call her Sarah. Sarah owned a care home just outside London. She loved her work. Her team was brilliant. The residents adored her.

But filling rooms? That was a nightmare.

“I didn’t start this business to post on Instagram,” she muttered.

Sound familiar?

A lot of brilliant local business owners feel the same way. Marketing feels... slimy. Confusing. A time-suck. Or worse: like shouting into a void.

But then one thing happened that changed everything for Sarah.

🧠 The Wake-Up Moment: “Someone said they chose us because of our video.”

It was a 29-second clip.

One of the care workers had filmed a casual moment; a resident singing along with a staff member during afternoon tea. No script. No filters. Just joy.

Sarah reluctantly posted it on Facebook with the caption:

“Just a glimpse into our Tuesday afternoons.”

She didn’t even hashtag it.

That week, she got an email:

“Hi, we’ve been looking for a place for our mum. Your video really moved us. Could we book a visit?”

No pitch. No fancy ad. Just realness.

That’s when it clicked.

💡 The Shift: Marketing Isn’t About Selling. It’s About Showing.

Sarah had thought marketing meant pretending.

But the moment she got vulnerable, the right people leaned in.

So we built a simple strategy around showing instead of selling.

• Weekly reels of everyday moments (meals, walks, staff intros)

• Stories from the staff — why they love what they do

• Behind-the-scenes content showing how much care goes into daily routines

• Google reviews from families, turned into short visual posts

🧲 The Results? Not Overnight But Consistent

After 60 days:

• Inbound enquiries increased by 70%

• Their waitlist started to build

• Staff felt proud (and seen) as the content reflected their impact

• Families said: “You felt familiar before we even stepped in the door.”

🎯 If You Hate Marketing, Do It Differently

Marketing doesn’t need to be polished, salesy or “perfect.”

It needs to be honest. Human. Reassuring.

Especially for local businesses where trust is the product.

You don’t need 1M followers. You just need the right 1,000 people in your community to notice, trust, and choose you.

And that starts by showing up with content that speaks their language. Not marketing jargon.

Not Sure What That Looks Like for You?

I help local businesses like Sarah’s turn their everyday reality into powerful, trust-building content that actually drives enquiries.

If you’re ready to stop hating marketing and start making it work, reach out. It’s simpler than you think.