The Scratching Post

Strategic insights and real-world examples that help you fix what’s actually costing you leads and sales.

Why Isn’t My Website Converting?

By Nicole Gallant / January 23, 2026

Here’s What to Fix (and what to remove) If you’re asking yourself “Why isn’t my website bringing in leads?” or “How do I know if my message is clear?”, I’ve got some recommendations on how to fix that. See, many smart and capable business owners have great services, but sadly have underperforming websites. Not because…

How to Evaluate Your Most Profitable Offers

By Nicole Gallant / November 1, 2025

Why Evaluating Your Offers Matter If you’re in a service-based business, whether you’re a consultant, coach, designer, strategist, or done-for-you pro, your profitable offers are your business. The problem? Most of us rarely stop to evaluate them. We create them, price them, promote them… then chase the next shiny thing. Meanwhile, some offers make money…

Why Smart Content is Non-Negotiable

By Nicole Gallant / May 27, 2025

Smart content isn’t about fluff. It’s fuel. It’s the difference between a brand that gets ignored… and one that converts quietly, consistently, and confidently. Most content strategies fail because they’re built on guesswork, not grounded research or buyer psychology. Instead, they’re driven by assumptions, opinions, or what the author thinks their audience wants.They’re based on…

How strategic market positioning increases lead conversion

By Nicole Gallant / March 4, 2025

The Real Reason Your Marketing Isn’t Working You post consistently, tweak your offers, and even invest in ads, but the leads trickle in, and conversions remain frustratingly low. Sound familiar? The truth is, that most marketing efforts fail not because of poor execution but because of poor strategic market positioning. If your messaging doesn’t immediately…

6 Must-haves for a winning marketing plan and strategy

By Nicole Gallant / August 7, 2024

As a service-based business, there are several must-haves to include in a marketing plan to ensure success. But first, you need a strategy. A basic Google search asking for the difference between a strategy and a plan gave me this: The marketing strategy is your approach to achieving your competitive advantage — the marketing plan…

How to niche like a pro without the confusion!

By Nicole Gallant / February 24, 2024

In the world of business, everyone seems to be talking about finding and marketing to your niche. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of navigating the intricacies of niche marketing, you’re not alone. But what does that really mean? You might have heard that it’s about picking a specific group of people to sell…

An Immersive Website Experience vs Hot Trends for Small Business in 2024

By Nicole Gallant / January 10, 2024

As we enter the world of marketing in 2024, creating a positive experience for your audience remains at the top of the list. Navigating all the marketing trends can feel overwhelming. Which one will work for your business, especially if you have limited resources? Great question. I’m going to lay out the practical side of…

12 Ways to market your service-based business without using social media

By Nicole Gallant / November 20, 2023

There are many ways to market your service-based business without using social media. I am going to focus on 12 you can incorporate into your marketing strategy. First, we can all agree that marketing involves a combination of strategies to establish your brand, connect with your target audience, and showcase your expertise. As a sassy…

The marketing debate: Should your marketing content be Desire Driven or Problem Driven?

By Nicole Gallant / October 14, 2023

Should you poke the bear in your marketing content? In digital marketing, one debate always sparks discussion: Should your content focus on creating desire-driven content or addressing problems – problem-driven content? The answer isn’t as simple as choosing one over the other. If you’ve ever sat down to write marketing content, you’ve probably wrestled with…

Why bragging and casting your business as the hero is a marketing misstep

By Nicole Gallant / August 28, 2023

Marketing your business as the hero might not be the superpower you think it is Bragging and positioning your business as the hero to your audience is a marketing misstep. Why? While positioning yourself as the valiant hero, for instance, with your chest puffed and proclaiming you’re the best may sound like it would be…