Start
With Yourself
We
have all seen Gandhi's “Be the change....” posted as a meme on
every inspirational page ever. There is a reason for this fact, it is
great advice. It is pithy and practical. No one can argue the
point. This concept also works in relationships, in career, and yes,
in marketing. Just like you cannot attract the perfect mate or friend
until you are happy with where you are in life, you also cannot
attract the perfect business client until you develop a voice, brand,
and professional image that you love authentically. This may seem obvious, but then
why is their so much marketing content out there that falls flat on this point? 80%
of the time, generic-feeling marketing content is caused by a company failing to
prioritize marketing that reflects the founding mission and values.
You
Can't Win'em All
When
life inevitably teaches you what it feels like to start from a place
of self knowledge, two things happen. The first is that certain
people in your life fade away or abruptly break it off with you
completely. The second is that people who are in a similar place of
self-empowerment enter your life and stay. The same is true in marketing,
and that is why so many businesses are afraid of true authenticity.
These businesses are afraid of step one. They fear that when the
people who don't align with the mission fall away, there will be no one left.
Even though these customers are usually the kind that cause heartache (or at least neck pain), it is hard to trust that your perfect people
will be waiting on the other side of this purge. Trust me, all people
who experience this process personally or professionally with tell
you, your perfect friends, lover, and clients are out there ready for
you to tell them who you are.
You
Don't Have to Jump Off the Cliff
I
can hear my mother's voice now. It's so obvious that just because the
other kids are jumping off a cliff, I don't have to. Then why do so many
businesses still jump off all these marketing cliffs? I am not
saying a businesses shouldn't pay attention to marketing trends, but
trend examination should come from a place of reflection on appropriate
voice for a brand. The latest example I have seen is Facebook Live.
Every marketing trend tracker is talking about Facebook Live, and
people are using it. Way. Too. Much. Before you start making videos
of yourself talking about your business every single day, ask
yourself, is this resonant with your audience. So many of these
Facebook Live posts would be so much more appropriate on a platform
like a business YouTube channel where the presentation is a little
more subtle and respectful of the personal nature and urgency of Facebook. So before
you jump off the next marketing trend cliff, ask yourself if it truly reflects your brand. Ignore the fear mongering click-bait that says “If
you aren't using this new marketing trend, you are missing sales!”
xoxo,
Megan Hayne
