Call On Your Courage: Market The Way YOU Want To Market

I’m going to share a quick story with you about how NOT to market (how do you like that? I start a post on marketing the way you want by telling you what to do? haha… I do see the irony in this). This is something that happened to me yesterday and seemed pretty timely for this post.

A few years ago I went to an event with someone I would consider sort of an ‘old school marketer’. Meaning, the way things used to be done before content marketing and social media collided. Think long, ugly sales pages and everything is about ‘them’ (i.e, they don’t share anyone else’s content, offers, etc. EVER). The event was a small event (maybe 30 people?) and was probably one of the most ego-centric events I’ve ever been too. There was some value but for the most part it was solely about them as opposed to what they could do for their clients (think nothing interactive, just talking “at you”… yawn.). Enough about me, what do you think about me?

Yea… one of those people.

So yesterday I’m enjoying my coffee and reading emails while watching the previous nights episode of Shark Tank (love me some Shark Tank) and I get an email from YouTube because someone sent me a video. The subject line of the email was (I’m using ‘old school marketer’ in place of the person’s actual name):

Old School Marketer sent you a video

Then I watched the video.

Let’s just say if I had sound effects I’d be queuing hysterical laugher.

OMG.

I’ll summarize for you.

Basically they said hello and that they’ve been getting my emails and watching what I’ve been doing in my business and then wanted to invite me to their upcoming event in February. They felt they could help me in my business (mind you, they just told me how great things were going for me) and I could get a ticket for half off! Oh, and then there was this little last ditch effort about working together.

WTF?

Literally.

First, let me just tell you that out of curiosity I did check my subscribers and they’re not actually on my email list. Why would you say something like that when it could be verified?

Second, we haven’t talked in a few years and the first point of interaction with me is to “invite” me to your event for half off?

The whole thing was just wrong.

It reeked of desperation and insincerity. It’s clear they were using a script and were simply inserting someone’s name into it. After being amused, a little part of my ego was offended. Because clearly they hadn’t taken even a few more minutes to see what I had been up to. If you’re going to do ‘cold’ email marketing (because really, even though we knew each other, this was pretty close to ‘cold’ marketing), at least take a few minutes to add some form of personalization in (I learned this from a recent podcast interview with a company that does exactly this).

I’m not saying it would have made me want to go to the event (because even a free ticket to the event and all expenses paid wouldn’t have made me want to g0), but it wouldn’t have felt quite as desperate.

I still blows me away when I see people marketing like it’s 10 years ago.

Don’t be like this person.

Be Yourself.

There’s nothing in me that doubts for a minute that we ALL know how we want to #showup and move through the world. That doesn’t mean we always do it, but in my gut I believe we know how we want to feel when we’re doing business.

Forget what EVERYONE else is telling you you “should” be doing.

I’m not saying not to plan or have a strategy, but every time I’ve gone outside of myself (hear, didn’t trust myself) and tried to use copy that didn’t sound like me or show up in a way that really wasn’t who I am, it failed. As in #epicfail.

Every time I DO show up as myself?

Validation.

It doesn’t have to be a sale. Sales are great, but they’re only one metric in business (albeit a very important metric). Not everyone is going to buy from you… today. And that’s O.K. We’re in this for the long haul, remember? I can guarantee you that every relationship you nurture, piece of valuable content you create or problem you solve will give you a better long-term ROI than one sale that didn’t feel ‘quite right’.

[tweet_box]Not everyone is going to buy from you today. And that’s O.K. We’re in this for the long haul, remember? Focus on value and relationships.[/tweet_box]

Here’s a quick list of things that might get your mind going if you’re just starting to step into “marketing the way YOU want to market.”

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• Write in your own voice
• Be genuine – share the wins AND the losses
• Don’t be afraid to take a stance (have an opinion)
• YOU define what your business is… and who you work with
• Say “No”
• Have fun!
• Create your own rules
• Decide you don’t need ALL the answers
• Create & produce what YOU would want to read, consume, buy, etc.
• Trust yourself

[/list]

Lastly, go easy on yourself.

I baby stepped my way into “showing up” as myself (now it feels like I’ve “come home”). I believe with every ounce of my being that this is the ONLY way to grow and scale a business you love.