Understand what you’re being marketed as a coach, healer or other creative and what’s more important instead
If you listen to the marketplace (e.g. all the marketing directed at coaches, healers and other creative entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses) you could be forgiven for thinking there is an enormous tome of secret marketing knowledge out there, where all the tactics and strategies and rules are laid out for you.
And all you need is access.
The overt or implied message is if you just follow these rules, you’ll have a thriving business.
Poof. You’ll sell your services! You’ll fill your programs! You'll be successful - beyond your wildest imagination!
It’s tempting.
Because who doesn’t want their business to be successful? We all do. That’s why we’re running a business. We want to reach people. We want to usher in change. Heal. Transform.
And, we want to make money.
We want to nourish ourselves. Sustain our lives and families. Do good things – for the world and ourselves – with what our businesses provide us with.
The marketers marketing to you know this.
Those things can happen.
Absolutely. I’ve seen it.
But, the thing I want to tell you today is - there isn’t a hidden source with all the marketing secrets that will be the silver bullet. And, what’s most often being promoted isn’t that one key to guarantee your business’ glorious success.
Rather, it’s what worked for them in their business. They’re tactics vs. strategy. They're things like grow your list, create an Instagram platform, build a killer opt-in, etc.
They're not focusing on the big picture or journey that you need to walk to create a business your clients can know, like and then trust to help them.
They might work for you.
Especially if you have your business’ foundation in place. If you have your marketing starting point, compelling well-written offers, and a website that offers a rich conversation for potential clients.
If you have resonant content that showcases your essence that you share consistently. If you practice promoting offers grounded in authenticity that support and respect your ideal client’s ability to decide what’s best for themselves.
Then these individual tactics could work.
Then again, they might not offer what you think
Instead of looking for a single solution, a specific set of tactics building your business’ foundation and beyond, it's much more important to focus on following these principles:
Finding and using your authentic voice
Having a genuine message to bring to the marketplace
Using the specific resonant language for your clients
Creating impactful, meaningful messages
Promoting in a way that aligns with your own gifts and talents and that respects what people need to say ‘yes’ to what you offer
Showing up, consistently and with an aim to add value
Developing a good relationship with your marketing, approaching it as part of your overall service vs. something on a to-do list, separate from your mission
There's no way a single formula can cover all of that.
When you follow these principles, your business becomes a unique expression of yourself, your soul’s work, your essence. It becomes authentic, magnetic.
I can’t think of anything more extraordinary than that.