Should I do Facebook lives? What about posting inspirational memes on Instagram? I’m a really good public speaker, should I start doing that more to market my business?
These are all good questions. Really good ones. With so many options out there available to creative business owners who want to show up and market their businesses, it can be hard to choose.
The truth is, though, many people start asking those questions way too early in their business’ development.
It’s understandable why.
The marketplace targeted at coaches, healers or other creatives trying to grow their businesses is chock full of information about how to use various marketing channels effectively to grow your business and increase your client list. The list seems endless.
There is a place for this type of discussion, but only if the timing is right.
Whenever someone asks me about specific marketing channels and their effectiveness, I tell them they need make sure they have the basics in place first.
Building a House
When you’re building a house, before you frame the walls and put the roof on, you need to measure, dig, and plan the foundation. You have to decide what type of concrete structure you’ll use – a slab on grade or a frost protected type.
The foundation must have the right mix of water to cement. It needs to be poured correctly and given adequate time to cure. In short, many things must be in place and done right before you can build on top of it, secure in knowing the house you’re constructing will be solid, safe.
It's the same with marketing.
Focusing on which channels you’re going to use to promote an offer or grow visibility, without having a proper groundwork in place, is like picking curtains and fabric patterns before laying the footings of your house.
What is Your Marketing Foundation?
Your marketing foundation is what I call your Authentic Core Statement. That statement is one that clearly articulates who you help and what you help them with. And, it does it in a way that resonates with your ideal clients. In a way that lets them feel seen.
Having this in place is critical before you start planning which channels you’re going to use or which actions you’re going to target, because, just like the substructure in a new home build, everything else in your marketing gets built on top of it.
Start Strong
Having a solid, effective Authentic Core Statement lets you build clear and compelling offers and construct a welcoming and effective web presence. It lets you create valuable content that resonates with your ideal clients. It helps you design a marketing plan that lets you reach your ideal client.
Without a strong sense of who you help and what you help them with, without an Authentic Core Statement, your marketing framework won’t be on solid ground. If anything is unclear or not in alignment, all those other marketing elements in your business (your offers, web presence, content, etc.) are going to be weaker. And, will likely have to be redone to shore them up.
It’s worth spending time building a strong foundation.
It can feel more satisfying, often, to be planning out which memes you’re going to share in Instagram or setting up your editorial calendar run for your business page’s posts, but doing the base work, with care and thought, is much more important in the long run.
That’s something I hope you’ll want to build on.
If you’d prefer to watch a video I made on this topic, click here.
Photo by Saul Cuellar on Unsplash