If you love marketing and love being on social media, this post is NOT for you.
It’s aimed at people who are allergic to it. Like me.
I’m a screenwriter and like all entrepreneurs, if I want clients, I need to promote my business. The problem is… I have headaches and skin rashes when it comes to send a promotional ad.
Why do I hate it so much?
Well… firstly, I hate receiving any kind of marketing. I really don’t like it when people force my hand to buy something I don’t need. So why on earth would I do it to others ?
Let’s look at some marketing rules and find out the reasons it bothers us so much:
Rule 1: Post on Social Media Every Day
So you can build trust.
Really?
Every person I talked to, said they receive too many emails these days, have enough FB or Instagram ads on their feeds and don’t even bother opening promotional emails anymore. So it t seems to me, it builds exasperation more than trust.
It’s even worse when they add ‘urgency’ to their promotion: ‘Only two days left and your offer is gone!’ ‘Oh no, only two hours left’… You get stressed just by reading the email. Actually, that’s the point. The idea is to make you feel on edge as if you’re missing out on something.
My gentle suggestion: I wouldn’t use these methods if, like me, you find them too abrasive. Yes, they probably work, or shall I say, used to work but I wouldn’t push you to do something that you don’t find ethical. Personally, I don’t want to distress my clients thank you very much. I think there is enough darkness out there already. My suggestion is to get aligned with your values.
Rule 2: Give Freebies and Free Webinars
People have received so many freebies these days that even if they wanted to, they don’t have time to read them all.
How about free webinars?
How many of you have spent 45 minutes attending a webinar full of hot air?
I have. And I ended up being angry at myself for wasting my own time.
People expect free stuff all the time. But here’s a truth, when they get it, they don’t value it.
People like the treasure hunt, the mystery, the bit by bit discovery, and the uniqueness.
My gentle suggestion: Give only the strict minimum. Keep the great stuff for your paying clients. Less is more. Respect your time, your energy, your knowledge and your own value.
Rule 3: Work With Marketing Consultants
I spent way too much money on marketing consultants.
I did everything they asked me to do. When they asked me to post a video to please the algorithm, I posted a video. When they asked me to follow their guidance to write an ad, I did it too.
Results? I lost money. I had no return on investment whatsoever.
Yet, when they analyzed the data’s, they found that my most successful ads were the one I did before them and without them. Ha!
Most marketing consultants have missed the train. People are wise to selling techniques now. They know the tricks. As my friend Kary Oberbrunner keeps telling me, people want authenticity and honesty.
I give you an example. If I tell my friends to watch The Last Kingdom, Archive 81 or After Life on Netflix. I am doing free marketing for Netflix but I’m not gaining anything. These TV series made me happy and I want my friends to feel the same. Therefore they’re more likely to follow my advice.
My gentle suggestion: In order to be successful in your business, make people feel good. Do things with your heart and not with your calculator. Follow your intuition and you’ll beat the algorithm, like me. If people feel good, they’ll come back to you.
Rule 4: Be Consistent
Ouch! That’s my main flaw.
I show up online whenever I can and whenever I feel like it.
It is the worse marketing ever. I know.
Being consistent builds trust. If I don’t believe in writing to your clients everyday, I do believe in consistency.
My excuses? I have many! But mainly marketing is not top of my priorities. My face to face clients are. Also, doing marketing strain my nervous system. And as my brilliant coach Cornelia Kara likes to remind me, the worst thing I could do is to scare my nervous system, it automatically leads to self-sabotage.
So what would be a solution?
My gentle suggestion: In order to feel peaceful with yourself and to keep your nervous system happy, you could try a consistency that is not too straining. Post once a month for instance and see how you feel about it.
Rule 5: Be On ALL Social Media Platforms
I’m on almost everything. And it’s exhausting.
While I’m writing this, I’ve made the decision to remove myself from some of them.
Why?
I always tell my students to follow their bliss and to stay away from anything that doesn’t sparkle their souls. I think it’s time for me to follow my own guidance.
Most platforms I’m on, do not sparkle joy. They stress me out. That’s why I’m so rubbish at it. And that’s why some people are very good at it. They genuinely love it. And it shows.
Alas, I’m not one of those. I have to make a selection and only keep the ones I like. After all, less is more….
I grew up in the eighties when social media didn’t exist. Madonna, herself likes to remind us she became a superstar when there was no social media around. Which brings me to my number one rule for marketing and for this I’ll use a quote from Ira Glass:
It’s only by going through a volume of work that you will close the gap, and your work will be as good as your ambition. Ira Glass
My gentle suggestion: The best marketing you could ever do is your work. Invest time and quality in your work and soon enough, people will start noticing. If your work is awesome, trust me, people will know.
Beware though, it takes time, it takes years even, so be patient.
PS: For more ideas on marketing, I suggest to observe people you like and see how they do their marketing. Sometimes it can sparkle inspiration. FYI my marketing mentors are Kary Oberbrunner and Denise Duffiled-Thomas.
Feel free to check them out or find your own ones x Good luck and thank you for reading.
You are a brilliant writer my friend. Great advice. I am so glad God connected us.
Me too Kary, I’m so grateful to have you as my friend and mentor.