Here’s how NOT to market your work

Be an old college friend of mine, with whom I had an awkward, complicated, and upsetting falling out with over a boy (and a girl- hey- I said it was complicated…).

Sever your friendship with me after taking his side.

Reach out to me via a templated email with a general greeting (15 years later) pretend to be friendly and say something vague like, “Hey! Hope all is well! Hope your business is great!”

And then ask me if I want to refer people to your new program.

COME ON, PEEPS. We know better by now, right???

Mass-marketing, general emails that pretend to be personal?
Adding people to FB groups without their consent?
Just pushing the BUY BUY BUY all the time to your community?

It’s so old school. It won’t set you apart. It won’t make people want to know you better. It DEF won’t make people want to buy whatever you’re selling.

Be authentic. We like you better when you’re real and not douchey- and you’ll FEEL better about being out there and visible!

Try these tactics for REAL, aligned, authentic marketing that doesn’t feel like you should be wearing a stained brown suit and standing in a parking lot of old cars:

1. Write individual, authentic reach outs whenever possible. Be personal. Tell people why you’re reaching out and what you’re asking for– but only do it to people that you already are connected to– no one wants to hear from you for the first time because you WANT something from them.
2. Tell folks you have a new group. Tell them who it’s for and what they’ll get from it. Then INVITE them to participate.
3. LOVE up your community. Talk to them. Let them get to know the authentic you (are you a little strange? THAT’S OK! Your ideal clients and community will LIKE that about you!). Provide them with solutions to their problems. Interact with them. Give them valuable content. That was when you DO have something you’re promoting, they already know, like, and trust you, and it’s a MUCH easier sell!

Tell me: what’s one thing that you wish people would stop doing in marketing? What leaves a bad taste in your mouth? Hit me up at britt@inarmscoaching.com.