I recently gave an hour-long presentation to business owners and coaches regarding social media marketing, creating content, SEO, and the like.
The questions I received at the end were very specific – how do I market myself if I’m a CPA, how much time should I spend on social media if I am a landscaper, etc.
One question, however, stuck with me, because it is the most important question of all.
One man asked, “SO, after all this – Facebook, Instagram, Google AdWords, blogging – can you tell us, in 30 words or less – What actually works?”
It really got me thinking. I can do presentations on tools, tips, tricks, techniques, and technology for hours – I love this stuff! I can talk excitedly about running Facebook ad campaigns, optimizing your website for mobile, setting up an email drip strategy, and using hashtags on Twitter.
But at the end of the day – What actually works? I’ll tell you. (I need more than 30 words, but bear with me.)
1 – Be amazing at what you do.
To get more clients, or customers, or donors, you need to be amazing. You need to be so great at whatever it is that you do that people will tell others about it.
There is absolutely no getting around this step. If you are not amazing at what you do, your competitors will be. So figure this out first.
2 – Love what you do.
If you do not enjoy what you do, no one will want to pay you to do it. Love what you do, and exude that love and passion in all your communications with supporters and customers.
3 – Know your audience inside and out.
Find your tribe! Read and listen to everything by Seth Godin on this topic. Find your niche – do not try to appeal to everyone! You will fail!
Find your audience, find your tribe, and listen to them. Be where they are – authentically.
4 – Give your audience the experience they want and need.
Marketing is no longer about chest-thumping, outdoing the competition, and shouting from the rooftops about how incredible you are.
Marketing is now about convincing your tribe that you are the right person, company, agency, or organization to solve their problems, when they want and need them solved.
If you are a nonprofit, marketing is about reaching people that have a personal connection to your cause – not people that just have a lot of money.
If you are a CPA, marketing is about providing an excellent, outstanding service that your clients will write about, tell friends about, and continue to use in perpetuity.
5 – Be authentic.
The word “authentic” is so over-used and misused, I hesitated to include it here. But it is SO vital and so crucial to marketing, I had to discuss it.
As defined by Merriam-Webster, authentic means (among other things) “real or genuine : not copied or false” and “true and accurate.”
So simple! You cannot buy authenticity. You cannot fake it.
If you only want to sell your product, service, or organization, people will notice. They need, want, expect, and deserve more than that.
Is there anything that I missed? What do you find “actually works” in marketing?