Whether you're a business owner or an employee, like it or not, there are thousands of people in your industry...
Notice I didn't say, "There are thousands of business owners/employees just like you" because that's not true. However, if you present yourself like everyone else or play it safe in your marketing, then you might as well be just like everyone else.
(And even if you don't think you're in the business of marketing, you are. If you're an employee, you're constantly marketing yourself, proving that you're the ideal person in your position.)
The key to attracting high quality clients and to having a profitable business is to stand out from the crowd. You do that in two ways:
1. Market authentically
2. Reveal the true you
If you're marketing authentically - what feels right, what you believe in, what you stand for, what you're passionate about, what services you offer that really solve problems, your gifts - then it's going to connect more powerfully with your audience.
So, what gets in the way of marketing authentically?
Fear that you're going to turn people off. You're not for everyone. You're not everyone's ideal service provider. (And everyone is not your ideal client.) It's better to quickly weed out those who are not a good fit and really home in on the ones who are. What you really want is for people to go, "She so gets me! I want her!"
Fear that people will think you're too pushy. Marketing sometimes gets a bad rap, but that's only if you're marketing in a smarmy, manipulative way. Letting people know how you can help them is not being pushy. Giving them real information is what they want.
Fear that you're not including everyone if you narrow your marketing. This is actually a good thing. It's much harder to write a single marketing piece that appeals to all genders, all ages, all professions. Once you narrow down your market, it actually makes marketing so much easier.
Fear that you're a fraud. You aren't like every other person in your industry. You have skills that others can't do or can't do as well. Or you have a specific set of gifts and past experiences that you bring to your business and your clients - every day. You deserve to claim your brilliance.
If you can get over these four fears, your marketing will be easier and more productive. And then it all snowballs, and you'll see those results in your business.
Here's to the real you!
Dawn Shuler, Content Creator Extraordinaire, helps entrepreneurs and authors convey their deep message into compelling words, whether it's marketing material or a book, as well as to create powerful content to increase their credibility, visibility, and profitability. Her soul purpose is to help entrepreneurs unleash their authentic selves into their businesses through their content. She created the Writing From Your Soul system to help business owners connect more powerfully, reach more people, and make a difference. Download the free, 13-step system at www.WritingFromYourSoul.com.