MORE MATTERS
Everyone wants more of something. In business we want more clients, more recognition, more money, more success. But stop and ask yourself could you be doing less in order to make more?
From a marketing perspective I would tell you without hesitation that more is a good thing, but only if you are doing less. An oxymoronic statement for sure…so, let me explain.
I’m not suggesting that you stop promoting, getting your name out there or satisfying your clients. I’m saying find the things that you are good at and do a massive amount of those things.
Personally, I recently realize that not only am I a good writer, but I actually love to write. I love flowers, seashells, the ocean and artistic expression. I’m a minimalist at heart (although if you saw my office, you might not agree with that statement).
Minimalist at Heart
The point is that I was having a hard time grasping what I would say on social media for my business and myself. But I was rocking out wonderful content for my clients. I kept asking myself how I would get my point across to my audience when I didn’t feel like setting up a video production studio at home just to make videos for social media. Then it hit me, why not focus on one of your other talents that bring you joy and that you have been empowered to do well…write.
I don’t have to do a ton of different things to bring value and connect with my clients. But I am going to do a lot of writing and artistic/creative things so that I connect parts of who I am with what I do while I’m doing it. The realization that ‘less is more’ gives me the freedom to do a few things that come out of my talent pool, really, really well and have massive impact on my clients and those around me.
I’m not saying that I won’t create videos, but I am saying that I will write the content and then record the video after I have had a chance to fully enjoy the writing process.
The same could be true for you. Are you tired of marketing like a robot while you work to connect with people on a genuine level? You are not alone. I know so many people who hate marketing. Look I mean they loathe it and are constantly uninspired by the process of it. I was there. My team members have been there from time to time. But we had to start tapping into what we love to do and then doing those things first, out the gate in order to feel not only connected to the client or customer. But also inspired by the process.
LESS IS MORE
Here are a few tips to help you get inspired to market your business with fresh eyes and happy hearts.
Look at your hobbies.
Your hobbies should be your happy place. Whether it is rock collecting or fishing. You should have a hobby that you love to do. The reason I’m having you look at your hobbies is because it will lend insight into the kinds of activities that you enjoy. If you like skiing, maybe you should look at marketing from a more action-oriented perspective. If that’s the case, videos, boomerangs, etc. might be a better use of your time. Those who like movement, should in fact use marketing tactics that encourage the fluidity of moving objects instead of stoic and stillness.
That way when you are creating your content, it not only reflects who you are, but it also inspires the person that likes the feeling of adrenaline that you get when you’re on the slopes.
Make a list and check it twice.
There are so more than enough marketing categories for you to choose from just by reading this article by Clifford Chi entitled, “41 Types of Marketing Your Brand Can Invest In.” When you discover something that sounds like a good fit don’t hesitate; give it a go. Maybe it’s not video. Heck maybe it’s not social media. Try something else that grabs your interest that can also give you and your business more exposure.
When you wrote down your hobbies, hopefully you got a sense of what matters most to you and where you get inspiration and where you feel most comfortable.
For instance, some who likes to read might be the best person to really crank out blog posts. An artist may be great and creating unique graphics or video that grabs people’s attention.
I like to keep a list of marketing categories at my desk so that I can see which ones make sense for me when I’m working on my clients to pair our activities to what fits their audience the best.
Adopt the Pareto mindset
The Pareto Rule states that “80% of outcomes (or outputs) result from 20% if all causes (or inputs) for any given event. In other words, 20% of what you are doing in your marketing efforts is accounting for 80% of your marketing effectiveness.
The assertion is that identifying and doing the vital few which will create the most impact. The point is that focusing on less strategic activities will achieve more marketing results for your brand.
The point is not to overwhelm yourself with the many just to achieve much. We don’t need 20 irons in the fire in order to get one that strikes hot. Instead, consider that you may need to simply turn up the fire on the few and let them do the job of creating more for you and your business.
