Why being YOU is the only way to market from the heart

When I mention the word “marketing” how do you feel? Maybe you have an “icky” feeling in your gut as you think about the cheesy sales pages that you find online that go on and on…and on, with red text full of exclamation points?

Or maybe you remember the time you went to a networking meeting and everyone seemed to be thrusting business cards into your hands intent on you becoming their very next customer?

If this is your only experience of marketing then I don’t blame you at all for thinking it’s impossible to ever market in a heart-centred way!

Luckily there’s another approach…

How would it feel just to be YOU when you create marketing materials for your business – whether that be website copy or business cards to share at a networking event? Are you already breathing a big sigh of relief?

I honestly believe that the biggest asset in your business is you, and by NOT sharing yourself authentically you are preventing your Perfect People (your Tribe, or ideal clients) from finding out about you.

You are doing the world a dis-service by NOT sharing your values

Most likely you will have very similar values to your Perfect People. THAT is why when you meet (either online or face to face) you immediately feel a connection. So you can start to see why it’s important that your values shine through in your marketing, can’t you?

It was important for Marianne (one of my Bespoke Website Package clients) to feel she was working with someone who really “got” her and used language that echoed the tone she wanted for her own site. As she said herself:

“I found Kate through her website, and liked her simple, accessible approach. The language, in particular, echoed a tone that I wanted for my own website…It’s not easy to get across the nature of the work I do, and she and her colleagues were so sensitive and aligned with my values.”

If my site, and particularly my About Page, had not been written “from the heart” Marianne would probably not have felt that sense of connection from the start. (And the bonus is that it is so much easier to write in your own speaking voice, rather than feel you have to use some kind of “business marketing speak”!)

What three words describe you?

It sometimes feels a bit daunting to focus on yourself to this extent, but getting clear about your values is the first step to living life and doing business authentically.

If you are stuck you can use this downloadable list to check your values. Start by picking 8 words that just “feel right” to you. Next rate them on a scale of 1-10 to find out which are your top 3 values.

You can also ask a few trusted friends or solopreneur colleagues to come up with three words THEY would use to describe you.

I encourage you to be even more of yourself when working on your marketing. (And if the term “marketing” itself still feels uncomfortable maybe substitute it with “connecting”, or “sharing your message” with your kind of people).

Take action, right now and start with your Bio

Take your first step and write a short “professional bio” that you can use under your blog posts, or on your website. (You can see mine, right below this post).

Over to you…craft your very own bio (think of it as the starting point for your new About Page that’s going to enable us to find the “real you” online) and share in the comments below.

If you are struggling to figure out how to translate your own authentic voice into a clear marketing message, sign up for a Website Strategy Session where I will focus on helping you clarify your message in a way that works online to reach more of your Perfect People.

Photo credit: Emmanuel Huybrechts