Of all the business terms that need reinterpretation,
marketing is certainly at the top of my redefinition list.
Over the years, I’ve seen many marketing tactics fall in and
out of favor.
This has lead to a lot of confusion. Many conscious peoplke have experienced a complete
shutdown of activity due to the overwhelming feeling
that depth of confusion brings.
When you look at all the definitions of “marketing” being shared
continuously, it’s no wonder confusion reigns supreme.
Some people define marketing as “Generating a qualified
lead.”
Others define marketing as “sales.”
Even the prestigious American Marketing Association says, “Marketing
is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating,
communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for
customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”
For Conscious and
Enlightened Business Owners, these are not definitions that inspire
understanding and activity.
The fact is, before anyone can interact with your business, a
group of people who have reason to care (a niche audience) have to be
interested enough to take a look.
You have to “Attract” them to your presence (Brand) in a
compelling way.
So marketing is redefined, in conscious terms, as “Attraction.”
Marketing attracts people who have a reason to care to your offering of
service.
It makes sense, doesn’t it?
Here’s the funny thing. Marketing of the far distant past is
now the “latest idea” in marketing.
Join me in my
marketing time machine for a moment.
Way back in the 1920’s – 1950’s advertising was marketing.
But it was not the “hard sell, hook-‘em-in”
kind of messaging we associate with advertising today either.
It was actually value driven.
It gave information to people to help them decide to buy (or
not) or to be even more loyal to a brand (presence) they already loved.
Advertising of that day let people draw their own
conclusions.
In fact, David Ogilvy, the man who is consider to be the
“Father of Advertising” said, “It
has been found that the less an advertisement looks like an advertisement
and the more it looks like an editorial, the more readers stop, look, and
read.”
In Mr. Ogilvy’s day, “an editorial” was more of an
educational piece that informed and inspired. Sounds like the goal of content marketing
today, doesn’t it?
Think about this for
a moment.
When your marketing is not focused on sales but focused on serving others through educational information, the more it will attract people to your presence and the greater likelihood it
will be read and seen.
Marketing today is designed to provide useful (and
inspiring) information that educates and helps people decide to buy (or not) or
to be even more loyal to a brand (presence) they already love.
As conscious business owners this is really good news. We
now attract by being useful to those
we best serve.
What is being useful
all about?
Today we’re hearing a lot about creating marketing that is
useful to the people you want to serve.
Books like, Youtility,
by Jay Baer and Control Alt Delete,
by Mitch Joel talk about making marketing ‘useful’ extensively.
Why is it that usefulness and marketing are combining into
one idea?
Because when you are useful you are “of service”.
Being of service to another attracts interest to you; the presence
that educated and inspired.
Let’s expand our “redefinition,” based on what
we’ve just looked at:
Marketing is now
defined as: A sharing of your talent, knowledge and experience in a useful
way that attracts interest to you,
your Brand (presence) and ultimately to your gift of service, also known as your
business offering.
When you’re attracting in this way, you are sharing your heart-felt passion as well as your knowledge, talent and experience.
Sharing your passion creates
enthusiasm and that is an act of Love.
When you develop your personal Brand (presence) and express
it in service, with passion and conviction, you become enthused (infused with
spirit).
This Love of your life and work is a magnetic power that authentically attracts
those who you can best serve.
As we know, everyone is attracted to the magnetic power of
Love.
Here’s an idea on how
to begin building your magnetic attraction (marketing) program.
Enjoy telling a story worth telling to those who can relate
to the story most.
The people who will enjoy your story most are people just
like you.
To understand them best, get quiet, focus on your Heart
space, look deep inside and ask, “What
story (information that inspires and educates) would I personally most like to hear
myself?”
Then create that gift of a wonderful story based on what you
personally would like to see.
Share it so the world will see it too. Then spread the word. Start
small if you must, but start.
When you do this consistently, in a creative way that you personally
feel inspired by, you will change lives.
The energy of changing lives opens the channel to thrive.
The energy of thriving creates prosperity because it opens the channel to your
personal business expression, which can be the difference in the world that you
are here to make.
Remember:
Brand is your presence.
Marketing is your creative and inspired story that
magnetically attracts those who are seeking you.
Realize that people
are seeking your gifts right now.
The likely challenge is that you’re invisible to people you can serve. So your gifts are not seen or not seen as widely as they
need to be for you to thrive.
Expand your reach by inspiring those you serve. Share your
enthusiasm as an act of Love.
Become “useful” thus seen in the marketplace.
The result of doing this
is, you fulfill your destiny.
You will achieve your desire to do work that matters with people
who have a reason to care most.
Then feel the gratitude coming back to you in the form of the energy of money.
Success is an energetic cycle that you create by the giving of yourself
and your gifts to others.
Marketing is the attraction step in your business that
makes the energy of money and thriving occur.
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