Transparency is Marketing
the truth shall set you free... including your brand and audience.
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I’m often asked about the “secrets” to marketing and without fail every single time, I tell them there is no secret…
Unless, of course, you think transparency is one.
Marketing is only complex when you overthink value…
That is…
Don’t over value what you look like to others.
Don’t under value showing the process, and
Don’t loosely value human connection.
Those three points 👆🏼 will change your entire marketing blueprint for good.
Of course, there are deeper parts to marketing, such as using systems for your output and measuring progress, but for now, let stick to three above.
Overvaluing What You Look Like
If you worry too much about how you look to others, you may inadvertently build a barrier between you and the people you want to serve.
Now, I’m not saying don’t keep your brand concise, or not looking good, but I am saying that when the audience only sees the outcomes and not the process, they tend to think you’re too important… translation, too busy to help them or to be of concern for them.
Even worse, your audience may think you don’t need their “support”, when in fact, they build your brand.
Don’t simply show them the award, the final destination or the accomplishment, but include them as part of the process.
This serves two-fold.
First, they feel included in something you’re building for them.
Second, this builds your list so you know exactly who to send your value to when it comes time.
Example: I’m launching my 2nd podcast. It will be daily and I’m starting it from scratch. In order for people to know about it, I ask my audience who’s interested. No gimmicks, no bribes, just asking who wants to be added to the list
I then reach out to each individual via Direct Message (DM) and give them my phone number for my TEXTING community.
Undervaluing the Process
When we undervalue “showing” the process, we forget how much more we benefit from the early adopters… the ones who help, support and offer insights into our journey.
We’re here to inspire… not just by our words, but more importantly… by our actions.
It’s easy to tell the world what to do.
It’s another thing when you lead by example and share the process of what you’re doing.
Why?
Cause watching someone build from scratch, whether that be a concept, idea, product or service, gives people a stronger sense of what ownership and accountability looks like.
It also gives people the ability to learn… how can they apply it to their own endeavors.
When we’re both the student and the teacher… and we build in public… we’re paving the way for others to follow suit.
We’re laying the groundwork for them.
I want people to see how I do it so they can do it for themselves.
Example: As I reach out to people in the DM for joining my texting list, I also show them the progress I’m making with the list getting bigger. I just started a week ago with a goal of 10/day added.
I’m up to 89 and I show them my progress because a.) they contributed and b.) I made them a part of my goal so they can see the progress. Imagine when they see 1K or 5K and so forth.
PS… if you feel like joining my text list… CLICK HERE (Just push send and I’ll send you another link to confirm your details.)
Of course, knowing WHY you’re doing this is everything.
For me, I’m in a period of wanting to serve differently than any of my other businesses. I want to serve through my art… writing, podcasting, design, etc.
Hence, my “why” strengthens my human connection to others and we cannot forget how important that is to anything we build.
Loosely Valuing Human Connection
When we place less emphasis on connecting, the gap between us and the people we serve becomes greater…
…how do we know what they want? how do they know we need their support?
When you’re building your brand, passion, art, or anything for the public… and others are watching, it can be easy to think we know how they feel, but until they tell us, or we ask, do we really know.
Concurrently, it could be easy to think they’ll automatically respond to our requests for support.
I have found this to not always be the case.
Others may be enamored by your work, and in turn may feel you (the creator) have it all put together, don’t need any support or aren’t approachable.
It doesn’t mean you’re giving off that vibe.
It just means that humans will be humans will be humans… and they just don’t know.
So, we have to stay connected to the people… the ones we serve with our work and endeavors… the ones we inspire to do the same for themselves.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your audience in a myriad of ways to ensure they’re an important part of the process…
Here’s an example of me reaching out to individuals, asking them for support and them being surprised. One even says he’s honored to be asked. In actuality, it is me who is honored.🙏🏼
Again, this is just an example for my world… BUT it can be applied to yours.
The bigger point made is that instead of trying to find some marketing blueprint based on academic approaches and what “everyone else is doing”, try transparency, honesty and open communication… then see what happens from there.
And I realize there’s more to marketing than the above because it also involves measuring and tracking, but that’s for another time.
Read this week’s Simplify, Multiply, Diversify below…👇🏼
SIMPLIFY…
Don’t overthink all of the steps that are needed to build your value. Take your first step and you’ll figure out the rest.
When we get stuck thinking about all of the things we need to be doing, we forget to be in the actual act of doing.
A small step in the direction of helping someone based off of your experience helps you build your blueprint in real time.
It also keeps you less distracted and more in purpose.
MULTIPLY…
Honesty has a ripple affect… it’s what you become known for and ultimately makes it easier to scale anything you build.
Translation:
If people know what to expect from you, then the bigger you get, the less you have to ask.
DIVERSIFY…
Transparency and honesty in marketing opens up opportunities you might not have otherwise thought of… when we listen to signals from the people we serve, they often give us other ways we can serve… monetized or not.
Resources…
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MATT!!!! Solid gold.
“Marketing is only complex when you overthink value…”- THIS!!! I feel this so deeply Matt. I used to overthink my value constantly. Try to explain my value through word vomit when it’s something to be experienced. When I released the need to complicate, overthink & over explain, is when things fell into alignment & I began attracting aligned clients.
I resonate so deeply with how you speak to sharing the process and being approachable. You truly embody this & it is felt!!
I love your example of reaching out via DMs, as you know I am the queen of sliding into the DMs. 😂😂😂 I think it’s so very important to connect with people and let them know you’re just as human as them. And to let others, like yourself, know…I see your humanness too.
“when we listen to signals from the people we serve, they often give us other ways we can serve… monetized or not.”—— Yes!!! Almost every one of my offerings has been birthed through this process of deeply listening to the needs of my clients in their entirety. Mind, body & spirit.
Thank you. Thank you.
Love it brother. Great message "The bigger point made is that instead of trying to find some marketing blueprint based on academic approaches and what “everyone else is doing”, try transparency, honesty and open communication… then see what happens from there."