Don’t Believe the Hype
I know you have seen the ads or posts… “In the last 2 years, I have made $20 million using this 1 simple trick! You can do it too!”
That may be an exaggeration but not by much. We have all seen online marketers use that language to bring in clients.
A recent Facebook post stated that this kind of marketing must stop. They didn’t mention what it was to be replaced with or really why it should be stopped. Just that the oversimplification and pulling you in with overblown numbers and hype needs to stop.
My question is why? It must be working or those successful marketers would not be using that language.
The alternative is educating ourselves. Do the due diligence that a leader should do to really LEAD.
If you accept every bit of hype you see you will run into things that simply don’t work for you.
You will learn that doing that ‘1 thing’ really involves numerous steps, a large team, and, often, a sketchy relationship with authenticity and concern about the value your client receives.
Another alternative is to lead by example.
If that very masculine way of marketing doesn’t work for you or feel good to you, don’t buy, don’t follow their example, and don’t give in to the hype. There are other ways to market.
Embrace authentic and inspirational marketing.
I used to work with an online marketer who was authentic to the point that it increased her bottom line. She used generosity as a way to open up your pocketbook and feed her ego. She used the hype to bring clients in.
I have seen the results of that way of marketing.
The entrepreneurs who are drawn in by the flashy sales message and then are not a good fit for the program. After spending thousands of dollars they are disillusioned with the marketer's methods or, frankly, hold on for dear life, continuing to believe everything the marketer tells them and yet, finding themselves deeper in debt and no closer to reaching their dream than they were when they started working with the marketer.
It’s an awful situation.
It’s the difference between having the ability or desire to work with someone that feels 100% authentic to you or giving into the fear, which then allows you to be sucked in by the hype.
I know how it works. I’ve been there. I’ve been the catalyst for bringing some folks into programs with those very same online marketers.
I’ve made the choice, after seeing the effects of some of these programs, to be completely authentic. To share and market in a way that not only feels good to me, but that gives you the information you need to make an informed decision.
All decisions have some level of emotion to them. When you remove the hype, you remove some of the emotion. When you are honest, that the journey to grow your business isn’t ‘simple’ or a straight line, you give people the opportunity to make an informed decision.
Growing your business isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. Longevity isn’t built around a single tactic. Doing something you love, providing real value to clients, and creating a sustainable business doesn't come from a strategy that crams you into a box.
Be discerning. Take the time to talk to a mentor. Don’t buy into the hype. Question where information is coming from. Trust your intuition. Trust your guidance.
Work with someone who sees you for who you are and encourages you to build that into your strategy. You will be more successful and feel better about the experience.