Why you might want to rethink the way you are marketing
You might think that the best way to get people’s attention is to simply walk up to them and start talking. That might give you their attention for a second, but that’s not what you want. Cold emails and ads are principally the same. Though it doesn’t have to be super rude, approaching people in such a cold way can be annoying and you won’t make a lot of friends.
Do ads really have the desired effect? In many cases the answer is no. In today’s world, it’s hard to get your message across by just shouting at other people’s faces.
Photo by Krists Luhaers
Just ask yourself
Don’t get me wrong, I also write cold emails, but ask yourself:Who are the people you pay attention to?
There are some people who draw in all of your attention, while actually marketing themselves and their business.
Why?You learn something from them. People pay attention because they want to learn something. Even in movies and other forms of entertainment, people pay attention because they want to know how the story ends; they want to learn something.
So, if you want people to listen, you just have to share what you know.Teach everything you know. I genuinely believe that’s the best way to get people to listen. Not to mention that you’re actually creating value while doing so.
“People don’t care about your business unless you give them a reason to“— Ali Mese
Photo by Jason Rosewell
Push vs Pull / Outbound vs Inbound
You can push something, or pull people in. Outbound vs Inbound. Interruption vs. Attraction. I’m not saying that one is per se better than the other, but calling outbound marketing an interruption definitely has something to it.
The medium you use to get your message across doesn’t necessarily make you a bad marketer. Even content marketing can become pretty spammy. That’s where you might need to shift your mindset a little. Don’t think of it as content marketing, think of it as teaching. Don’t start with the numbers. People first, stats second. Most businesses find it hard to create materials without immediately expecting returns. But if you honestly care about making people’s lives better, you will succeed in the end.
Photo by Aravind Kumar
If your stuff doesn’t even feel like marketing, you’re doing a great job.
This post is the first one of a series. The next one is about how to do it: How to Pull People In