Great Marketing is Similar to Going Grocery Shopping

Your marketing plan is your road map. It’s the best way to ensure your business will end up where you want it to be. I often compare marketing without a plan to going grocery shopping without a list. If you’ve ever done this, you know what happens, especially if you also shop while you’re hungry. You spend twice as much money and time as you need to, and you come home with all kinds of stuff you really don’t need or already have.
Operating your business without a marketing plan is sort of like that. You very often spend twice as much money and wasted time on marketing activities that don’t yield your desired results. When you don’t have anything to guide you in your decision-making about what marketing to do and what to pass on, you are flying by the seat of your pants.

When you create your authentic marketing plan, you want to make sure that you’re very strategic about utilizing marketing vehicles that are going to drive your boat in the direction you want it to go. You want to ensure that you’re stretching your marketing dollars so you can get the most bang for your buck and attract the right ideal clients.

Marketing is a set of consistent actions you take to get your message to those who need you, are looking for you, but don’t yet know you exist. In order for marketing to be effective, it needs to be authentic. It’s not about pretending to be someone else to sell your product or service; it is ultimately about building real relationships with real people.

When you use authentic marketing instead of coercion, pressure, or intimidation, it feels very comfortable, natural, and unforced. This is often the opposite of what many entrepreneurs think about when they hear the word marketing or networking. It’s a great relief to communicate authentically and naturally about your business.

Authentic marketing is about pulling or attracting your ideal client to you rather than pushing or forcing them towards you. It establishes a genuine connection between you and your ideal client and creates a desire for them to want to learn more about you.

Many entrepreneurs (including myself) can get distracted by “shiny object syndrome,” which means a new idea captures your imagination and attention in such a way that you get distracted from the bigger picture and go off on tangents instead of remaining focused on your goal. When developing your authentic marketing strategy, it’s important to focus on what marketing efforts are right for you and your brand.

As you build your business, it’s important for you to remain true to who you are and what God has called you to do. Don’t get off track and pursue things that you aren’t supposed to be doing. Remain authentic to who you are and what you do, and watch how your business will soar.