I keep seeing news articles and emails and social media posts talking about how we woke up in a different world today in the US…
And I had a call with my mastermind group this morning, and we're definitely all feeling… well, off.
You might be feeling off too…
Everything is different, there's no denying that.
So what needs to change about how you market your business?
In my opinion… nothing.
If you've taken any of my free trainings, whether it's how to DIY your website or how to market yourself online, I talk about how marketing ISN'T about you.
It's not about getting people to find you online, it's not about getting people to buy your stuff, and it's not about setting yourself apart from everyone else out there doing what you do.
It's about SOLVING PROBLEMS and PROVIDING VALUE and giving people all the information they need to make the best decision for themselves about working with you. And building relationships with people who serve the audience you serve and collaborating to PROVIDE VALUE.
And none of that changes just because of what we're facing with a global pandemic and economic uncertainty.
I was talking to my husband yesterday about all the what-ifs…
Because I like certainty. I'm like a human-version of that automation app IFTTT (if this, then that). I like to have a plan for every scenario.
The only problem is, right now, the problems I'm “solving” in my mind are literally changing by the hour. So how can I plan for the future when the future keeps changing?!?
And my husband goes…
“How about we just not make any decisions or change anything for at least 2 weeks. Don't cancel things, don't change things. Just ride it out. You'll know more about what you need to do in two weeks.”
I loved that advice, and I wanted to share it with you too in case you're like me and want to fix everything the moment there's a “problem”.
It's not up to us to decide whether today, tomorrow or next week is or isn't the right time for people to work with us.
That decision never has been up to us. It's always been up to them. And everyone is going to make the best decision for themselves and their household about what is right for them right now.
It's totally possible that the problem you solve could have been someone's #1 concern, biggest pain point last week, and now this week, it's not even on their radar.
But for other people, the problem you solve could absolutely still be their #1 concern, and that's not for you to decide whether now is the right time for them to solve it or not.
I'm hosting a webinar for freelance web designers next week where I will absolutely let them know all about how we can work together inside my Web Designer Academy if they want to start or grow their freelance web design business – especially now that so many businesses are being forced to have an online presence in a way that they weren't just last week.
I considered cancelling or postponing it, but I decided to move forward for three reasons:
- Because my husband is right about not changing things right now (don't tell him I said that).
- Because I deliver tons of value on my webinars regardless of whether people decide to work with me or not (see “Shareworthy Freebie” below), and,
- I'm not going to make the decision for people about whether the time is right for them for us to work together. That's not my role.
So if you think it's not right to be “marketing” yourself right now, it's probably because you believe some things about marketing that aren't true.
(And you should take my free Jumpstart Your Website Traffic Mini Course to get that all cleared up).
When your marketing comes from a place of serving and helping and providing value, that approach doesn't need to change when something big happens in the world.
If you've taken any of my free trainings, you know that I teach a strategy called the “Shareworthy Freebie Strategy” where you create free content that is actionable and enables your subscriber to solve a problem and get the result that they want.
And guess what happens when someone signs up for your free thing, takes action on it and it solves their problem (aside from you becoming the obvious person to work with on a deeper level)? They tell other people about you. They send you your ideal clients.
Every person who interacts with my free training is massively valuable to me whether they ever become a customer or not, because they become my ambassadors. They send me my best customers. I have a high standard for what I give away for free for that very reason. I want you to feel fantastic about telling other people about it.
So if last week, all of your marketing was focused on solving the problems of your ideal client, knowing their pain points and struggles and dreams and goals inside and out and creating awesome free content that helps them go from where they are today to where they want to be in 3, 6, 12 months – and that's so good, they WANT to share it with other people, then…
None of that has to change.
Sure, some people might not care as much right now, but other people probably still do.
But the mistake most people make is that they're too focused on themselves and being the expert and setting themselves apart and it's all about them (not because they're conceited, but because they think that's what they're supposed to do).
Marketing has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with helping your ideal clients solve their problems and make the best decisions for themselves.
So if that's how you're marketing, then nothing needs to change.
If that's NOT how you're marketing and you want to learn more about how to market that way, then my free Jumpstart Your Website Traffic Mini Course is a great next step for you.
Note: This is the third email in my unofficial email series I'm calling the “don't quit on your business dreams and goals because of COVID-19” manifesto.
If you missed them, here are the others:
