I can’t get over how many people I’ve had conversations with that have a big fear I never would have guessed.
Encountering an enormous hungry grizzly bear?
Dying? No. Public speaking? Not that one either.
Marketing!
Whah?!?
Yes! So many small business owners I talk with are afraid of marketing.
See, you can avoid a grizzly bear…don’t go into the woods! Dying…we all will, so we accept it as part of life. Public speaking…if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.
But, if you own a business there’s NO avoiding marketing! It’s part of business! So, I thought it pretty important to dive into this fear and ask some questions.
What are you feeling when it comes to marketing?
- Overwhelmed is the #1 answer
- the second is frustration and
- the third is stressed-out. (I feel like this should be an episode of Family Feud)
What is the fear about? You may be saying to yourself:
- “I’m not good at it.”
- “I can’t get anyone to LIKE my Facebook page.”
- “I hate selling.”
People think marketing is this BIG, HUGE grizzly bear that needs to be tackled and tamed. I don’t know about you, but that’s the LAST thing I want to tackle.
But, how would you feel if you could curl up with the cuddly and cute version?
As we talked deeper about the feelings and the fears, it really boiled down to:
- NOT knowing where to start.
- Expecting delusions of grandeur after one campaign.
Marketing, in it’s simplest form is – CONNECTING!
It’s rolling up your sleeve and communicating with your tribe, your people, your ideal clients or however you label them.
That’s it!
Yes, there are a lot of ways to market but for all intent and purpose, and to quell the fear, it’s all about connecting to the people you love – and who love you and your product or service.
“Okay that’s great,” you may be thinking, “but nobody even knows I exist. Where do I start?”
Like any great endeavor – walking, driving, zip lining, reading War and Peace – it starts with the first step.
Whether you’re just starting out in your business, or you’re seasoned and need to tweak a few things, just do these 2 things:
- Start talking to the people that like what you do. Ask a lot of questions! Really get to know what they’re about and how you can help them. And, if they want to stay in touch with you – get their name and email and add them to your list of valuable kindred spirits.
- Rinse and Repeat!
See, it’s not grizzly, overwhelming or frustrating. Starting with the cuddly, warm and fuzzies is the best place to start your marketing.
Does the BIG, BAD MARKETING fear feel small and manageable now?
Next time… building your list (with people that actually want to be there) and creating your email marketing.
Until then…
Tally Ho,
Christine
P.S. If you like what you’re reading I’d like to hear from you…go ahead, leave a comment below. If you need more help with your marketing and content strategy, go ahead an contact me HERE