Everyone of us has a comfort level when it comes to promoting ourselves and our business…
That is, until we recognize that the work that we’re doing is actually meant to help other people, and that if we’re not promoting or marketing properly, then what we’re actually doing is denying people who need our help.
The problem becomes, finding the fine line between promoting enough to ensure people know about your solution, and not promoting too much that you feel like a used car salesperson. Yuck.
The fine line between promoting too much and not enough
So how do you find that fine line between promoting enough but not too much?
It really comes down to the depth and frequency of your communication with your audience.
The way most icky marketers communicate is at the surface level… Then, anytime they promote something, it comes across as overly promotional.
That’s because they haven’t gained our trust.
On the other hand, if you are able to communicate with your audience on a much deeper level through content that gives them results before you ever ask for the sale, then you won’t be “too promotional” when you do ask for a exchange of value and money.
How often should you be promoting?
Now you might be wondering, okay Nathalie I get this in theory but how often should I be promoting?
I like to refer back to the 80/20 rule. If you’re sending super valuable amazing content 80% of the time you’re communicating with people, then 20% of the time you get to tell people about what offerings you have.
You can look at this within a single e-mail.
Maybe you have 80% filled with a fun story with a take away that somebody can implement right away.
And then at the end of the e-mail, either in the P.S. section or just as you’re about to wrap up you can tell people that you have coaching spots available, or a product they buy.
By doing it this way, you’re giving value in advance.
You’re also creating awareness with each e-mail that you do have something for them to take you up on, if they want to go further with you and your services or products.
What about social media?
Now let’s take a look at social media messages.
If you only post on social media when you have something to sell, people are going to get tired of seeing your promotional content.
Instead, focus on sharing great things and providing value in the form of curated content.
Then you can sprinkle promotional posts in between the regular messages that you’re sending out, and responding to.
Remember how we talked about the depth of communication as well as the frequency?
Just because you’re communicating with someone on a weekly basis or even a daily basis on social media, doesn’t mean that you’re connecting on a deep level that opens the door for non-slimy promotion.
Think about what you can provide
If you’re sending your newsletter because you “have to” but you’re not putting your heart and creativity into it, people will be able to feel it.
It’s almost like phoning it in, and not providing the space for connection that it’s meant to provide.
So before you sit down to write your next piece of communication, record your next video or podcast, think about what it is that you can provide…
I promise that when you start thinking about promotions from this viewpoint, you won’t feel sleazy or icky.
It’s really all an exchange of energy: the more great stuff you put out into the world, the more great stuff comes back to you.
So don’t be stingy, give away some of your best content, and watch what happens when you put together an offer that’s a perfect match for the people who are in your target audience.
What promotions leave you feeling great?
Now I’d love for you to leave a comment below and tell me what ways you LOVE receiving promotions and what ways you prefer not to receive promotions.
