Marketing Strategy – The Best Marketing is Your Current Reality

On The Friday Society Podcast I gave a short episode of marketing strategy and the best marketing is your current reality!

This topic is important to me because it’s something I see a lot of people forget to do. Which is to market your product while it’s happening!!

Are you promoting as it’s happening?

For example, you promote a teacher training program for three months and then stop talking about it the day you begin. Or, you talk about your January challenge for weeks. Then January 1st comes and there’s no word of it again on your emails or on social.

Talking about your product AS it’s happening is the best way for people to understand and get a clear sense of what it’s like to work with you!

A lot of us tend to talk about what we’re selling with a very detached approach. By that I mean it is hard for the consumer to visualize what it would be like once they purchase our product and begin working with us. We type out a lot of words, and think that’s enough for people to purchase. I’m super guilty of this, especially in the beginning, but these are some tips I’ve learned along the way! 

I just wrapped up our 21 Day Show Up + Get Comfortable Challenge, and it was SO fun. For 21 days, I emailed the group a prompt to talk about relating to their businesses in new and creative ways. This helped release the pressure that every post has to perform, and honestly to start to having fun with social.

The way this impacted their businesses was HUGE, and I feel like every day someone messaged inside our group being like “wow I got new sign ups and members.” While they were surprised, I was not surprised at all! Sometimes we glaze over our marketing strategy and what we are trying to ultimately accomplish.

Marketing Strategy 101

Show, and then tell

Be consistent in your marketing strategy. The reason I’m bringing this is up is because I gave the group a prompt that was to SHOW your client what it’s like to work with you. Honestly, this stumped a lot of people. We’re so used to talking about our products before someone works with us. Or telling someone all of the benefits, but we’re not great at SHOWING, and that’s a huge gap in marketing.  

Show your clients the results

I want you to think about the last thing you bought, this could be coffee, a meal, a workout class, anything. It’s likely that you knew exactly what this process would be like. You could picture the inside of Starbucks, you know what it feels like to hold the cup, and you know what the drink you love tastes like. You know this product backwards and forwards, and that increases the likelihood that you’re going to buy it over and over again. 

Now, let’s say the most recent thing you bought was an item you’ve never tried before. For example, I bought this Vuori sweatshirt yesterday. I’ve never been inside a Vuori store and I’ve never touched this sweatshirt. But I’ve seen it on social, I’ve seen people wear it, and I could picture what it would look like on me. I felt cozy before I even bought it! As soon as I saw it in the store, it was mine. And guess what, I’m wearing it right now! And everything I was able to ascertain from social and the way this product was portrayed feels accurate and aligned to what I was thinking, now that I bought it. 

When we tell someone about our product, it’s really just words. They don’t have anything to go off of. When we show someone, through pictures, videos, and tutorials that’s when they can really begin to understand how they would feel working with us. 

Things that help – visual aids

• Even if you’re just showing a behind the scenes look at you on your computer, show us what you’re working on! Show us a behind the scenes look at the software you use, or things you’re doing on the back end to lead by example. What does your client truly want? Show us how you do that, on a day to day basis. It’s not even to just TELL, you also have to SHOW. 
• Photos of your studio, equipment, massage table, whatever your product is, use that as the background on your stories and posts to continue to associate the valuable content you’re putting out there with the subconscious feeling of being on this equipment. 
• If you’re marketing a pilates class, I want you to stop using backgrounds that don’t have to do with Pilates. Use pictures of the studio, the mat, anything you actually use in class. Show the client what is looks and feels like to work with you. 

Other things that help – 

User generated content

This is of course, visual aid, but from someone else’s perspective! Try out a UGC campaign to help spread awareness of your brand, and see your product from someone else’s perspective. 

For example, you can do a contest where the most creative reel someone makes that features your studio wins a 3 pack, or the person to create the most fun post about your teacher training wins a mentorship session with you. 

If you’re a not a brick and mortar or don’t necessarily have a visual aid that you can imagine, like me for example – my business is essentially my laptop, so visual aids are a bit more complicated, you can do a campaign where you ask someone to share their experience working with you, or their perspective on a day or session with you! How fun would that be?

My clients could do a reel on doing their homework, pouring the coffee, settling in to their desk, and recapping what we’ve talked about. Then they’d share how they organize and plan around their homework for the coming two weeks before we meet again. Just ideas, but there are ways to show what it’s like to work with you no matter who you are. 

Alright, that’s it!

To recap – Market your product while you’re in it!! Gone are the days that you launch a product and then never talk about it again as soon as registration closes. Market the product while you’re in it to give your future clients the best understanding of what it looks like, feels like, and sounds like to work with you. Cover all the senses! 

If you have one take away from this episode – ask yourself – can my clients feel what it’s like to work with me? If you feel there’s still a lot of blanks that the client is left to fill in, work on adding in a few more “show” elements. 

Here is the 2023 Reflection Worksheet I mention!

Let me know what you think about this marketing strategy episode by shooting me a DM or commenting below!

The Membership

If you’re interested in going deep into your marketing in 2024 then I’d love for you to join the amazing community of wellness entrepreneurs at The Friday Society Membership! This is a monthly no commitment membership. Each month we discuss a marketing topic in depth along with 2 working office hours sessions! Members receive exclusive discounts for 1:1’s and other programs I offer throughout the year. Check out all of the perks and I’d love for you to be a part of this fantastic group!