The newest marketing techniques? Focus on substance instead.

Marketing trends? Focus on substance instead.

Are you learning marketing? You’ll be tempted to go after the “newest tricks”, the latest ways to “grab” the audience’s attention, and the “must have” software to automate your business. Constant pressure to keep up with new techniques… to prevent falling behind… feels breathless. Do we really have to do this? Even if you ignore the trendiest techniques and software, which will always come and go, you can still succeed by improving the substance of your marketing...

Posted by George Kao, Authentic Business Coach on Friday, August 18, 2023

Are you learning marketing? You’ll be tempted to go after the “newest tricks”, the latest ways to “grab” the audience’s attention, and the “must have” software to automate your business.

Constant pressure to keep up with new techniques… to prevent falling behind… feels breathless. Do we really have to do this? It’s actually impossible. People burn themselves out by trying.

There is a deeper and more sustainable way of marketing that you can rely on, year after year:

Even if you ignore the trendiest techniques and software, which will always come and go, you can still succeed by improving the substance of your marketing.

Here’s the basic idea:

Continually integrate your experiences… to discover something you feel passionate to say… that really helps others (whether or not they buy from you)… which also happens to give context for your offers (for those who will eventually buy from you.)

Dedicate yourself to this work of substance, and you’ll become more authentically resonant to your audience. By noticing what resonates with them, you’ll gain a better understanding of their wants.

You won’t need tricks to “grab” their attention or to “attract” them in shiny ways.

Instead, you’ll be someone they feel a deeper connection to, because they sense real substance from you that can truly help them.

3 actions to improve substance:

1. Plan to publish your content on a consistent rhythm so that your audience can rely on your stable presence, and they can feel that you care for their happiness and growth. Create authentically by framing “content creation” not as a marketing chore, but rather as a deep practice of your own self-exploration, creativity, and service to humanity.

2. Track your audience’s reactions to your content: what are they responding to — and not responding to? What are the patterns? What can you do differently that impacts them more positively?

3. Consistently have some 1–1 contact with your ideal audience members, to better understand and feel where they’re at in their life and journey, so that you can create more aligned content and offerings for them.

3 tasks I avoid:

1. Trying to keep up with the latest software, apps, plugins.

Instead, I wait and observe as other people try new stuff. There are often mixed reviews. Softwares come and go.

Over time, if I consistently hear great things about a software, I’ll give it a try to see if it will be truly useful for my clients.

In other words, I’m no longer an early adopter. I’ll just watch as others enjoy trying stuff, and notice what remains.

2. Trying to keep up with the latest social media techniques — instead, I let other influencers try them out. Over time, I will notice whether or not true substance can be communicated with that new technique. I will then try it. If I don’t find it to be hard to use (easy enough for my clients) I’ll then recommend it.

3. Trying to be more clever in how I “get” your attention using tricks (visual, auditory, mental) — stuff that fosters a manipulative mindset.

Investing our energy purposefully… 

Keeping up with trends feels like I’m dissipating my energy that could instead be invested in continually improving the substance of my marketing.

I try to set myself apart in my industry by learning and practicing how to care better for my audience — to do what seems most helpful to them.

This is aligned with my life purpose: to practice growing in love and wisdom.

It feels wonderful to be able to spend my working time on actions that also align with a deeper purpose.

I believe this can be true for all of us, when we dedicate ourselves to building an authentic business.

Instead of dissipating our energy in anxious chasing, we focus on connecting, more consistently, to our deep purpose. To explore and express that purpose in a public way, to practice courageously, vulnerably, sharing our authentic presence with the world.

Whether or not people buy from you now or later or ever, your audience will feel the positive impact of your marketing. Let the vision of their well-being be your guiding light in business.