Taking the “Ick” Out of Marketing

There’s a growing unrest I’ve noticed taking root in the Internet marketing world. Purpose-inspired entrepreneurs are getting downright sick of the manipulative marketing techniques and tactics taught by many of today’s business and marketing gurus.

Marketing in its purest essence is simply communicating you to the outside world. Which isn’t a bad thing at all! Even if you were to take profits out of the picture, no significant change or impact would happen in the world if the people with worthy ideas weren’t able to communicate their vision effectively.

Sadly, marketing today has become something much less noble, at least in the Internet marketing world. From persuasive website copy to effective launch campaigns, much of marketing has turned into the psychology of how to manipulate people into making a buy decision. It is never okay when you make someone feel fear or somehow “less than” if they don’t purchase your services.

The worst of it is we’ve been told we need to overcome our natural aversion to these tactics (sometimes they’re even cloaked under terms like heart-based selling), because we are actually serving our tribe when we get them to purchase our programs (which they often really do need!) through any means necessary. The end justifies the means. Which might be fine if you’re tricking your kids into eating broccoli, but we’re talking about adults here who have a pretty good idea what they need.

To purpose-inspired entrepreneurs and business owners, this culture of manipulation has turned marketing into, well, quite the “ick” experience. It doesn’t feel authentic or good. In fact, sometimes it feels downright sleazy. We may continue to implement the tactics simply because we’ve been told it’s the only way to make decent money in our business, but in our heart of hearts, we desperately hope there is a better way.

So what do you do when you’re tired of the “ick” factor in marketing?

- Start with Why. People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do what you do. They purchase your products or services because being associated with you and your purpose, cause, or belief (your Why) says something about what THEY believe.

When we aren’t clear about Why we do what we do, we are reduced to commodity status. And outside of the occasional fad or bare-bones necessity product, the only way to market and sell a commodity is to manipulate people into buying it. Yuck!

- Get back to the basics of marketing. Remember, true marketing is about good communication. Get crystal clear on your Why and then work to communicate it clearly. You’re simply sharing your passion and vision with the world; the people with whom that resonates will be inspired and gladly join your Why… to prove something about themselves!

- Recognize that what’s authentic for one person isn’t for another. Aside from the true manipulations that are never okay, I believe that different marketing methods and strategies work for different people. Get to the heart of how you work best, your guiding values and principles. This will help you decide which marketing strategies are authentic for you and which are not.

- Take a stand against manipulation in marketing. Join with me and other purpose-inspired entrepreneurs in refusing to buy into the teachings that manipulation is the only viable path in marketing. Will we succeed without those “tried and true” tactics? I don’t know for sure, but I believe so, and I aim to prove it!