How to be a business hippy AND love marketing

We had the pleasure of welcoming our friend Tad Hargrave to Brighton for a one day workshop earlier this week.

Tad is visiting the UK on a tour which included joining us as a mentor-in-residence at Summercamp back in September where the above photo was taken (note to self: I need to work on my hat and hair game...)

The premise of the workshop was a simple one: marketing can feel good.

The truth is, the vast majority of solopreneurs I know think of marketing as a bit icky. They are not really motivated by money or fame, more impact and fulfilment, so it tends to fall into the camp of ‘I’ll do that later’.

But as Tad pointed out, it’s a discipline that can help us build clarity and connection with others by asking some deceptively simple questions:

• What are we doing?

• Who are we doing it for?

• What are we helping them with?

• And what do we stand for?

Sadly for too many, a somewhat troubled relationship to marketing means the tools and techniques mainly get used by the less scrupulous. And great ideas don’t make the impact they deserve. Such a waste.

But also an opportunity to change this too.

Wouldn’t it be great to be part of a conscious movement of people who wanted to make the world a better place and were savvy at marketing? What possibilities could that lead to? Who or what might benefit? Could timely ideas get amplified and real change start happening?

Here I’m sharing 15 insights from the day to help you shift your relationship to marketing and get some focus on your mission:

1. You can’t control people, so stop trying.
   It’s not about old-school marketing practises like automatic mindless compliance (yep, that’s a thing); it’s about giving people the information they need to make an informed decision about whether they should work with you.

2. When talking to a potential customer, ask yourself, ‘are we a fit?’
   Have a page on your website that goes into who you want to work with. It should be a two-way street. It's best to find out early if you’re not right for each other, rather than waste each other’s time.

3. Have a clear point of view or philosophy.
   Have a page on your website that declares what this is – and be bold. This becomes a very powerful filter (see point 2). Tad suggested you start by talking about the BS you see in your industry that you’re sick of. Don’t be afraid to show your emotion and that you care.

4. You have gifts to give, so share them.
   Don’t hold on to them. Share them to benefit others. You getting in your own way might be stopping others getting the help they need.

5. All marketing can work. The best approach is the one that you’ll do.
   Stop trying to be on every platform or chasing the next big thing. Success is about consistently showing up in a way that’s enjoyable for you over time. So do marketing your way.

6. Almost all marketing is word-of-mouth.
   “You can only make a killing once”. So play the long game. Be yourself and find your voice. You can’t be something you’re not.

7. Get really clear on your ideal client.
   Really understand them and their world.“Your deepest wound is often a doorway to your truest niche.” Use your past experiences to inform who you want to serve. The exercise he set helped me to realise I love working with those that are:
   - Open to support
   - Down to earth
   - Have a sense of humour (and don’t take themselves too seriously)
   - Are willing to be vulnerable
   - Have a growing need to belong (and don’t want to go it alone anymore)
   - Are ready to do the work
   - Love to contribute
   - Are curious
   These traits - open, humble, fun, courageous, curious, kind & committed - match up with all the favourite people I’ve worked with over the years, particularly those on our Vision 20/20 program.

8. Focus your energy on hubs.
   Immerse yourself in the places where your ideal customer hangs out. Work out which communities you want to be adopted by. Don’t sell; contribute. As Adam Grant once said “We can’t pursue the benefits of networks; the benefits ensue from investments in meaningful activities and relationships.”. Also, don’t spread yourself too thin and go polytribal. Less is more.

9. Communicate the transformation you’re making.
   Your job is to get your ideal customer from Island A to Island B. Look at where people are at when they come to you — where do you get them to? What just happened?

10. Don’t obsess with demographics.
    Many people just look at the external traits that their ideal customers demonstrate (demographics like age, location, gender, job, etc), but they miss the inner traits and behaviours they exhibit (psychographics that communicate their lifestyle, opinions, beliefs, values, etc.)

11. Anyway, your niche isn’t just who you’re serving.
    You can niche in terms of what, where, when, why, or how you do it. You get to choose.

12. Be clear on your own needs and boundaries.
    People pleasing and growing a business aren’t best friends. Trying to be everything to everyone is a surefire way to kill a business – and your marketing efforts.

13. Don’t be afraid to talk to your customers.
    Sometimes all it takes is for you to ask people, ‘what do you want from me?’, rather than assuming too much. Or ‘what do you need from me so I can give you my best?’.

14. Stop beating yourself up for disliking self-promotion.
    As Tad says, “You are not meant to be good at marketing yourself, it’s what makes you a human being”. Even he himself struggles with this stuff.

15. Most importantly of all, have a clear thing.
    These days, people's attention span is limited. So make it easy for them to clearly understand your offer. People will only know you for one thing — so what do you want to be known for?

Tad made a great point while summing up the day. That in the face of all the suffering in the world right now, from conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, to wildfires and floods across the globe, it can feel trivial to think about marketing ourselves and promoting our work.

But here’s the thing.

We need to pay the bills, often our families depend on us.

We have something to say. Our ideas are worth spreading.

And not everyone can change the world. Coaches, healers, and community builders are as important as activists and changemakers.

But not if our work doesn’t get discovered. If we don’t share our gifts, not only do we lose out, but those that need us the most can’t benefit, either.

So we need to learn how to love marketing and see it as just a part of the work. To show up consistently and build trust with others – not only to amplify our impact but to connect more deeply with others. Vulnerability is a super highway to connection.

We all have an opportunity, even responsibility, to share our gifts. As Tad said when explaining why he started teaching people about marketing:

“I wasn’t better or more clever than them. I just knew more than them. That was it.”

So take whatever it is that you do — the thing you love that feels effortless –and share it with those that just don’t know how to do it yet.

The world – and your world – will be better for it.

For more on Tad’s work visit www.marketingforhippies.com