Three kinds of marketing work

In speaking with a client, I was outlining what I see as the three kinds of marketing work. It’s important to understand these because they are *really* different from each other, and many people get stuckety-stuck in the first kind, or they jump into the third kind. Or they try to do the second kind on its own…

Anyway, let me explain, so it doesn’t sound so gobbledy-gookish.

The First Kind of Marketing Work

This is the sacred, sweat-producing, often-avoided work of identifying your core message, which includes identifying your audience, and the longer message that helps people connect with you, without you scaring them off or making their eyes glaze over.

I love this work with clients, because although there is definitely some work and sweat involved, it’s MUCH easier when you know how to get your arms around this, rather than just flailing.

The Second Kind of Marketing Work

Next, you take that message and put it into your platform. And by “platform” I mean your website, and any other materials you use for your business.

Many people get stuck here because they haven’t done the first step, and so all the sweat-producing effort is further complicated by anxiety about being visible with a non-clear message.

The website is *super* easy to create, really, when you have done the first kind of work.

Side Note: Neither the First Kind or the Second Kind of work is actually marketing. Both of them are what I call “preparing to market.”

If you really get that they are just preparation, then you know why it’s so important not to get stuck in them for extended periods of time. Instead, I recommend doing it iteratively. Meaning come up with the best you can now, move it forward, and then come back in six months or a year and edit/refine.

The Third Kind of Marketing Work

This is the actual marketing. It’s taking the clarity of what you’re doing, and carrying it out into the world. It’s creating content but then actually posting it in places where new people can find it.

It’s reaching out to have conversations with folks who might be collaborative/friendly in sharing what you do with their network (and vice versa.)

It’s showing up in the world and creating new relationships, then nurturing those relationships into a place of mutual trust and support.

Let me tell you, this third kind, the real work of marketing, is SO much easier once you have the first two kinds done, even imperfectly.

Now that that’s cleared up…

Okay, so it’s not quite that easy. What I want for you is to understand these three things, because they are, each of them, a real project.

They can, and should, be done imperfectly. You’ll circle back around to improve them again over time.

What I really want for you is the compassionate understanding that these are all needed, so you don’t get down on yourself when you feel stuck trying to “get to marketing.” It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to take months, but it’s more than just a single afternoon of work for sure.

What are your take-aways? Which of these three needs your attention right now?

With love,

Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love.

P.S. Getting healthy with money.

One of the things that slows all of this down to a crawl isn’t even about marketing: it’s about money. Because marketing is at least in part about helping your business thrive financially, if you’re feeling caught up in money issues, that can undermine your marketing in a big way.

That’s why so many of our clients recommend that folks take on our Heart of Money Transformational Journey, or work similar to it, so you can really transform your relationship to money, and thus to pricing, and asking to get paid, etc…

It’s a 9 week journey starting in January, with a bonus class on December 19 for those who register early. All at pay-from-the-heart pricing.

Join us? Check it out: The Heart of Money 2020