In Other Words, How to Avoid Purchasing Tools That Won’t Work
Friends, my promise to you is to call it like I see it when I teach and consult on your business.
In this article, I’m sharing two super-common digital marketing promises that are potentially problematic (and often expensive!) depending on where you are in your entrepreneurial journey. Take a closer look at each of them with me below.
I’ve included some insights and questions to use in evaluating before you buy. Regret of wasted money and overwhelm from too many tools and conflicting advice is far more expensive than building your brand by actually doing the work strategically over time.
Before we jump in, let’s collectively acknowledge this truth…
IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS.
Keep that in mind while also making room for exceptions that arise for every rule. Depending on your unique brand and business, taking advantage of offers like these could really help. You’ll see what I mean… read on.
PLANNED FOR YOU CONTENT
Here’s the situation… there are a million offers floating around offering you a mountain of content already planned for you. All you have to do is buy it, schedule it, and rake in the profits.
Anyone else see the problem here?
There is no way that content in a box can connect with your audience and grow your business without knowing your audience and your business.
The good news is that if you are super clear on your brand platform, a big bundle of jump-start content can save you a lot of time. The bad news? If you are unclear or conflicted about who you are, what you offer, or why you do what you do, it will be very difficult to make this content deliver on its promise.
Ask yourself:
Does this done-for-me content look/sound/feel like the content that has shown great engagement from my best audience in the past?
If your answer is, “it sure does!” this could be a great offer for you to jump on.
If your answer is no, or just raises more questions, there is more work to do on your brand platform. Keep focusing on defining who you are, what you offer, and why you do what you do. It’s not time to invest in content planned for you just yet.
Want to dive deeper on building your brand platform?
Join the insider list for my free Brand Blueprint webinar.
You’ll be the first to know when registration opens in the coming days.
SECRETS, HACKS AND SHORTCUTS
Okay, so post after post scrolls through your newsfeeds offering you copywriting hacks to cut down the time it takes to write effectively, shortcuts to quadruple your social media followers overnight, or the top-secret last process you’ll ever need to implement to scale your business beyond your wildest dreams.
Any of those sound familiar?
Red flags jump out at me all the time in content offers like these. I strenuously recommend that any time a provider claims to have a secret, hack, or shortcut call on cautious skepticism and research carefully.
Most of the time secrets, hacks and shortcuts are simply a process or planner that worked for the provider and, if it piqued your interest, is probably new to you. Naturally it feels like the secret magic that’s been missing in your business.
Here’s the question to ask yourself:
Does an internet search on this provider’s secret, hack, or shortcut have proven results from others serving my dream customer?
If it looks like it is working for your peers, reach out! This is a great way to build a business relationship with someone while gaining some objective insight on the secret, hack, or shortcut.
If you don’t see social proof you feel confident in, it may not be the right time to make that investment. If you find yourself needing clarity to ask the question you still have more brand work to do in identifying your ideal customer persona.
If you’re reading this, then you just might me my dream client.
You’ll be the first to know when registration opens again.
Until we meet again, get out there and win the day!
Cheers,
Mary