How to give, give, give rather than make a salesy ask

Transforming marketing from ask to assist

Hello gorgeous plug-in partners, CIC founders and entrepreneurs! Today, let's dive into a topic that's close to my heart – the transformative power of giving in marketing. The noise of salesy 'asks' can be deafening, and can also feel really icky to put out there. I'm going to show you how you can shift your focus from asking for the sale to offering genuine assistance and value to your audience.

Building relationships through generosity

At the heart of effective marketing lies the art of building meaningful relationships. And what better way to foster connections than through acts of generosity? Whether it's sharing valuable insights, offering free resources, or simply lending a helping hand, giving creates a foundation of trust and goodwill with your audience.

Creating authentic connections

Your audience will crave authenticity and genuine interactions; they will see straight through salesy stuff. By focusing on giving rather than asking, you create opportunities to connect with your audience on a deeper level. It's about showing genuine care and empathy, rather than pushing for a transaction. And I'm talking proper genuine, even if it means working with a smaller base group. (Putting this into practise, I send short videos on Whatsapp to my plug-in partners to say, "I'm really looking forward to our meeting, " or, "I loved that post you did about xx shall we have a convo about how we can leverage it?". Trust me, my plug-in partners love the connection and a smiling face on their screen.

Adding value before expecting return

Talking about giving in marketing, the mantra is simple: add value first, and the rest will follow. By providing valuable content, solving problems, and addressing the needs of our audience, you will position yourself as a trusted advisor and industry expert. And when the time comes for your audience to make a purchasing decision, they'll naturally turn to the brand that has consistently offered value and assistance along the way - you!

Building brand loyalty and advocacy

By prioritising giving over asking, you'll not only build brand loyalty but also create brand advocates. This is MASSIVE in the CIC and charity world, because these advocates can become volunteers; one of your greatest assets. Satisfied customers who have experienced the value you so readily provide are more likely to become loyal supporters and enthusiastic advocates for your brand. They'll spread the word, sing your praises, and ultimately contribute to your long-term success.

In practise, this can be as little as setting up automated engagement emails checking in with your event participants, or making sure any purchasing issues are easily ironed out. Whatever activity you are doing, creating a band of advocates is hugely rewarding, and is great for your organisation's growth.

Embracing collaboration over competition

When you collaborate, you no longer have competition! By supporting and uplifting others in your industry, you create a rising tide that lifts everyone up! Whether it's sharing insights, collaborating on projects, or amplifying each other's voices, if you work WITH your fellows, rather than in COMPETITION with them, together you can achieve more and create a positive impact in your community.

So, after reading this article, what are your thoughts on giving in marketing? How have you seen it transform your approach and relationships with your audience? Share your experiences and insights in the comments, I'd love to hear what you think xx Lynnette xx Wing Woman Plus

(About me, I'm Lynnette, your plug-in Wing Woman for all things marketing, stakeholder, strategy, creative, charity, CIC, photography, graphics and the list goes on...I'm based in the beautiful town of St Neots in Cambridgeshire and I love to help small businesses and CICs build in a way that perhaps they don't have the time or expertise to do themselves. Oh and ps, I'm 45 with the mentality of a 20 year old, sense of humour of a 7 year old boy, the wisdom of a 100 year old, and I'm not sure about a 4th as the first 3 were so great.)

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