You’re marketing the wrong way...

We, marketers, are a funny bunch. We spend our entire lives trying to get more customers for our clients by using God knows what

- PPC

- Content Marketing

- SEO

- Blogging

- Affiliate

On and on. And hey, I am all for using tech to solve our business problems. I use a lot of these tactics myself. Heck Eta Solutions’ USP is to use precise market analysis with consumer psychology to attract your ideal target audience.?

You can’t get any trendier than that.

But I want to make a counterargument. Yes, these highly advanced tactics work, but all of them miss a key ingredient that connects with your audience.

No, it isn’t CTA, no it’s not Meta Ads. These things have their place.

I am talking about something intrinsic to humans.

Storytelling.

Throughout history, humans have inspired each other because of the art of storytelling. This is a form of art that has stood the test of time.

We remember our ancient epics regardless of cultural aspects. From our Ramayana to Mahabharat, to the Iliad and the Odyssey, these epic tales have thrived to this day because of storytelling.

These epics still hold up and are always used as a benchmark to highlight something fundamental to human society:

The struggle for self-determination.

Or in other words

Expression of our core values as honestly as possible.

I know, this article is going a bit too philosophical, so let me explain myself again.

What exactly is storytelling?

It is the art of sharing an experience with another human being. This is my definition of storytelling. That’s it.

There is no selling. There is no ulterior motive. No hidden agenda.

You are sharing an experience because:

a) The listener is interested in your story

b) You have piqued the interest of your listener.

In both cases, the listener takes the action of coming to you. All you have to show up and say “Hey there, wanna stick around?”

If the entire cosmology of marketing can be boiled down to this little sentence.

“Hi, want to stick around?”

The decision is never yours to make. It’s your customers. Your responsibility is to open up and be honest with them.

And this brings us to our next topic which is:

Sharing yourself honestly

If there is one gripe that I have with the marketing world, it is that things are blown out of proportion. Raise your hand if you have ever heard such claims:

- This ONE pill will shred pounds FAST!

- Get 100 customers with THIS SECRET!

- Single? Do this to attract your ex back!

Our world is a lot more complex than we give it credit for, and humans are a lot simpler than we accept. I have been around this topic before. So, I won’t bore you with this.

The crux of my message is that trust runs the world.

Trust has always been the most precious commodity known to humans.

You buy something because the people you trust have bought it. You watch a film because someone you trust enjoyed it. Your trust is worth its weight in gold.

And guess what, it’s the same for the trust that your customers have for you.

The weirdest part about trust is that you cannot build it by showing off. There is a term in psychology called the Assortment Effect.

You attract people that are similar to you. So, if you are lying and manipulating your audience, then the only audiences you will retain are liars and manipulators who love your bullshit.

True honesty is dangerous and scary because it is so rare. It also shines the limelight on you and your brand because you were willing to be different.

But here’s a caveat.

There is a big difference between being different and being bat-shit insane.

If you walk around in the park wearing nothing but an animal hide, then you are either

a) A time-traveling neanderthal

b) A loony

Because Time-travel hasn’t been discovered yet, I will bet my money on the latter option.

You don’t have to be crazy to be yourself. This isn’t the “Joker”. True, honest, brand authenticity means that you have your values and you are just willing to share them with the world in an honest manner.

For example:

Let’s say you have a brand, and there is a socio-political trend that is full of vitriol on Twitter (lol) that every other brand is jumping on.

Brands always do this. And in every campaign, their views seem to change.

But if you don’t believe in the views of the socio-political trend, then guess what? You have the option of not saying anything!

I know, crazy right?

This might not keep you at the top in the long run, but you will retain your core customers because they will respect your silence and your values.

But then again, this is just my opinion.

Thank you for your time, and I’ll see you next week.

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