The Authentic Marketing Framework
Here’s an attempt to simply explain my whole marketing strategy….
There are 3 stages for every authentic business:
1. Audience
2. Offers
3. Expansion
At each stage:
The Goal: Quantity of Quality
The Method: Rhythm of Testing
The Values: Authenticity of Caring
Let’s get into the details....
There are 3 stages for every authentic business:
1. Audience
2. Offers
3. Expansion
At each stage:
The Goal: Quantity of Quality
The Method: Rhythm of Testing
The Values: Authenticity of Caring
Let’s get into the details....
Write down your questions as you read through this article. Then, add them as separate comments on this Facebook post.
Stage 1: Audience
Before you can make sustainable money with your authentic business, you need an audience of people who believe in you. There will be some true fans, some regular fans, and others who are potential fans. Read more: What are True Fans?
To build a audience of true fans, you need to practice creating authentic content consistently. Get into a rhythm. I’ve written a lot about this: authentic content creation.
Then, you need to learn how to distribute your content to people who are likely going to appreciate it. I recommend starting with Facebook Ads and once you have some regular engagers with your content, then approach your niche mates about trading interviews.
Stage 2: Offers
Once you have some regular engagers whom you might enjoy working with as clients/customers, it’s time to reach out to them.
Have conversations to understand what what they’re looking for -- related to products/services that your business could provide. Have they bought anything else (e.g. courses, books, workshops, trainings, coaching, counseling, products, programs)?
What worked well for them? What didn’t work well? What are they still looking for?
You’ll get plenty of ideas for what services or products your business could offer.
I teach an online course that walks through this process of step by step small business market research.
Stage 3: Expansion
Once you have offers that are appreciated by your audience, then it’s time to expand.
Use additional paid advertising, and partnerships, to grow the reach of your offers.
❦
At each of the 3 stages above, there are 3 things to apply:
The Goal: Quantity of Quality
The Method: Rhythm of Testing
The Values: Authenticity of Caring
The GOAL: Quantity of Quality
The aim of each stage is to have more of the right thing.
In the Audience-building stage, it’s about finding a quality audience, then growing the quantity of your reach to that audience.
In the Offer-building stage, it’s about having the right offers, then creating additional offers that fill the related needs and wants.
In the Expansion stage, it’s about finding authentic ways to expand, then doing more of it.
The METHOD: Rhythm of Testing
At each stage, the method for achieving Quantity of Quality is through regularity of experimentation.
In the first stage (Audience), it would be wise to test new audiences ongoingly until you find one or a few audiences that you are genuinely excited to reach.
For example, each month you could test 2 to 4 (or more) different Facebook Ad Audiences. If you did this, you’ll be doing more thoughtful marketing than most businesses. I teach how to do this in my Facebook Ads Course.
In the second stage (Offers), the rhythm of testing might look like this:
This would be a 4-month testing round, which you could do three times a year to gather valuable data into what your audience most wants from you. To speed it up, simply shorten each of the above into 2 weeks instead of 1 month.
In the third stage (Expansion), the rhythm of testing would be to try one different outreach method each month or if you’re busy, once each quarter. The more you experiment, the better you understand where your strengths can be expressed in your marketing.
The VALUES: Authenticity of Caring
This is what sets apart your authentic business from a conventional one. You are in business not just for the money, but because you genuinely care (1) about your soulful expression through business, and (2) the well-being and transformation of the people that your business touches. They are not just “leads” and “sales” for you.
In the first stage (Audience), your authenticity of caring is expressed through your content, and through your thoughtful engagement with your audience.
In the second stage (Offers), you are trying to discover the right offers that will effectively care for your people’s wants and needs, and is also a product/service you would genuinely enjoy delivering.
In the third stage (Expansion) where you are trying different outreach methods, your commitment to authenticity will help you filter out the strategies that aren’t right for you, and only use the ways of expanding your business that make your heart sing.
Any questions about this framework?
How might you apply these things to your business?
Add your comments to this Facebook post.
Stage 1: Audience
Before you can make sustainable money with your authentic business, you need an audience of people who believe in you. There will be some true fans, some regular fans, and others who are potential fans. Read more: What are True Fans?
To build a audience of true fans, you need to practice creating authentic content consistently. Get into a rhythm. I’ve written a lot about this: authentic content creation.
Then, you need to learn how to distribute your content to people who are likely going to appreciate it. I recommend starting with Facebook Ads and once you have some regular engagers with your content, then approach your niche mates about trading interviews.
Stage 2: Offers
Once you have some regular engagers whom you might enjoy working with as clients/customers, it’s time to reach out to them.
Have conversations to understand what what they’re looking for -- related to products/services that your business could provide. Have they bought anything else (e.g. courses, books, workshops, trainings, coaching, counseling, products, programs)?
What worked well for them? What didn’t work well? What are they still looking for?
You’ll get plenty of ideas for what services or products your business could offer.
I teach an online course that walks through this process of step by step small business market research.
Stage 3: Expansion
Once you have offers that are appreciated by your audience, then it’s time to expand.
Use additional paid advertising, and partnerships, to grow the reach of your offers.
❦
At each of the 3 stages above, there are 3 things to apply:
The Goal: Quantity of Quality
The Method: Rhythm of Testing
The Values: Authenticity of Caring
The GOAL: Quantity of Quality
The aim of each stage is to have more of the right thing.
In the Audience-building stage, it’s about finding a quality audience, then growing the quantity of your reach to that audience.
In the Offer-building stage, it’s about having the right offers, then creating additional offers that fill the related needs and wants.
In the Expansion stage, it’s about finding authentic ways to expand, then doing more of it.
The METHOD: Rhythm of Testing
At each stage, the method for achieving Quantity of Quality is through regularity of experimentation.
In the first stage (Audience), it would be wise to test new audiences ongoingly until you find one or a few audiences that you are genuinely excited to reach.
For example, each month you could test 2 to 4 (or more) different Facebook Ad Audiences. If you did this, you’ll be doing more thoughtful marketing than most businesses. I teach how to do this in my Facebook Ads Course.
In the second stage (Offers), the rhythm of testing might look like this:
- One month you are having 1-1 conversations with audience members to discover what offers they’ve bought or considered
- The next month you post a survey to your audience that gives options for what you could offer
- The next two months, you test-announce one offer each month, to see if enough people buy it.
This would be a 4-month testing round, which you could do three times a year to gather valuable data into what your audience most wants from you. To speed it up, simply shorten each of the above into 2 weeks instead of 1 month.
In the third stage (Expansion), the rhythm of testing would be to try one different outreach method each month or if you’re busy, once each quarter. The more you experiment, the better you understand where your strengths can be expressed in your marketing.
The VALUES: Authenticity of Caring
This is what sets apart your authentic business from a conventional one. You are in business not just for the money, but because you genuinely care (1) about your soulful expression through business, and (2) the well-being and transformation of the people that your business touches. They are not just “leads” and “sales” for you.
In the first stage (Audience), your authenticity of caring is expressed through your content, and through your thoughtful engagement with your audience.
In the second stage (Offers), you are trying to discover the right offers that will effectively care for your people’s wants and needs, and is also a product/service you would genuinely enjoy delivering.
In the third stage (Expansion) where you are trying different outreach methods, your commitment to authenticity will help you filter out the strategies that aren’t right for you, and only use the ways of expanding your business that make your heart sing.
Any questions about this framework?
How might you apply these things to your business?
Add your comments to this Facebook post.