Make Marketing Suck Less

What do you want to be known for? That's a doozy of a question, isn't it? But if I ran into you on the street -- six feet apart, masks on, of course -- would you be able to answer that question in just a few words, in a way that was so compelling it would make me want to know more. So what do you want your business to be known for? 

For me, I want to be known for the Three Word Rebellion and creating messaging that matters. And that entire question of being known for something in your business, that all comes down to your message. And in this online business world, there are so many courses and programs that teach you marketing and funnels and PR strategies, but rarely do they teach you what to say in the funnel that will get people to take action or the angles for your pitch that make podcasters want to interview you.

And even if they try in these courses and programs, the messaging that’s produced sounds very generic. Very “me too,” like everyone else in your industry. Why is that? Well, it's because messaging is messy. It's very custom to the business owner, to you.

People have a lot of misconceptions about what messaging is and how to find the answer to that question of what do you want to be known for? So on this episode of the pod, we are going to bust through some of those misconceptions about messaging and replace them with some rebel truths so you can start getting clear about crafting that message you want to be known for -- that message that gets you clients that gets you on podcasts, that really helps make your business easier to market and promote. Let's do it.

You're listening to the Rebel Uprising Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping passionate business owners become recognized leaders who make more money and impact the world by turning their messy, complicated ideas into thriving thought leadership businesses. I'm your host, Dr. Michelle Mazur, and I'll be your no-BS guide in the art of building a business that gets noticed.

Each week, I share strategies, tools, and insights on how to turn your complicated ideas into great messaging and solid business structures. Are you ready to create an uprising in your industry? Let's do this.

The first rebel truth that I want to lay on you is that your message and the way you talk about your messaging -- which from the last episode, you know, I view as an entire system -- well, that message is the hardest working part of your business.

If you think about it, if somebody lands on your website at midnight on a Thursday, what makes them stay? It's your message. If somebody stumbles upon a blog post, or a podcast you've created, what makes them stick around and read or listen is your message. Your messaging is what makes people want to buy from you.

A while ago I did a podcast called 8 Jobs Your Message Does for Your Business (we'll hook you up with that link in the show notes), but what I want you to realize is that this message is always working for you -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

So your action and the reflection you should start thinking about here is how hard and effectively is your messaging working for your business? Is it bringing new prospective clients into the door? Is it helping you sell your products and services? Is it landing you on podcasts or getting you speaking opportunities?

So your message is either helping you reach your goals or it's stopping you from getting there because it's just not attracting and resonating with the right people, because you're just not able to boil down what you have to say.

Alright, the second rebel truth -- and it's just something I want you to stop doing if you aren't clear with your message -- stop setting your money on fire with marketing if your message isn't clear.

It seems like the solution for every business is more marketing. The bro and broette marketers want you to believe that you're just one funnel away from a gazillion figure business and that's not true.

I've been inside enough businesses to know that if you're not clear about how you talk about what you do, if you can't convey the value of what you do, if you don't understand the key belief shifts that people need to make to say yes, more marketing and a funnel is not going to help you.

I had a client a couple of years ago who had spent upwards of $10,000 on a funnel and then another $5,000 trying to fix it before she came to me. And the problem was the message. It just wasn't connecting. It wasn't meeting people where they were.

So if you're not clear on your message, your action is to stop investing in marketing. You shouldn't be advertising. Don't hire somebody else to pitch you for podcasts. You have to first focus on that messaging. And trust me, I know you've taken a lot of marketing courses and other kinds of programs. If you want those investments to pay off, your message will make that happen. 

Rebel truth number three. And this is kind of related to number two, because as a thought leader, your message is not about you. It's about who you serve. And we’ve been fed a lot of bullshit about where our message comes from.

You've been told that “only you can do what you do” and that's true, but that's not your message at all. You've also been told that  “you are your message.” That sounds lovely, right? It's not true. And I believe peppering you throughout your messaging is absolutely important because people need to get to know, like, and trust you, but you are not the core message of your business.

And I’ve studied a lot of different ways to position a business from the “I help X do Y so that they can Z” or the “onliness formula” that Marty Neumeier talks about in his book Zag. If you haven't heard about this formula, it's actually kind of fun. It's a fun exercise to go through, but it sounds like this for Harley Davidson: Harley Davidson is the only motorcycle manufacturer that makes big, loud motorcycles for macho guys and macho wannabes mostly in the United States who want to join a gang of cowboys and the era of decreasing personal freedom. That's interesting, and it can help you get some clarity about how you're different, but that's not a message for your audience. It's not a message that other people will spread and talk about. It's focused on the solution. It's not for them, it's for you.

And that's why I'm such a strong advocate of my Three Word Rebellion framework, because really it is the only positioning out there for thought leaders who want other people to spread their message. Because it creates that curiosity. It creates that intrigue. It's sticky and memorable so people know how to talk about what you do.

It's a message for your people. And the best way for you to advocate for your thoughts is to have other people talk about them, to give other people all the language to spread that message.

So the action step and reflection here for you is how much is your social media, your marketing, or your copy focused on what you do?

And you, the solution that you provide versus actually speaking directly to the audience, giving them a message that they can spread. That's a message of change, right? Just look at the ratio of how much you're using words like “I,” “me,” and “my” versus “you.”

So rebel truth number four is that there is far too much “me too” messaging out there, and failing to lead with your viewpoints will cause your business to drown in the sea of sameness.

There's an epidemic of people saying exactly what they're mentors say. They use the same positioning. They use the same persuasive techniques that their mentors have already pioneered. In fact, my friend and host of the Small Business Boss Podcast wrote a great article about this, about the circle of indoctrination and how manipulative marketing spreads person to person. But the people who are also spreading the manipulative marketing techniques are also “me too-ing” their message.

I had a conversation recently with a business owner who had been doing consulting for years. He is a business strategy consultant. He's been in the business for 40 years. I actually wrote down what he said. He said, “from my experience, getting the message makes a huge difference in the success or failure of your business. If you have the wrong position or a “me too” position, it's almost impossible to develop a winning business strategy.” Oh, ouch, right?

So if you are not leading with your strong viewpoints, if you feel timid about putting out your rants or what annoys you, or even the change you want to create for your clients and customers, then you will blend in and it will be hard for your business to win.

There's so much watered down and milk toast messaging out there. If you say something meaningful that makes people think about something differently, you will stand out. So don't be milk. Don't be milk toast. Don't do that to yourself. Do the exercises in the Three Word Rebellion book. And even if you don't find your Three Word Rebellion, those exercises will help you identify many points of view that can lead to great conversations with other people that can lead you to stand out and have other people follow you.

So the action step here is to reflect on how much of your messaging and marketing is “me too.” How much does it sound like everyone else? Are you leading the crowd by sharing your strong viewpoints or are you watering it down? Are you following what everyone else is doing? Because that is a sure way to blend in in this noisy, noisy world.

And the final rebel truth I want to leave you with is that messaging can be hard.

And please don't beat yourself up and think, “Oh, I should be able to do this messaging thing by myself,” because this is the number one thing I hear from people who are interested in working with me. They always tell me, “I feel like I should be able to do this messaging thing. I'm smart. I know my business and what I do better than anyone. Why can't I talk about it?” Or they also say, “I do this for other people. Why can't I do it for myself?”

And the simple truth is you're too close to your own messaging and the work you do to see it objectively, to see it from somebody else's perspective who has no idea what you do and how you do it. It's nearly impossible for you to get back into that beginner's mindset.

I often talk about Jenny Nash, who is a brilliant book coach. She was so instrumental in helping me find the Three Word Rebellion. Because she was like, “Oh, that's such a neat concept.” Right? She reflected that back to me. Otherwise this framework and this book would never exist.

So if you're too much in the weeds in what you do, you just need a fresh perspective. Someone who can clearly see the value you provide. Ask yourself for this action, “How can I get an outside perspective on my message? Who can be my Jenny Nash?”

Because here's what I know 100%, when you figure out your messaging, everything in your business gets a whole lot easier. You know what to say and how to say it. So when you sit down to do social media, you sit down to write a blog post, you sit down to write an email, you know what to say and how to say it, and what calls to action to give to make people be attracted to your business. And it does make everything easier from writing copy to sales, to marketing, to prepping for a podcast. It gets easier.

Those are your five rebel truths about messaging, and I gave you questions to reflect on throughout this episode, but if you miss them, here they are again (and actually there's only four questions because one rebel truth was just asking you to stop setting your money on fire with marketing investments that don't pay off if you're not clear on your messaging). So here are the four questions to think about:

Number one, how effectively is your messaging working for your business? Is it drawing clients in? Is it drawing people to sign up for your email list? Is it working for you effectively as hard as you're working?

Number two, how much is your message and your marketing and your copy and social media focused on you? Think about the words “I,” “me,” and “my” versus being a message that is focused on your right people, where you're using the pronoun “you” to directly talk to them.

Question number three, how much of your message showcases your unique POV versus being “me too” marketing?

And then finally, ask yourself, who can give you an outside perspective on your message?

And before we go, if you're looking for an outside perspective and struggle to boil down what it is your business does and the value it creates, I'd love to be those set of eyeballs and help you create the messaging that will carry you through your business for the next three to five years.

Right now, I only have five one-on-one spots remaining to work with me in 2020 in the Three Word Rebellion Messaging Intensive. So if you're ready to package up your big ideas, skills,  and your vision into a one-of-a-kind message that attracts the right people to your business, grows your audience, and helps you make more money while making more impact, I would love to help you create that messaging.

So the first step is to go grab the Three Word Rebellion Service and  Pricing Guide at drmichellemazur.com/guide. It's time that your message starts working as hard as you do and landing you the opportunities to be visible and the clients that you most want to work with.

Thank you for listening all the way to the end of the show. Your support means the world to me. Did you know the Rebel Uprising Podcast has a quiz that can help you pinpoint the number one way to build an audience of superfans while staying true to your unique personality? We do! And it's called What's Your Rebel Roadmap to Exponential Impact and Influence, and you can take it at therebelquiz.com.

If you're loving the podcast, do us a favor: rate and leave us a quick five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts. It helps more people like you find the show. Until next week, remember: your ideas matter. And now get back out there and cause an uprising in your industry.

You got this.