Marketing is the most cringe-worthy thing for our clients. They love creating something amazing, but the thought of telling people about it or *gasp* asking for money makes them want to throw up.
The first step to fixing the problem is understanding it. This means digging into the emotions, misbeliefs, and knowledge gaps creatives have around marketing.
Our FREE coaching discovery calls with clients offer some insights, but our in-house creatives are a great resource too. We asked Imari if she would let us into her thoughts on marketing—specifically around social media. This is what she had to share.
The Little Details
By Imari Berry
“How was your weekend?” Everyone has been asked this question before. Typically on a Monday, when we return back to work. I share an office with a co-worker. She asks me this question without missing a beat. My answers vary from, “ fine, relaxing, great, and good.” I ask her this question in return. She lifts her fingers off her keyboard and whips her chair around to face me. She takes a deep breath and dives into the details of her weekend. She fills me with knowledge of her weekend from the moment she wakes up until the moment she goes to bed. Her mouth moves as if someone pushed fast-forward on a movie. When she is done speaking, I know what she liked and hated about her weekend, how her boyfriend got on her nerves, and what her plans are for the next weekend. I respond with, “I’m glad you enjoyed your weekend.” She returns my response. We turn back to our work, both content with our answers. I know what you’re thinking. You didn’t say much. And you’re correct. I didn’t say much, because I didn’t want to.
My co-worker and I are Facebook friends. The details she told me about her weekend are the same details she tells Facebook, except with more pictures. I provide Facebook with no details. I never do. It’s to the point that Facebook feels neglected by me and will send me notifications and emails about how I haven’t shared in a while, and I should tell my friends what I’m up to. I guess Facebook and other social media platforms have not received the hint yet. I don’t want to share. I have no want nor desire to share the little details of my life on social media. The mere thought of making a post makes me cringe. I feel my stomach clench and my throat tightens. Why? I thought a lot about that too. The answer is simple. I like my privacy.
Picture a library. This library has a lot of books with titles that sound so intriguing that you can’t wait to read. But each book has a lock on it. You approach the librarian, me, and ask for the key to the book you want to read. I ask for your name and type it into my system. I turn to you and say I’m sorry, but I can’t provide you with a key to that book and direct you to the public domain books, the ones without keys. These books contain facts about my birthday, my favorite color, my favorite food, favorite TV shows/movies, what I like to do for fun, and the date of my graduation. As you continue to come back to the library, I begin to become more comfortable with you and start to slowly give you keys. Social media is my main disappointed customer, to whom I rarely give a key to.
The people who do get keys are a part of my secret library society (SLS). SLS is able to open books most people can’t, but even they don’t get to read as much as they want to. The last page of the book says, “You have reached the end of the book, but not the end of the story. To earn access to the end of the story please speak with the librarian for an updated key.” If I choose to give you an updated key you’ve earned more of my trust. If I choose not to, it’s because I’m comfortable with the details you already know about my life, and I don’t wish for you to know anymore. Since you are a part of SLS, you respect my decision and don’t try to pressure me into giving you another key. If I do decide to give you another key, you understand it’s my decision to do so.
I like lurking on social media. I like reading posts and learning information about things I didn’t know. I like that social media keeps me informed and I relish researching things and getting answers. Social media is a great tool, and it helps to connect people and provides resources for all types of things. I enjoy people watching and it’s fun to do it on social media too, but I never do too much of it. Too much people watching can take the focus off one’s purpose, and instead of living life, one can find themselves watching others live it. If I take a picture or record a video of something I like, for example, crab legs, waterfalls, and thunderstorms. I am not going to post it on social media. I’m going to save it on my phone, and I might send it to a few SLS members. Typically though, If I am really being honest, I’m not going to take a picture or record it. I’m going to savor it. I going to inhale the scent of the crab. I’m going to take in the rush of the waterfall, and I’m going to feel the drops of the rain and I won’t tell a soul about it. I have recorded this moment in my memory banks and I’m not going to make a single post about it. It gives me peace that social media doesn’t know my little details. The next post I make on social media will be from the public domain section of my library.
Now, if you like to post on social media, please do it. Share all the details and pictures you want to. Fill it with your hopes, dreams, and videos of you doing what you love and whatever you want. I will be happy to see you enjoying your life and I might even like a couple of your posts. If you don’t see any posts from me, please know I am enjoying my life and I’m filling it with my hopes and dreams. I’m just not posting it.
Do you avoid marketing or feel like you “should be posting” and then beat yourself up for not doing it?
Book a FREE breakthrough coaching call with Jessica to brainstorm ways to make marketing something you look forward to incorporating in your creative business.
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