Don't Sell Yourself

One of the most common things Rizzo Young Marketing sees are businesses constantly trying to sell themselves. Whether it be through posting on social media, email marketing, or any form of print advertising, the only content they are providing is a sales pitch.

The cornerstone of marketing is growing and managing your brand, and your brand, above all else, should be providing value and expertise. If you’re an auto shop and you’re sending out a weekly email blast, it should not always be a call to action. You need to provide value and expertise, so sending an informative article about how often you should change your tires is demonstrating those qualities. Also, you’re more likely to have a person stay on your website or social media profile longer if they’re engaging with content. The longer they stay, the more likely they’ll buy a product or service.

So what is valuable content?

Industry News – This kind of content is great for letting your audience know that you are up-to-date on the latest trends in your industry. You’re providing value via relevant information, and expertise if you give insight or opinions to an article.

Videos – Most videos automatically start playing as you scroll through a feed, this captures the attention of an audience right away. It can be a news segment or a how-to video, but either way it should be short and relevant to your business.

Blogs – This is where you can show off your expertise (so meta right now) in your industry! Selling a product or service helps if you actually know what you’re talking about, and it inspires confidence in your potential customers. Do you have to be in an industry for 50 years to know what you’re talking about? No. While it’s preferable to have experience, good research and understanding of your business can go a long way.

The “Team” & Community - Much like showing your expertise in a blog, showing who you are is great content for engaging your current and potential customers. People like when a picture is painted for them and they like to know who they’re buying from.

If you run an eco-friendly café and your employee has spent thirty years in Colombia looking for the perfect coffee bean, people will want to know. It’s humanizing and captivating!

Engaging in a community, whether it’s charity work or donations, also shows value to your audience. It shows that you care about more than just the bottom line, and about the people who may interact with your business.

By providing engaging and relevant content on a regular basis, when you actually do sell yourself, your audience will be more open to your efforts.