Presentation on Authentic Marketing By Alison Roberts Authentic - - PDF document

Presentation on Authentic Marketing By Alison Roberts Authentic Marketing: Industry buzzword, but what does it mean? Forbes definition: “What is authentic marketing? Authentic marketing begins not with tactics or strategy, but with the

• self. It asks, ‘What do we (as an organization) believe’?

...what ideal or set of ideals do we want to be known for? Other than the commodity that we deliver to our customers, how will we deliver those ideals? Note: that how references all of the individual touch points, with everyone inside and outside the

• rganization. Because everything is marketing.”

It’s a good, clear definition because if you’re in business, being generic won’t get you noticed... Being brilliant at what we do, being trustworthy and delivering good customer service is expected. People buy people. So, what makes you unique, different? How do you bring your ‘personality and soul’ into your work? Please take some time to reflect on this question... Task1: Why not survey existing clients, friends and family? Find out what they think makes you unique. Task2: If you already have an idea of the qualities you want to project the strongest, find out from your clients if you’re doing it successfully. Being authentic gives us the opportunity to stand out, become known for our unique slant and ultimately become more profitable. Personal example: How to combine a background in sales, marketing, training and business with being a successful psychic when all I want to do is teach people how to connect! a) 26 years experience as an expert in communication b) Developed my own system called Universal Journey to help individuals and businesses improve the way they listen, communicate and connect. c) Worked on Google Campus, been featured in the mainstream UK Press, on BBC1 TV and BBC Radio 4.

d) Passionate about making the ability to connect accessible and get tangible results for my Clients. My Career Path:  Sales/Marketing Career to Director level  20’s Personal Development...  Interest in connecting and spiritual development led to me becoming one of the UK’s top

• Psychics. Never considered myself psychic, just very curious about the process of

‘connecting’ and building relationships.  Became known for my approach: grounded, practical, scientific, trustworthy... authentic.  Different approach for my Industry - led me to get Press and Media Coverage I do.  Now known for teaching, which helped me to deepen my understanding, experience, develop my own system and grow my business. Regularly survey my Clients to make sure that after 20 years still known for my unique approach. The goal is to harness your uniqueness (USP) and personality to create a strong brand. Task3: Identifying my transferable skills helped me to isolate what was unique about my

• approach. No-one has the identical path to you, so write done the key things that shaped you

(personally and professionally) on a quick timeline. What skills and abilities did you draw on or develop as you lived through each event? “...Marketing campaign ...structured first around the philosophy of an organization is more likely to be perceived as relatable, personal and unique. It’s an actual reflection of the organization’s personality and soul.” Forbes says; Know Your Company’s Core Do not think of authentic marketing as a strategy per se. If you do, you’re missing the point... Authentic marketing must not feel contrived; it’s about genuine organizational self-expression driven by self-awareness. Authentic marketing comes from your company’s sincerely held philosophy; some call this core

• values. Actions or ideas in disagreement with those values are forced out like antibodies ejecting a

virus. This is because the philosophy is one that the organization has decided it will never compromise on. Task4: To help you determine what your core values as an organization are, sit down with your business partners or key company executives and invest a significant amount of time into asking the question: what is it we stand for that will never change, even if at times it proves to be a disadvantage?

Express Your Company Transparently Once your team has identified that set of core values, it’s time to express it in every marketable facet

• f your company.

Task5: 3 action steps to authentically market your business:



Ignore the traditional tactics. Instead, start with an understanding of what your

• rganization stands for (beyond making a profit).



Don’t get trapped by marketing dogma. Think outside the box and be willing to take risks, so long as it’s in line with your philosophy. For instance, blog openly about the problems your company seeks to solve in the world and how you’re working to overcome them by fulfilling your mission.



Examine your business’ processes. Ask yourself: are these systems in line with our core values and organizational identity? Make deletions and amendments where appropriate.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2012/08/10/how-to-embrace-the-power-of-authentic- marketing Task6: How do you communicate your authenticity in your marketing and to your clients? 1) Identify your USPs, strengths and core values. What is different and personal about your approach? 2) Speak about your touch points in everything you do; conversations, marketing materials, talks, presentations, emails. I always use “practical, grounded, simple, clear...” They are also part of my character. 3) Learn to listen and connect better. Listening brought in one of my clients 130% of his quarterly sales target in the first two weeks of the quarter. 4) Connecting is the magic that helps your clients go from interested to sold, loyal and long- term. Task8: Two exercises to do now: (collect your audios) 1) How to listen, a key element in connecting 2) Identifying your strengths/core values. Further Reading on Authentic Marketing: http://digiday.com/brands/what-is-authenticity-in-marketing/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2014/06/26/telling-a-true-story/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimblasingame/2014/02/27/allow-customers-to-see-your-authentic- side/ http://www.connectauthentically.com/2013/12/03/five-tips-communicate-authentically-business/