Creative Marketing: Authentic Self-Expression in Business
And How to Do it Yourself
My fellow creatives,
This week I want to talk to you about marketing and how you can do it without feeling just a bit icky about it all.
I get this a lot from people who find this a big issue.
Many have a sick feeling when they think of all the marketing things they ’should’ be doing. You know the things I mean - all those ones the gurus tell you to do and make you feel useless if you don’t. Yep, those are the ones.
If you’ve ever felt this way you’re not alone, many feel the same way and struggle balancing sharing their gifts with the world and feeling like they’re selling their soul.
Well fear not, I’m here to give you the answer you’ve been waiting for.
Because, authentic and honest creative marketing isn’t about being a pushy salesman - it’s about sharing your unique creative story in a way that fills your soul with joy and happiness, not dread and fear.
Yes, you heard that right, so let’s get into why and how you can do this.
Why Authentic Marketing Matters
Think of it like having a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend over a cup of tea. The conversation is natural, it flows from a place of truth and genuine interest. When you market honestly, you’re not just promoting your work, you’re sharing your creative journey, your passion and your purpose.
It’s not about trying to force people to buy, it’s about sharing the things you love and the things you’re passionate about. The magic happens when you stop trying to fit into a false preconceived idea of what you think marketing is and start embracing your unique talents, creative voice and ideas.
Your ideal clients aren’t looking for a robot the same as everyone else, they’re looking for honesty, genuine love and passion for the things you do. They’re looking for your uniqueness.
And, this is how you market in a way that people will listen - you focus on what you can do for them, not whether they are going to buy.
Five Pillars of Authentic Creative Marketing
1. Share your creative journey
Remember that project that needed 15 revisions or that idea that fell completely flat? These aren’t just behind the scenes moments, they’re a perfect opportunity to connect with people.
If you share your process, your challenges, your victories and even your failures, you’re inviting people to see themselves in your story. It makes you more relatable and much more on their level. You’re telling them you’re not a perfect business owner, you’re actually just like them and things go well, things go wrong and everything in-between.
2. Focus on value first
Before you even consider what you are going to sell to someone, you should first be asking yourself how can I genuinely help my people?
By answering the question of how you can help answer the biggest thing they’re struggling with, you’re switching your viewpoint from one of gain-first to service-first. And, this distinction is important when you’re thinking about marketing, because suddenly, you’re not trying to force people to buy something, instead you’re sharing the amazing story of your life as a business owner and how things are going.
If you lead with value, marketing is natural and deserved because you’re sharing your passions, loves and ideas with the world - there’s no forcing at all.
3. Tell stories not sales pitches
We’re hardwired to respond to stories and have been from the dawn of time - it’s how we make sense of the world.
So, if you infuse this idea into the things you share, you will naturally allow people to see your messages through a medium they already know how to respond to.
Stories create emotional connection and people buy with emotion more than logic. But again, this isn’t a ploy to go back to forcing people to buy, instead it’s a way for you to easier explain why you do what you do, the things you’re proud of and love about it in a fun and interesting way.
4. Be consistently you
Authentic, truthful, creative marketing isn’t about being perfect - it’s about being consistent with the things you believe in, stand for, and sharing that.
If you’re a naturally quirky person, let that shine. If you’re reserved and quiet, embrace that energy. Let the genuine parts of you and your personality shine through - it’s your superpower.
Whatever your natural tendencies, there’s people out there who are similar and looking for someone like you. If you don’t share that love, passion and personality those poor people are left with no one to help them - and that’s an awful thought.
5. Listen and respond
This kind of marketing is a two-way-street, so listen to the things your people are already saying. Talk to them and join in their conversations online. If they are your genuine people, this should be fairly easy as they’ll be discussing things you’re likely to understand or be interested in too (if you’ve followed step 4).
And, when they comment on your stuff, engage with them genuinely in a free and open way, without the expectation of getting anything from it. At the very least, it will help you get a better understanding of your audience and their desires.
Practical Examples of Authentic Marketing in Action
Rather than saying - “Limited time offer on coaching”.
Try this instead - “I’ve opened up three slots this month for creative souls ready to unlock their potential. Here’s why I keep my coaching intimate…(story here of your reasons and how it relates to your values and passion)”
Rather than saying - “Buy my course now.”
Try this instead - “Remember last week when I shared my biggest creative breakthrough? I’ve packaged all those lessons into a journey we can take together…(story of how you think this will help solve their issues and why you’ve done it)”
Rather than saying - “Don’t miss out.”
Try this instead - “I’m excited to share this creative space with you and here’s why…(story about your passion and why you love helping others)”
And, these examples are just one line of a piece. They could be at the end or beginning of a story about something that happened to you, why you thought people would find this new thing useful, or some other kind of story.
Switching the way you write your content to be far more engaging than just saying buy my stuff will mean people are far more switched on to the things you’re saying.
Making it Work for your Creative Business
1. Document your process
Start making a habit of documenting your creative process. Keep a creative journal, take photos, videos and other interesting snippets of things happening in your life and work that you think your audience would like too. If you’re watching a fantastic sunset, talk about why and share that. These authentic moments captured will make for fantastic content later on, and you’ll never be stuck wondering what to talk about again.
2. Create content rituals
Set specific times for content types and content creation, perhaps Monday morning is for reflection content, maybe Friday is for celebrations. When you make content creation part of your routine, it feels more natural and is easier to keep on top of.
3. Build genuine connections
Respond to comments, engage in the communities and groups your people are in and create opportunities for real conversations without the expectation of any return, and build relationships. Authentic marketing is about making friends, building relationships and genuinely connecting with people, it’s not just reaching numbers.
4. Trust your intuition
If a marketing strategy doesn’t feel authentic or right to you, don’t do it. If you feel icky about it your audience will sense this as it will reflect in your words and won’t connect with them in the way you really want to. Trust your creative instincts, they’re usually right (the gurus aren’t).
Moving forward
Remember my kind of marketing isn’t about perfection , it’s about connection. Your creative journey, with all its messy, beautiful moments, is exactly what makes you you and is exactly what makes your marketing honest, genuine and beautiful.
Next steps
Take a moment to write down your core creative values - what do you believe in and what do you stand for.
Review your recent marketing - does it align with these values? If not start changing that.
Choose one authentic story from your new creative journal and share it this week. Then just sit back with that feeling that being authentic gives you - this is how marketing is supposed to make you feel - it’s supposed to be fun, creative, genuine and amazing.
I’d love to hear how you get on, share your experiences either by dropping me a reply or commenting below.
With creative spirit,
Sara
P.S. If you’re ready to explore authentic marketing strategies for your business, I’m happy to help with a free 20 minute breakthrough session.
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