Feeling a little disappointed with the online business space? You're not alone
Disenchantment with the modern marketing messaging machine: a series
This was a 4-part series I shared with my email subscribers. I gave myself a green light to dig deep and come out feeling more clear, creative, and free to explore the 'dark side of online business'
It wasn’t a popular opinion. But if you feel a calling to pursue a hot topic issue, just GO FOR IT! Don’t get in your own way. This piece has unleashed a massive wave of creative flow, engagement, and powerful conversations.
Let’s go!
ChApter 1
“Buy Now …”
“Must-Have”
"Ultimate / Essential / Most Incredible and Best Product to solve all of your current problems and the problems you didn’t even know you had.”
“But you must buy NOW because FOMO and your happiness and success depend on it.”
”Don’t you want to build a life of abundance with passive income and 18 streams of revenue?"
…
What did I miss???
As a seasoned marketer, I’ve seen it all. Heck, I’ve used some of this language myself! But over the last several years, after consuming and creating marketing content, I gave myself permission to explore my feelings of ‘disenchantment’.
It’s not surprising that some of these feelings have little to do with the brilliant messages created by brilliant teams of smart online marketers like Jenna, Amy, Rachel, and so on - and much more to do with our very own meaning that we attach to those messages.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something still felt a little ‘off’ and had a stinky stench.
So this mini-series is designed to shed light on those insights and epiphanies.
Because as some of you have shown me through the DM’s I receive, I’m not the only one feeling this way. And I’m not one to shy away from a creative calling.
Plot twist - after I released the first part of this series, someone very close to me decided to unsubscribe from my email list.
Why?
Because they felt this was a negative message and they don’t have space for that in their life.
Got it.
I hope when you read this article, you’ll see it as an exploration and permission to get curious about the world of online business. It’s in no way meant to shame or single out any hard-working, well-meaning online business owners.
However, as with anything in life – it’s healthy to explore BOTH sides, equally. And then make our own decisions that impact our lives, and our wallets.
Chapter 2
I create content AND I consume social media (but if we’re being honest, I consume more than I create) #truth
So it’s not surprising that I come across sponsored ads promising the 'system', the course, the tool, and the webinar that will lead me to ... a sales pitch to buy 'THE program'
Over the last 4 years of building up my own business, I purchased from several people online.
Some products were truly helpful. (Like my previous biz coach - Pia Silva)
Some were crap.
They all promised a solution to my problems.
And that’s by design.
One of the longest-standing realities in marketing is that we want to be problem solvers for our potential buyers.
We are taught to get crystal clear on a pain point experienced by our target market. And then – like magic – offer the exact solution to help solve that problem through well-crafted and curated sales copy.
That’s the basic formula used over and over again by anyone looking to sell anything. I’ve used it. And I’ve seen countless online marketers use it.
😅😅
So, what’s the problem?
FOMO - the illusion that if we don't buy the system, or the course, or the 'proven framework' our deepest business desires won't come true.
😖😖😖
They use language that’s inflated in optimism, half-true, over-promised, and fear-based.
How can something be optimistic AND rooted in fear at the same time?
Photo by Megan Moura / Agaland Brand Copyright
Chapter 3
Coming back to fear, more specifically, FOMO - the illusion that if we don't buy the system, or the course, or the 'proven framework' our deepest business desires are doomed.
First off - Fear works.
Social media has generated its own fears, particularly around failure. In a time where so much appears picture-perfect, the fear of missing out or of not keeping up is driving many to be highly anxious and chronically over-aware of other people’s achievements and opinions.
One of the key reasons for that, according to Brene Brown is we live in a culture with a strong sense of scarcity.
Brown makes the point that the opposite of scarcity is not necessarily abundance or completeness. Sometimes, it’s the ability to do enough, just enough, and then stop.
The SEO-optimized online business bestie
Since I started building my business, I followed so many of the gurus out there – Marie’s, Jenna’s, Amy’s, Rachel’s (just to name a few) – I’ve seen their offers and I often bought from them.
They’re REALLY good at what they do and sell. They teach us to serve first, meaning - offer value, helpful freebies, quality content, relatable stories, and anything to build a relationship *authentically* and grow the know, like, and trust factor.
We follow their lives on social media and they become our business-building besties. But they’re not real-life besties and they’re not ‘real’.
They are representations of our aspirations and dreams that we project onto them.
Let that sink in.
It took me writing this piece to finally arrive at that conclusion…
In the next and final installment, I’ll share tips to help remedy the machine and help you discern what’s a good investment of time and money and what smells like a distraction or an empty promise.
Chapter 4
We resonate with their messaging promising success on social media if we only buy the latest course. They will help you grow an email list of eager subscribers, and they will help you bring in ‘passive’ income with this $2,000 training.
You ask again – “what’s the problem”
It’s not what you don’t see - it’s what they don’t disclose.
Seeing 3 success stories on your sales page doesn’t show me how many of your buyers actually purchased AND completed your course.
How many experienced the raving results you boast about?
I believe that it is the responsibility of the buyer to seriously consider if this is the right investment for their stage of business and if they’re committed to following that framework from start to finish.
But what if the picture isn’t complete and we don’t get the full story from the beginning?
I have been told by credible sources on the ‘inside’ that widely popular (visible) brands and online coaches boast about how they earned $10,000 selling their course, but they don’t disclose the fact that they also spent $8,000 on Facebook ads to buy their traffic.
That’s the stench I mentioned earlier. Just tell us that you earned $2,000 and leave the misleading messaging off the sales page.
The other challenge (or opportunity depending on how you choose to look at it) is being transparent with all the work that goes into creating, building, filming, tracking, testing, selling, and tweaking the machine.
It’s this misleadingly simple dream that’s sold, that leads people to question their own ability as business people following their lead. “If she did it, and I can’t, then what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I have that success?”
*Results may vary
So, here’s the challenge for us – as fellow marketers, consumers, and participants in the online conversation.
As we continue showing up online, getting targeted with sponsored ads, and trying to avoid getting distracted by shiny objects, let’s take a second to pause before we pay to play.
Be crystal clear with your goals in business:
Can the course REALLY solve those specific problems? Or should you dig a little deeper to see what’s actually hiding behind the reason why you haven’t reached those goals? Is it a lack of experience or the right tool to do the job? OR could it be an underlying emotion, like scarcity or fear?
2. HONOR those feelings. And if you’re still eager to take the next step, tell yourself that what kept you safe before will not help you move forward.
3. Understand that solving one challenge in your business may not fix THE problem. Your business is a multi-faceted, layered, breathing entity that requires multiple parts to run smoothly for it to be successful.
Your business is an extension of you. That’s right. The business doesn't exist without you as the leader taking on the courageous work required to make the best decisions that yield the best results.
Translation - GO INWARD. Explore, learn, uncover, and face the fears that are getting in the way of you taking the next step.
So, before signing up for that coaching membership, buying the $2,000 program, or investing more money into yet another product, I HIGHLY suggest you first:
Narrow down exactly what you’re struggling with – one or two specific pain points you’re experiencing in your business
Explore their offers – do they actually offer a specific solution to your specific problem? Or is that just extremely well-written sales copy?
Consume their content – social media posts, sign up for email, download their freebie, listen to podcasts
Get a taste of their teaching style to ensure it’s a good fit. How? The way in which they deliver their message is likely the way they’ll deliver their coaching method. Are they soft-hitting, specific, and thoughtful? Or direct, quick thinking, and authoritative? What style works better for you?
Be 100% OK with spending the money without being tied to the outcome. I KNOW this one will hurt a little. But if spending that money will compromise your budget, please reconsider!
You don’t want to find yourself in a position where you’re betting on THIS ONE product to be THE answer to all the things in your business. In my experience, it’s usually a combination of multiple tools and resources that are required to build or scale a business.
Placing all of your eggs into one basket and expecting them to perform miracles is not only scary it’s also expensive.
At the end of the day, I’m still a marketer and I really enjoy this work. But marketing today looks a lot different from marketing a decade ago.
If you’re feeling a similar disenchantment - honor that feeling.
And then let’s dig deeper and move on committing to doing things differently.
Taking action on tactics that better align with our promises.
Leading with transparency, authenticity, and seriously giving a damn about seeing the impact of our work.
Keep on keeping on, sis!
And …