Honest marketing begins within

Honest marketing used to be thought of as impossible. I’m not sure why, but I suspect it had to do with romancing a stone, or to put it more succinctly, polishing a turd (ick). Thing is, honest marketing has always resonated better than fictional messages, inflated promises or (gasp) marketing lies.

We all tell ourselves little lies. It’s how we get past the unbelievable; how we embrace the impossible, inconvenient, or unacceptable, which is kind of a weird habit because in the long run, it always comes back to bite us.

Companies are dishonest with themselves all the time when it comes to their marketing. It most often manifests in false messages in advertising, websites, promises.

I’ve seen clients self-inflate budgets they can’t afford to increase or talk themselves into buying advertising space they can’t afford. The most common of lies people and businesses market to themselves are in regards to the claims they make about their products. When they do it – and people do it every day – they open a bottomless can of worms with two heads, eleven lives and sharp fangs that inflict ‘lie hangover,’ a highly poisonous substance. And the thing is, there is absolutely no need for it.

There’s a difference between polishing a boring truth and being misleading. One involves first telling yourself a lie, then marketing it to others until you both believe it. The better path involves strong creative. That’s it. Nothing misleading, negative, or fang-bearing.

Honesty in marketing is truly all that’s needed to connect with people.

How do you market from within? Do you tell yourself convenient half-truths, or are you honest and up-front with yourself?

Honest marketing begins within. When you are honest with yourself, you manifest what you need, and it comes through in everything you do. Whether or not they tell you directly, people notice; you see it as people trust your brand and messages, and your business rises as direct result.