🎟🍿 Places, everyone! Stop performing and start serving

I consume a lot of content about marketing. A lot. And so much of it is a huge turn-off.

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In marketing, we often refer to our prospects & followers as our audience. Think about it… that implies we are performing for them. I’m not a performer, nor do I want to be.

I don’t have or want an audience. Rather, I seek to serve a particular group of people by helping them with certain things. I do not wish to grow an audience, rather I wish to reach and serve as many people as I can.

The word serve implies a few things. It is authentic. It implies that I am here to help. That my focus is on them and their needs, not on myself and my need to be liked or popular. When you serve, you put others first. You think about what they need and how you can help them get it.

The word audience implies that you are the star of the show and that people should clap for you. It’s all about you. And your ego. Ick. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked or popular, and sure, entertaining people is a valuable form of service, but that is not what marketing is about. When it comes to marketing, those things should not be our focus. Our focus should be on helping others.

This mindset shift from audience-centric to prospect-centric is a game changer. It changes how you think about your marketing and how you relate to your prospects. No longer are they just faceless people out there that you’re trying to reach with your message. They become real people with real problems that you can help solve.

When you take this approach, you’ll find that growing an “audience” becomes much easier because you’re not focused on attracting as many people as possible, but rather on reaching and serving the right people. And when you serve the right people, they will be more than happy to spread the word about you and your business.

I often hear people I work with say how much they dread marketing. They find it icky and manipulative. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Marketing can be serve-oriented rather than audience-centric. It can be about making a difference in the lives of others rather than just growing your ego and your wallet.

So, if you’re struggling with your marketing, try shifting your thinking from audience-centric to prospect-centric. It might just be the ticket.

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