If you want to spread your message, your product and/or your brand, you need some sweet-ass marketing.
The ability to sell your product…or even yourself.
In this post, I will share you my personal secrets to come up with great ideas and then spread them in a kick-ass way !
Why ?
Because I don’t want you to be a smelly water gun that spits tiny drops.
I want you to be a .44 Magnum that blows your reader’s /client’s head off !
In the inspirational sense of course :)
I use these genuine methods everyday, and let me tell you, they are so fun and effective they will get your TV unemployed.
Hell yeah ! Let’s rock this.
# turn your focus into a laser cannon
Remember the line from Alice in Wonderland:
“Which road do I take?” (Alice)
“Where do you want to go?” asked the cat.
“I don’t know,” Alice answered.
“Then, said the cat, it doesn’t matter.”
Don’t become the dopey Alice who gets lost in the magic kingdom. Know exactly where you want to go and what to aim for !
With your current “product” or creation, do you want more:
Sales, subscribers, readers, fans, media coverage ?
With every new thing I create, I always ask myself where I want to go with it.
# swipe it, baby
A kick-ass method from the traditional marketing realm. A swipe file is simply a folder where you store all the inspirational stuff you find on the net. Consider it your idea file, and whenever you need some fire of inspiration, you look through that folder and ignite your creativity.
Every other day, I use Webkut (a free print screen application) and hunt the net. If I find a great headline or a kick-ass post or cover, SNAP I take a picture of it and store the treasure in my invaluable swipe folder.
So far my swipe folder contains the following items:
- a document of 150 catchy headlines
- a picture collection of 10 remarkable individuals in the art and design area ( for personal branding inspiration !)
- a 80+ picture collection of brilliant video game covers designs ( inspiration for my blog and e-product designs !)
- a 50+ images Shepard Fairey art collection in jpeg form ( the guy who designed the Obama hope poster – his artwork is BRILLIANT and super-inspiring !)
Do you think I crank out these awesome blog posts because the goddess of inspiration is watching over my shoulders ?
I wish !
The truth: Before I start writing or designing something, I look through my swipe file and get heavily inspired by the awesome content I keep collecting.
I encourage you to create your own swipe file !
# find a cure for your own itch
Fact is, I hate McDonalds…and researching. Since this post is not about fast food ranting but about marketing, let’s talk about researching…it’s useless, just like McDonalds (jeez, I just can’t stop it !).
Here’s the deal: Don’t look for a loophole in the market – create something that you don’t see in the market and make it as kick-ass as possible.
When I started this as a pure marketing blog, I knew that the world didn’t need another marketing blog. But I checked out all the marketing sites out there, and they sucked big time…in a way. The content was valuable, but the design and writing felt like swallowing a sleeping pill while going through a tax report written in Chinese…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
All I wanted was a funny, inspirational, stylish and entertaining marketing blog, and the world didn’t give it to me. So I created my own.
Forget about the research – look for what YOU want to see it in the world, and when you can’t find it (likely !), create it yourself !
That can be a blog, a (digital) product, a service or whatever.
Scratch your own itch !
# don’t worry about your niche, worry about your belief
This took me several months to find out, but once I did the magic started happening.
Here’s the deal: Most people in the off-and online business worry about their niche – that one thing that should define your biz and brand.
I did the same not too long ago and it seriously limited my options in business.
But the I made a shift – Simon Sinek’s words still echo in my mind, and I now have the experience to validate his claim:
People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it !
Instead of boring the shit out of your audience by talking about the same subject over and over and over and over and over and over again, express what your believe and you will automatically attract similar spirits and clients:
Bad Example:
I want to make money online.
Good example:
I believe in a lifestyle where you’re location independent and work anytime you want, whenever you want.
This is so cool it works for EVERYTHING ! Make your believe / inspiring outcome your tagline in your biz:
A week ago, I changed my tagline from “Spread your influence” to “The world needs you” – because I believe that the world needs a creative person who impacts it through valuable and inspirational work that matters.
Don’t talk about your niche, talk about what you stand for !
# Make edge-crafting your new religion
Seth Godin said you shouldn’t think outside the box, but think at the edges of the box. IMO, that’s so true.
So, instead of finding that genius-revolutionary idea that will turn you into an overnight millionaire (getting shot by an alien space ship is more likely ) think about a service, idea or product and find a way to STRETCH it.
Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch it.
And that simply means you look for ways to your “extreme-ize” your product (even if the “product” is YOU !).
- Make your writing style more extreme and personal.
( check this chick’s blog biggirlbranding to know what I mean !)
- Design your product more outrageously than the competition.
- Use your favorite color and excessively use it in your branding.
Xia Xue is doing this brilliantly, guess her favorite color :)
- Offer a service with more passion and personality than anyone else.
Know Johnny ? Check his ninja coaching page to get a glimpse :)
Can you invent your own words ? Can you bring in your full geekiness and be proud of it ? Can you take your whole kick-ass personality and infuse it into your product ?
You can, and you MUST !
Just look for ONE important aspect in your “product” ( and remember, the product can be anything ) and push it.
# Don’t be yourself
I hate that phrase, even with the inspirational intent:
“Just be yourself”
Really ? What if I’m a miserable, pessimistic and smelly loser that doesn’t get anything done in life ?
Bang ! You are out before you can even spell out WTF !
Society has corrupted you in numerable ways, and it’s possible that you are not anywhere near your truest potential !
Instead of being your current self, and using that for your biz, strive to be the best person you could possible become.
This is how I do it:
1) I visualize a kick-ass version of myself – the Mars Dorian that dominates all the characteristics that I want to possess now – being super-inspirational, funny, taking (major) risks, pushing my comfort zone etc.
I make this my absolute dream version – the epic Mars Dorian I want to be now !
2) I call give that imaginary version a name – let’s say Mars :)
3) Whenever I make an important decision in life and business, I ask my alter ego: “What would Mars do ?”
You will automatically think like your desired self, and improve your life and business in ways you couldn’t imagine.
So, when I create something and it’s turning average – I ask myself:
What would Mars do ?
Answer (from the subconscious) : he would make it more edgy, inject his kick-ass personality and flavor it with more inspiration.
BANG ! Now I will think like my desired self.
Believe me, your creation process will be SOO much better than your “using” current self.
Don’t be yourself – become your BEST self !
# Go beyond the “product”
Delivering hot content and useful information is still the number one commodity in today’s age, but I challenge you to go further. No matter what you offer to the world, can you add an inspirational note to it ?
- If you coach people, can you inspire them to go for it ?
- Can you build an application that ignites community involvement ?
- Create A business (e)book that inspires people to actually start their own biz ?)
I personally believe that a product which doesn’t inspire in one way or another is a useless product, but that’s my opinion. DO as you please :)
What to do now
Retweet and social media this post with your friends if you find it useful.
Question: What DIY marketing technique do you use to promote yourself OR your product ?? What will you use right NOW after retweeting this post ?
Let’s hear it in the comments !
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