Business owners are creatives: Use that creativity for marketing

I talk to business owners all the time who struggle with the idea of creating content around their business. 

Ironically, these talented, smart, driven people have created a business but don't see themselves as creative. 

I maintain that most business owners have a strong tendency to be creative – it just may not be an artistic form of creativity (unless they’re musicians or artists of course)!

Instead, perhaps your creativity comes in the form of finding innovative solutions to the problems your people have. 

Or figuring out ways to streamline work within your business. 

Or brainstorming ways to better communicate what you do, and how it benefits your people.

It may even come in the form of continuously improving your already established offerings and how you deliver them. 

Starting, building, and maintaining a business is in itself an act of constant creativity in response to all kinds of variables that come at you. 

So, begin to look at how you can harness your creative genius (in whatever form it comes) for marketing. Here are a few ways to start. 

Share stories and experiences 

Many of us started our businesses because we wanted to make an impact. We discovered a gap in the marketplace, or experienced some kind of strife or pain in our own lives, that caused us to start thinking differently. 

It had us start looking for solutions.

And it allowed us to create transformation in our lives, and the lives of our clients.

These stories, experiences and transformations can be used and repurposed for marketing content. 

Whether you’re sharing direct testimonials, or general stories to keep identities anonymous, this content can have a massive impact. 

“We like stories because they make sense of things. Our minds cannot process masses of details and facts at once. Stories, however, are much easier to process because they are condensed, memorable, and can convey a variety of emotions.” – Paul Jenkins, Brilliantio

Stories are personal. They resonate. They stick with us more than elusive facts and figures which are often harder to remember. 

Stories allow your audience to see themselves in the content, and draw parallels between their lives and the transformation you’re sharing. 

And often, they educate and inspire your audience to create a similar change in their own lives. 

Consider, 

• What transformation have you experienced related to your product that would resonate with your audience?

• What transformation have you been able to facilitate for your clients, that is likely shared among your audience?

• What different ways could this content be shared to create impact? 

Share your approach and thought processes 

Give your audience a peek into your brain. Show them how you came up with the approach you decided to take or give them insights into your philosophy of doing the work you do.

By sharing more about you and your company, your audience will form a deeper connection with you. They’ll start to understand your methods. And they’ll likely start to get curious about how your approach may be able to help and support them. 

When you create opportunities for people to get to know you more, they’re able to develop a greater sense of trust with you; one of the most foundational blocks for creating rapport and future sales. 

People want to work with businesses that connect with them, that have a message that resonates with them. By sharing your approach you’re giving people more opportunities to connect with you, and to understand what it would be like working with you. 

With this knowledge your audience can decide more clearly if working with you is the right move or not. And regardless of whether or not they decide you’re a good fit, this clarity is much better than them sitting in indecision. 

Consider,

• What sparked your business idea?

• Why do you do what you do?

• Why did you decide to create your program or product the way you did?

• Did you go through different iterations to find what worked best?

• What is your philosophy or point of view?

• What is your mission? What are your values?

Share the behind-the-scenes

In general, audiences love to see what businesses are working on. What might seem “unpolished” or “incomplete” to you, is generally exciting for consumers. Especially if you can allow them to be part of the process. 

If you’re working on a new coaching program, get feedback on how long clients want it to be or what format they want it in.

If you’re working on a new product, share mock-ups, colour choices, or different versions to see what the audience favourites are. 

If you’re starting a new podcast, ask for name suggestions. 

Providing this opportunity for your audience to be involved in the process allows them to feel like they played a part in the development of the product or service, and likely means they’ll be more interested in purchasing it because they’ve invested their time and energy in it. 

Even if you aren’t working on something new, sharing behind-the-scenes of your life and business as it is is just as valuable. 

Have a long day of Zoom meetings? Share it! 

Everything seem to be going wrong one day? Share it. 

Working on something exciting? Share it. 

Each of these moments – whether they share vulnerability, a sense of the “mundane,” or give insight into what you’re passionate about, allows yet another opportunity for connection with your audience. 

And when people feel connected to you and your business in a positive way, they’re likely going to feel a desire to support you.

Consider, 

• What are you working on that might be interesting, educational, inspiring, or offer a sense of authentic connection with your audience? 

Share your curiosities 

If you’ve created one business, product, or service, chances are you have others on your mind. 
The tendency to be swayed by shiny object syndrome or by new business ideas is incredibly prevalent. But the reality is that we likely don’t have the resources to pursue each new idea that enters our brain. 

So, when ideas pop up or you get curious about something, share it with your audience! 

A subtle form of market research, this form of content creation will allow you to get feedback directly from those consuming your content. 

Are they struggling with the same issue you’re having? Have they thought the same thing? Are they looking for a product or service to help them with this pain point? What might that look like?

Whether you decide to further pursue the concept or not, the sheer act of you being open and transparent in your thought processes allows your audience to feel more connected with you. 

You’ll get to know them more intimately; including their pain points, frustrations, and desires, which will only help you in further developing your business, the transformation you provide, and the impact you make. 

Consider, 

• What’s been on your mind recently? Is it something that might resonate with your audience? 

• What’s piqued your curiosity lately?

• What business ideas have you been considering pursuing? What new platforms have you been considering showing up on?

Share the lessons you’ve learned 

Use your platforms to tell your audience about the lessons you've learned over time in your business. 

You can also share how those lessons helped you shift things in your business and what the impact was on your clients.

Not only does this provide invaluable insight and education on general life lessons, it helps your clients see the heartache or headache (or both) you’ve gone through in order to build your business. 

And the fact that you continued to move forward, to learn and grow, to push through in support of creating greater impact, helps show your commitment to your company and your clients. 

These stories will deepen the sense of trust your audience has with you, and may also evoke emotions within them that will help persuade them in their decision to work with you. 

Consider, 

• What challenges have you overcome? 

• What lessons have you learned in building your business? 

• What knowledge and inspiration can you share? 

You are creative 

Consider this post your reminder that you ARE creative. 

In business, that creativity is simply often in the form of innovation. 

In thinking differently. 

In problem solving. 

In pursuing growth and impact in new and exciting ways. 

And if you can harness that creativity, effectively you’ll have endless content to share (and re-share).