Why Guilt Trip Marketing is not the one
I watched an Instagram live from the absolute QUEENS of small business and retail this morning, Elizabeth Stiles and Catherine Erdly, where they talked about the one type of content that you absolutely shouldn’t be creating or sharing.
Let’s call this type of content ‘Guilt Trip Marketing’.
This is something that more and more small businesses are falling into the trap of doing.
Times are tough for businesses. It’s easy to panic as a business owner. When we go into panic mode we stop thinking strategically and when we stop thinking strategically, we stop acting strategically. We start acting impulsively and emotionally.
So when we have bills to pay or a lack of sales starts pushing us into hairy territory, it’s easy to forget core messaging, abandon positive selling and switch into scarcity mode with our thinking.
The manifestation of this is Guilt Trip Marketing.
The social media posts that ask for sales in order to keep the business going. Or share that money is needed, so ‘please buy from us’.
Whatever has caused issues within the business; lack of sales, lack of cash flow, unexpected bills, stock issues…. It isn’t the responsibility of your customer. It’s not their problem to fix for you.
When we turn this panic outward, we make it our customer’s problem. That they are the ones with the power to ‘save our business’ or see us through.
The power is ours. The responsibility is ours. It’s always ours as business owners, for better or worse.
Selling should always be positive; when it is negative and coming from a place of scarcity, it risks ‘guilt-tripping’ customers into purchases or investments that they might come to resent.
That said, it’s a position that many small businesses are finding themselves in during the current economic uncertainty.
Layer in the feeling that the instagram algorithm is ‘against’ us or ‘hiding’ our content. Very quickly, frustration can become desperation. We want to plead our case to our audience; ‘please share/save/set notifications so that you see our content’ etc.
I have 6.2k followers on Instagram. In January I was promoting a new course launch. By the day that doors were closing, my final instagram stories were seen by just 10 (!) people. 3 of which had already bought the course, one was my mum and two were friends.
Of course, it’s frustrating; but this is why we can’t count on instagram to be everything to our businesses. Because it’s not. It’s not our saviour, only validator of our business and indicator of success *or not*.
It isn’t the only tool we should be using to reach and connect with our customers.
It isn’t the only tool we should be using to promote our brand and product.
It isn’t the only tool we should be relying on to drive sales.
It isn’t the be all and end all secret to success and longevity in business.
Why?
Because Instagram is a business. It’s a business with its own self interest. It’s a business that exists to make money and grow. Instagram has its own agenda and we need to approach it with that understanding.
So even when we fall into the guilt trip marketing trap, there’s no guarantee that the pleas will get you noticed enough for it to make the difference for your business.
If they do get you noticed, is that how we want your businesses to be known? It might give a short term gain but it’s not a long term strategy for success.
What’s the solution?
You are a tenacious business owner. I don’t doubt that. You have to be tenacious and determined to start a business in the first place. Hold onto that. Get creative and embrace opportunities beyond Instagram.
Instagram has its place, but if we can’t rely on it completely, how do we diversify our risk?
Other social media platforms - share the risk by utilising the power of other platforms such as pinterest.
PR - there are so many routes to get to your target audience beyond social media and PR will support any business of any size and it costs a fraction of what you could find yourself ‘panic-ploughing’ into social media advertising to get your content seen.
For just £20 a month, you could be actively diversifying your visibility to great effect in my membership The PR Spotlight
Collaborate with others with warm audiences - leverage the power of the audiences of others to deliver something great to them and grow your reach
Build your email database - the power of this avenue this cannot be underestimated - you can build your captive audience, create consistent conversion and build a community of brand champions
Get out and about - it’s so easy to feel that our business has reached a stage where we don’t need to get out and about networking for example but if you can get out and continue to spread the word about your business, why wouldn’t you? Weather networking, fairs, other selling/showcase events, get out and get your business seen beyond the instagram bubble.
If you feel yourself sliding towards guilt trip marketing, stop yourself and get strategic.
How can you positively market and sell to your audience?
What enticements or value add offers can you share?
Share a flash promo/discount code - maybe in celebration of something? (Could be an external event/something funny/tenuously linked eg. National Friendship Day - buy one get one Half price for a pal)
Share testimonials - remind people how valuable your offer is or how ‘must have’ your product is
Can you take people behind the scenes and share how your product can be used/styled?
Can you bundle your product to give people a different type of buy in?
Can you partner with a like-minded brand to create a super gift bundle?
There are so many ways to positively ask for the sale; to give your audience the opportunity to buy.
Of course, as with many things, this is easier said than done but let the filter be, at any stage…
How can I frame this positively rather than allowing it to come from a place of negativity and scarcity?