Are you so sloshed on your own marketing that your audience wonders when the hangover's gonna hit?
Do you have that brash, bold, bottle-inspired confidence that leaves your readers stunned in the wake of the braggadocio you spew on your blog and in your social media updates?
And do your followers and fans sense the stale smell of your marketing binge morning after, leaving them shaking their heads, withdrawing, and looking forward to a long hot shower to erase every trace of its effects.
Here's what I mean. You've been going along, doing your thing as a social media marketer, posting several times a day and working to engage with your audience. You've written some pretty strong posts, and since you've worked hard to build connections, you're getting decent traffic. People comment on your posts on your blog, and overall, your content marketing strategy is just humming right along.
You've got this thing figured out, you think.
So naturally, your confidence grows. And pretty soon, when you sit down to write fresh content for your social media updates or your website, the words just flow, and you just can't wait to click "Publish" or "Post," because you know you're Just. That. Effing. Good.
People are going to love your next post, you think, because it's brilliant. You're brilliant. And this is going to be the post that goes viral and makes you famous.
Naturally, when you're that good, it starts to seep into your social media posts and engagement. In fact -you might find yourself slipping away from your followers and fans, because, well, you've gotten busy. It happens to people at your level. Everyone knows that.
Honestly, you start to wonder just what your company would do without you, and you wonder if they respect you just as much as they should. Because without you – without the marketing you do, they'd cease to have jobs.
You reflect on your own importance and you start to get that rush of false confidence, but like any good bender, the first thing to go is judgment.
And the rush and the euphoria where you believe your marketing skills make you God's gift to humankind become a kind of inebriation that can be fatal for your marketing efforts.
Well meaning friends and colleagues hopefully try to step in, but unless they take the keys and the keyboard of your own destruction away, there's precious little they can do but watch you plow full speed ahead into destruction, possibly changing your reputation and life forever.
How can you prevent becoming drunk on your own marketing hype?
1. Walk away from your posts.
Always try to have time to review your posts before publishing them to make sure your tone is friendly and humble. By and large, your audience doesn't want to be on the receiving end of your condescending attitude, and if you're getting that kind of buzz from writing your content, chances are, you're oozing it out of your pores like the second-day smell of too much cheap gin.
2. Get feedback about your content
Keep asking others you trust for their honesty to give you feedback. These are the people who are willing to get in your face to prevent you from drunk marketing driving yourself over a cliff. It's tough love, and they're willing to show it.
3. Never buy your own hype
Consciously make the effort to remember this. You're not David Ogilvy. You're not Sir Richard Branson. You're not Ali Smith. Or whoever the leading guru in your field is, past or present. Of course you have the potential for greatness – but keep an honest awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses to keep you humble (and continuing to improve).
Do your best to avoid getting drunk on your own hype, and I promise you, your audience will be grateful for it.
What's your best tip to not get drunk on your own marketing hype? Leave a comment below – would love to hear from you!
