Why Most Marketing Fails – And How to Break Through the Noise

This Week’s Soulful Marketing eNewsletter Highlights:

Core Article: Why Most Marketing Fails – And How to Break Through the Noise

Scavenger Hunt: Penny for your thoughts?

Paragraph I’m Pondering: It’s time for a change—a change to how we market.

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire: You are worthy!

Book Review: Secrets of The Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

Cool Stuff: Check out this map showing the population density of North America.

AI Info & Resources: This is a bit creepy – an AI that can look and talk like you.

Why Most Marketing Fails – And How to Break Through the Noise

Earlier this week, I received an email from someone looking for help with marketing their business.

They were feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with the usual marketing tactics and knew if they didn’t find someone to guide them, their business wouldn’t survive.

It made me think about you, wondering if you’re feeling the same way.

Are you comfortable with your marketing strategies?

Are you getting the results you want?

Or are you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed that your marketing is falling upon deaf ears and not resonating with your dream prospects and clients?

I totally get it. The landscape is overwhelmed with pushy, inauthentic messages.

Think about the countless marketing and direct sales messages you get every day. It can be a HUGE annoyance and distraction. From slimy “sell, sell, sell” ads to creepy direct messages, texts, emails, and endless funnels, it’s no wonder marketing has such a bad name.

The truth is that marketing is shifting. It’s not just about selling products and making money anymore. If you want to reach more people and be incredibly successful, your business has to have a deeper ‘why,’ one that connects with your dream clients.

Plus, consumers are becoming more sophisticated and less susceptible to manipulative tactics like misleading claims, fake scarcity, and hidden fees. They crave authenticity, transparency, and real connections. And want to be treated like smart, savvy consumers.

Think about a time when you felt like that. I’m betting you don’t want to be emotionally manipulated to buy something. And the more sophisticated you get, the less those tactics work to get you to stop scrolling, much less go to a website to buy.

That’s why I created Soulful Marketing. Over the past five years, I’ve developed this third way to market that breaks free from traditional, inauthentic methods.

It’s not just a method; it’s a movement to authentically attract your dream clients. It’s about making a meaningful impact, helping your dream clients lead more fulfilling lives, and doing it all without compromising your values.

As I’ve shared in previous emails, soulful marketing focuses on creating genuine connections and aligning your marketing with your mission and values. It’s about building trust, engaging your dream clients, and treating them as smart, intelligent humans who can see through any “manipulative sales tactics.”

And please reconsider not implementing complicated online marketing ‘funnels.’ I truly don’t like the term ‘funnels.’ That’s why I call them ‘journeys’ or ‘online dream client experiences.’ It sounds way better and more soulful. ( See below for a big announcement and more.)

Your goal is to build trust and get them interested and curious to discover more from your free offers.

Your dream clients or customers are increasingly looking to spend their dollars with businesses aligned with their mission and vision, maybe even those that are giving back in ways that align with them.

This all needs to come across and show up in your marketing and messaging. You need to ask yourself questions like – What core ideas do you want to share? Look at your core messaging – how do you want your dream clients or customers to feel?

What are your values, beliefs, attitudes, and influences have shaped you? What can you share from your mission and vision – use your brilliance to help transform your dream clients?

Think of companies like Bombas, Starbucks, REI, Passion Planner, and Patagonia.

Marketing, at its core, is about your mission, vision, and values. And align them with your marketing, messaging, and the media you are using to build your business.

All these companies live and breathe them.

Plus, they all have a clear mission and vision to give back, inspire, and impact the people they touch in a unique way.

So now it’s your turn to tell your story, to be authentically you, and to share it in your emails, websites, blogs, social media, and more. Your messaging is everything when it comes to building a successful business, and this is at the core of Soulful Marketing. Read my update below for more.

The Not-So-Quick Update

This week, I accomplished a big milestone. I’ve had this eGuide half-written for a few years now. My writing group wanted me to turn it into a real book and sell it, which totally threw me off. So, I spent the last two years trying to turn it into a book, and it just wasn’t working.

When I joined Mel Robbin’s Launch Program, I picked this as my first project to finish. I also wanted to give it away for free, with no strings attached, so I DID IT!

And because you are a valued subscriber, I wanted to give you a free copy: “Soulful Marketing Manifesto: Marketing That’s As Honest, Authentic, And As Value-Driven As You Are.”

Simply click on this link, and it will direct you to a Download page. Scroll to the bottom of that page to download it. (No email optin required.)

I packed it with as much valuable information as I could. I added a bunch of resources for you as well.

I’d love to know what you think if you feel moved to share.

Please don’t share this link above with friends or colleagues yet. This is for you because you’re a valuable person in my community who’s here every week with me. I will get you a website you can share next week. Thank you!

Weekly Scavenger Hunt: Penny For Your Thoughts?

Yep, I’m still finding things on my early morning hikes – this week, I found a shiny new penny and a really nice Dove feather. Again, how in the world did this penny find its way to be in front of me on my path? And that is one of the many wonderful mysteries for this week.

Paragraph I’m Pondering:

“This marketing manifesto is not just a guide; it’s a movement to shift the marketing world towards more soulful interactions. It’s time for a change—a change to how we market, why we market, and whom we benefit through our efforts. It’s also about how you, as a mindful, purpose-driven entrepreneur, can get in touch and truly grab hold of a more soulful way to be, do, and have when it comes to your business and your life.” ~ Shannon McCaffery, Soulful Marketing Manifesto: Marketing That’s As Honest, Authentic, And As Value-Driven As You Are

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire:
~ Created by Shannon’s Visionary Guide – ChatGPT

“I am worthy of love, happiness, and success, and I embrace my potential fully.”
“My body is healthy, my mind is clear, and my spirit is at peace.”
“I am open and receptive to all the wealth life offers me.”

Book Review

Secrets of The Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

Cool Stuff

Map capturing North America’s population density.
Wild animals can help us capture and store carbon. Here’s how.
25 things you might not know about Mexican food.

AI Info & Resources:

Check out the latest in creating AI artwork.
This feels a little creepy – creating an AI that looks like you to do videos, hmmm. It’s an interesting name, though.
Interesting article on how Meta and other companies are training their advertising AIs.

Weekly Photos

That’s Emma, the velcro dog these days in her “lazy days of summer” pose. With the heat breaking records of 106 these past few weeks, I’m feeling a bit like that, too!
Yep, there’s the penny I found on this week’s scavenger hunt.
Alice and I are in San Francisco, warming up our laughter to see Wanda Sykes live. She truly was hilarious!
Love these funny signs in San Francisco. The hills on Powell Street are killers.
Yep, here’s the hill I mentioned above. That’s probably a 15 incline on a treadmill – yowza.
And it’s June, so it’s Pride Month in San Francisco. An awesome place to be because they have everything decorated in rainbows!
This beautiful sunset over Shasta Lake for Alice’s birthday. I love that place in the evenings. So grateful the lake has been filled to the top for 2 years now.