Attraction Marketing is a term you may have heard loosely thrown around if you are entrenched or even just dabbling in the online marketing world. It seems to cover a range of different approaches and can be a little confusing, especially when you are just beginning to build your online “lifestyle” business.
In the past Attraction Marketing has been strongly associated with the MLM (multi-level-marketing) or Network Marketing fields, however these days, thanks to the explosion of the internet, the benefits of Attraction Marketing are finally being applied further afield.
What exactly is Attraction Marketing?
To answer this, lets first consider traditional marketing methods.
Traditionally, you would have been encouraged to develop a product or service, then go about the process of identifying who your key target market is. You would then tailor your entire marketing strategy around reaching that key audience with the intention that many of them may purchase your product or service. Makes complete sense right? Well once you understand attraction marketing, you might not think so.
The basic premise of attraction marketing is that…
People will buy products and/or services from those they like, have rapport with and trust. If you take the time to build your own genuine, personal profile, you will attract like-minded people (people with similar desires, needs, likes etc to you). Over time, these people will begin to feel comfortable with you (and your regular communication) and begin to trust your recommendations of what to buy or what to join or sign up to, because they can relate to you and your journey thus far. Something that we have learned and that has helped us in so many ways. (Click here to find out more about the exact same training we have done.)
It is an essential strategy!… But why?
Perhaps because we have marketing coming at us from every which direction. On Facebook, we are constantly targeted. On a random website that we are browsing, we can be re-targeted based on previous google searches or website visits. People are getting sick of being targeted and re-targeted and they are now finding their loyalty’s in those that are willing to build a relationship with them – often without asking for anything in return.
It is no longer important if you live in your audience’s local area or if they can drop into your traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ business. They know they can get any product they want online! They can do the research to track the products down, compare them with the competitors and read reviews until their heart is content. They can also click on those endless amount of ads that pop up at them on youtube, facebook, google, bing, ebay etc… but they don’t want to (at least not as much as they did five years ago) and they don’t have the time for uncertainty.
Instead they are searching for and/or discovering people who are just like them. People who can immediately help them feel comfortable and who can fulfil their needs with little effort required. In a way, its like reverse marketing – instead of a company trying to find the right customers, people (and businesses) are recommended to put their true selves on the line and naturally attract people (and businesses) just like them, who will in turn be guided by them when making a purchase.
Of course, this isn’t as simple as putting up a website and waiting… hoping for your tribe of like minded followers to find you. It takes time and effort to build an authentic profile online and to discover your true tribe of followers.
The following formula will give you some insight into the process that in most cases will naturally develop…
- Develop your own personal blueprint: Identify who you really are, where you have come from and what you really want from life.
- Translate this into a big need for the future with the premise that if it’s a need for you, it will likely be a need for others too (your future tribe).
- Build an online brand filled with you and your personal credibility. Be authentic – never fake it!
- Start building your tribe – this does require an advertising budget (and some strategy) although it will be a fraction of what most business’s currently spend on advertising – more on this in another article.
- Consistently provide high quality information that helps fulfil your tribes needs and adds value to the conversation.
- Build and maintain your relationships with regular communication.
- Present purchase opportunities that are of interest to your tribe when the time is right.
Given the list above, how does attraction marketing work from a business point of view?
Well, if you attract people who are like-minded and you follow the steps above, they will likely trust your opinions. You will be able monetise your ‘attraction marketing’ efforts for your business – regardless of whether it is a bricks and mortar business, online business or otherwise.
How about a real life example then?
Here two very different scenarios for you…
Say for example, you are truly passionate about travel but are stuck in a 9-5 job where you have to ask for permission to take a 2 week holiday twice a year. You never seem to have enough cash to get what you really want but you are adamant that there is an easier way to make money. If this is you then you are actually the ideal person to first, make a change and get your life to a place that makes you smile and then inspire others who may be in a similar position to the one you used to be in and help them to change their own lives 🙂
If you are prepared to stand up and say, I will do whatever I have to do around my current job to get myself into a better position, then believe me when I say, people will want to hear your story about how you are going to do it! They will want to come on that journey with you and share in your highs and lows. Plus along the way, you will also get the added bonus of inspiring others to improve their own situations.
Another example involving a bricks and mortar business might play out like this… You own a cafe that provides a range of menu options including healthy food choices, take away snacks, great coffee etc…customers currently come to you. You may already advertise to them if they are in your local area. The venue is your business – if you had to move for some reason, you would potentially have a lot of work to do to survive.
With attraction marketing, you would start to establish rapport with your customers on an individual basis. You would find a way to start building a database and communicating with them as the like minded cafe owner down the road. You put your face out there and be accountable. You transition from being just a venue where people eat/drink to a real life person who can add value to their lives. You might send out recipes, tips, healthy living ideas to develop credibility in the industry and market. If you provide quality information that is of value to your customers, they will become your tribe and look forward to hearing from you. They will trust you and you could potentially expand your business to include an online store promoting other healthy living products. Your business is no longer about people who live near by stopping in for convenience. Your business is now a big handful of relationships with people who are like minded and interested in hearing from you, experiencing your food, drinking your coffee and keeping up with your joruney.
To summarise, the old school “traditional” method would be to pick a product and then find a target market to try to reach. Whereas, the “new rich” Attraction Marketing method would involve putting your true, authentic self out there for the world to see and attracting people with similar needs, desires and aspirations to you, in order to build a business that you will love and that will have the potential to improve peoples lives.
Its a strategy that can and should be applied to all types of businesses. The benefits are endless and it will ensure you have a sustainable business in the future.
And of course, if you would like to chat about how Digital Life Mentors can help you in your specific situation, please do not hesitate to contact us or schedule a skype call through our contact page.