Jonathan here, chief doer of things at The Content Lab.
Mindful Marketing is a concept I’ve been toying with for the past year and now seems like a good time to air it out.
The idea comes from practicing mindfulness in my personal life. It’s slowly started to permeate my thinking about business and marketing, too.
Right now, a lot of businesses are wondering how to do marketing in the context of the coronavirus, Covid-19.
I think Mindful Marketing is the right approach both now and going forward.
Why marketing needs a re-think
We all know that marketing is an important part of doing business.
But I’ve always been quite sensitive to the intrusive and manipulative nature of marketing.
No matter how you dress it up, the ultimate purpose of marketing is to persuade people to give you money, right?
But in the pursuit of a larger audience, more customers and more money, it’s easy to overlook the wider impact that marketing has.
I wrote about this a few months ago in a post called ‘Pain points’ and a Case for More Mindful Marketing.
Here’s a quick overview of that article:
- Consumers are already drowning in online content
- They’re bombarded by marketing messages at every turn
- Studies have shown that this is not good for our mental wellbeing
- Businesses and marketers must be mindful of this
- The businesses and marketers that are mindful, will win
Marketing in a pandemic
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, I’ve observed the way businesses have responded.
Obviously it’s an extremely difficult and uncertain time for many businesses.
I empathise with every one of you. These are crazy times. None one knows how this will end and we can only take it one day at a time.
One thing I’ve noticed is that many businesses are unsure about how to communicate in a crisis.
They’re unsure how to go about marketing amidst the coronavirus chaos.
And that’s totally understandable.
You don’t want to seem insensitive or opportunistic.
You don’t want to ask people to spend money when tens of thousands of people are out of work.
You don’t want to pretend like everything’s fine and dandy when it isn’t.
So what should you do?
My advice is to take a mindful approach to marketing.
What is mindfulness?
First, let’s talk about what mindfulness is.
Mindfulness is the practice of cultivating awareness so that you can be responsive rather than reactive.
It’s about being fully present with what’s happening now so that you can navigate life with a sense of calm and clarity.
What is Mindful Marketing?
Mindful Marketing is marketing that comes from a place of self-awareness.
It’s marketing that’s aware of its:
- Context
- Purpose
- Message
- Impact
By focussing on these four things, your marketing will be more attentive and effective.
Like traditional mindfulness, it will allow you to be responsive rather than reactive.
It ensures that you are seen as a cool head and trusted brand amidst challenging times.
It allows you to act with confidence and clarity.
This is the model that I suggest businesses adopt during the coronavirus lockdown and beyond.
Let’s discuss each of the four pillars.
1. Context
Mindful marketing is aware of its context.
The world is currently on lockdown. People are uncertain about the future. Money is tight and the global economy is tanking.
How’s that for context?
But you also need to consider your own context, not only that of your target market.
You might run a small business that’s been forced to close. You still need to provide for your family. Maybe you’re pivoting your business to offer an online product or service.
Many businesses are wondering whether they should be marketing at all during this time.
Being mindful of the context can help you to answer that question.
Does your business need to be marketing to stay in the game?
Can your marketing be mindful of your audience’s context?
Yes?
Then there’s nothing wrong with continuing your marketing efforts at this time.
In fact, you should continue marketing, so long as you’re upholding the other three pillars of Mindful Marketing.
2. Purpose
Mindful Marketing is aware of its purpose.
Most marketing is aware of its purpose on the surface.
The purpose is usually to boost engagement, increase conversions, make sales, right?
But your purpose should go deeper than that. It should align with the purpose of your business.
You didn’t start a business to “engage, convert and sell” did you?
You started a business to help people overcome a specific problem.
It’s easy to lose touch with that when the bottom line becomes top of mind.
Being mindful of your marketing’s purpose is an invitation to shift from selling to helping.
How can your business help people?
More specifically, how can it help people during a global lockdown?
I’ve seen some beautiful examples of this over the past few weeks.
From meditation apps releasing free guided meditations to help with stress and anxiety to a homemade herbal tea business teaching its audience how to make their own teas (something fun to do in lockdown).
Even my accountant (the most “boring” industry out there, apparently) emailed me this week asking if they can help me with anything.
I’m sure most businesses can find a way to be helpful.
It doesn’t have to be practical, tangible help. You can help simply by providing relief or momentary escape.
There have been plenty of posts on social media lately that have spread hope, joy, laughter, and faith in humanity.
Do that.
Now is a time for acts over ads.
3. Message
Mindful Marketing is aware of its message.
What is marketing other than messaging? They are one and the same.
At a time like this, your messaging needs to be softer.
Don’t yell, don’t try and be clever or persuasive. Be sensitive to the situation and ease your message out there gently.
What should your message be? It should be tied to your purpose.
This is how we can help you.
Yoga instructors: You can still do yoga from home with our new online classes.
Business advisors and coaches: Join our weekly online video conference where we discuss the best strategies for businesses in lockdown.
The local artisan bakery: Follow our Instagram for live breadmaking tutorials that you can do at home. Every Tuesday from 3pm.
I understand that those examples don’t always result in instant cashflow.
But they will build brand loyalty and trust, which will be priceless on the other side of lockdown. People remember these things.
At the same time, it’s not wrong to sell. Just be mindful. Tie your selling to your helping.
Could the yoga instructor charge a small membership fee for online classes?
Could the business advisor upsell a personal coaching service at the end of every live stream?
Could the local artisan bakery put together a digital cookbook with some easy recipes to make from home and sell it for $10?
Why not?
If you are mindful of your message, the right people will resonate with it.
If you can’t think of ways to be sensitive and helpful with your messaging, then just stay quiet and ride it out.
4. Impact
Mindful Marketing is aware of its impact.
This is the big one.
What impact is your marketing having on real people in the real world?
Is it contributing to stress, fear, confusion or anxiety?
Is it playing on people’s insecurities or making them feel inadequate in any way?
Is it promoting an unhealthy lifestyle?
Is it saying something that you wouldn’t say in person?
In the endless pursuit of clicks, hits, likes, shares and engagement, the wider impact that marketing has is often overlooked.
Today, impact is more important than ever.
The easiest way to be mindful of impact is to simply be human. Put yourself in your target customer’s shoes.
How would you feel about what you’re saying?
Mindful Marketing should have a net positive impact on people and the environment.
This can be difficult to quantify, but you are allowed to use common sense.
If we use the example of the yoga instructor above we can see impact in action.
Mindful impact: We’re providing a space for you to connect with your mind and body in lockdown. Join our daily online yoga lessons here.
Mindless impact: Don’t let yourself go in lockdown. Get off the couch and join our online yoga lessons here.
It’s not rocket science. It’s just about being mindful of the impact your marketing has. Simple, right?
Keep keeping on
The main message of Mindful Marketing is simply to pause and think before acting.
Take a breath.
Do the right thing.
The right thing for your business and your customers.
I know the coronavirus lockdown is causing all sorts of unforeseen problems for businesses.
Mindful Marketing won’t solve most of them.
But I think it does provide some answers for how to approach marketing today and into the future.
What do you think?
I’m really keen for the concept of Mindful Marketing to be an open and ongoing discussion.
I want to hear your thoughts and ideas about this. If you think I’m off the mark in any way, please tell me.
If you dig it, let me know.
Mindful Marketing is a work in progress and I’m keen to crowdsource as much input as possible.
How can I help you and your business at this time? Please feel free to email me at hello@contentlab.co.nz with any questions and I’ll do everything I can to help.
