Are You Using Misleading Marketing?

with your marketing plan? In this episode of Cash In On Camera, we're going to explore that with Shauna Van Worek to decipher whether or not you might be, maybe unbeknownst to you, misleading people with your marketing. And that's the topic for today. So Shauna, great to have you here. Um, someone who is an expert copywriter and an organic marketing consultant and leader. This is a great topic for us to dive into today because I think both of us see examples of what we would determine to be misleading marketing. What, what in your estimation is that and how would you define misleading marketing?

That's a great question, and, and I think that it's a slippery slope to actually put like a pin in it, um, because there's a lot of gray area involved in this concept of misleading marketing, and it comes from a place of ethics. We've got to think of, are we being ethically are we being sold to as consumers? And then are we ethically selling as business owners and people who are in the marketing space? So as with all things ethics, there is wiggle room. There is room for debate. But I would say as long as what you are selling is understood clearly to who you're selling it to and it's clear and true and there are no loopholes, we're not no rigmaroles, then you're, then you're in the right space, right? You're doing, you're doing what's right. You're telling them everything they need to know in order to make an educated decision. I hope that helps.

Yes. And here is something that I think we both see, and that you as a viewer of the video or listener of the audio of this podcast episode probably see as well. We see these grand claims online. It's like, I will help you build a 7-figure business in a week. That ain't gonna happen. You see that? Versus even for me, you know, I make some pretty bold claims, but they're rooted in actuality. Like, I've either done it myself or I've helped other people to do it, you know. And there's a difference there. There's a big difference.

And there's no claim that it's going to happen overnight. I think that's a really important distinction, is just being transparent and saying, I can get you that 7-figure business 'It may take time because you never know the circumstances of the people who you're working with, right? It may take time, but we'll get you there.' Making that claim is okay if you've got the social proof to back it up.

I also think as long as you have the system to back it up, as long as you know that these are definitively the steps that you need to take, and then really it's up to that person, that client, that student, whatever, to follow those steps to get that result. Because listen, I mean, if we use the gym analogy, right, people buy gym memberships, but they don't necessarily all get fit because they're not following the program. You know, you can buy a gym membership, but then if you turn around and you're eating, you know, 8 Twinkies, like, it doesn't equate.

No, not at all.

You can't— the gym can't force someone to use that membership, you know, to use that analogy. But I think to your point, there tends to be a lot of claims and things that are being said online that are inauthentic and that are just frankly not factual.

Yeah, and actually where that started from, when I kind of started, I've been looking at this for a while because I do have a background in rhetoric, which is very simply put, the art of persuasion. And there are two elements to that. True rhetoric, which is founded in with Aristotle, Plato, those people, That concept meant the seeking of truth, right? You were going through whatever you needed to go through, debates and philosophizations to find the truth of the matter. And then there's BS rhetoric, and that is just propaganda. That's persuasion for the sake of persuasion. And so I'm constantly attuned to this, and this is a certain part of being a marketer that is bittersweet because then I see claims such as, um, in particular in my field as a content creator, um, and as somebody who really promotes content marketing, um, saying that I can get all of your content done in an hour with you. Um, I— that's what kind of made me hiccup because I thought this has given me— giving me a bad name. And I can only imagine where it's happening in a variety of other fields, which includes, like you just said, a coach, a business coach, um, even a fitness coach, right? It can give you a lot of bad rap just because somebody else is making these claims that aren't telling the whole truth. It's technically, it's lying by omission. I can do all of this when really what they mean is we can brainstorm enough ideas to generate a month's worth of content and maybe, maybe plug in the ideas into a calendar, but we're forgetting we need to write it out, we need to have a strategy for execution to make sure that you're goal-aligned and you're actually going to achieve your goals. Um, you need to probably create graphics, maybe show up online. Is this, is this part of what that month's worth of content entails? Because you can't do that in an hour. I'm going to argue you can't. So that's, that, that makes people go into this, and this is where I'm very people-focused, very heart-centered. So I can just imagine a person being told this and then not being able to do it and thinking they're bad at it, or it's not successful, and they think their offer isn't good enough, or they can't actually do the thing when in fact they probably could if they were given the right opportunity to succeed. And can imagine, imagine the lives they could change if, say, you were supporting a coach. Like, that's a whole different— it's a whole different ball game now.

One of the things that we do here is at Profitable Podcasting and what we teach is that we can teach you to run your podcast in an hour per week. And that's a pretty bold claim, but it's actually true because— and I bring this up because it really is an example of how traditionally people who teach podcasting, they teach it a very different way, right? They teach to, you know, record it and download it and edit it. And I know as a content producer creator, you know, broadcasters. Like, if you edit things, then yes, it does take a lot of time. So our process is that we don't do any editing. We're cutting all that down. So now it becomes actually not misleading. It's actually true, just because we have been innovative in how we've built out that system. The thing with misleading marketing is telling people that you can do it in an hour per week when it's not based in any kind of factual truth because the process isn't really what it's said to be and things are misleading. That's the problem.

And we see a lot of examples of that and saying that you can do that the first day, right? Because we know that it's a learning curve. Everything, even if you have the best, most efficient strategy ever, there's always a learning curve.

Yeah, yeah. And that, and that's true in that we tell people, it's like, once you learn our process and once you get to that point where you're in the rinse and repeat part of this process, you've learned it, it's installed, and now you're utilizing the system. That's when it's an hour per week, right? It's like, so we need to train you and get you up and get this installed to a point where now that becomes reality. But our— we have to be upfront about that. We are upfront about that in that it's not— you're not going to be able to do this in, you know, a, a week. You know, there's a certain amount of learning that you're going to have to go through, which is the process of the program. But beyond that, if you do what we say, it will be reality.

That's beautiful. And it's always good to be upfront and forthright when it comes to any of your marketing. When you're showing up, and this actually, you were saying authenticity, it's a buzzword right now, but it's a buzzword I particularly love. It's got a lot of different definitions to a lot of different people, but showing up authentically is kind of a part of this whole idea of being ethical and making sure that you're not misleading people. And it's really helpful to think about this in the idea of conversion as well. So if you're showing up as yourself and you're just, you know, you're just rocking it. Like I'm gonna tell you, I geek out about Harry Potter. I'm gonna tell you, but I do all these things. And in a variety of ways, you know, it's in alignment with what I do, of course. But then if you meet me in person or online on a call or in a different situation and I conduct myself completely differently, that's going to seriously affect the way you're perceiving me because that's misleading. I thought you were bubbly and fun and geeky and all this stuff, and then I showed up and then you were just like diplomatic and I don't know, I think of like a starched caller and ugh, like that's not me, I couldn't possibly, and it would mislead people and then actually to your detriment if you wind up doing that.

Yeah, there's something to be said about, again, having things be congruent, uh, not, not just in the marketing. Like, we're kind of focusing today on what you're doing kind of more publicly on the marketing side of things. And I was giving an example in our own business here about, from a maybe more from an offer presentation or a sales perspective, on how we're very clear about like, there's— this is the path to go forward. But on the marketing side of things, we see this a lot where people aspire to be people that they're not. They imitate and copy people that they see, and they figure, well, because they have success and I want that type of success, I must act like them, dress like them, be like them, when it's completely not congruent to who they are.

Yeah.

And then they wonder why their businesses don't flourish. It's because you're putting on an act. You're you're just trying to be somebody that you're not.

That's it. And it's heartbreaking. It's truly heartbreaking because you— so Sally was successful doing XYZ in this way. You, even if you become, become reasonably successful emulating her, you will never achieve that same level of success because you're not her. And you're more likely to burn out. You're more likely to have an— to be dissatisfied with whatever level of success you do in fact achieve. So you're self-sabotaging when you're showing up inauthentically to yourself, when you're playing copycat copy. Um, and, and I say copycat copy because that's— it's often I see people doing this with their copywriting. They will see somebody else's sales page or sales funnel and they will almost verbatim copy it and just sub in words or, or use templates that successful people have used. And it's troubling because it's never going to perform the way you think it will because it wasn't made for you, your offer, and how the transformation that you actually provide to your people.

Yeah, and I'd love for you to speak to ways that someone could identify whether their marketing is misleading. What is the litmus test? What are some things, some steps, or a way to audit your marketing that would help you to determine whether or not you are being misleading?

Yeah, I mean, I would just perceive what you're doing from the viewpoint of the consumer. I think that's a really important thing. The ability to lead with empathy, the ability to turn something on its head and say, if I were my dream client and I perceived this, what would I expect from this based on the marketing that I'm being sold? What would, what would my expectations be precisely? And if it's in alignment with what you're saying, golden. You've been transparent, you've been forthright, and that's kind of the space that you wanna be in. And then of course, being able to do that, I hate to say it, but you gotta do your market research. People always stumble and trip over that. They're like, "Oh, I gotta do that again?" Well, yeah, you do. If you wanna be able to truly perceive your marketing from the viewpoint of your dream client, You need to know them. You've got to ask them. Yeah, I love that.

I know that you have these two issities as you put it. I'd love for you to share what are the two issities that you want to share with the audience?

Absolutely. So yes, it's my issities because it's authenticity. That's why I said I like the buzzword and simplicity. And these two things are really fun I find because they go hand in hand. They work kind of like a circle. So, as you show up more authentically, Things become simpler. The choices you make become simpler. Clicking record becomes simpler. Typing out a post, if you're, if you're doing that to market your business. You know what? Going to the grocery store and choosing what you want for dinner is easier when you're being authentic to yourself. And then, as things become simpler, you're better able to lean into who you are underneath the layers. Because remember, like, we're— psychology is a huge, huge thing for me, and the human condition. And, and as we navigate this world from, from birth to adolescence to adulthood, we are, we are exposed to a number of different things that impact who we believe ourselves to be from a place of who we think is authentic, which may well be true. Awesome. But understanding how your external is influencing you is easier to pinpoint when you've made things simpler. I hope that makes sense. So as it gets simpler, you're better able to peel back those layers, become more authentic, which makes things more simpler so you can be more authentic. And then we can do that dance.

And it creates a flywheel. It really starts to feed up to itself, doesn't it?

And it feels good. Honest to goodness, it just makes everything feel good. So if you're somebody who's like, oh, I don't like marketing, I feel like I need to plaster on a face or something. Well, maybe we need to look at how you're marketing and whether it's authentic and true to you.

Yeah, and maybe there's some work that needs to be done between the ears to help. And I know this is something that's important to you as well, and it is to me as well, is this idea of confidence that you have the, the self-awareness but also the, the self-esteem and the confidence to be able to step out into the world and be truly authentic to who you are, which does trickle down into your marketing. Whether it be the copy, the content, the messaging, how you're showing up, how frequently you're showing up, all of those things.

Absolutely. Marketing confidence makes a difference. That's like my new catchphrase of life. And the reason that it is, is because the way you market yourself both personally and professionally absolutely makes a difference in your ROI, in your success. However, I just, I want to broach this topic because it's actually something that was kind of like a light bulb moment to me. The, so most marketers will tell you, you are successful when you've achieved these metrics, which is great. We want those metrics. That is true. So that marketing success or that marketing confidence, confidence in your metrics absolutely makes a difference. But in order to achieve those metrics, I'm here to argue that you need that behind the scenes confidence. First. You need to have confidence in what you're offering and the transformation it can provide first so that you can come off as that authority, so that you can be confident in the execution of all of these things to make those metrics happen. It's that idea of kind of, it's kind of the idea of manifestation, that idea where you could say, yeah, I want to manifest $1 million, but if you don't do the work, it's not going to happen. It's that same idea. You've got to do the work first internally to make all of those blocks add up to the great success that you inevitably will get when you do that work.

Yeah. And I think about my own story as we're doing this interview right now at the beginning of 2023. And I looked back at my metrics of 2022 and accomplished more than what I had expected. And also, really kind of paved the path for the thing that I actually help people to do themselves, right? Like, that it is actually very much aligned and rooted in reality, um, and that does give me more confidence to be able to go out and help other people do the same. You know, I think there's definitely something to be said for that. So I appreciate that. Shauna, I'd love for you to share with people how they can get in touch. You're a copywriter and Your job really is to become the voice, the authentic voice of your clients and be able to write copy for them and do it brilliantly. How do they get in touch with you?

So the best way right now is depending on your platform, LinkedIn, you can send me a DM, you can connect with me there. If you're on either Instagram or Facebook, I hang out there too. In fact, I have a Facebook community that is completely free and I spend a lot of time in there because I just love teaching, sharing, and empowering others to show up as the their best selves, to really step into their authentic power. So if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty with me, it's the Facebook group. It's called Authentic Copy and Content Strategy, and it's, it's fun.

I love that. I love that. I think that's where everything's going, right? It's all about community. So I love that. What is a, a tip, a tool, a tactic, or technique that's really helping you to market yourself? Something that you can share with the audience that's truly really moving the needle for you.

Yeah, absolutely. And this is actually something that is moving the needle for almost everybody I tell to. So if you can actually do this and internalize this, I think you're set up for success. I like geeking out. So I think of things as in this Venn diagram, my two hands are the circles, Venn diagram. And one side is what you love to create in your marketing. What lights you up? What really gets the fire going? You're like, oh my gosh, I gotta create a Reel. Oh my goodness, I need to write this post. Whatever that looks like, make a podcast, right? Take that and then whatever your ideal client loves to consume and put them over top. And wherever that meets, that's what you need to be creating in your marketing. That's where you're gonna show up as your best self, your most authentic self, the self that just radiates energy. And your people are already there and they're loving consuming it. They want more. It becomes binge-worthy when you do it right.

That's brilliant. I love that. I totally subscribe to that, by the way. I love it. I think especially for people who are selling high-ticket services and products, right? You really have to— and I've had a conversation just recently, I think this morning, with someone about this, where there was a misalignment because their ideal client were— or the things that they were selling were high-ticket. So they needed to bring in clients who could afford, you know, those types of high-ticket things. And their marketing was not aligned to that, right? And they were doing— they were making content that wasn't going to be consumed by that ideal person. So yeah, I think there's something to be said for making sure that there's a connection between those two things. Brilliant. Yeah, thank you so much, Shauna. This has been really fun having you on Cash In On Camera today, and I appreciate it. We'll have to have you back. Maybe we'll talk about copywriting next time.

That'd be fun. I'm, I'm all for geeking out about all of the things. Marketing, including copywriting.

Me too. I could, I could talk about marketing for a long time. So on that note, thank you for being on the show today, and we really appreciate your insights.