Happy Friday, All!
This week on the Mission Driven Business podcast, I chat with Sarah Santacroce, a LinkedIn guru turned humane marketing revolutionary. Sarah opens up about the breakdowns and breakthroughs that led to her living her passion for bringing empathy and kindness to business and marketing.
In the episode, Sarah discusses how to succeed in online marketing by finding your purpose and being your true, authentic self. She also shares the pitfalls of buzzy marketing phrases and how using softer words can bring current and future clients compassion.
Episode Highlights
Mission-driven entrepreneurs focus on their why.
To Sarah, mission-driven business owners start by reflecting on what they care about before they jump in and execute an idea. These savvy entrepreneurs think about their values and ideal clients just as much as their business opportunities.
“What is your big question that you want to answer by helping others,” Sarah said in the episode. “Reflecting on the things that you made your why.”
Marketing doesn’t have to be slimy.
Online marketing can sometimes feel pushy, aggressive, and slimy, Sarah said. Sarah once contemplated leaving the industry because she thought she had too much empathy for modern marketing. Only after having a breakdown did she have a breakthrough that humane marketing with an emphasis on human connection could work in the modern era, too.
“Because we focused so much on the technology — the scaling, the always bigger, always more — we lost touch with the actual relationship that we have with other people that are humans,” Sarah said.
Passion first. Clients later.
One of Sarah’s seven humane marketing principles is that passion and purpose come first, and clients come later. This type of thinking reverses the conventional marketing paradigm of a scarcity mindset — there are only so many clients. Instead, it emphasizes finding the right clients.
“If you bring more of you to your marketing, that will resonate with the right clients,” Sarah said.
One shred of evidence this is working in the real world is with the “Great Resignation,” a term coined as record numbers of American workers quitting their jobs. Sarah says a similar trend is happening with customers, who are now willing to pay a little more to buy a service from a business or brand that aligns with their values.
“That matters for entrepreneurs to say, ‘I have an opinion, and I have these values.’ They matter,” Sarah said.
Quote of the Week
“If you bring more of you to your marketing, that will resonate with the right clients,” Sarah Santacroce.
Task of the Week
Having a solid marketing plan is essential for small businesses. Check out these resources Sarah offers to help you bring more of yourself to your marketing.