Is Bro Marketing Really A Thing?!

I’ve always been turned off by the icky aggressive hard sell approach. I just didn’t realize that it had such an innocuous sounding name. What I mean is – and you can call me old fashioned if you want – “bro” used to be a sign of camaraderie and respect. Maybe it’s because I’ve always just kept moving past those types of ads and onto the authentic marketing that I respond to.

Are we as humans becoming so numb to everyone else that we believe these aggressive tactics still work?

And I realize as I type this that I just recently fell for it myself… because it came from a female coach.

Now, as a woman of a certain age, I’m all in when it comes to women supporting each other. We were raised to believe that women were meek, retiring and not equipped to achieve the same success as men. I called bullshit on that a long time ago.

So, it makes sense when women assert themselves in marketing and promotional campaigns to a degree. Right?

Yes, because many of us still feel like we have to compete to be taken as seriously as men.

And, no, because over-the-top aggressiveness just for the sake of the quick sale is not the answer.

Just this morning I responded to a post from a male holistic healer who was feeling so broken about marketing his gifts because of the bro marketing approach he felt was expected of him. He felt like just giving up on trying to promote himself at all.

So… what do we (all) do to erase bro marketing once and for all?

Be fearlessly authentic! Every one of us has something unique and wonderful to offer the world. There is no reason to hide it under the false promises of sudden wealth or instant gratification. People respond to authenticity, especially when it evokes their own true feelings about the topic at hand.

Realize that authentic marketing takes time. Authenticity shines through no matter what. Your ideal clients will find you if you continue to show up as your true self. Once is no longer enough because we’ve all become so used to the negativity around us that we don’t always trust authenticity at first glance.

I’ll use myself as an example: I was often the only woman in the room in my former career. And I was the youngest in almost every case. I began describing myself and my accomplishments the same way the men around me did. It became so ingrained in my professional mindset that I still – today – struggle to shut that voice down and listen to my soul voice when it comes to how I present myself professionally.

Create your dream plan. Let’s say that you’re an Empath and you want to offer your gifts to everyone because you genuinely want everyone to live in emotional stability and tranquility.

Start by creating a map that identifies your ideal client by what they say, what they do, what they think and how they feel about their reasons for seeking you out.

List their stress points, needs and motivations when they come to you. Then, focus on the core emotions that you help them navigate through.

Find out where your ideal clients connect and meet them there, using conversation and resources that help them solve minor problems. This may be through video, written content or even creating your own online space to welcome them. You’re building trust, not selling your services – yet.  

You will scale this plan into next steps as you build your ideal client base.

Be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to share stories about your own journey and the challenges and wins you experience. Relatability is a true measure of authenticity.

Advertise your services and rates authentically. So many of us are afraid to set realistic rates that reflect our true value. We believe that we’re “not worth it” or don’t want to be judged as greedy.

Here’s the thing… setting rates that don’t honestly reflect your value only sets the stage for you to be undervalued. You wind up working with clients who don’t see your gifts as gifts. They demand more of your energy and ignore your advice to the point of draining you until you aren’t able to focus on the ideal clients you deserve.

There’s so much more to erasing the bro marketing mentality. What do you want to talk about around this topic? Let me know!