What do most people do with “ads” they see on the web? Block them. Skip them. Avoid them. It’s why it takes so many millions of impressions to get someone’s attention. And even then, conversion rates in the single digits are considered the (expensive) norm.

There has to be another way.

Recently a few images popped up on my timeline from years ago. A client half-a-world away had reposted some of my photo-memes. The photos were of me “working” on stage. The phrases were my “product” that people in the audience would normally “purchase.” So for all purposes, these “quotes” were snapshots of me “delivering” what I offer:

Me being me doing me.

To be fair, they were also ads. In the sales business, when we ourselves are the product, it’s necessary to share with prospects and clients a big bit of ourselves in our marketing. The question is “how” to do it without looking like we’re making ourselves the center of attention, instead of making our purpose to help others the star of the show.

Which means: Doing You for Them.

We don’t have to overdo it when it comes to getting attention.

Just show up and do what you would do when with your favorite person.

Make people smile or nod or shake hands or share.

When the thing they might need someday is you,

In between those times, just show them you care.

The best advertisement of all is when you just do your job. Not talk about the job. Not compare it to others. Not even worry about whether or not people need your job today. Because they always ado.

Transform your marketing from a proposition and into an exposition. Help people get what they’d pay for before they decide to pay for it. If seeing you in their feed reminds them they’d be better off engaging than skipping , you’re not longer advertising but creating moments of time well spent.

Do that, and they’ll get the message: So clearly, they’ll even translate it into their own language.

#alwaysinspiring