Mindfulness is a practice where you cultivate your ability to perceive life in the current moment, free of bias, judgment, and distracting self-narratives.  Here is an overview of how mindfulness helps you market your business.

Mindfulness is a trendy topic in the “self-help” industry right now, so – as a hard-nosed business person – you might scoff at this topic.  Your “fluff alarm” is going off.

Good.  We’re not big fans of fluff at Marketing 360®, and as marketers, we’re all too aware of the perverse impact of buzzwords and cliches.

However, sometimes fads happen for the right reasons, and this includes mindfulness.  There are real benefits to being able to focus your awareness on the present, and overcoming biases while gaining empathy balances your approach to marketing.

We won’t attempt to teach you how to be more mindful here – there are abundant resources online.  But we would like to review 5 ways that being mindful is beneficial to marketing your business.

Consider these mindfulness marketing approaches.  You may find important solutions come to you when you pause – and stop looking for them.

 

#1.  View Marketing as a Process

Mindfulness practice helps you get in touch with the ongoing process of life.

Often when we consider a goal, we think of achieving that goal as an endpoint.  For example, you may set the goal of ranking on page one for a high-value keyword.  You get to page one and wallah! – you mark it off your list.

But mindfulness lets us see that when one goal is achieved, another challenge arises in its place.  There is no final plateau of success, no summit that signals the end of the journey.

Getting to page one for a competitive keyword is just the beginning.  Now you have the ongoing challenge of keeping it there.

We sometimes consult with business people who think marketing is a project that will reach a conclusion.  They believe they’ll reach a goal where their marketing will be self-sustaining and can just go on auto-pilot.

And while it is true that marketing can reach a point where the popularity of a product creates more popularity, being mindful about your marketing means realizing that it’s a process that involves a cycle of new challenges and goals.

Mindfulness gets you in touch with life as a dynamic process.  You see that what’s on the other side of the challenge you’re overcoming is another challenge.

You’ll set goals and achieve them.  But if you want your business to continue to thrive, be mindful that it’s a process you have to prepare for and continue to invest in.

 

#2.  Gain Objectivity

One of the keys to mindfulness is being non-judgmental.  You experience the present moment without trying to formulate opinions or generate certain emotions.  You connect to the world – and accept it – as it is.

This leads to objectivity, which is critical to successful marketing.  In a mindful state, you’re not clouded by past experiences or weighed down by fear of the future.  You release subjective opinions and gain the ability to view the world with “fresh eyes”.

This is invaluable when it comes to evaluating your own marketing materials.  For example, we often run into the problem of a business owner wanting to design their website in a preconceived way that’s heavily influenced by their subjective opinion.

The problem, of course, is that the website is not designed for owners.  It’s for their visitors – the potential clients having an initial experience with the business.

Often, we find the subjective desires of the business owner differ from what’s effective at reaching visitors.

Instead of subjective opinion, rely on a data-driven process.  The more objective you can be about viewing your marketing, the better you’ll be at creating material that’s effective at persuading your audience.

 

#3.  Develop Empathy

One of the most powerful results derived from mindful objectivity is that you become far more empathetic.  You’ll understand the people you’re trying to reach better because you’re more adept at “walking in their shoes”.

This is absolutely critical for marketing.  It lets you understand the actual needs of your customers so you can design your value offering and products around those needs.

Empathy is also critical to customer service since it allows you to see issues from the customer’s perspective.

Hard, time-consuming work is mandatory in running a business, but be aware of the drawback of being too close to your own work.  In a mindful state, you look away from the past, allowing you to view things from the perspective of others.

When you look at your work as if you’re looking at it for the first time, you’re empathizing with the view of your audience.

 

#4.  See Value with Clarity

Another major challenge in marketing that mindfulness helps with is understanding how your offer benefits people and improves their lives.

It’s easy to get caught up in the features of your product.  This gizmos and gadgets that make it work.

However, the focus on features is a loser in sales.  Say, for example, you sell anti-lock brakes.  You could explain the features and technology that allow the system to work.  Nobody would care.

But when you explain the benefit – that it helps you avoid losing control of your vehicle when you have to stop suddenly – you have a strong marketing message.

The non-judgmental approach of mindfulness develops compassion and kindness.  As a business in the digital age, it’s a huge advantage to have a message that focuses on how you help people lead better lives.  It’s a message you can use on social media, and it helps you generate positive reviews and word of mouth.

Marketing today is about making connections, and nobody wants to connect with someone who is selfish.  Focus on the value you offer and good you do.

 

#5.  Lose Bias and See Your Competition

There is a common statement people make that suggests they are not mindful of the business landscape:

“We don’t have any competition”.

With all the choices people have today, this is never true.  There is always an alternative.  In fact, one of the biggest competitors any business deals with is hesitation.  People check them out…then do nothing.

Consider the moment you’re in.  Empathize with your audience.  Lose your bias and think about all the options they have.

Being aware and mindful of all the competition you have – at any given moment – is vital to marketing success.

You’ll compete with other offers, so you need a competitive advantage.  You must be aware of and respond to the other choices your customers will explore.

Overlooking the competition is a common mistake startups make.  They may think their idea is so innovative there is no competition.  But more often it’s a lack of diligence and awareness.

Mindfulness will help you avoid this error.  Get a broad picture in your mind of all the competition that exists.  Get to know those businesses and understand those options.

This will help you understand the advantages you have to communicate.  It’s up to you to provide a solid reason consumers should choose you.

 

Wrap Up

The doorway to mindfulness is meditation.  If you struggle with focusing on the present moment, research mindfulness techniques and practice gaining mindful focus.

But you don’t have to take up meditation to take advantage of these tips.  When you consider your marketing, mindfulness has a strong connection to awareness.

Awareness of your customers.  Awareness of leads you’d like to connect with.  Awareness of your competition and what it takes to beat them.

This awareness will help you break through your own preconceptions and biases, which is the greatest benefit to marketing mindfulness.

Slow it down.  Forget what you’ve been doing as well as where you’re heading.

Take in the present moment.  Control your thinking as it wanders, bring yourself back to the moment.  Be certain of what you’re doing right now.

From that basis, you’ll know where you’re coming from and have a more precise sense of where you’re going.

It’s a satisfying place to be.