How To Set An Intention For Your Marketing That Really Works!

When I speak with newsletter readers, clients and potential clients, one of the first things I hear is, “I’ve been doing XYZ, and it doesn’t work!”

As in, “I’ve been placing ads, and they don’t work!”

Or, “I’ve been going to networking meetings, and they don’t work!”

Or, “Yeah, yeah, I’ve been telling everyone I know about my business, and it hasn’t worked.”

Believe me, I understand the frustration! Back when I was first building my business (copywriting-only back then), I did everything short of placing ads. And all too often, my results fell far short of what I wanted.

Then I took a cue from my 10+ years of work with the Divine Feminine and began to set a clear intention for each piece of my marketing. Almost instantly, I began to get better results.

When I say that I set an intention for every piece of my marketing, I’m not talking about the kind of intention that doesn’t work; namely: Think really hard about it, turn it over to the Universe, sit back and wait for trucks full of gold ingots to back up to your door. Instead, think active intention, not passive. Think strategic intention, not wishing or praying. Active, strategic intentions include these steps:

1. Set a clear intention that is within your control. When I left my full-time job, I did NOT feel secure in ANYTHING, let alone my ability to get clients! That neediness for security and control lead to countless wasted marketing opportunities.

Take networking, for example. I knew that going to live events was THE way to get going, fast. I’d heard all these stories of copywriters going to seminars and leaving with new clients worth $5,000… $10,000… $20k and up. That sounded pretty good to me!

So I’d invest thousands of dollars in a seminar and “intention” like crazy. “I’m going to get 5 new clients and make $20,000!” Then I would go, panic (I’m naturally shy – yes, really), see that my “clear intention” wasn’t happening, feel like a failure, and kick myself.

Did I really have any control over whether someone hired me on the spot, or handed me a big check? No. It is always your client’s decision whether they hire you or not. Setting that kind of intention was a recipe for failure, and set me up for disappointment, not success.

A better intention for a seminar would be: Drink a dose of courage every morning and have 20 conversations with people you’ve never met. Even better: Find out which influencers will be there and set the intention to connect with them. Another: Implement one thing you learn within 7 days. Not only are these intentions entirely within your control, they’ll set you up for success now AND later.

2. Always answer the question: “How will this marketing turn into mo-ney?” In the seminar example I gave above, the money is in the rich relationships you create with the people you meet. Connections turn into clients and opportunities for more clients. For example, after I got clear on how to set intentions that really work, I struck up a conversation with a woman at a seminar who later gave me a high-paying gig, and my interactions with HER clients became inspiration for a great deal of my forthcoming graphic novel (which I sold earlier this year).

“How will this marketing turn into mo-ney?” will give you the answer to another more important question, namely, “Is this worth it?” You’ll also discover potential roadblocks before you invest. An ad in a holistic publication will fail if your clients go to your website and leave, or if they call your office and their first experience with you (via whoever answers your phone) is poor. A speaking engagement, on the other hand, will allow you to make a personal connection and is easily monetized quickly with a strong, enticing offer and invitation to work with you further.

Your answer doesn’t have to be perfect. But it MUST be more specific than “This will get my name out there.” Your life minutes are precious. Your marketing must be held more accountable than that.

3. Decide what actions YOU must take to honor your intention, and do them. Maybe it’s getting help with your website copy, or designing that enticing offer for the end of your class or speaking gig. Maybe it’s practicing that offer backwards and forwards before you deliver it. Maybe it’s making darn well sure that you packed your liquid courage before getting on the plane for that seminar, and making a promise to yourself that you’re not going to weenie out when it comes time to make those new connections.

When I designed my new website, I set an active, strategic intention for how it would be monetized and for how I wanted my clients to feel when they visited my site. Those intentions guided my actions every step of the way, and the results in just a few short weeks have reflected those intentions exactly.

Note: Whatever action you must take, it’ll probably involve getting outside of your comfort zone a little!

4. Turn it over to the Universe, and be open to correcting course. We can only control ourselves, our actions and our reactions. Part of the process of manifesting through Spirit includes acting on opportunities that come our way. That means keeping your mind open and a willingness to course-correct. If you set an active, strategic intention and the Universe sends you something better, prepare to move!

Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess,” is a writer and marketing strategist based in Brooklyn, NY. She teaches spirited and soul-inspired entrepreneurs how to create an abundance of clients, income and freedom in their businesses while staying true to their values. Elizabeth is the creator of The Abundant Business system, a step-by-step marketing and business-building system especially for conscious business owners. For more articles and to claim your free audio course, visit www.MarketingGoddess.com.