Have you ever had a day where you know you need to promote your business, edit your website, or get your name out into the world?

If you own a business, you have had many of that kind of days. And most likely, you’ve had days (or even weeks) where you want to do anything BUT market your business. Maybe you had an experience with another business that made you feel squeamish. Maybe you think that anyone you tell about your offer will just laugh at you. Maybe you wonder if it’s possible anymore to market your business in an ethical, compelling, and inviting way.

It is. You don’t have to stay stuck. Here is what to do to push out of it and feel clear and inspired when you write marketing copy or promote your business.

Pay attention to the people that are marketing well.

Who inspires you? You can’t copy them, of course, but pay attention to what is working for other people. What marketing practices make you feel connected and not gross?

Know that the pretty parts are not everything.

It is really common for us creatives to obsess a little too much over the glamorous, outward facing parts of our business, like our social media or website. However, realistically, our online marketing is only PART of our business! Your response emails are marketing! So is the entire process your clients go through as they work with you! Don’t make the mistake of putting all your creative energy and attention just into your online marketing. (But please don’t ignore it, either.)

Write about your business offer as if no one will read it.

I hit a period this year of feeling inauthentic and guarded every time I wrote a post for my business. My business coach told me to try writing a post that I knew I would not ever share. Do you think it helped? Of course it did. Writing for no one can help you get past the fear of what people will think and help you get into the flow again. Often, writing something no one will see gives you bits of inspiration for the messaging/content/marketing that they WILL see.

Mute and unfollow.

When I feel most overwhelmed with all the marketing, I open up my Instagram app and see if I want to watch the stories/see the posts of the first profiles that come up. If I don’t? I mute them. Often it is temporary, but also often that extra unwanted noise makes it almost impossible to feel creative, or want to write a post or share a project or service I’m working on. If your {online} room feels full of voices, you aren’t going to want to add yours. (Literally exactly like a loud party.)

Just take a break.

Will I manage to add this in to everything I say about marketing? Yes, I will. Take a day off from everything online and watch how much it will leave you refreshed and less jaded. Make some cookies. Go for a hike. Develop routines that make sure you do things besides thinking about marketing or your “online presence” or your next piece of content. The noise will almost certainly become less overwhelming.

Stop talking down to your audience.

We all hate feeling patronized, right? Sometimes marketing advice like “only showcase what you want to book” and “always end with a call to action!” can result in you sharing content and marketing in a way that is 100% less genuine. If you aren’t being true to your own voice and values, you very likely will feel fake and snobbish in your marketing. (Aka cynical and stuck).

This doesn’t mean that showcasing what you want to book and having CTA’s is bad! It also doesn’t mean you will never have to do something that feels uncomfortable. But get MORE comfortable with sharing the process and thinking out loud. Treat your audience like they are human and friends, not just people who might eventually pay you if you ask long enough.

In conclusion, make it a habit to pay attention to how you feel about marketing. If you frequently feel stuck, don’t ignore it! Try one of these steps (or all of them) and see how it changes your inspiration and perspective.