At the start of the year, a lot of experts had ‘authentic marketing’ on their predicted trends list for 2024.
So what is authentic marketing, and how the heck can you bring more authenticity to your marketing?
Well, when I think about authentic marketing there’s literally one wizard who instantly comes to mind – I’m talking about Tracey Spencer.
If you don’t know Tracey – strap yourself in because it’s about to get lit.
Tracey is a business activator and mentor for legendary women who are hell-bent on serving and creating a ridiculously abundant creative business and life on their own terms.
She’s known for her fire one-liners, spiritual straight-talk, and funny as fuck business analogies (just go and check out her Reels).
She’s the person so many business owners gravitate towards when they can’t see or feel their magic anymore…and, in true Tracey fashion, she lights a fire under their butt and gets them moving to activate their authentic power.
Whenever I need a spark of creative inspo, I always turn to Tracey. And I know a lot of wizards in my community are feeling a little creatively burnt out right now – so of course I knew Tracey was the wizard for this job!
In this episode of the How I Do Content Podcast, Tracey and I riff on all things authenticity and why your authentic truth will ALWAYS be trending.
Feeling like she’s been her true self since day 1, Tracey feels like it’s just now, after 10 years in her business, that she’s finally getting into the groove. With her foundations firmly in place, she’s now truly uncovering her gifts.
On reflection, when she first launched her blog, Tracey’s mum was the only one reading it, and her first sisterhood circle event only had four people – two of whom were the friends she’d bribed to be there. But she’s always had the trust in her vision and the process, as well as the passion (it helps she’s an Aries!).
Tracey’s in her soul work. As she says, “I’m not in my lightwork for like; I’m in my lightwork for life”. As a result, she’s willing to not always have her expectations met and feel disappointed at times; she’s willing to get pie in her ego’s face; and she’s willing to keep showing up.
We get lost when we try to make our work a copy of someone else’s, or when we try to make it bigger than it needs to be. So many burn out trying to be something they’re not, or chase someone else’s dream.
Show up & share authentically. Even if it looks messy and imperfect, and even if it won’t align with everyone.
More and more often now, we can sniff out the BS when people don’t show up authentically – plus, we don’t always have the full context behind the highlight reels we’re shown online. It’s important to be inspired and to be shown what’s possible – but it’s also important to practice self-honesty when you’re consuming too much. Your energy can scatter when you try to force something, just because it worked for someone else.
Don’t come into business in searching for instant gratification. Building a business should be about building a relationship that’s strong – and that takes time.
Stay connected to your mission and vision.
One of Tracey’s first sayings was, “Be in the energy of what you want to create before it is created” – she lives and breathes by the ‘draft copy’.
What is the one thing you can do today to move you one step closer?
If you want to be a writer, write. If you want to be a speaker, speak. Do the thing, and be in the energy of it – embodying it, and receiving your own medicine by doing so, unlocks the confidence to keep doing it; to keep moving forward.
When she first started, publishing a book or touring and speaking on stages all around Australia would have seemed like wild ideas. But when these things happened, it felt obvious to Tracey that they always would – she’d been so focused on the ‘draft copy’ and on doing what she said she’d do.
She’s still not sure where all of the self-trust came from at just 23, but Tracey had the courage and was so deeply tuned into the magic. And she still shows up in the same way now, living her lightwork, having an abundant business, and enjoying an amazing life with her family – showing up as herself.
When it comes to nailing the latest trend of ‘authentic marketing’, know this: it’s not about how to do it – it’s about who you are.
If there’s one thing Tracey’s great at, it’s authentically marketing herself. And she puts it down to her humanness and her heart.
Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. If someone saw you up on the stage, or down the street, how would they feel? Would they feel like they could approach you; that you’re relatable and human?
Your community can’t see you unless you be you.
We’re multifaceted. Someone only needs to connect with one aspect of your humanness to come into the funnel of your business.
What if business is just a playground where we can express ourselves, our gifts, and our creativity?
To Tracey, selling is simply telling people how awesome your thing is – what’s the most fun way for you to do that?
Let go of the perception of how business, marketing, and selling should look.
So many of us come into business putting our business caps on and all of our focus on showing up a certain way.
Where are we putting more emphasis on looking the part than on what’s true in our heart?
Tracey, who started her business because she wanted to be herself and because she loves creating and sharing her gifts, will run things through this filter a lot – especially when something’s feeling clunky, or she’s overthinking a launch.
We become a ‘Serious Head’ when we think we’ll only be taken seriously if we look the part. Instead, trust that your passion and your truth are actually more than enough. Just give people what they want: your passion, your heart, your humanness, and your you.
Think about the content you connect with the most, and why. For Tracey, it’s never because that person is wearing the power suit or seemingly perfect – it’s because they’re so in their own lane, not trying to impress anyone and just genuinely doing their soul work.
Stop trying to follow every trick, hack, and trend. For just a moment, throw out the rulebook and see what actually feels right and true to you.
If you’re going to do business and stand out while doing it, you’re going to need to do it in a way that’s not been done.
Get out of your own way.
Sometimes, the less you try, the better things work out.
Marketing authentically is all about creating authentic content that resonates.
Tracey is the queen of generating brilliant one-liners for her masterclass titles and sales pages. How does she do it? Well, as she says, it’s “just my authentic expression.” It’s that unfiltered, authentic expression that everyone connects with.
Trust that your creativity always has your back, push the boundaries, and look for the most fun way to communicate your messaging and your offers – how would you speak about or explain them to your bestie?
“If I’m not moved by my message, no one else will be.”
Again, Tracey’s advice on expressing yourself authentically in your marketing and messaging is to keep it simple – for two reasons. Firstly, because you can always see when someone’s trying too hard. Secondly, you don’t want to waste time trying to fit yourself into a certain number of characters when you could be using that time to connect with your community.
Focus on what really matters: serving and listening to your people.
It’s always better to share the incomplete, imperfect version of something than to not share it at all.
If Tracey’s going through something or noticing something, chances are her people are too.
Listen to and connect with the people right in front of you. You become most magnetic when you dial into observing what’s happening in front of you.
If you create content that speaks to what one client is experiencing, you’ll speak to a hundred others.
You can go viral and make zero sales. And, if you’re not authentic in your messaging when there are only 5 people in a room, nothing will change when there are 500 in there.
Take that obsession with going viral and looking the part, and, instead, channel it into serving your people instead.
It should be more about what you can give over what you can get.
There are lots of shifts happening in the online space, and, if you’re a business coach wanting to nail your authentic marketing, Tracey has some advice for you.
People are getting a bit sick of being spoken at, and hearing “here’s another business hack”.
Of course, showing your authority and expertise is important. But…
People are craving creativity. People want to feel nurtured and have possibilities painted for them. Look at how many people are obsessed with romantasy books right now!
People are a bit exhausted and want the magic back.
Shift back to the heartiness of, and the connection to, your vision.
Tracey always wants people to feel good about themselves when they’re consuming her content – not not good enough.
There’s a big focus on “10x-ing” everything at the moment – but don’t 10x poor content.
If you’re using AI, make it Authentic Intelligence and keep your humanness.
Finally, I asked Tracey for her advice on how to navigate the seasons of business – particularly the challenging times of the ‘downs’.
Seasons are normal and natural (quite literally), and, as Tracey always says: “you have to get lit on the level you’re at!”
When she was in a lower, slower season a while ago, Tracey felt herself slipping into a negative thought spiral before she realised: there’s medicine in the mess. These slow seasons have always allowed for the most learning and for the best realignment – for an opportunity to ask the questions:
Every day, there are thousands and thousands of businesses trying and failing, losing and making money.
Don’t get stuck in the social media bubble, exposed to the highlight reels of those online.
Don’t forget that 95% of business isn’t sexy, just because you’re not seeing all of the parts of it.
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