7 IDEAS TO UNHACK YOUR MARKETING
What do I mean by unhacking your marketing?
I’ll explain in a moment… first, let me share where the idea for this topic came from!
In the health and wellness world, hacks are alive and well. Maybe you’re familiar with the term Biohacks? Some of them are no-brainers and obvious (like sticking your toes in the grass) and others are a little more daring and costly (like getting a cold plunge pool installed in your backyard).
In entrepreneur land, we’ve got a healthy dose of hacks too! Algorithm hacks, growth hacks, networking hacks, productivity hacks, general life hacks. And with the rise of AI-generated content, we’re seeing the ultimate “hack” to content creation.
A podcaster I used to listen to did an episode once where he was sharing podcaster-specific “bio hacks”.
Things podcasters can do to be better at podcasting.
I don’t remember them all but of course… cold plunging was on there. Others were around when to eat, what to eat, and pretty black and white.
There’s not much room to adapt a hack.
Because then it’s not a hack, it’s a half-hack and it probably won’t do the same thing.
Hacks don’t provide room for the creativity and flow your business and content needs! Hacks are rigid and confining, rather than FREEING! So, let’s let loose and un-hack our marketing!
7 Ideas to Un-Hack Your Marketing
Unhack #1) Spend Time in Nature and Bring Nature In
It probably wouldn’t surprise you that I have a pretty regular morning routine. When I first wake up, I take a 15-20 minute walk. I live in a rural place, so nature is everywhere and that first-morning light is always marvelous to take in!
I usually try to squeeze in at least two more walks throughout the day and sometimes mix it up by swimming, hiking, biking, etc. My husband and I also love eating dinner outside whenever possible, and I like to work outside too!
I also love bringing the outside IN! Flowers, rocks, sea shells, plants, images of nature, etc.
In general, bringing more nature into your life is a non-hack-hack and truly does help you bring more creativity into your content creation overall. Bonus, it increases your overall happiness and joy!
If you don’t live in a place with nature, perhaps there are ways to bring it inside with flowers, plants, stones, imagery.
If you DO live in a place with nature, don’t just get out in it, but really try to savor it! Make it a cornerstone of your day.
Unhack #2) Meditation, Breathing, Mental Break Practice
None of my practices in this regard have involved me transcending, levitating, or turning into anything other than merely mortal, unfortunately.
BUT they’ve given my brain REST. They’ve provided clarity, insight, and creative motivation. Your brain needs rest when you’re working hard in your business and creatively coming up with marketing ideas! These practices have all given me an opportunity to slow down.
To process
Reflect
Be.
You get the idea. Heal the mind, heal the body, improve the business.
P.S. I’m not a doctor. This is in zero way medical advice.
Resources and Links:
- Self-Hypnosis sessions I’ve tried and enjoyed:
Karen Kenney Storytime Hypnosis
Clear Minds Hypnotherapy - Yoga Nidra:
Yoga Nidra Caring for the Inner Child with Sarah Aborn
Jayasara Yoga Nidra for Deep Rest - Meditation:
Insight Timer FREE meditation app
Sam Harris Waking Up App (paid) - Free Write:
What are Morning Pages?
Un-Hack #3) Listen to / read your work – past interviews, old emails, etc.
Some of you already DO this and then you keep on listening, keep on reading, keep on editing, keep on mentally picking yourself apart. This unhack is hereby NOT for you! I want you to step away and stop overanalyzing everything you wrote and said and sent.
For those of you who aren’t in that camp, and never ever listen back to your interviews, or your podcast episodes, or read your emails after they send, I’d love to invite you to consider an opportunity to do a little content review.
Listen to a recent interview, or two!
Listen to a recent podcast solo episode, or two!
Read your email when your list gets it
Look back at your last five or six social media posts and be honest about your strengths and how you shined. Give yourself kudos and positive feedback and celebration. Review it from the lens of the person on the other side – how could you improve and make it better, make it speak MORE clearly to them, make it easier to understand or take in?
When I listen back to my guest interviews:
- It helps me pull out pieces to repurpose
2. It helps me ensure I’m continuously improving in delivering VALUE to listeners.
Do a little content review! And don’t forget to bring some of those GEMS back to life by dusting them off and repurposing them!
Unhack #4) Morning Pages / Free Write
I’m reading and working through Julia Cameron’s The Artists Way. I’m loving it and only wish I started it sooner. One of the daily activities, a constant throughout the book, is called Morning Pages. Morning Pages are three pages of free writing, first thing in the morning. It’s essentially free-writing: no editing, no rhyme or reason, just writing.
It’s unedited and unfiltered and not intended for public consumption… it’s just a useful tool to unlock the writer/creator within and turn down the noise of your inner editor.
Morning Pages, freewriting, and even just writing warm-ups can help you stop trying to make every draft a final draft and get more comfortable releasing unperfect but BEAUTIFUL content into the world!
Unhack #5) Reading Deprivation
This is an activity in The Artist’s Way. Julia Cameron recommends you do it for a week. When I first read about the reading deprivation, there was NO WAY I was doing that! Which made me realize… I need to do that.
For a week I:
- Only used social media for posting
- Didn’t read
- Didn’t watch TV shows
- Didn’t read articles or newsletters
It was incredibly helpful, gave my creative brain a break from soaking in SO MUCH CONTENT FROM OTHERS, and I already want to do another one!
Unhack #6) Reading a New Genre, learning something new, completely unrelated to business
Back in 2022, a friend challenged me to read genres that were solely non-business and self-help related for six months.
Tired of constantly improving myself and being overwhelmed with this, that, and the other thing I needed to CHANGE, I took her up on it.
It opened me up to a whole new WORLD of reading, which extended into my podcasts and TV choices as well:
- I went into fiction and explored romance, fantasy, historical romance, horror, mystery
- I started learning about historical people and events I never knew a thing about
- I started listening to podcasts that just made me laugh
- And more!
Your brain needs PLAY and taking a break from constantly working (even when you’re reading and watching and listening) is a great way to give it some recess time.
Unhack #7) Clean HOUSE!
Maybe your actual house, maybe your digital one. How’s your desktop screen looking? That line of tabs? The millions of unanswered texts and emails? Does your to-do list need a realistic tidying? Don’t even get me started on your Google Drive…
While you’re at it, let’s tackle the junk drawer! Or a closet! Throw away ratty t-shirts, dead batteries, the empty pack of gum.
Your creativity needs SPACE and clearing your digital and physical clutter can help to give it some much-needed breathing room.
Entrepreneurship is an Art and Science
The goal behind sharing these ideas with you is to help the ART part of your business come to life so you can show up motivated, creative, and ready to tackle even the most sciencey, strategic to-do-list!
