Ask any search engine to tell you about the latest marketing trends and you’ll receive dozens of different suggestions. For a talk I’ve been asked to deliver, I decided to focus on just three. Why these three? Because they are all marketing tools that I recommend that you use in promoting your coaching, consulting or speaking business.

Standing Out

1. AI – artificial intelligence is at the top of the list because it’s probably the most talked about tool at the moment. Got a blank screen in front of you? Not sure where to start with writing your next newsletter, blog or speech? Ask one of the growing number of AI tools to write something for you and they will.

2. Videos have been used for many years in marketing. They’re now becoming more popular than written material in marketing. You still need written content, because people want to be able to read what you have to say about your area of expertise. By adding video to the mix, you can reach a wider audience, including the people who would rather watch or listen than read what you have to say. If you use speaking to promote your business, you have an easy way to create video content, by recording your talks.

3. Podcasts are also become more widely used in marketing. Personally, I think that the best way to use them is by appearing on other people’s podcasts as a guest. Do some research to find people who are already reaching your ideal audience. Offer to share with them something that their listeners will find useful. I wrote a whole newsletter about podcast guesting, which you can read here.

Used well, all three of these new marketing tools can really help you to stand out. Used badly, however, they can do you more harm than good. Read on to find out the pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Stamp it Out

Don’t rely on AI tools to generate unique material for you. They’re all working to a knowledge cut-off date that, at the time of writing this issue of Scribbles, is still two years ago. Even taking that into account, they can’t help with everything. I asked two different tools for information about me. Neither of them has heard of me, even though I’ve been around since 1971 and I’ve been running Appletree Marketing since 2000. It turns out that you need to be famous to be recognised by an AI language tool!

Also, AI tools can’t add any emotion to what they produce for you. Emotional connection with your readers and audience is vital, so use AI-generated material as a starting point. Then weave in the emotions, feelings and language that your clients and prospects need to hear from you.

If you’re going to use more videos in your marketing, carefully plan out what you’re going to say, when and how. Too often I hear of enthusiastic people deciding to produce a video every day for 3 weeks, 3 months, 365 days … Too often they run out of steam and ideas too soon. Less is more. A video series of one a week for a month, containing useful information, will be more much powerful than a series that fizzles into a ramble.

Serve, don’t sell, when you’re a guest on someone else’s podcast. They’ve done all the hard work building up their audience. Don’t abuse them by turning it into the ‘Me’ show and trying to sell your services. If you’re invited to make an offer to the listeners, have something useful ready for them. A quick-to-access download, a report, or a free checklist. Being a great podcast guest is also about helping the host. Ask to whom you can introduce them. Promote their shows on your website. I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to appear on a number of podcasts. You can listen to them via this page on my website. I would also encourage you to listen to other shows from the hosts – they have a lot to share.

As with any marketing trends and changes, don’t leap in too quickly. Do some research first and when you understand how a particular tool works, you’ll be able to get better results from using it.