73: Marketing With Heart: 15 Prompts for Heart-Centered Content

73: Marketing With Heart: 15 Prompts for Heart-Centered Content

Welcome back to Making Good, the podcast for small businesses who want to make a big impact.

I’m your host, Lauren Tilden, and this is episode 73.

If you listen to this podcast regularly, first of all: THANK YOU!

And second of all, as you know, the past couple of weeks I released some replay episodes. If you HAVEN’T listened to episodes 71 and 72, please know that these are a couple of my fave episodes yet, so please go have a listen! Episode 71 is all about exploring different ways you can do good through your small business, and episode 72 is a re-airing of an interview with Chris Emmer of Mindful Social Co… all about getting more results out of social media (in less time).

Over the last few weeks I’ve been traveling a bunch and had some big personal life stuff going on, and I basically haven’t been able to work AT. ALL.

This was weird for me, because as most of you know, I am one of those strange creatures who actually LOVES work. (This hasn’t always been the case, trust me), but these days MONDAY is just about my favorite day of the week.

But, I ended up taking an unplanned 2+ weeks off, and some time off and away from work was really good for me. I slept more, and better. I snoozed my alarm clock and COMPLETELY lost track of time. I paused shipping on orders. I let my team manage things at the store. I went silent on Instagram and email and Clubhouse and creating content for this podcast and EVERYTHING ELSE for 2+ weeks.

And you know what?

Everything was still here when I got back. Nothing burned down, my business is still running, even if some things are delayed.

This has been a really good reminder for me that it’s okay to take a break. Judging by the amount of sleep I got, I would even say, I now think it’s IMPORTANT to take a break, and I’ve learned that I want to schedule breaks into my work and life more often moving forward. So there’s just a little something I thought I’d share, in case you’re feeling stretched too thin, but like you can’t take a break because you’ll lose momentum and what if X, Y, and Z happens, and etc.

So. Long story, short: I’m back this week with a brand new episode, and it’s one that I think you are going to really love.

If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you care about doing meaningful work in the world. You want a business that offers quality products and makes a difference in the world.

Well, from my standpoint, this same heart and focus on quality and meaning should be something we carry throughout every part of our business… and that includes our MARKETING.

My approach to marketing is all about honesty and authenticity, being yourself, making a stand for what you believe in, and quality over quantity.

This is a big topic, and one I’m excited to dive into in much more depth on this podcast moving forward.

But, today, I thought we could dip our toes in with 15 prompts to answer that will help you create heart-centered marketing content.

On to that in a second, BUT FIRST!

Let’s talk about content. One thing that I hear over and over again is: I can’t figure out what to SAY in my marketing. If that sounds like you, I have an awesome workbook that will walk you through a process for generating A LOT of content ideas that your audience is guaranteed to love. To download that, head to: makinggoodpodcast.com/content.

Second, I invite you to join other values-driven small business owners for inspiration, accountability and lots of business and marketing inspiration. That all takes place in the free Facebook community for this podcast, the Good Business Community. The link will be in the show notes, or you can go to makinggoodpodcast.com/community to be redirected.

FINALLY, if you love this podcast, there are a few ways you can help spread the love! First, I’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher to help others find the podcast. And second, take a screenshot while you’re listening and tag me on Instagram @laurentilden -- I would so love to connect with you and cheer you on!

Okay! So, let’s talk about heart-centered content.

What do I mean by heart-centered content? Just like I believe that small businesses can focus on more than just making money… I believe that marketing can be used for more than just making sales.

We can use our marketing skills to stand up for what we believe in, share our values, build genuine connections with our audience, and make people feel less alone.

Of course, a LOT of the time, marketing needs to be used to help generate sales for our businesses.

Now, these prompts are not specific to any one platform. I want you to think outside of the box when it comes to how you apply these content ideas across different social media and other platforms.

The prompts can be used to longer-form content generate blog posts, podcast episodes, or videos… as well as shorter-form content like Instagram posts/stories/lives, reels or TikTok videos, posts in your Facebook group or on your page in general, LinkedIn… etc. Wherever your audience is, that’s where you can use these content prompts.

Also, let these prompts be jumping off points. Don’t feel like you need to stick to these specific prompts exactly as they’re written. Let them give you ideas and make them your own, if you want. Or, use them as is. I just can’t wait to see what you create!

If you would like a list of these prompts sent straight to your email, head to makinggoodpodcast.com/prompts -- and I’ll send the questions straight to you.

Alrighty, let’s get into it.

Prompts:

1. How I got here

We all have stories that led us to where we are now. I think it’s easy to feel like your “origin” story or your background is boring and unremarkable -- at least I’ve felt that way a lot. But the truth is, what’s boring to you is interesting to others.

Remember those magazines that used to have a “what’s in her purse” section? They’d have someone dump out their purse and document exactly what they carry in there -- their sunscreen, chapstick, sunglasses, notebook, etc. It doesn’t get much more boring than that, but it’s interesting to get a peek into people’s lives.

So, share your story. Did you always want to do what you do now? How did you learn? What made you take the leap, if there was a leap involved? What have you learned along the way? Was there someone or something critical to your path?

2. What I want you to know right now

This is a great one for those of you who have really done your homework on your ideal customer. (And if you haven’t, here’s a great opportunity to start!)

If you look at your ideal customer’s pain points and struggles, what can you say -- from the heart -- that addresses one of those things. Can you share a story or a relevant experience that might provide something they need to hear… or at minimum make them feel less alone.

I don’t want to suggest you ever share anything personal that’s outside of your comfort zone, but where appropriate, sharing a relevant story or experience that might speak to what your ideal customer is going through or feeling is always a great way to connect.

3. Something I struggle with

If you’ve been around here a while, you know how much I LOVE email marketing. I especially love inviting my email audience to respond to my emails.

One of the emails I’ve sent that has gotten the most responses is one that covers a list of things I struggle with.

In my case: perfectionism. OCD. putting too much on my plate. Holding grudges. And a lot of other things :).

I have been so surprised by how much people have responded to -- and more importantly connected with -- the things I struggle with. SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE responded saying something like “I could have written this list” or, “are you in my head?”.

Of course, only share things that feel safe to share emotionally and mentally.

4. What I care about

Share what you care about… or in other words, your values. We all have values, but sometimes we just don’t know exactly what they are. If you’re interested in going through a process of getting super clear on your values, I have a free guide to help you go through this process -- head to makinggoodpodcast.com/goodbusiness.

When you’re clear on your values, I say you shout them from the rooftops as often as you can.

5. Where I stand

Take a stand! It’s never been more important to take a stand on the causes and things that matter to you. As small business owners, we have the opportunity to use whatever influence we have, and personally, I view it as a responsibility to stand up for things that I believe in.

I recommend that you have a statement of your beliefs and stances prominently on your website at least, but your content is also a great opportunity share your beliefs more widely. Share a list of values or beliefs that you stand by, or when things happen in the world around you, you can speak up through your business.

6. A dream I have that might surprise you

What’s a dream you have that would surprise your audience… and maybe even your nearest and dearest? Where did it come from?

My dream is to open up an animal sanctuary… for dogs, but possibly other pets and maybe even retired farm animals or circus animals (thinking big here!). In my head, it would be called something like “Puff’s School for Wayward Dogs”, or something like that. I’m kind of kidding.

If I were to share this prompt, I would share that I grew up with a Golden Retriever named Maxine. She was occasionally a little naughty -- stealing food off the dinner table, for example, but she trusted everyone and was sweet to every creature on the planet. So, I just kind of thought that all dogs were like that if you were nice to them.

Then, I adopted my dog Puff in 2016. She’s a shelter rescue, a former stray, and she didn’t have an easy start to life. She’s also a shepherd and working dog mix… meaning it’s in her nature to guard and take care of her people.

Puff doesn’t trust most people until they prove themselves to her, and she’s not really reliably friendly around dogs or other animals either. But I know her, and despite being a bit rough around the edges, I know she has a heart of gold. Learning how to be a parent to Puff has been one of the greatest challenges of my entire life, but also the most rewarding, and has given me such a heart for animals, particularly ones that might be a bit misunderstood… hence the school for wayward dogs :).

I think this dream shows you a little bit about who I am, but it’s also just fun to tell you about and hopefully, somewhat interesting to hear about.

7. What lights me up

There’s a quote that I love so much I actually had it on my craft show sign for a while. It is by Gemma Troy, and it reads:

Whatever makes you feel the sun

From the inside out

Chase that

What makes you feel the sun from the inside out? What makes you giddy with excitement? What lights you up?

Share one single thing, or share a list. Relate it to your business… or not. But enthusiasm is contagious.

Make a list and share it with your audience -- your excitement will come through, and what a gift to share that energy with someone else.

8. What I’m working on right now

Here’s another one of those prompts that might make you feel like you’re sharing something REALLY boring, but actually is interesting to other people.

I’ve done a few timelapse videos where I set my camera up behind me when I’m working on my computer -- editing a podcast episode or working on my email or writing content, and then I’ve shared it to my Instagram stories, and I’m always surprised by how interested people are in watching me do the “normal” things in my business -- seeing how I do them.

So, share what you’re working on today. You could do a timelapse or video of you doing your work… even if you’re not an artist. You could lay out and share your schedule in a super granular way (what is EVERYTHING you are doing today, hour by hour?) -- or, you could share the tools that help you get your work done, or you could dig into one specific thing you’re working on and share how it’s going, what you’re learning, why you’re doing it, etc.

Letting your audience behind the scenes can sometimes feel like we’re letting them into the “messy middle”, but the reality is, the messy middle is often MUCH MORE INTERESTING than a perfect, polished final product.

9. Who I look up to

Who do you look up to? Who inspires you? Why? This could be a family member, another business owner, an author, a historical figure, anyone. But go into detail celebrating why you look up to that person, what you’ve learned from them, what you’ll never forget.

10. Something on my mind

What’s on your mind today? How are you feeling?

Maybe you’re feeling burnt out. Maybe you’re feeling DONE being a people pleaser. Maybe you’re feeling so ON FIRE about something you learned or a new business project you have. Maybe you’re filled with gratitude for the support you’ve gotten on a product launch.

In this prompt, the goal is to just level with your audience, and speak to them like your best friend. Tell them honestly and casually… here’s where I’m at. Here’s what I’m thinking about. Here’s what’s stressing me out, or here’s why I’m giddy with excitement.

11. What I need more of in my life (conversely: what I need less of)

What do you need more of in your life? Or conversely, what do you need less of?

This is a great prompt to reflect on… both to start thinking through changes you could make, and also to give people a window into your life as it is… not just the curated perfection that we see on Instagram.

For example, if I were to answer this question, I might say that I want more: reading really great fiction. Hot tubs. In person time with my business community. Reflection. I might say that I want less: doing for the sake of doing, false urgency, perfectionism, rushing from task to task without ever stopping to get mindful.

There’s no right or wrong way to answer this question, but it’s a great prompt to help you open up and share a little bit of who you are and where you’re at with your audience.

12. What do you wish EVERYONE knew?

What’s something you have learned that changed your life and you just wish EVERYONE knew? What’s something that would CHANGE THE WORLD if everyone knew and believed it?

Share this with your audience. Share what you learned, how you learned it, and if there’s a relevant story or life experience you can include to illustrate, even better.

13. My idea of a perfect morning (or Friday evening, or Sunday, or vacation)

Paint a picture of your perfect morning. Or your perfect Friday evening, or Sunday, or vacation. Where are you? Inside? Outside? Who’s with you? Are you eating or drinking or playing a game? What’s the weather like? What’s surrounding you? The more specific you can get, the better.

This may not sound like it’s going to relate very closely to your business, but for most of us, we’ve built our businesses around ourselves, and the mood and energy of what you describe will probably match your brand pretty closely. But even if it doesn’t, painting a picture like this is a great way to let people in.

This helps people get a better sense of who you are, and also gives them a chance to have something in common with you.

For example, if you describe the Orange Pomegranate San Pellegrino that you’re drinking, maybe that’s someone’s favorite drink. Or that you would be wearing your favorite oversized thrift store sweat pants -- maybe that’s someone else’s perfect morning outfit, too. Or maybe your toes are in the sand and it smells like coconut sunscreen and you love that smell -- maybe someone else does too.

The more detail you provide, the more opportunity you give your audience to connect with you.

14. Why I do what I do

There’s a quote in the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek that reads: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

If you haven’t already, it’s worth spending some time and energy getting clear on your WHY. Why do you do what you do? Our WHY is directly connected to our heart, so there’s no better way to put your heart into your content than to share what motivates you in your life and business.

15. What I want my legacy/impact in the world to be

Well, this is a big one. But ultimately, this is the one that everything boils down to. What impact do you want to make on the world? What do you want your legacy to be?

Lately I’ve been realizing that a legacy doesn’t have to be simply how people talk about us after we’re gone -- it’s something e can have a little bit more control over.

But, it takes the magic ingredient to just about everything in life: INTENTION. We have to actually sit down and ask ourselves, what do I want my impact on the world to be? How do I want the world to be DIFFERENT as a result of me being here? What do I want my legacy to be?

The amazing thing about the kind of businesses that I know you are all building is that our small businesses can actually play a huge role in the impact we make on the world -- because they can be the vehicle through which we make that impact.

So, to respond to this prompt, do some reflecting on what you want your stamp on the world to be. Then share that, and more importantly, make sure you’re taking actions and steps every day to move toward that goal.

My advice for you in responding to these prompts is to forget about your strategy and objectives, get a clear picture of your ideal customer in your head, and just answer honestly in the form of a letter or note to that person.

I’d open up a google doc, put the prompt at the top, and just start typing away. Share honestly and freely, and then when you’ve got your thoughts out, go back and edit for sense, and to make sure that everything you’re sharing is in your comfort zone (I never want to suggest you share anything you’re not ready emotionally or mentally to share).

So that is my list of 15 prompts to help you create truly heart-centered content. I really can’t wait to see what you create -- would love to see it if you want to message it to me or tag me, that would make my day!

If you enjoyed this episode, just a quick reminder of a couple of ways to keep the ball rolling:

First, I have an awesome guide to creating great marketing content and coming up with new ideas. Download it (FREE) at: makinggoodpodcast.com/content.

Second, there’s a Facebook community of amazing other small business owners and great content just for the group that I would love for you to join. makinggoodpodcast.com/community.

If you found this podcast episode helpful or valuable, I would love to hear from you! Take a screenshot of this episode in your podcast player and tag me on Instagram @laurentilden.

You can find a list of the questions from this episode on the show notes page at makinggoodpodcast.com/73.

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