I wrote an article a while ago called How To Market Without Using Hype.

The article made the staggeringly obvious but often overlooked point that if you don't feel comfortable using hype or exaggeration in your marketing (and you shouldn't), then the best way to avoid it is to target clients who don't respond to it.

Because, let's be honest, some people do respond to hype. They fall for exaggerated claims and get rich overnight stories.

You'll drive yourself mad trying to win those sort of people as clients. You'll either do honest, realistic marketing and they'll go elsewhere to others prepared to promise them riches.

Or you'll swallow your principles, make ridiculous claims, then feel bad about it when they don't do as well as you'd promised.

It's a lose-lose situation. But there's no way round it with those sorts of clients.

Best to target experienced, realistic buyers. Ones who can spot hype and unrealistic claims.

The same goes for other things you're looking for in your clients.

Want clients who care about more than money? Then talk about more than money in your marketing. Be brave enough to say what you believe in and turn away those who don't share your values. Do your marketing well enough and there'll be plenty who do.

Obvious really: you get the clients your marketing deserves.

But it's often tricky to drag yourself away from copycat marketing. Marketing the same way your competitors do because you think they're doing better than you.

Marketing the way the “gurus” tell you to market because, well, they're the “gurus”.

But their clients aren't your clients. You need to market in a way that will work for your clients, not theirs.