Content marketing authenticity is all about being you because you are ultimately what resonates with your ideal clients. Yet, every woman business owner I talk to — whether it’s a coach, and energy healer, or an IT consultant — feels like they need to change something about who they are and how they show up in order to grow their business.

I get it: as women in business, we get a conflicting message: be authentic and change everything about yourself. I’ve heard that message. I was on a hot seat in a group coaching retreat and talking about how to be you in marketing. Her response was to embrace who I am completely. Then she told me people wouldn’t want to work with me if I didn’t look a certain way—I needed to find a personal shopper, color my hair, work on my makeup, and lose a few pounds.

So which is it?

I was dumbfounded. And then I was pissed. It was at that moment I realized in my quest to build my business quickly, I had tried to be something I’m not and that is why I was struggling. So rather than taking the advice to “uplevel” myself, I stripped away everything that wasn’t me. Guess what? My message started resonating with some remarkable women! That’s the importance of authenticity in marketing. Without it, people just won’t respond.

How to Be You in Marketing

What does it mean to market yourself? It means understanding what your gifts are and what you uniquely bring to the table, and then demonstrating that in everything you do.

Listen, you can’t be authentic if you are changing everything about who you are. And if you are not authentic in how you market yourself and your business, your marketing will feel sleazy and gross… and it won’t resonate with your ideal clients.

It’s tough enough to market yourself and your business. It’s harder when you listen to the messages that say you are fundamentally not okay that bombard you every minute of every day.

So this is for every woman who feels like she is less than whatever she is supposed to be: You F-ing rock. You are so flipping cool I can barely handle it. You deserve all good things that come your way. You are perfect exactly as you are.

Please don’t change. The world needs women like you.

Step into your power. Market the way that feels good to you. And if those around you judge you for it or tell you’ll fail because of it, reach out for some support. There are a ton of women in business eager to support each other, and together we are strong.

If you would like some relentless support in creating authentic marketing that is 100% you, join my Copy Clinic, where an insanely support group of women help each other find real content marketing authenticity to grow our businesses. Schedule a call to see if the copy clinic is a good fit for you.