If you spend any time in online business communities, you have likely come across a new breed of marketing advice, touted by self-proclaimed gurus and coaches, encouraging creative but questionable techniques. These strategies often parade as fresh or disruptive, but a closer look reveals tactics rooted in manipulation, not innovation.
Let us explore what these so-called marketing breakthroughs actually mean for your brand; your business, and your bottom line.
The term new marketing often describes tactics such as:
📌 Sending a friendly direct message on social media, pretending to build rapport, only to insert a sales pitch a few exchanges later.
📌 Signing up for someone’s email newsletter, not to learn or engage, but to respond with their own offer or promotional content.
📌 Following people just to gain a follow-back and then immediately messaging with a pitch or some other call to action.
These approaches are increasingly being taught as new marketing, modern networking, reverse influence, or even relationship marketing. But make no mistake; they are not authentic relationship-building. They are calculated, scripted intrusions. And they are not new; they are simply old manipulation dressed in digital clothing.
While these tactics might seem clever or efficient in the short term, they carry several long-term consequences. At the very least, they can:
📌 1. They Erode Trust: When your first interaction with someone is masked by pretense, you break trust before it has a chance to form. People can tell when there is an agenda behind the friendliness.
📌 2. They Damage Your Brand: You may think you are being strategic. But in reality, you risk being remembered as just another “pitch dropper” in someone’s inbox. First impressions matter—especially online.
📌 3. They Sabotage Sustainable Growth: Real businesses are built on real relationships. Connections formed under false pretenses rarely convert into loyal customers or clients. The short-term gain is almost never worth the long-term loss.
True marketing is not about deception; it is about service with clarity. It is firmly grounded in:
✅ Transparency: Being upfront about who you are and why you are reaching out.
✅ Consistency: Showing up in meaningful ways over time, not just when you want a sale.
✅ Permission: Respecting the boundaries of email inboxes and social feeds.
✅ Value: Sharing insights, resources, or encouragement without an ulterior motive.
🧩 You do not need to play games to build a thriving business.
🧩 You do not need to pretend to be someone’s friend to earn their attention.
You just need to be honest, helpful, and human. The best marketing strategy is still the most timeless one:
✅ Show up.
✅ Do good work.
✅ Build real trust.
There will always be people selling shortcuts. There will always be loud voices promising quick wins. But if you are in this for the long haul, as a coach, consultant, creative, or heart-centered entrepreneur, choose the path that sustains your reputation, respects your audience, and reflects your values.
Let others chase the algorithm. You focus on building relationships that matter. That is the kind of marketing that never goes out of style.
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