Are you a business owner who does your marketing religiously (and on schedule) and who would say marketing is more than a habit, it’s woven into the very fabric of your business?

If that is you, you can stop reading now. You’re well on your way, congratulations.

If not, I want to help you become that person.

Actually, I’d be happy for you to be a much more toned down version of that person.

In reality, I just want to help you find a few marketing strategies you’re willing to do and make sure you do them (most of the time).

I’m interested in helping you change your marketing habit.

In order to change a habit you need to understand what motivates you and how you are wired.

Gretchen Rubin provides a solid framework for understanding your internal and external expectations which guide how you operate in her book, Better Than Before.

I want to apply her model to your marketing so you can understand the best way for you to approach it based on your tendency.

She has identified The Four Tendencies that inform our actions.

“Most people, by a huge margin, are Questioners or Obligers. Very few are Rebels, and, to my astonishment, I discovered that the Upholder category is also tiny.” Gretchen Rubin

Go here to take the 10 question quiz and discover your tendency. . Note, at the end you are not required to give your country or email. Simply click the ‘Next’ button and you will be taken to the page that tells you your tendency.

So how can knowing your tendency help you improve your marketing habit and grow your business?

Let’s take a look at each of the tendencies and some solutions for each one.

Upholder

As an Upholder making marketing a habit won’t be too difficult for you since you respond to both internal and external expectations.

Make it a priority to get clear on your internal expectations and then find an accountability partner to solidify your marketing habit (a fellow entrepreneur, a coach, or a Mastermind group).

Questioner

You resist outer expectations as a Questioner so it won’t help you much to have an accountability partner.

Rubin says of Questioners: “They’re motivated by reason, logic, and fairness.”

Because you mainly follow your inner expectations as a Questioner, you’re going to have to be the monitor of your own actions.

Schedule all of your activities into your agenda and think about some ways you can add reminders into your process so you ensure you meet your goals.

Obliger

As an Obliger, you are willing to keep promises to others but willing to break promises you make to yourself.

Because your tendency is to primarily meet outer expectations, you need to have a deep and wide external support system.

You thrive on accountability so make sure you create relationships that will support you in reaching your marketing goals.

As mentioned above for the Upholder, you can get accountability from a fellow entrepreneur, a coach, or a Mastermind group.

In addition, having deadlines will help you. And your desire to keep your word will also help you take action and create momentum.

“The weight of outer expectations can make Obligers susceptible to burnout, because they have trouble telling people ’no’.”

So be sure to say yes to yourself as often as possible.

Rebel

This is a tough one. Since you resist both outer and inner expectations, you will need to be creative to meet your marketing goals.

“Rebels resist habits, but they can embrace habit-like behaviors by tying their actions to their choices.” Gretchen Rubin

I suggest you choose a few marketing strategies you like and then decide the frequency you will do them per week or month.

From there, allow yourself the freedom to choose which ones you do and when you will do them. This way you can still feel spontaneous about your actions.

Now that you know your tendency, I hope you have better insight into what motivates you and how to harness that knowledge into more effective marketing which will help you grow your business.

With all things, there are always exceptions to the rules. And we humans are complex creatures. So continue the work of getting to know yourself and what makes you tick so you can make marketing a habit.

And depending on what kind of business you’re running, it could be valuable for you to understand the tendencies of your clients.

In case you’re wondering, I’m an Upholder and lean toward a Questioner. Gretchen Rubin is also an Upholder.

If you want even more information about how to make marketing a habit, check out my post: Secrets to Making Marketing a Habit for Small Business Owners.

© Stephanie Ward

Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to create meaningful and prosperous businesses. Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: https://www.fireflycoaching.com.

What will you implement now that you know your tendency? Share your thoughts and questions below in the comments section.