No matter what you’re wanting to gain visibility for – your next new program, your book, your private client offerings, your clothing line – it’s VITAL that you market yourself and your offering in one way or another.

And, whether you let people know about your stuff via your website, blog, social media, prospect calls, inquiry letters or presentations, you want to make sure that you are incorporating an effective strategy into your marketing. If you aren’t using a strategy in your marketing that really connects you and your target audience, then chances are you’re having a lot of trouble attracting in new clients, new publishers, new boutiques to sell your clothing line, etc.

Today I want to share with you a highly effective and easy marketing formula I use and teach all of my students and clients. I use it every single day in my own business, whether I’m writing web copy or giving a teleclass or speaking with a prospective client.

The thing that makes this formula so effective is that it allows you to connect fully and deeply with your ideal client/target audience. After all, the key to good marketing is about making an authentic, intimate connection with your prospects.

Let me walk you through this foundational marketing formula step by step:

1) Connect your prospect to what’s missing in her life: Your prospect/target audience is looking to you to help fill a void or bridge a gap in her life that she can’t fill herself. For example, if you’re a health coach, your ideal client’s void might be that they are exhausted all the time, or that they feel terrible about the way that they look. The best way to connect in with this person is to let them know, through your copy and words, that you get it. Instead of avoiding the pain they’re in, gracefully name it or ask them about it.

2) Connect your prospect to what she wants for her life: Once you’ve made space for your prospect to see what’s missing for her and how it feels, you want to get her really connected to the possibilities that could open for her. By doing so, she’ll not only feel even more connected to you and that you understand her, but she’ll also then be in a position to get excited about making a change in her life. So, to continue the example of the health coach, your ideal client might want to feel energized or beautiful or active or in full well-being. No matter what marketing avenue you are using, you want to really activate your prospect’s vision and create the space for her to get excited about possibilities for her health and well-being moving forward.

3) Let your prospects know how you can help them get from where they are now to where they want to be: Now that you’ve really helped your prospect understand what’s missing for them currently, as well as what possibility they envision for their life, it’s time to get really clear and specific and tell them how your product or offering can help them get from where they are to where they want to be. You’ll want to talk about or list all the ways that you can help them specifically.

4) Make a powerful call to action: This is the final step. It’s the step that so many leaders and entrepreneurs skip over, and it is so, so important. You want to clearly and confidently invite your prospect, potential publisher, potential buyer, etc. into a next step with you. Perhaps the call to action is a connection call or perhaps it’s an invitation to buy your service or join your newsletter community or to have lunch with you. Whatever it is, state the invitation clearly with as much detail as possible.

There you have it! I’ve given you the quick, down and dirty version here. There are, of course, many more details to consider and add in, but you’ve got the structure now.