Clearly, you need to know who your audience is and then choose the right channels to get to that audience.
But once you’re in front of the crowd, what happens next hinges entirely on what you have to say.
Your advertising and content marketing absolutely must do the following:
Differentiate yourself:
Almost every business believes it’s unique. You have to be able to explain, clearly and succinctly, what makes you better than your closest competitors. Ideally, you can quantify that differentiator. For example, selling on customer service is a challenge. What business will say its customer service is not outstanding? Being able to offer 1:1, personal access, on the other hand, is something not everyone can claim. Share your years of experience, special qualifications and certifications, and notable awards.
Better still, promote the results you get for clients, such as time saved, profits generated and problems solved.
Be honest:
Mark Twain said it best: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics.”
We all know statistics can be pushed and pulled in a variety of directions to make a sales pitch more compelling. The problem, of course, is that manipulating the numbers means manipulating clients and prospects, and that’s a dangerous line to walk.
With greater access than ever to information, your audience can quickly debunk claims that don’t meet the highest standards of accuracy. An even worse case? The client doesn’t do his research and finds out the hard way that what he saw isn’t what he’s getting. An unhappy client—one who feels he’s been lied to—is a form of negative advertising your business can’t afford.
Connect with readers:
Storytelling is the direction of the day – and with good reason: No one likes being sold to, but everyone likes stories. For as long as there has been language, there have been stories. It’s all but in our DNA to tell stories and to be drawn into the stories of others.
What’s your brand’s story? Don’t panic if you don’t have a big, dramatic epic tale to share. Work with what you do have. What do you love about what you do? Why was your company founded? What excites you and your team about coming into work every day?
Still don’t feel interesting enough? The good news is, your clients can be fascinating! Gather testimonials and case studies about them—who they are, what they do, how you help them and why they love you. Speak directly to how you ease your clients’ pain points. In doing so, you’ll be speaking directly to your prospects’ pain points, as well.
How strong is your brand’s story? Do you need help creating and distributing meaningful messages? Contact us at EMI Network to learn how we help businesses around the country tell and share their stories.
