When we explored Deadly Marketing Sin #1: Thou Shalt Not Bore Me, (I actually wanted to call it Thou shalt not bore the f* out of me, but my sage content writer suggested otherwise) we looked at the impact your messaging has on your target audience. We also discovered that 50% of marketing messages are ineffective.
Ineffective because they are…
- Too boring
- Too broad
- Too similar (no differentiation to competitors)
- Too egotistical (we, we, we!)
- Too complex
- Too confusing!
That last point says it all. If there is not clarity in your message, then there is confusion. And that impacts everyone – you, your team, your sales, your customers, and your target audience. When there is no clarity and consistency, you can know for sure that your sales conversions will be down.
This brings us to…
Deadly Marketing Sin #2: Thou shalt not confuse me!
Your challenge, should you choose to accept (and you really should accept!) is to…
“Take the complex and make it simple. Then take the simple and make it compelling”.
That starts with having absolute clarity on who’s world you want to change for the better! Knowing exactly who they are, what they want, dream of, and believe. This is good news as we started delving into this with Deadly Marketing Sin #1: Thou shalt not bore me! Intimately knowing your audience better than your competitors is the most important marketing task you have.
Seth Godin explains this point really well in his book, ‘This is Marketing’. To get real clarity on those you seek to serve you need to understand and feel the exact pain that they have in their lives. It’s how you can discover how you can make it better – even if it’s only by a very small amount!
I love this quote from Zig Ziglar,
“You’ll get everything in life you want if you help enough other people get what they want!”
And business is no different. All of your wildest profit dreams will come true if you help enough people get what they want. In this case, help enough people solve the problem we discussed in the last email.
So, how do you create a simple and compelling message?
1. Empathy
It was one of apple’s guiding principles – “We shall have true empathy for our customers, we will know them better than they know themselves.” Who are we not to listen? It’s the reason why they are one of the world’s biggest and most loved brands. They know exactly what their customers want, and are prepared to pay for.
2. Problem Solve
Real clarity around the difference you want to make in your customers’ lives underpins all great marketing. This problem-solving approach will shape your product offering, innovate your service and delivery mechanisms, and ensure that your marketing message is on point!
3. Focus on the customer
I hate to break it to you, but it’s not about you! You may have founded your business based on your own need, but it’s all about your customer now. Even if you were your target market initially, it doesn’t make you their spokesperson now. You have a vested interest, so that immediately changes your perspective. You need to get back in your customers shoes. What do they need to know and have for them to feel confident in spending with you.
4. Niche
Don’t be all things to all people, you end up helping nobody. Your target market should be a centimetre wide and a kilometre deep. The more specific your niche, the easier it is to market to them. You can’t please everybody, so don’t waste your money trying.
5. Add value
Your lives of your audience should always be better after they have heard from you – even if it didn’t lead to a purchase…yet. Through every message and touch point, seek to add value. Even if it’s as simple as them being informed or entertained. This is what will make you memorable – and valued by them in return.
It’s time to make your business compelling!
Reach out today and let’s make your marketing propositions so compelling that your potential customers are literally saying “shut up and take my money!”
