Fear is the one thing that drives the all too frequent tendency to litter marketing materials with as much information (and often concepts) as one possibly can. Companies are often worried that if they don't put enough information out to their potential customer base in a single communication that these potential clients won’t know what it is they do.
Rule #1: Consistency, consistency, consistency!
Shall I repeat that?
The cost of marketing is often a factor for companies. Instead of marketing consistently, some companies try to market on an ad-hoc basis and when they do send out marketing messages, they tend to bombard the customer with too much information. Consistent marketing enables you to not only remain top-of-mind, but to also feed your audience little bites of information that are easy to assimilate and remember.
Vital to note - DON’T GIVE UP. Just because a single ad or email shot didn’t deliver thousands of phone calls from customers interested in your product or service – doesn’t mean it didn’t work. Keep it up. Be consistent.
Rule #2: One overall concept per communication
Whether you are writing for a website front page, a press release or a business marketing letter, or whether you are designing an advert, or email shot - the copy and graphic design need elements to successfully communicate an easy to understand, engaging message. This message needs to focus on one central concept.
But how do you arrive at a concept that will engage your customer? Read on!
BE UNDERSTOOD…
1. Understand what makes you different/better
Customers buy solutions and benefits. Why are your customers buying from you? What makes your service unique compared to that of your competitor? Pin-point these and make a list. What else do you do which benefits your customer? Are there any specific problems a customer may have that you are able to solve? Brainstorm these and add them to your list.
2. Focus on a particularly persuasive benefit
Pick one benefit or solution and centre your message around that. Customers will not be impressed as much by features, as they will be by how something makes them feel, or how a solution solves a particular problem.
For example:-
Medium: Advert
Service: Human Resources
Tag Line:- ‘Make Change Stick’
Image: Face of a smiling corporate individual with a sticky note stuck to their forehead bearing a company change.
Detail: XYZ Company – your partner in implementing successful Retention, as well as Change Management Strategies.
BE ENGAGING…
3. Associate the product with an idea, feeling or emotion
As shown in the example above, we have included the smiling face of a person. Whether consciously, or subliminally your audience will relate this feeling with your company. Try and focus on the benefit, or pleasing result. For example instead of reflecting a lady with a flat tyre in an advert, rather reflect the roadside assistance person changing the tyre and a relieved lady.
4. Use Stats and Testimonials
Customers like having proof that whatever it is you are offering them, works. If you can prove that a percentage of your existing customer base has achieved results with you, or if you have a relevant testimonial that backs your central concept – use it!
5. Offer more detailed information elsewhere
There are 2 distinct types of customer that need to be catered for:
Emotional: This customer prefers an overview of information and will make a buying decision based on an emotional engagement.
Analyst: This customer wants more detailed information and will make a buying decision based on detail and analysis.
It is essential to cater for both groups to ensure all your bases are covered. A detailed website for example provides for the ‘Analysts’ need for detailed information. (more detail on how to structure your website in another post!)
So to sum that all up – be consistent and keep it simple.
© 2011 Jolene Bestbier. Author. i-literate.
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