Here’s 4 Marketing Reminders
So you’ve created a great product or service and you’re ready to start marketing it. If you are looking to work with a marketing agency, there are 4 things you need to keep in mind throughout your journey.
Assume everyone is an idiot
Sorry (but not sorry) to sound blunt, but you need to assume that your customers don’t know anything. Literally, assume that they are preschoolers. They don’t understand your buzzwords. They don’t know what you do, or how you do it. They don’t know left from right. How basic can you break down your business? If you can’t explain what your business is, does, sells or serves in one quick sentence, then you need to make this your number one priority. You will need constantly explain what your business does over and over again through your marketing as quickly and effectively as possible, so don’t mess up this first impression!
Sell the benefit, not the comparison
Highlighting what makes you different is the essence of marketing in and of itself. You may bake cupcakes, just like thousands and thousands of other bakeries in your area do. However, what makes you different? While you do want to show comparisons to people as to why your business is better than your competitors, it is more important to focus on how choosing you will make their life better. Your cupcakes might be cheaper, made with better quality ingredients or have faster delivery, but don’t ignore everything else. If your competitors are the ones highlighting why their cupcakes will change customer’s lives, then you are leaving it in their hands to close the sale with trust and benefit – not you.
Listen to your customers
Business owners can often get in their own way, especially when it comes to changing their product or service. If you see your industry evolving and the needs for your customers are changing, evolve and change with them. Don’t resist – rather, be ahead of the curve and be the first to give them what they want. Sticking to your guns and core values is important, but don’t do it to a fault. You never know what it might be – maybe it’s time to start manufacturing a new color, or offering your service in a quicker, different way. Listen to your customers – they will tell you exactly what they want.
Fail
This might sound crazy – but it is very important to learn how to fail with your marketing. While marketers can do tons of research to see what your target audience wants to see and hear, no one will know for sure what might happen until it’s tested. Learning from these failures and tweaking them will make your marketing stronger, not weaker. Testing – and testing fast – is essential to all marketing strategies, so don’t become discouraged if something isn’t working. Just plan for it, and when it happens (because it will!) you will be better prepared to handle it.
