As much as we would like to think that we are special and that everything revolves around us and our company, the truth of the matter is – it doesn’t.
Many people feel bombarded with marketing that all sounds the same “we’re great, shop here!” and “our special product is the best – buy it!” So, how do you stand out in the mass of businesses trying to reach customers? Be deliberate and purposeful when choosing who to communicate to.
After watching “The Ugly Truth About Marketing” by Jim Miotke, I’d like to share with you one basic marketing secret: it’s not about you and your brand – it’s about your customer and how you can solve their problem.
In the video, you are challenged to think about some specific types of customers that make up your target market. For example, for my industry, I thought of – a person who recently left a big PR or advertising firm and has gone out on their own but they do not yet have reliable programming and web development resource. Thinking of my customers in this way allows me to tailor my communication to them differently. Instead of communicating the message that “our company is great and you should use our amazing services,” I can say, “I understand your situation, and I think I have that reliable team of web developers you need to solve your problem.”
People tend to listen more when the message they receive is relevant to their particular needs. Show your customers that you have valuable content to share and helpful resources designed specifically for their unique problems.
Communicating in this manner requires that you do some reach on your customer base. You will have to dig a little bit to understand who your customers are – not just their names and e-mail addresses, but their ages, their interests, and their field of work.
It’s important that your communication efforts show your desire to help your customers find business solutions. If you really want your business to reflect your deepened understanding of your customers, you might consider updating the content of your website. Your entire website could be addressing one particular type of customer, or you could create separate pages or headers directed at different segments of your audience.
So, instead of showing off your skills, show off your ability to help people solve their business problems.
