If I had a dollar for every website I’ve come across or marketing collateral piece I’ve read that didn’t clearly explain what a product or service could do for me, well, let’s just say that I’d be sitting on a nice warm beach somewhere right about now.
Marketing 101 guys: All communications, whether they’re for prospective or current clients, should focus on the client experience and/or benefits. I am sorry to say this, because, believe me, I like to talk about myself as much as the next guy, but no one really cares about you, how talented you are, how much you like what you do, or how great your product is. Except you.
Whether you are planning on launching a new business or just rethinking your marketing materials with the start of the new year, remember that communications in every form should be about the client experience and benefits, not about you. This principle should be applied across the board, starting with your tag line and continuing on your business card and in your elevator speech, sales and marketing brochures, email marketing efforts (including e-newsletters), and website content.
What you basically want to do is differentiate yourself from the competition. If you’re a plumber, for instance, you are operating in a crowded field. You absolutely have to stress the value of using your service over someone else’s. Maybe your hourly rate is 10% lower than anyone else’s, you don’t up-charge for same day emergency service, you are a member of the BBB with an excellent rating, and/or you offer a longer guarantee on your work than the other guys.
Whichever benefits you decide to stress, keep wording consistent, concise, and clear, especially if what you do is kind of—or really—complicated. You need people inside and outside your industry to understand you, so avoid jargon and acronyms.
Mini case study: I am working on website content right now for a big security services firm/government contractor. When the web designer and I started on the project, we were not sure if they even knew what they did because they certainly could not explain it clearly. (You’re in trouble if you can’t decide on what to call a major division of the company and, needless to say, defining that division is the part of the project I struggled with the most). We got them to focus their thinking and look at their business from the outside in, aka, our perspective. I wrote everything in plain English, stressed their past performance and the benefit to the client, and kept the content professional and sophisticated. Now you and I and a plumber can jump onto their website, have a look around, and understand not only what they do, but why working with them would be of tremendous benefit to you (if you were a huge company or government department or agency, that is).
Just remember these five words: It is not about you!
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