Your Marketing Message
Your message is first among your weapons in the battle of perceptions. Your message allows you to accomplish many things. Your message can educate the
masses, convert the non-believers or separate the wheat from the chaff. But not all
three. Your first clue to your message comes from where in the Awareness Scale? your
target sits. (See my article titled "Target Your Market" for further discussion on the
Awareness Scale?) The Educational Target The Educational Target needs the benefits of your type of service/product fully and
carefully explained. Don't spend time differentiating your company from your
competition, there isn't any. Instead, your target must have their awareness raised
until they care. The Doubter Target The Doubter Target needs to have their objections overcome. You still must present
the general benefits, but concentrate on overcoming the fears revealed in your
research. Show how you deliver these benefits better than your competition. Your
materials have a greater fight for attention here. The Differentiation Target The Differentiation Target is the most obvious target. All your competition is there.
This market is already buying your type of service/product and they know what the
major benefits are. You must highlight how you deliver the major benefits better
than the competition. How you have other, less obvious benefits, your competitors
don't. You must really stand out in this crowd. To be noticed, your materials and
approach must be unique. As you can see, each target needs a different message. Don't make the mistake of
trying to combine the messages in one approach. It won't work. Bad marketing happens to good people because they can't believe others are blind
to their goodness. Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products. Objective
reality doesn't exist. What people believe about you and your product is what's real.
This is tough for most people to come to grips with. Creating a positive impression
is not saying you are wonderful. It's proving it. Marketing works when it
demonstrates, not when it asserts. Don't explain the tools of your trade and don't list the features. Go for the benefits.
Make them clear and desirable. If your target has to figure out the benefits for
themselves, you're asking them to do your job for you. They won't. They'll do
something else. The loss is yours. For marketing purposes, each feature must deliver a benefit. Otherwise, it's
worthless. Write out all the benefits of your product/service. Pretend you are a
prospect. For each benefit statement you write, ask yourself, "So what?" If your
answer to "So what?" is more explanation, your statement is not yet a benefit. Example: Client says: "Our car has passenger-side air bags." We reply: "So what? This is a
feature." Client: "Our air bags inflate in 1/1000 of a second and can withstand 24 G
forces." Us: "So what? This is still a feature." Client: "The passenger can walk away
from a head-on collision." Us: "Now that's a benefit." Keith Thirgood, Creative Director Capstone Communications Group Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing http://www.capstonecomm.com
Markham, Ontario, Canada
905-472-2330 Subscribe to Thrive-on-line
http://list.capstonecomm.com/mail.cgi?f=list&l=thrive_on_line
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Pick a Winning Business Name
What's in a name?
Color Part 2: Formats and Systems
There are several color formats and systems available for mixing and specifying colors. Here, we explain three of the most common systems: RGB, CMYK, and Pantone colors.
Your Marketing ? From The Couch To The Cash Register
When you put time or money into any marketing plan, your only
objective is to MAKE A SALE. Are you sure your marketing is going to
get your customer from their couch to your cash register?
How to Get a 100% Return on Your Marketing Investment Guaranteed!
One of the most effective ways to market your products/services
is to create strategic alliances. Strategic alliances are
partnerships with companies who sell to a client base similar
to yours but they sell different products/services. The idea
is to find partners whose clients may also be interested in your products/services.
John Kerry, Amazing Direct-Marketer!
If you want to uncover a little secret about how John Kerry and the Democratic party is "building their e-mail list", with literally thousands of qualified leads... then listen closely!
Everybody Loves Raymond....You Should Too!
Popular TV Series Provides a Powerful Marketing Lesson
Positioning For Success
According to military historian David Chandler the campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte consistently rose above the expected. For more than 20 years Napoleon showed genius and skill as a general on the field of battle.
Rules of Thumb for Marketing to Your Past Customers
Keeping in touch can dramatically increase business, when done properly.
A Look at Brochure Printing Services
A brochure can be a wonderful promotional tool for a wide range of professionals, but getting them set up can be daunting. There are many brochure-printing services available that cater to both the amateur and professional. You can find them in a number of ways, including the phone book, the Internet, graphic design and advertising journals, or word of mouth.
Eight Advantages of Fundraising Letters Over Other Methods
1. Personal
Fundraising letters are about as personal as you can get with a donor without meeting face to face or talking on the phone. Unlike special events, fundraising letters let you have a one-on-one "meeting" with each donor.
Why Do They Buy?
A recent issue of Entrepreneur magazine included a marketing story with five important questions all business owners should be able to answer about themselves and their competition.
Should You Clap For Your Customers?
Does it make sense to clap for your customers? It does not, you answer. You may be right, for the conventional way is for an audience to clap for a speaker, preacher, performer, artiste, player, or marketing professional making a presentation.
Fertilizer For Your Grassroots Marketing
Looking for a great way to drive traffic to your business? No million dollar ad budget last time you checked? The solution may be to harness the power of grassroots marketing.
Bedroom Marketing
Hopefully we are all adults here, so let's talk about sex for just a minute. No, I'm not talking about porn sites, I'm talking about taking a look at what I call 'Bedroom Marketing' and applying the same principles to Internet marketing.
How to Write a Fundraising Thank-you Letter for Example (Includes a Free Sample)
Thank-you letters are one of the most important letters that your non-profit mails to donors. They remind donors that they made the right decision in supporting your organization. They show that you are grateful for the donors gift. As a bonus, thank-you letters increase donor loyalty, strengthen relationships with your donors and increase your chances of receiving more gifts in the future. So here are some pointers for writing effective thank-you letters.
Write Better Web Content
If you're reading this article, chances are that you, like most professionals these days, understand the value of the Internet. It may be where you go to buy movie or concert tickets, browse restaurant menus, or plan your vacations. Most likely, you also turn to the Web to research business strategies, vendors and other companies.
The Key to Success
Good business is about communication... not just what you say but...
Step by Step Guide to an SMS Campaign
SMS is good for:
Mortgage Marketing - How to Earn More Business From Realtors®
Is your marketing strategy getting the results you desire?
Marketing Strategy - Shift the Focus
Most of the service providers I've worked for or with don't like marketing or selling. In fact, a lot of them will say they "hate it." At the very least, they'll tell me they don't think they are very good at it.
|
