Martha Spelman
When you have the urge to pitch your business, what should you do?
Scratch it.
Marketing has changed. No longer does the Earl Scheib shouting: “I’ll paint any car, any color, only $ 29.95!” type of approach work. Touting “New! Improved!” is out. Gone are the days of “Don’t miss this deal…you’ll be sorry.”
If you’re yelling, bragging, fudging or fear mongering to market your product or services, STOP! Now what works is respecting your audience: educating them, entertaining them, delivering relevant information, engaging them in a way that makes them want to be your customer.
Now, it’s content that counts. Using content marketing to promote your business allows you to help your customer (how-to lists, relevant news, revealing your “secret sauce”). Recounting company stories that illustrate the value of doing business with you, builds trust. Creating and curating timely content establishes you as a “go-to expert” in your field.
Today’s customers are sophisticated and discerning and have access to many tools and channels to make their buying decisions. Not to mention that you probably have loads of competition so you really need to stand out. If I’m your customer, don’t tell me what your product does. Explain what it does for me. Don’t tell me it will improve my life; show me how it will improve my life (or my business). Don’t assume I’ll buy because you tell me that I should. Even if you tell me that every day, sometimes 10 times a day, I won’t believe you. Your job is to make me believe you.
Where saying “Trust Me!” used to be enough, now you have to build that trust. These days, you must create valuable content, implement superior customer service and provide a user experience that convinces your customers — through Proof! Do a good job of that and they’ll pursue you.
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