Many business leaders struggle with marketing. But it’s actually a lot simpler than most professional marketers make it out to be. If you cut through all the noise to the real purpose of marketing, crafting your message can be productive and powerful – and even fun! So, what is the secret to effective marketing for your small business? Keep it simple. Keep it clear. And keep it consistent.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Help customers memorize your message
Good marketing uses repetition to help customers memorize your message. The average person needs to hear something at least 7 times before they actually remember it. And the only way people will remember you or know what you do is if you tell them. Repeatedly. It may sound boring to you, using the same message in the same words, over and over and over again. But repetition works.
Take Geico, for instance. You may never have purchased their services in your life, but you and your grandmother both probably know that 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. That’s because Geico repeats this in every commercial, on every billboard, in every brochure. Everywhere you see their brand, the message remains clear, simple, and consistent. This is the goal of any successful marketing strategy. And it’s what distinguishes a brand from just any other business out there.
Improve your marketing collateral
Take a look at your current marketing materials. Then ask yourself if your messaging is simple, clear, and consistent. Can your customers read your marketing materials and immediately (within the first 10-20 words) know who you are, what you offer, and how they can get it?
If you answered no, take some time to rethink your messaging. What problem does your customer have that you can help them solve? How can you communicate that in a short, memorable “one-liner”? What can/will that look like when fleshed out in the different stages of your sales funnel (website, sales emails, print materials)?
When making changes to your messaging, the first place to start is with that one-liner. This is what anyone on your team will say when someone asks, “So what do you do?” Give your staff a simple, memorable, and clear statement they can repeat to any potential customer they come in contact with. Then you can move on to the other stages of your sales funnel and shape the messaging accordingly. It’s important to maintain consistency across any platforms you use, whether it’s your website, social media, print materials, or sales emails. No matter where your customers come into contact with your brand (or who they talk to in your company), they should receive the same message.
Clarity is the key to success
Marketing should be an exercise in memorization. Don’t be cute or clever. Be clear. And be consistent! When customers memorize your message, they remember you and your brand. They remember the problem you solve, and will think of you the next time they have that problem. And this is the ultimate goal of marketing: to bring you more business.
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