The number one goal of any marketing plan or marketing activity is to influence a buyer’s mindset or decision making process.
As I write this in early September 2016, a lot of this is playing out on American TV with the different TV ads and talking heads promoting one presidential candidate or another.
But in general, the main goal of your marketing is that you should be influencing your buyers and prospects’ decision making process by showing them the value they create and why it is a wise decision to work with you and your company to create more of that value for themselves.
How do you do this successfully?
Here are a few ideas:
1. Focus on outcomes:
It is easy to get caught in the weeds of process and if your marketing does a great job of influencing your prospects, there will be plenty of time to actually discuss the process later on, but when you are in the early stages of your dance…you need to focus on the outcomes you are hoping to create.
Outcomes change people’s state of mind.
It is much easier for them to see themselves involved with you and your firm if you can show them how their life is going to be better if they work with you.
2. Make it all about your buyer:
Too much marketing ends up getting focused on what’s important to the marketer, not the person that is being impacted by the product or service.
Think about something like Apple’s “It just works.”
That’s a pretty powerful example of something that is outwardly focused and compelling to the intended audience.
For your marketing to have an influence, you need to think about ways that you can create a short, compelling argument that is focused on your buyer.
3. Understand that your message will have to evolve over time:
One thing about influence is that it also wanes.
Go back to the above Apple example. When was the last time you hear that?
Or, think about some other great marketing slogans: have you heard them lately?
Not likely, because as we move forward, the things that had a positive impact today may not be the things that have a positive impact in the future.
So you must be prepared for your message to change, evolve, and take on new aspects.