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Five simple, yet powerful, steps determine whether your marketing materials fall flat or attract the type of clients you’re seeking.
Despite the impact of these practices on bottom-line results, businesses often overlook them. How about you? Do you consistently apply them every time you write a sales letter, brochure or other marketing piece?
1. Identify Your Target Market.
Getting great results with your marketing materials requires identifying your target market. Who are the ideal clients for your service? What concerns or problems do they have? What are their aspirations?
A great way to delve into these questions is by brainstorming with professional friends and associates. Start by fully identifying and describing the benefits your product or service offers – the problems it solves or the dreams it fulfills. From there, identify the individuals or businesses that seek those benefits through your type of service. They are your target market.
You can refine this process by meeting with potential clients and asking them about their current challenges. Then describe the benefits of your service that address their needs. If their response is positive, they fit in your target market.
Using this information, you can then create marketing materials that specifically offer solutions your target market seeks.
2. Answer The Question That Every Potential Client Asks.
How often have you looked at a brochure or website and immediately lost interest? Chances are it failed to answer the one question that you want to know: "What’s in it for me?"
The material probably told you lots of facts about the product or service, but it stopped at that. It didn't tell you what those details, or features, do for you.
For example, let's say a nutritional supplement brochure boasts that the product is liquid. "So what?" you ask. "What’s so great about that?" However, when the brochure explains that the body absorbs nutrients far better when taken in liquid form, it starts to get your attention.
When it tells you the benefits of better absorption -- improved health and vitality -- it does indeed answer the question "What’s in it for me?" You can then decide whether these are benefits you're seeking.
Make sure that every one of your marketing messages explicitly describes the benefits your product or service offers your potential client. Be sure it truly answers the question "What’s in it for me?"
3. Know What You Want The Outcome To Be.
Before you begin writing your marketing materials, ask yourself what results you want. Your answer will determine which format you select and the slant of your message.
Do you want to build credibility by sharing your knowledge and expertise? If so, an information piece, such as a newsletter, is appropriate.
Do you want to acquire new clients? Send a sales letter, postcard or flyer with an enticing offer and a call to action.
4. Create A Call to Action.
Have you ever read a newsletter, brochure or web page that beautifully described the solution that the product or service can provide you but never asked for your business? It’s like the door-to-door salesman who demonstrates how great his vacuum cleaner is but never asks for the order.
Whether you want readers of your marketing piece to enroll in a seminar or buy a product, tell them exactly what the next step is. Do you want them to call? Give them the number and tell them to call. Do they need to fill out an order form? Provide a user-friendly order form and tell them to complete it. Be sure the information is right there in front of them. Make it easy for them to say "yes."
5. Project a Professional Image.
No matter how great your message is, it won’t be effective if the marketing piece has typos, misspelled words or grammatical errors. Read it out loud. Have a professional editor or proofreader check it before it goes to print. At the very least, have someone who is well-versed in grammar and spelling read it carefully. And then check it again.
You can’t afford sloppy copy. It suggests that the quality of your service is also lacking. Extra effort in creating a good impression pays off.
Final Comments
Each of these five steps has a powerful impact on your results. Before sending out a marketing piece, answer the following questions:
- Have you identified your target market so that your message specifically addresses their needs and concerns?
- Have you told your readers how they will benefit?
- Is the message directed toward the specific outcome you desire?
- Have you included a strong call to action?
- Does the marketing piece reflect the image you want to convey?
Are your answers "yes"? Send the piece out now and let it propel your business forward!
Copyright 2006 Rose Muenker. You may republish this article provided you do so in its entirety, including the byline and author's bio.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning writer Rose Muenker is the founder of Get Great Results, which helps businesses and professionals grow their clientele through powerfully written marketing materials. Learn more at www.GetGreatResults.com
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