Use Content to Unleash Your Influence and Engage Those Who Matter to You
Unlock your inner marketing guru by learning the secrets of today’s top brands.
There's a reason why door-to-door salespeople are becoming a thing of the past. It's the same reason that telemarketers and cold phoning are no longer viable marketing strategies: no one wants an intrusive, fraudulent salesperson interrupting their day!
These approaches were cornerstones of the old Me Marketing strategy, which relied on a salesperson's ability to persuade you to buy whatever he offered. These days, we live in a You Marketing environment, where the emphasis is on consumers and developing products and services that address their worries and solve their problems. Marketing tactics for today's clients are built on establishing trust and loyalty through meaningful and tailored content.
This is the foundation for the many tools and methodologies discussed in the following summary. Author John Hall provides all the knowledge you'll need to transform your company into a relevant and sought-after firm.
These summaries will contain
How to create a message that makes others think you're a mind reader;
Why should you pick between Paul Rudd and Oprah?
Why you should avoid overcontrolling your material.
1. Traditional Me Marketing has given way to new You Marketing methods built on trust and value.
Have you ever been pleased to receive a call from a telemarketer? Or have you ever been delighted to see an excessively exuberant salesperson knocking on your door? Far from being pleased, you likely felt that this individual interfered with your day or was bothersome.
Telemarketers and door-to-door salesmen are two examples of the old-school method known as Me Marketing. It got this name since the marketing message revolved entirely around the salesman and her dubious spiel about how fantastic the product and company were.
These days, marketing is finally moving away from the obnoxious Me Marketing approaches and toward You Marketing.
This transition is primarily attributable to the internet, which has altered how individuals engage with businesses and their products. People no longer need to listen to salespeople's biased pitches because they can read customer reviews and make informed decisions. With a few searches and clicks, anyone can conduct their research, compare products, and create views about potential purchases.
Me Marketing can still be found online, but only through obtrusive pop-ups and banner advertising, which are becoming obsolete. According to a recent Business Insider report, 200 million Americans use ad-blocking software when browsing the web.
So, how do you market to Internet customers without intrusive advertisements? Your marketing is about building trust and value while avoiding aggressive tactics.
Consider the crucial You Marketing strategy of inbound marketing. This enables you to build a relationship with your customers through social media and meaningful, relevant material that demonstrates how you can add value to your audience.
While salespeople in the Me Marketing period questioned how they might trick a buyer into believing a product had value, the You Marketing strategy is to consider how your product or service can benefit a customer.
Once you've figured this out, you can generate material that displays this value, which will help you build trust with the audience your message attracts.
Nowadays, the general public can recognize a fake pitch or an untrustworthy brand from a mile away. So, in the following blinks, we'll go into greater detail on how to draw attention while also developing a trustworthy brand reputation.
2. You may stay relevant to your client's concerns by utilizing content triggers and a knowledge base.
You Marketing practitioners are not mind readers, but they want to appear so. And if you've ever read an article written specifically for you, it was most likely the product of an excellent Marketer who used a content trigger, an essential tool of the trade.
A popular topic, an interest, or a general issue shared by many clients can all serve as excellent content triggers. When you hire one, you'll be on your way to creating great content that discusses the relevant topic and demonstrates how your company can help.
To locate a good content trigger, simply listen to your consumers' words. What are their shared concerns? What responses or solutions are they seeking?
For example, if you owned a seed firm, you could talk to farmers and gardeners to find out what they intend to grow next season. If 40 out of 50 individuals are getting ready to plant rainbow chard, that's the perfect topic for your next article: How to Grow the Best Rainbow Chard!
When implemented correctly, content triggers make your audience feel like you're speaking directly to them and addressing their most pressing needs. As a result, people's faith in your brand will increase significantly.
Another valuable tool that every Marketer should have is a knowledge bank, which is directly tied to content triggers. This lets you stay informed about your client's concerns while ensuring your content and marketing are as successful as possible.
You can create a knowledge bank by designating a location where ideas, experiences, insights, and updates for possible content triggers can always be stored. Let's face it: searching for and keeping track of material triggers may be taxing. So, why not have a 24-hour knowledge bank where you and other employees may submit ideas for the next big topic?
Your knowledge bank should be open and accessible to all employees, regardless of department. Because each employee interacts with clients in a distinct way, they each have a unique perspective and the opportunity to discover a spectacular content trigger.
A successful knowledge library can help you stay updated on the newest consumer concerns while keeping the entire company engaged and on the same page.
3. Presenting a pleasant and open brand might help you build client trust.
It may seem apparent, but any successful Marketer should remember the necessity of making their brand appear friendly and appealing. This includes displaying your brand's vulnerable side.
In other words, you want your organization to be perceived as something other than cold and robotic. People do not want to buy from faceless corporations. They will be more at ease and responsive if they can identify the human factor behind the brand.
One approach to accomplish this is to publish relevant content on a company blog. When the author writes blog articles, he tells honest anecdotes about his life and admits that he sometimes feels like a lousy writer. This type of sensitive self-deprecation can be particularly effective since it allows the public to connect with a relatable, human brand.
Another approach is to identify the type of likeability your company aims for.
Are you trying to make Paul Rudd likable? This would be a cheerful, enjoyable activity for everyone. Are you more likable as a Friday Night Lights football coach? This would allow you to be both inspiring and unwaveringly caring. Or do you fall somewhere in between these two extremes, making you more Oprah-like?
Knowing the type of likes you're looking for makes developing great content with a consistent tone easier.
Another important aspect of being likable and trustworthy is openness.
Shady firms will try to conceal undesirable activity, but no one can hide forever. Eventually, the dirty secrets will be out, and they will face negative repercussions. However, if you are always honest and open about your business, you will never have to worry about evil deeds stacking up.
Mast Brothers, a chocolatier in Brooklyn, is a prime example of a discreet brand gone bad. For years, the creators sold their "artisanal" chocolate brand, but it was later proven that they made their confections by melting French chocolate. Sales plunged once the press picked up the story and carried it across all leading news sites.
On the opposite end of the scale is Pat Flynn, the founder of Smart Passive Income, a website that teaches people how to start and maintain a successful online business. He is transparent about his revenue, releasing the numbers on his blog every month and publicly discussing his struggles, strategies, and victories, all of which contribute to the image of a trustworthy brand dedicated to assisting people.
In the following section, we will look at two more winning characteristics: consistency and helpfulness.
4. To remain relevant, helpful, and trustworthy, maintain consistency with your material and utilize networking possibilities.
Before making a significant purchase, many customers will visit the brand's websites and social media profiles. What happens when they discover the most recent information is from five or even ten years ago? That's not a very reliable sign, is it?
You must consistently provide up-to-date content to maintain a reputable and relevant image. You must contact them frequently if you want to keep your customers engaged with and committed to your brand. Otherwise, they will begin seeking elsewhere.
Simply consider MasterCard's unreliability. In 2013, the CEO published an excellent piece that captivated readers and prompted many to purchase further shares. The brand appeared relevant and trustworthy. Unfortunately, he did not submit another essay in the three years that followed, and as a result, he gained few new fans.
On the other hand, Dharmesh Shah is co-founder of HubSpot, an inbound marketing software firm. In 2012, he published 30 posts on LinkedIn, which helped him get nearly twice as many followers as the MasterCard CEO - a staggering 620,000 by 2017.
Producing quality content consistently can be difficult, so creating a Creative Ritual might assist.
Every day, schedule a few sessions in which you actively chase creative ideas and write down anything that comes to mind. If you continue this method, you will soon have a backlog of unique ideas that can be turned into helpful content when another piece is needed. If it seemed futile at first, remember that it will become simpler with time and experience.
Networking events are another great strategy to engage with and serve clients.
Now, networking gatherings can be challenging to navigate, especially when everyone appears to be there solely to see the keynote speaker. Extending your assistance and listening to what others say can leave a lasting impression.
Such events are an excellent opportunity to hear individual and group concerns while presenting an article, preferably one you created, that seeks to help. This will foster trust, credibility, and respect among clients.
It's also a good idea to remember everyone's names and at least one personal feature about them when attending an event. You can use that personal information later if you need to contact them. If they felt under the weather that day, inquire about their health.
A personal touch increases your chances of receiving a positive reaction.
5. To stand out and connect with customers, give your brand a clear purpose, and empower all employees to spread the corporate message.
What makes a brand stand out? If you ask people what they enjoy about their preferred smartphone, they may mention common qualities like long battery life or a giant screen. These are excellent illustrations of what a brand does. But here's the thing: no, what can make your brand stand out as much as a compelling why.
So, what's the why? It's the reason your brand exists, and you may express it by establishing your company's purpose, typically summarized in a mission statement that emphasizes the values you stand for. This allows your customers to directly connect with your brand.
Apple serves as an excellent example of this. Yes, their goods may have simple and advanced features, but Apple consistently prioritizes their way over their what. After all, other firms can simply release fantastic features, but they can't just come up with a brilliant why, which is how Apple has managed to stay ahead of the competition. They've always believed in "challenging the status quo," maintaining that message front and center. This has kept customers loyal and eager to purchase Apple items.
Once you've determined your why, involve your staff by allowing them to convey the message to the masses. By doing so, you may turn your entire staff into thought leaders.
Many CEOs attempt to control the content and the distribution of their company's publications. And it's logical to expect that having numerous thought leaders promoting content will result in an inconsistent message. However, this is only sometimes the case.
Remember that you do not want a sterile, robotic picture. Having numerous employees mention great things about your brand will make it seem genuine and positive.
So, let everyone on your team contribute ideas and disseminate information using their social media channels. This makes your brand appear more human and makes your staff feel valued, increasing the likelihood that they will actually like your brand. This will turn them into genuine advocates while also incentivizing them to continue around for the long run.
Now that you've learned the fundamental steps to your marketing, it's time to present your brand to the modern marketplace and implement those strategies!
Final Summary
Traditional Me Marketing tried to persuade buyers that a company was successful and its products were attractive. However, more effective marketing strategies exist for developing an enduring brand in today's market. Today's successful method is You Marketing, which entails establishing trust by attempting to be of genuine support and assistance to your clientele. You can accomplish this by listening to their shared problems, questions, and worries. Once you understand their fears, you can respond with answers and products that offer accurate, practical solutions.
Actionable advice: Consider commenting on forums relating to your business.
Once you've posted some relevant creative content, don't just leave it there. Post comments on sites and message boards that deal with the problems and concerns addressed by your product or service to help get your message out there. Ensure to include a link to your content at the post's conclusion!