Too often, businesses owners may fall into the trap of building their brand instead of selling their product.
Here is what I mean: If you are spending time and money on advertising to build up your reputation and awareness in the community, you’ll build up reputation and awareness faster by delivering a quality product—even better than what you promise.
In your advertising, you will be more effective if you focus on what your potential customer needs/wants. Buyers are self-interested. That is why they are buyers. That is why they are in the market. They are looking for something for themselves. They want their problems solved and hungers satisfied.
In Scientific Advertising, legendary advertiser Claude Hopkins writes,
“Remember, the people you address are selfish as we all are. They care nothing about your interests or profit. They seek service for themselves. Ignoring this fact is a common mistake and a costly mistake in advertising. Ads say, in effect, ‘Buy my brand. Give me the trade you give to others. Let me have the money.’ That is not a popular appeal.”
Your brand should certainly be a part of your advertising but it shouldn’t be the sales message.
An example: you sell shirts. Your advertising should highlight the comfort of the fabric or the air flow and the coolness the wearer will experience (or whatever makes your shirt valuable to your customers).
Potential customers will not care that it is your brand of t-shirt. They have no loyalty to you or your brand. They do not love your brand. They don’t even know what your shirt feels like.
This one thing will help your marketing more than anything: focusing on your customers needs, wants, and desires.
If you need help with your marketing/advertising/copywriting, email me at konradholdenwriting@gmail.com or click the contact tab above.
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