Here’s what they had to say.
You’re dealing with PEOPLE
Communicate with them that way! Businesses get caught up in focusing on customers and clients, focusing on what their consumers want and forget that behind the title of ‘consumer’ are individuals who like to be communicated with as people.
They’ll form far more positive and personal associations with brands they can relate to on a human level.
They’re too smart to buy into mass-market advertising addressing consumers; they want to engage with, and endorse, brands that they can have a conversation with. – Andrew Franks, MD, Tag 8 Media
Savvy marketers aren’t neglecting specialised channels to talk about their products/services.
They aren’t struggling to come up with innovative ways to push product either. No, what is evident is that the bulk of marketers are starting to neglect their audience – the people they want to buy their stuff. Consumers are becoming pro-sumers: We trust advertising less and recommendations more.
Marketers think that they’re speaking to these pro-sumers’ inherent wants or needs, but the truth is that they don’t necessarily understand them; something that is easily remedied by listening to these pro-sumers on social networks before engaging with them. – Alex de Coning, account manager, Cerebra
Many businesses forget to critically examine the target market they are trying to reach.
Many great marketing campaigns fail because they are not relevant for the intended audience. Remember, the message needs to work with the consumer in mind.
What you may find to be a great marketing campaign may not work for the intended target market. If you are unsure, test your concept first.
This will give you a good indication if you are on the right track or not. Leigh-Ann Fowle, founder, The Written Word
Don’t forget your existing clients.
Businesses tend to focus marketing efforts on new clients, but they may be missing out on huge opportunities with existing customers. Market to existing clients and you’ll not only get more business from them, you’ll also increase their loyalty to you.
And remember that not all business is good business.
Sometimes it’s worth cutting the bottom 20% of your customer base that’s taking up 80% of your time.
This gives you capacity to take on more of the type of clients you want, who give you good business. – Donna Rachelson, founder, Branding & Marketing You
Talking about features and not benefits.
It’s natural for businesses to sell their solutions and focus on their product’s features.
But remember when facing a customer you need to understand their need, their point of pain, and the emotion behind that.
When you focus on the issues that are closest to your customers’ hearts, you will naturally be talking about benefits, and not features. – Dylan Kohlstädt, founder and CEO, ShiftOne
Every company should be marketing-driven.
It’s not just a function or department; marketing is present every time your company connects with anyone else. Every place your logo appears is an ad. Every meeting, function or conference is a promotions opportunity.
Don’t be afraid to show your passion, be human and share what you care about. Make your business stands for something.
Have values. People respond to that. In a world of clutter and competition, if your business is not setting itself apart from day one, you’re dead in the water. – Mick Blore, founding partner, Original Forever
Many businesses collect clients and create great lists, but do nothing with this information for automated sales and marketing activities.
When you collect email addresses, comply with all legal regulations for email marketing, and then set up an automated system that sends your clients valuable information on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.
After investing some time in creating a series of great, helpful tips that will benefit them, your system runs on autopilot.
You have to make sure that the content creates value for your customer though and isn’t just a ‘buy my stuff’ message.
Do it right, and you will establish trust and improve the relationship. Axel Rittershaus, founder, The Executive Coach
During public events, brand representatives continue to speak ‘corporatese’ to their audiences.
They think it creates credibility, when it really just bores people. Jargon and internal language will never win hearts nor lead to action. Speak ‘human being’, and speak to their personal needs in order to win new business.
Top-end branding also generally makes use of clean, open spaces and a single, powerful message.
Don’t try to cram in too many messages. Be clean, be punchy, be profound. – Douglas Kruger, professional speaker and author
Many large organisations build intricate segmentation models, combining functional demographic variables and psychographic factors.
While this is really important for ensuring that everyone has a common view of how to properly deliver on customer needs, it often overlooks the basic truth that we’re all human.
Customers don’t want contrived, scripted experiences – and so the one marketing tip we would suggest is this:
To truly deliver on your customers’ needs, your business should think and behave like a human being that wants to build a real relationship.
Listen, communicate honestly, and keep your promises. – David Blyth, group managing director, Yellowwood Future Architects
