Don't wee all over your customers

Does your company's marketing collateral 'wee' all over your prospect?

Does it focus on 'we the company', professing how great 'we' are. How old. How experienced?

Response is totally DESTROYED when an advert starts off with 'Our company, blah blah, was established in 1890, when the railroads were built, by our grandfather. As a family owned business for 75 years we have got the experience to blah blah.'

A site visitor will stay for 4 seconds or less to decide if they are going to read the page, or LESS if they are flicking through a magazine.

The company history comes later, in the credibility block.

But first you must 'meet the reader where his mind is at'… His fears, frustrations, and desires…

The advert should often identify an actual specific benefit to the prospect immediately. Then justify credibility later.

In direct response copywriting we start off from the position that the prospect doesn't care who we are until we've attracted their attention with an offer.

First we engage their interest by demonstrating 'what's in it for them' Pinpointing the problem/pain, and suggesting/implying/claiming a fantastic solution.

After that, we have to justify why we are the one's to provide it.

Branding is fundamentally about 'positioning'. That being 'the position held in the prospects mind'.

If you company details has no relevance to their current experience, then there is no position.

If they are searching for something online to help them sleep better, and find a domain that contains the keywords of their need, such as 'sleep solution . info' with a headline saying 'How to solve 90% of sleep problems', then that is immediately recognized as the correct 'position' because that's what's in the prospects mind.

To build a brand, start by positioning your company on the solutions it provides your target customers. Grow from there. Don't start by talking about 'we the company'.

Originally posted 2009-06-22 20:54:55.

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