Whenever I’m talking with business owners who want to grow their businesses, I can always guess on one hand the challenges they are experiencing. Nine times out of ten, the challenges they have are focused on marketing.
And, trust me. I get it. Marketing is an enigma. It’s so misunderstood because there are so many ways you could be marketing at any one time. And the average business owner doesn’t do their due diligence to conduct market research to make it easier to identify which marketing message and marketing strategies are going to help them appeal to their most ideal clients.
That’s why taking Britnee’s question this week was so important to me as we prepare for the 4th and final quarter of 2017. Check out her question:
“Hi Darnyelle. I’ve been trying to figure out this marketing thing and I admit I’m struggling; it seems so hard and I can’t come up with a message that makes me feel good. Can you offer some insight to help me get over my marketing block?”
Watch my response to Brittnee’s question in this week’s episode of Incredible Factor TV:
As I share in the episode, it might be helpful to start with the definition of marketing:
“Marketing is the act of creating a powerful message and then deploying that message through the appropriate delivery systems to a defined target market in a way that will have them willingly make an emotional investment in it.”
Now, having shared the definition that I love for marketing, let me also share this – your marketing is not for you. Where entrepreneurs and small business owners go wrong is by trying to create a marketing message that resonates with them. The problem with that focus is that you will likely be happy, but you won’t gain the attention of those you want to serve. So, when it comes to creating effective marketing, consider these three things:
1. Your ideal clients are not where you are. Honestly, they are lost. They’re struggling to solve a clear problem that you have the answer and solution to. If you create marketing that appeals to you, you’ll be leaving them out. And if you can’t give them something they can feel (with your marketing), they won’t give you something you can spend.
2. Your ideal clients are actively seeking a painkiller. Most marketers (that’s you) want to lead with the solution and create a warm and fuzzy feeling for their prospects, but the challenge with that is that you may not get their attention at all because they are consumed by the problem. They’re being kept up at night. Everything seems to be hinging on the challenge and it’s adversely affecting other areas of their life. And the reason the problem is so painful and growing is because they have no idea how to solve it. If you lead with the solution, you won’t get the traction you need to attract new clients.
3. Your ideal clients are looking for someone who “gets” them. If your marketing message offers the six things I highly recommend that it does, you won’t struggle with this problem.
a. Offers Education
b. Creates an experience
c. Has an emotion component
d. Focuses on a problem
e. Offers extreme value
f. Positions a call to action and next step offer for help
But your marketing message won’t take these six things into consideration if your marketing is about you – that is why you need to forget about yourself and think about who you want to serve by asking yourself three questions:
1. Who would they say that they are?
2. What would they say that they’re struggling with?
3. What do they need most to stop experiencing the struggle?
In being able to answer these three questions, you’ll shift your marketing message into one that appeals to the clients you want to serve and position you as their best option for full resolution.
So, now I want to hear from you. What’s your two cents? What do you do to boost your confidence so that you can show up powerfully in your business?
©2017 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Business Optimization Coach and Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises®, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program so you experience financial and spiritual abundance in your life because of your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Even Smart Entrepreneurs Must Avoid for Clients, Connection and Cash Flow!” just fill out the form below.
