On Words and Business

When I write marketing materials I have two real people in mind. One I have met, one I haven’t.

The one I have met is a client and an ideal one at that. I think about what makes her tick and what works and doesn’t work when reaching out to her.

The one I haven’t met is a potential client, also pretty ideal. I think about what information will be useful to him and his company.

They are both smart, accomplished executives. So I write things I believe each will find worth the time to read.

Otherwise, if I think of all my clients and possible clients, it’s just too big and too vague a picture. Imagining these two executives enables me to personalize the message and write more clearly. (I think!)

What are your tricks to focusing on your customers and prospects in your marketing materials?

Have you ever heard just one half of a cell-phone conversation? Or had an entire conversation on your own, where you play both parts?

Does it drive you crazy to have to guess at what the other party is saying (or would say)? Sometimes you know the other side of the conversation. Sometimes it’s just a guess.

Think about how you communicate with clients– sometimes you know what an answer will be sometimes you don’t.

Going forward, let’s promise each other to listen for both sides of the conversation.

We all have a list of them in our head: the questions people always ask when we tell them about our company or what we do. That’s where a well constructed frequently asked questions (FAQ) page comes from.

Often these questions and answers address topics such as installation, technical issues or troubleshooting, account or subscription issues, and the basics of product or service features.

These are very important to make available.

But what about FAQs as a form of marketing? What are the broader questions customers or prospects ask about why your product or service is important, how it can help them, or what challenges you can help them resolve? Answers to that type of question could make a very different FAQ, one that addresses in one place and in simple form, a separate set of frequently asked questions.

Do you answer broader, softer types of questions in your FAQ? Why or why not?

Here is an interesting article about the University of Southern Mississippi’s award winning branding efforts.

Key takeaways:

• Listen to stakeholders
• Set objectives
• Be authentic
• Don’t make abrupt changes. These things take time.
• Trust–your instincts and your team

Have you ever considered shining a light on your competitors?

You must be doing something better, different, with more panache, less fuss, whatever. Sometimes it’s a good idea to talk about your unique approach, what it is that draws customers to you, without specifically mentioning those who don’t do it the same way.

But sometimes it’s a good idea to name names. As long as you do it fairly and with a sense of fair competition. Think Coke v. Pepsi. Apple v. PC.

How would something like this work in the B2B space?

Creating educational and useful information to share with customers, prospects, and stakeholders is a great way to build or boost your brand credibility.

Read some tips about why it matters and how to do it.