…and you should too!

Defining your primary marketing message is the critical first step to marketing for any small business. With limited budgets and even more limited time, we simply can’t afford more than that. And frankly, no one wants to hear all that. Try to say too many things and all your messages will be lost.

Set Your Organization Apart

You’ve got to decide. What’s the one thing that sets you apart from your competition? (And it’s not excellent customer service by the way, that’s expected.) It must be something that your ideal customer will really value. Is your product a premium quality? Do you offer a money-back guarantee? Can you promise a 24-Hour turnaround? Is your phone always answered by a human and not a robot?

What is Your Differentiating Factor?

Once you decide on your Differentiating Factor, stick to it! BE PROUD OF IT! Tell it every where you go. You can get started with this list:

  • Have a staff meeting to share it.
  • Put it in your voicemail message.
  • Standardize it in everyone’s e-mail signature.
  • Turn it into a tagline on your logo.
  • Put the new logo on your business cards.
  • Mention it every time you introduce yourself.
  • Change your business description on Google, LinkedIN, Yelp, and Facebook to focus on it.
  • Emphasize it on your website.
  • Focus on it at the beginning and ending of every team meeting.

Market A Single Message

It isn’t easy. Not for anyone, even us. After you’ve worked that message for a while though, the results will show. Then you’ll have the funds and hopefully a bit more time to improve that key message. And you can create secondary messages and marketing campains that focus on different products or other types of customers.

Does your company have a primary marketing message? We’d love to hear about it (free advertising for you, by the way). How long have you had it, and what kind of results have you seen?