This has been on my mind a lot lately, and truthfully, it’s making me feel agitated. When I feel triggered it means something is out of balance, somewhere.
Could be within my own thinking, yes, but also within the way people are told how to think and behave around marketing.
SEO, you need to focus on your SEO.
Who cares if they need it, you have to persuade people into thinking they need it.
You need to know their buying behavior so you can get them at just the right time in the buying cycle.
You need to convince them to dump money into your product.
…and so on…
Am I triggered? Yes, I am.
Not that all these points are negative, but they can feel overwhelming and rather shoddy if you’re a truther (as my son says) and want to create an honest and respectable message…that makes people feel good.
If you’re a little older, like me, you may remember the 1990 movie with Dudley Moore called Crazy People.
It’s about an ad exec who has a nervous breakdown and ends up spending time in a psych hospital. (Haha, I can see how advertising can be crazy making.)
He’s fed up with the writing campaigns that lie to people and cheat them into feeling compelled to buy a product.
He decides, in the psych hospital how apropos, that he needs to take on truth in advertising, and his fellow patients are more than happy to jump on this mission to create honest ads.
It was about going back to basics. It was about talking to people, connecting and giving them something they want AND need. By the way, the patients helping to create the messages started feeling better themselves. Makes ya think!
One of my favorite campaign quotes is, “Volvo, Yes they are boxy, but they’re safe.”
One of the things that I’ve learned in copywriting is that headlines should speak directly to your ideal audience and what they want.
Pretty basic huh?
That’s why I love this quote – it’s clear, truthful and to the point. (I almost bought a Volvo because of this quote.)
What’s my point?
We have been taught so many marketing tricks, tips, gimmicks and “should say”s, that people hate marketing.
People hate getting marketed to, whether emails, direct marketing, or offers through social media, because they feel they are being sold to.
Small business owners hate marketing because they don’t want to create sleazy campaigns and marketing offers, and don’t feel confident creating content that is truthful, even a little quirky and awkward, and yes, honest.
I say, why not!?
It would take so much of the pressure off!
Pressure of trying to “sell” your products.
Pressure of trying to sell people to buy. (I could go into all the corporate sales training I’ve had and come up with the cute names for closes and objection handling techniques, but I won’t.)
What if we took a step back (maybe even a stint in the psych hospital, okay, maybe a retreat center.) and remember the soul of our business and why we got into it in the first place.
We had a talent. We found that people liked what we made, so …we continued to make those things that people wanted. Plain and simple.
To go a step further, we asked them why they liked it. (Or why not, and we made it better.)
I have to admit, as a marketer, copywriter, and content creator, as well as a micro manufacturer of body care products, my head spins when I go into that place of having to think about using all the tips, techniques and methods I’ve learned over the years.
I feel like Charlie Brown after missing the football for the 3,427th time! “Uuugghh, not again!”
But, when I go back to basics, when I go back to why I do what I do, and then focus on why the people want the products (or services) I make and how I can help them..it all becomes easy!
Hell, if I want a car that will keep me and my family safe while driving on busy, traffic congested roads, I’m buying a Volvo.
Why, because they’re safe.
Point made!
Simple. Clear. Concise. And written just for me.
If you want to love marketing, I’m here to help you fall in love! You can start by getting my free guide “The Maker’s Quick Start Guide to Marketing.” I’ll also send you weekly tips, lessons and support for creating memorable content.