Competition in many industries is fierce – so what is the hard-pressed marketer to do? How can marketers effectively wage war in their market when there are so many other companies fighting tooth and nail for their cut?
Dr. Flint McGlaughlin, CEO and Managing Director, MECLABS, will share our discoveries in Wednesday’s free Web clinic – “Discovering Your Value Proposition.”
But first, we wanted to hear from your peers. Here are the best tips we received …
Deeply and truly understand your target audience
What they desire and want from engaging with your brand. Know about their preferences for online forums. Use buyer personas that are factual and based on actual research, not just your opinion. Test what messages and content resonate the best in getting them to take action. Ensure your product and services are really delivering value. Develop marketing content that is increasing value, efficiency and trust with your target audience.
– Justin Martinez, Web Content Editor
It’s a one-two hook
1. Marketers: Develop compelling content. Address sticky issues, highlight success stories, and lists of how-tos, to name a few areas. Demonstrate experience and market leadership. Pull in validation from everywhere – your metrics, feedback from others, industry pundits, etc. And feed it to your salespeople.
2. Sellers: Promote the heck out of it across your most relevant contacts – post it everywhere, email it as a “gift” to your relevant contacts, use it as an excuse to call people and talk about it.
We are definitely entering an era where content converts your prospects into believers, and is a huge differentiator. I actually think we will continue to see a massive shift in what a “salesperson” looks and acts like. Think “content purveyor” versus “lord of the conference room.” Marketers meanwhile should think of themselves more as multimedia publishers. Ready or not – it’s lights, camera, action time!
– Kathy Tito, Founder and President, New England Sales & Marketing
Turn a perceived negative into a positive
Pennsylvania One Call has been able to stand out with a direct mail marketing and education campaign that tied the mail piece to a local event within the neighborhood. We call it “The Gladys Kravitz Marketing Plan” because it targets the nosy neighbor.
Results? A 3% response rate to the direct mail piece, turning a perceived industry negative into a positive educational opportunity, changed consumer behavior, and an expansion of awareness to the homeowner.
Outreach programs like this help us prevent damage to underground utilities.
– Dan Lucarelli, Director of Marketing and Education, Pennsylvania One Call System
Related Resources:
Discovering Your Value Proposition: 6 Ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace – Wednesday, August 8, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
The Gladys Kravtiz Marketing Plan: Using location-based marketing techniques to turn a liability into an educational opportunity (see page 36, via Damage Prevention Professional)
Value Proposition: A free worksheet to help you win arguments in any meeting
Customer-centric Marketing: Tap into your culture to differentiate from the competition