Why do you feel you need to market your company and its products/services?
I’m not being a smart aleck.
I want yout to think about it because sometimes people don’t have an answer when I ask them.
Let me reframe the question.
Why might you want to engage in a marketing and communication program?
For clarity’s sake when I refer to communication, I’m talking about public relations.
I will throw out some reasons that I’ve heard.
You want to create more awareness and get more visibility about your company and its products/services.
Here’s another popular one: lead generation.
Brand reputation is another good reason. It’s hard to make sales if people don’t like your brand.
Your answer may fall into one these or it could be different.
One reason I don’t hear that you want to make a connection which means all these things I’ve mentioned become largely moot.
Unless you connect with people through marketing, the chances of it being successful goes down dramatically.
Connections Matter
You might argue that making a connection is inferred when you’re creating awareness and/or visibility.
That’s certainly possible but it isn’t a given.
Working to create a connection is different than creating awareness.
Imagine you meet somebody at a party. You talk for a couple of minutes and then you both move on your way.
You may or may not see this person ever again.
A conversation with somebody doesn’t necessarily mean you have connected with them in the way that leads to some sort of relationship.
Every piece of your marketing and communication is an opportunity to build a connection.
From a marketing and communication perspective, you can do all the marketing and communication things such as run ads, get media placements, post to social media, create videos, write blog posts and none of it means you will connect with people.
Why?
Unless you have the mindset that you want to connect with people, chances are that you won’t.
Connecting means your marketing is resonating with them.
They experience it and are actively looking for more information about you.
This still isn’t a guarantee that they will become a lead but it’s a start.
Content that’s salesy isn’t likely to make a connection with somebody who has just become aware of you for the first time.
When you do this it’s like proposing everybody you meet. It’s not endearing. It’s annoying and some might even say that it’s creepy.
In my May newsletter, I talked about the importance of patience in your marketing.
I admitted that I’m not the most patient person. Once I have the plan, I want to jump from step one to the end and reap the rewards.
Based on conversations I’ve had with companies, I’m not the only one.
Unless you are selling strictly on price, you need a connection before people will consider buying from you.
It can take time and there aren’t shortcuts. You can’t create connections with a snap of your fingers.
I’ve experienced this. You’ve experienced this.
Think of the marketing you’ve been exposed to. How many of these companies or products are you aware of but have no connection with, meaning you saw the marketing and it didn’t spur you to take action?
I’m aware of all sorts of companies and products that I’ve never even considered buying from.
I’m sure the same is true for you.
There are potentially a host of reasons why but one of them is that you never felt any sort of connection with the company or product.
How To Make a Connection With Your Marketing
You might be thinking, “Ok, I need to build a connection with my marketing but how can I do this?”
The answer is that you need to do your research. You need to ask questions such as:
- What is important to my audience?
- What are their pain points?
- What problems are they trying to solve?
There are more you could ask but this is a starting point.
When you have the answers, you can start to craft messages in your ads, on social media, in videos, in your website copy, on your blog that will resonate with your audience and that’s when they will feel a connection.
At the beginning of this post, I asked why you felt you needed to market your company and/or product or services.
Whatever answer you have is completely relevant.
Just don’t forget that to meet that goal, you’re going to need to make a connection.
*Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay
- Stop Planning and Start Strategizing - October 24, 2024
- The Importance of Creating a Connection With Your Marketing - June 6, 2024
- Reach vs Visibility: Which is Right for Your Marketing? - February 13, 2024
