How To Write Better Marketing Messages

3 Tips To Write Better Marketing Messages For Your Business

Creating marketing messages that will instantly connect with your ideal prospects is not an easy task.  As a conversion coywriter it’s a big part of my job. Effective messaging are statements that connect emtionally with prospects and answers the question that’s swirling around in their heads:

“If I’m your ideal customer, why should I buy from you instead of x, y or z?”

Here are some tips that will help you find the words and phrases that will answer that question:

Tip #1: Always Ask, Would My Customer Say That?

This trick makes it much easier to write marketing messages. The key here is to avoid using marketing-speak – boring, overused phrases such as “full service” and “personalized”, “since 1977”, etc. 

Adidas’ once use this tagline “Impossible Is Nothing” which is a good example of marketing-speak. 

I worked with a client who owns a high-end home services company. He had captured the biggest share of the market but wanted to enter grow other markets. He knew his tired old marketing message would not get him there.

We worked together for six weeks. During that time, I identified his ideal customer, created detailed customer prototypes, interviewed many of his clients, and his salespeople who were out in the field.

Through this process we created a brand message that increased sales by 40% in four weeks and enabled him to move into two new markets.

This stuff is powerful!

Tip #2: Apply WIIFM (“What’s In It For Me?”)

So, you’re passionate about your business and you want everyone to know how awesome it is. Your website home page explains why you started your business, displays your mission statement, and contains a laundry list of your offerings. 

Listen. Your ideal customers do not give a you-know-what about any of it.

The only thing your ideal customers care about is this: Do you get them, do you have a solution to their problem, and if you can you deliver it.

So, your job is to quickly answer, “What’s in it for me if I stay on this website for more than a split second?”

Walmart’s message says, “Shop here and you’ll save money and live better.”

Does your message answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” If not, start thinking about how your best customers describe their problem what they want more than anything in the world, instead. See if you can massage that into a new brand statement. 

Tip #3 Don’t Make Them Think

Back when I started in online marketing, I was very fortunate to find a little book titled, “Don’t Make Me Think”.

Although it was first published way back in 2005, its lessons are as pertinent as they were then.

The premise of the book is this: if your marketing message is confusing and if your audience has to struggle to figure out what you do and if it’s a fit for what they want, they’re going to leave your website and find what they need somewhere else.

Here’s a quick exercise for you: go to your own website and take a glance at the home page. See it through the eyes of your ideal customer. Is your message crystal clear or is it confusing? 

I have helped tons of businesses refine their marketing messages and I learned a lot along the way. Here are two tips that will help you write better marketing messages for your business (on a budget of $0).

Tutorial: How to use your customers’ words in your marketing messages

• If you have a lot of 5-star reviews, copy and paste them into a document and notice the words your customers’ use to describe the benefits your business has brought to their lives. Reviews and testimonials are a treasure trove of words and phrases to work into your marketing messages.
  
  
• Listen intently during sales conversations – if you’re doing things right, a sales conversation should feel more like ab “interview”. You ask specific questions and your prospect answers them – which helps you gets you inside their head. Next time you’re “interviewing” a prospect, don’t think about listen carefully to the words your prospect uses to answer your questions. Don’t be shy about taking notes and here’s the most important thing: write down precisely what they say. Don’t use shorthand or translate their words into your words. If you’re on a Zoom call, ask them if they mind if you record, if it’s appropriate. This what you will be able to stay focused on the call then go back and dig into their answers later on.
  
  
• Interview some of your current or past ideal customers. Ask them why they were first attracted to your business, did they have any concerns they needed to overcome in order to move forward, and what your service or product has done to improve their lives. 
  
  
• Interview your customer facing staff – they know more about your customers than anyone.
  
  

Conclusion

When people knnow you get them, have the solution they need, and promise to deliver it, you’re on your way to transforming prospects into customers. Say goodbye to marketing-speak and hello to truly effective marketing copy!

Find more tips here:
The Hidden Gold In Your Client Testimonials & Customer Reviews

Finding Your Ideal Customer: 32 Questions You Should Ask

The Role Of Emotions In Buying Decisions For B2Bs

Want my help to find your ideal customer? Let’s chat! Schedule an appointment with me here.