Start-ups rarely think about marketing from their genesis. That’s a mistake because no one will ever buy from you without a clear value proposition that is simple to understand.
These seven marketing fundamentals can help you think about your business by focusing on the early stages of your message, not just how you will deliver the product or service.
- Who do you serve? Begin with a narrow and specific audience in mind. Don’t think you can sell everyone. Focus on defining who you want to help. Who you serve should come before what you do for them because by understanding their pain points and needs, you can design a product or service that helps them achieve their goals, not yours?
- How will what you do help them? Your product or service must have a simple differentiation that a seven-year-old can understand. For people who care about X, we will support them by offering Y.
- What is your target audience’s reason to believe you? Why will the people you want to help, believe your message? Why should they trust and believe you’ll do what you say? How do you establish credibility by endorsement, shared equities or other third-party associations?
- Will your brand name and logo tell your story? With limited resources, your brand name must work hard to explain the benefit you offer. And, a tagline, is a quick and simple way to explain who you are and what you do. Lock up a logo and tagline together.
- Have you simplified and removed friction from buying from you? Clear messaging, simple navigation on a website, one-click services all help make it easier to buy from you. How have you streamlined choice so your customer or client, can easily decide? Twenty-seven flavors aren’t helpful. Three flavors are helpful to simplify decision making.
- Does everyone on your team buy-in to your vision? What is the goal for your business, for alignment in the same direction? If it is just making money, that isn’t motive enough for employees today. A vision is like a north star and explains where you are heading. Ending hunger is a visionary goal that motivates employees. Vision at the start is a powerful motivator.
- Grow through collaboration and partnership. Find other people who serve the same community as you, who can give you access to their customer or client base. The more you understand the people you serve, the easier it is to reach them through partnership. The vegan gelato company that partners with an energy healing community may find a community with overlapping interests.
Marketing is everything that a business does to bring value to customers and clients. Anchor your business in these seven-marketing fundamentals; you will be ahead of the pack.
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Does your business need a marketing coach, guide or sherpa? Are you generating enough leads? Is your marketing underperforming? I can help.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conversation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com Let’s explore working together today.
