You created your website...and there’s no engagement.
You sent out emails...and your open rates are low.
You created an ad...and found it was a waste of time and money.
Some of the things you’ve put out there may have generated a bit of return, but you notice your lead costs are rising.
That’s when it happens. You decide that marketing SUCKS.
I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. It’s what everybody thinks.
Until...they figure out they’re really not selling products or services, they’re selling the promise of something better.
Now, before you decide this is going to be too woo-woo for you, hear me out!
Do you sell a product or service? Do you have competitors? Are there other products or services like yours out there that promise the same results?
Unless you have something truly unique, the answer is likely, “Yes.” And you may think that marketing is hard because differentiating yourself from others seems impossible. I mean, telling a potential customer that you have a better mousetrap because your springs are made of titanium (even thought that would be THE BOMB) just won’t float their boat.
If you market the traditional way, these are the struggles you’ll face.
But there’s another way that can yield far different results. It’s what marketers who are rocking it do, and I’d bet my bottom dollar you’ve already been pulled by this technique.
Here’s an analogy that will explain what I mean.
One day, you get your car serviced at the dealer.
While you’re there, something catches your eye. A car that sets off an emotional reaction in your gut. It’s beautiful. The lines, the color, the style, everything about it screams CLASS. You have the feeling that this car could really elevate you.
You take it for a spin, and my oh my, it fits you like a glove. It feels good.
You. Are. Hooked.
You fell for this car not because it has a 4.4-liter V-8, an anti-lock braking system, and can parallel park for you.
You fell for it because it made you feel good. It hooked you with an emotional connection.
That feeling drives you to ask the other questions about the gas mileage, the specs, the features. But those aren’t the things that hooked you. The hook was the emotional meaning the car had and how it would make your life better.
It was after the emotional hook that logic kicked in and you focused on the car’s features.
Our minds process emotions one-fifth faster than it processes logic, and that’s why it’s such a powerful marketing technique.
So, how does this relate to marketing your business?
You want to do the same thing with your product or consumer. You want to bridge the gap between your product or service and your customer’s emotions. Hook ‘em with the good feels. Help them understand how your product is going to make their life better.
Most companies don’t do this. They don’t market emotions, they market the features: the engine, the brakes, the gadgets.
And that just doesn’t move the needle.
You want to market the emotional connection that drives engagement and ultimately compels the purchase. You’ll begin to see engagement like never before.
This approach shifts the entire dynamic of your business. You’re no longer “selling,” you’re solving problems, helping people, and giving rather than taking.
That’s not only better for your bottom line, it’s good juju!
Now, I know what you’re going to say.
“I sell (insert product here). I can’t create an emotional connection to that!”
Oh yes, you can!! And you SHOULD!!
Any product, no matter how generic it might be, has an emotional link somewhere. You may have to step out of your logic box and into your creative sphere to find it, but it’s there. We gave a few examples of this in a previous blog. We showed how a tire store, a fitness center, and a gift shop all have emotional pulls. If you missed it, you can check it out here.
I realize this may sound a bit “out there” to you. That’s because it’s really only practiced by the big players. Everyone else plays small. Somehow, they don’t realize they can do this, too.
Because this may be new to you, we’re happy to help you find the emotional triggers for your product or service. Contact us for a free 30 minute consultation. We’ll help you figure out how to pull on your customer’s heartstrings.
Even if you only sell titanium-springed mousetraps.
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