True story...
Back in the early 1970s, a dad gave his daughter an incredible present.
It was a gift never given before in all of human history, and guaranteed to last 50,000 years.
Amazingly, he didn’t pay money for it, it can never be stolen, and his daughter continues thinking about it every day.
The dad also traveled over 200,000 miles to make it happen.
What did he give his daughter?
First, you need to understand her dad’s occupation. Eugene Cernan was an astronaut who went to the moon.
Actually, he was the last person to walk on the moon. And while there, he stared down at the blue orb of earth and scribbled the initials of his 9yr old daughter on the surface: “TDC.”
Teresa Dawn Cernan
Scientists estimate her initials will be legible for the next 50,000 years. Since the moon doesn’t experience weather conditions, some believe the initials could stay there forever.
The astronaut’s little girl is now in her fifties, and each night when she looks at the moon, she thinks about her dad and the letters he carved.
Talk about a lifelong gift! His message of love will stand the test of time.
But what do those lunar initials have to do with marketing?
The story is a good reminder of your marketing message. While scribbling your ad on the moon isn’t happening anytime soon, there are other ways to make your message strong and memorable.
TWO KEY FACTORS
You can spend a zillion dollars on marketing, but if your message doesn’t connect, it’s a waste.
Words really do sell. They’re more effective than glossy websites and slick commercials.
Repeat to yourself: It’s all about the message. From years of working with clients, we've seen a lot of poor messaging. And it's a common culprit for lousy results. Yet using the right words can overcome a weak marketing plan.
A successful message is a combination of two factors:
1) Your brand voice
2) Your target market
Just like every person has a personality, so does every business. We call this your Brand Personality.
Some brands are edgy and in-your-face (“You want a tough lawyer? Call the Hammer!”)
Some are glamorous and hoity-toity (“Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?”)
Some funny (“Dilly! Dilly!”)
Some serious (“The Few. The Proud. The Marines.”)
These brands found their unique voice, and it made all the difference.
Look at your marketing. Is it full of cliches and generalities? Does it imitate everyone else? It’s easy to lose your brand personality by trying to sound buttoned up and professional.
Let your personality shine. Robotic, copycat statements don’t win passionate fans, and no one wants corporate zoot suits spouting jargon. People respond to authenticity.
When you understand how your target market ticks, you can say specific things that grab their attention. It’s easy once you know their thoughts, pain points, and needs. Successful marketing requires learning your target market’s language.
It's magic when your message resembles a conversation over coffee with your target market. Try it and watch what happens. It signals you care about them, and they'll welcome you as part of the tribe.
Take this example. If you’re trying to sell children’s beds to moms, which message works better?
1) Choose from over 250 of our children’s bed options!
OR
2) We have the perfect bed for you to read stories to your snuggle bunny
See the difference?
YOUR ONE-LINER
Here are a few simple tools to get you started.
First, polish your “one-liner.” A one-liner is a short phrase describing what you do. It’s sometimes called an elevator pitch.
Surprisingly, many people struggle to explain what they do simply. This can cause tons of lost sales. Think about how often someone has asked you, “What do you do?” The way you answer that question either sparks interest or induces a yawn.
It’s time to get this right. As a warm-up exercise, consider the core service of your business then fill-in-the blank:
We help you _______________________.
Let’s take a mortgage company: "We help you secure a mortgage that fits your family budget.”
Or a security company: "We help keep your customers safe.”
Or an HVAC company: "We help solve your home comfort needs.”
Building on that foundation, here are a couple of options for a great one-liner:
WHO YOU HELP / HOW YOU HELP / WHY YOU HELP
The formula:
I/We help a target market with a specific solution so they can achieve a specific result through a specific process.
Let’s use an advertising agency as an example: “We help restaurant owners with digital marketing so they can reach six-figure sales through consistent leads.”
See how that works? Now try it for your business. It might take a few edits, but once it’s completed, memorize and use it at the next cocktail party. You’ll notice an immediate difference.
PROBLEM / PLAN / PROMISE
The formula:
Since target market’s problem, we provide a unique solution, so that successful ending.
Let’s use a river advocacy group as an example: “Since our rivers and creeks are showing decreased water quality, we provide citizen education and advocacy so residents can enjoy clean waterways for generations to come.”
Are you confused about what this nonprofit does? Probably not. The message is clear, and people respond to clarity. Imagine the impact of this messaging on the organization's marketing efforts.
A SIMPLE MESSAGING FRAMEWORK
Here’s one more tool to help. It’s called the P.A.S.T.O.R. framework, popularized by copywriter Ray Edwards.
Let’s say you want to write an email, or a sales letter, or a speech, and you don’t know where to start. The PASTOR framework can work wonders:
P = Problem of the Prospective Customer
A = Amplify their Problem
S = Story or Solution to the Problem
T = Transformation or Testimony
O = Offer to Help
R = Response Needed
Grab some paper and write out the acrostic. Under each letter, start brainstorming.
As an example, let’s say a real estate broker is trying to recruit real estate agents. The broker knows how agents think, so she uses empathy before promoting her service. Her notes might look like this:
P = Problem
-For your real estate business, do you need a road map for success?
-Many brokers/owners don’t have the teaching skills to help you
-If they do, they hesitate sharing their knowledge
A=Amplify
-You’ve experienced those big ego bosses that only care about their own success
-You’ve encountered the prima donnas that treat agents poorly
-Who needs that kind of drama?
-Maybe you're wondering, “How can I grow my business and be in control of my life?”
S=Story/Solution
-At our real estate firm, we understand the struggle
-We have over 25 years of real estate experience, so we’ve learned lots of lessons
-These are lessons we’d love to share with you
T=Transformation/Testimony
We’ll show you:
-How to grow your real estate business
-How to improve your business skills through our practical training systems
-How to do things the right way through our innovative apprenticeship program
We help:
-Unlicensed individuals obtain a real estate license
-Non-producing agents learn how to produce
-Producing agents take their careers to the next level
O=Offer
-If you’re tired of being in a dead-end job, do something about it
-Schedule a free consultation
-Join our training school
-Grow your real estate career
R=Response
-To learn more, watch our short video
-If you like what you see, schedule a free consultation
-We’ll get you started
The real estate broker can take those notes and use them in a variety of formats. They work in a speech, video, email, radio/TV spot, social media, or on her website.
With these formulas and prompts, writer’s block becomes a thing of the past.
Remember, it’s all about your message. And the best part? You don’t need to travel to the moon for out-of-this-world inspiration.
NEED HELP WITH YOUR MARKETING?
Even when you know the right principles, marketing can take a lot of time.
When you have a business to run, creating your messaging keeps on falling down the to-do list.
Let us help you. We offer:
-Marketing strategy and messaging
-SEO
-Online ads
-Website development
-Email campaigns
-Videography
-Graphic Design and Copywriting
Schedule a call (using the calendar below) and let’s take your enhanced message to the right people at the right time.
About Me
Hey, I’m Brian, co-founder of Genie Jar Digital. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I’m a father of five and the husband of one amazing lady. My family has a thing for Golden Retrievers. Given the right circumstances, I can do a mean moonwalk on a slick kitchen floor.
