Don’t like the results of your marketing? You might not be asking the right questions.
Here’s a quick way to find out: Conduct an audit of your website to determine whether the majority of your marketing content could also be claimed by one of your competitors. I see this mistake in the printing industry where a common marketing message is “fast, high-quality printing” or “complete end-to-end marketing solutions”.
But printers are not alone as most industries make some of following common undifferentiating or meaningless claims:
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We partner with our clients.
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We are dedicated to delivering excellent customer service.
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We are the leading provider of (fill in the blank).
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We deliver on our promises.
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We are focused on helping you succeed.
So, what are the right questions to ask to improve your marketing? Try these:
- Why should a prospective customer buy from me versus the competition?
- What can I promise to do for my customer’s business that my rivals cannot?
The answers to these questions point to your competitive advantage. Its what separates you from the herd. But if you find it difficult to clearly answer these questions, you might either think you have competitive advantage but don’t. Or you have one and don’t realize it (which I see often).
Here’s the key point: No matter what industry you’re in, your competitive advantage should be the foundation for all your decisions–strategic, operational AND marketing. Taking a honest look at your marketing can give you the first indication that you need to sharpen your competitive advantage to improve your company’s performance.
What does your website tell you?
-Tony Collins