5 Tips on Communicating Clearly with Customers Through Marketing

Hi there! Have you looked at a product or heard about a service and not understood how it works or why you need it? That is a lack of clear communication to you as a consumer! If you don't understand it or see the value – there is no way you will buy it.

This is week three in our series on how to Be the Boss of Your Brand – I'm talking about clear communication. Because let's face it - you could spend a lot of time and money on marketing – but if your message isn't clear – the whole thing falls flat!

I'm Jennifer Roberts – the owner of Back Porch Communications, and I have a few tips for you on making sure your message is clear to your customers – really to your ideal clients. Last week we talked about understanding your ideal client. I explained that it's important to interview your ideal client to understand their pain points, desires, and how they found you. If you missed it, go back and take a look. That work will come in handy when you are creating your message.

Tip 1: Use words your ideal client connects with. Take a look back at the interviews you did with your customers. What words did they use to describe the problem they were trying to solve? How did they search for answers? Think about how you can incorporate these words, phrases, and ideas into the copy for your website or social media posts.

The goal is for your ideal client to say, "Wow! That's totally what I was thinking! How did you know that?"

Tip 2: Grab their attention – honestly. What does that mean? Sometimes it's hard to stop the scroll on social media. You need something attention-grabbing to get people to pause for a second and pay attention. Think about a hook that will get your ideal client's attention. It could be something that addresses the problem they face head-on. But you don't want to just look for shock value – that is the honest part. No one likes clickbait that draws you in and doesn't deliver what it promises. Plus, when you do that, you aren't attracting your ideal client anyway. Look for a hook, something eye-catching that will speak directly to your ideal client.

Tip 3: Address any objections head-on. If you think your ideal clients have questions or objections about your product or service – address them. If they are thinking about objections, you should be explaining why you or your product is different. Maybe they have tried to solve their problem using a similar approach to what you offer – you want to explain why this time is different. Think about any diet program, for example. How is yours going to be different than everything they have tried before and doesn't work!

Tip 4: Explain the value of your offer. Here is where you want to be sure and talk about your customers' outcomes when they work with you or buy your product. Often, business owners focus on the offer's details – think about the different items you get in the box or what's included when they buy. Customers want to understand the transformation they get when they do business with you. Do they get more free time? Do they gain confidence? Look for the outcomes or the transformation the customer receives and focus your attention there. The details of what's included in your offer are not nearly as important as you might think they are.

Tip 5: Testimonials. Testimonials are very similar to explaining the value of your offer, but instead of coming from you – it comes from your customers! That makes it even more powerful. Think about how often you look at reviews before you buy something. People who have a great experience working with you are an excellent way to attract others to buy. Getting a good testimonial is pure gold. But you need to ask the right questions. Most customers will talk about how they liked you or the product or service, but you want them to talk about the outcome and the transformation they received.

When asking for testimonials, ask questions like:

· How did you feel before working together and then after?

· What have you tried before to solve this problem?

· What would you tell a friend about this product/service?

If you missed the post about understanding your customer from last week – these are some of the same questions you ask when you want to learn more about your ideal customer!

Here is the bottom line: Confused customers don't see the value in your product or service and then don't buy. Ensure you are communicating clearly with your ideal customers in ways they will understand and respond.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can Be the Boss of Your Brand – we have six more weeks of topics to go through. Next week we are not taking off for Thanksgiving! I'm talking about being the expert guide your customer needs. In the coming weeks, we will talk about being the face of your brand, setting goals for next year, and much, much more.

Stick with me for the rest of the year, and we'll dive into the specifics each week.

You can find this series in a variety of places. Pick which one you like the most!

· Be the Boss of Your Brand Blog.

· On the Back Porch Communications YouTube Channel.

· Join the PR and Marketing for Small Business Owners and Nonprofits Facebook group to find a community of others who want to share their passion with the world just like you.

If you are interested in working together, I do have 1:1 spaces available right now. Book a 30-minute Zoom call on my calendar, and we can talk about taking your brand to the next level.