In today’s crowded and competitive business landscape, ineffective marketing tops the list of mistakes companies make. A recent survey found nearly 14% of small businesses fail because of bad marketing – and no, it’s not just because millennials are killing napkins and breakfast cereal. This massive struggle to connect with audiences costs brands millions in lost revenue every year. Ouch.
Why the marketing mess-ups? Simple – most brands don’t take the time to understand their customers. Instead of identifying their audience’s problems and presenting themselves as the hero who can save the day, brands ramble on about how awesome their features are and make empty claims about being the GOAT (greatest of all time). But let’s be real – no one cares how fantastic you think your company is. Everybody claims to be the best in their Instagram captions #HumbleBrag.
Stop the Self-Congratulatory Marketing
So what should brands do instead? Stop talking about yourself and start talking about your peeps. What obstacles are they facing like Mario trying to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser? How can your products or services be the magical mushroom that powers them up? meaningful, but “I now know how to market effectively and make more money” meaningful. Cha-ching!? How can your products or services solve those issues and add value? When marketing stems from these insights, it becomes meaningful. And not just “life is meaningful when you watch the sunset” meaningful, but “I now know how to market effectively and make more money” meaningful. Cha-ching!?
Human psychology and emotions drive consumer decisions more than we realize. Leveraging this through empathy, strategic messaging, and purposeful branding separates the good companies from the wannabes. It turns customers into hardcore stans and brands into pop culture icons.
Focus on Solving Your Audience’s Problems
In today’s oversaturated digital world, the brands that win will be those that forge genuine connections with people and understand what their audience truly wants. This means moving beyond the tired “we’re awesome, buy our stuff” approach and tapping into the core human needs your business can fulfill.
So keep these tips in mind, get to know your real audience, and craft marketing that resonates authentically – and the success you seek may just be within your reach. No magic mushrooms required.
When marketing a business, a common mistake is focusing too much on self-congratulatory messaging about how great the company and its products are. But customers don’t care about claims that everyone makes about being the best!
Instead, effective marketing identifies the specific problems the target audience is trying to solve, and positions the business as the solution. According to Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework, these problems tend to fall into three categories:
External Problems: These are obstacles, difficulties, and issues caused by external forces – situations, other people, environment, etc. Examples include not having enough time or money, struggling with relationships, challenging work dynamics.
Internal Problems: These problems originate within oneself – emotions, mindsets, desires, flaws, or fears. Some examples are lack of confidence, exhaustion, sadness, insecurity, anger issues.
Philosophical Problems: These issues relate to a person’s worldview, belief system, and search for meaning. Trying to find purpose, seeking happiness, questioning faith, wanting fulfillment.
Explain How You Solve Those Problems
Once the core problems of the target audience are identified, the marketing message should explain how the product or service solves those problems. Avoid technical jargon and focus on the result or outcome.
For example, rather than touting a massage chair’s lumbar support and zero gravity feature, focus the message on helping people relieve back pain and decompress from stressful workdays. The technical details don’t matter to customers – they just want their problem solved!
Tap Into Human Motivations
Additionally, provide sufficient context on what the customer experience looks like from start to finish when using the product/service. Explain the steps involved in getting started, what happens throughout the process, and the final outcome when the problem is solved.
At the deepest level, most human desires and problems stem from fundamental needs, instincts, and motivations. People want security, so they purchase alarm systems. They want confidence, so they use fitness apps and buy nice clothes. Effective marketing taps into these core human drivers, and shows how the business can satisfy them through their offering.
The goal is to bridge the gap between the customer’s problem state and aspirational identity. When marketing focuses on fulfilling basic human needs and helps people become who they wish to be, it forges powerful connections rooted in psychology and emotion.
Is your marketing leaving money on the table? Get a free marketing audit and consult for your brand by visiting us here. Your business is counting on it.