Good marketing is nothing more than executing a brand plan that allows an allocator to feel that they know you well, without having to invest a great deal of personal time in the endeavor.
Like any other vocation, doing this well, takes a great deal of skill and commitment. Allocators can’t feel they are being “sold” anything. They need to feel their familiarity was driven by their own curiosity and interest, and that they have “discovered” something intriguing on their own. They need to feel they belong to your tribe, long before anyone from your organizations speaks to them – easier said than done.
It all starts with understanding what the people behind the allocation value. Surprisingly, there is a science to this. If time permits, check out: www.valuegraphics.com. We no longer need to guess what is important to a given audience.
After you understand what is important to people, you then need to build content in a form and tone that they relate to.
And appreciate that there is never an ask in this process. As soon as you build in a call-to-action to communication you de-personalize the moment. People feel they are being “sold” and they re-tract – give don’t take.
All said, we understand that there is a clear objective to any marketing process – you are trying to sell a good or service. To accomplish this you need to invite someone into your circle, make they feel like they belong. Again, this is about sharing experiences and acknowledging that they are valued and trusted.
If all of this is done well, buying what you are selling is really a forgone conclusion. It happens naturally, without pressure or animosity. More importantly the customer truly believes that they want to be there. This manifests itself in the form of loyalty, which is the true measure of the power of brand.