No matter how unfortunate it is, many entrepreneurs these days make their marketing campaigns too complicated for the average person to understand. Mainly entrepreneurs that come out with new web services just seem to complicate their concept in the message they deliver to their potential users. Sometimes the service or product that entrepreneurs have, can do a lot of things or be beneficial in many ways, but portraying that message to consumers should come after truly capturing their attention. More and more businesses are just looking to "advertise" instead of engage the customer and connect with them through the ad. So what are some factors to overview when setting up an advertisement that really captures a user or customer for a lifetime to come?
-Be short and simple. It amazes me how many entrepreneurs think their new businesses are easy to understand and how "the world has been waiting" for their services, but then nobody gets it when they are spreading the word and the business eventually fails. Being simple when you market, is probably the number one piece of information that can be used to connect with a consumer. Make it easy enough so a 5 year old child can fully understand what you are offering.
-Don't just advertise, instead, introduce. Advertising is just that, advertising. Introducing is setting up a base for a potential long term relationship with a consumer and a brand. Not overloading a person with information at the same time welcoming them to new innovation is a key piece of marketing. When companies just advertise, they only see a "short" return on their investment.
-Be creative. Any company can say, "We have the best product "A" around," but do people really think so? How can you appeal to an audience without taking the universal approach to introduce your company to them, just like every other start-up does?
-Relate to a common idea. If a company is selling plasma television sets, I would tell them to appeal to people through common interest. If company Y is selling their TVs to a person who loves Football, relate the product to their favorite team, or at the least, the sport itself. The harsh reality is, nobody cares about what a company is offering, they just care about how it relates to their life.
It is important to remember that marketing a business, from a consumer standpoint, isn't all about seeing or hearing what is available, instead it is about introduction, exploration, and relationship for a customer. I always say that it is always necessary to plant the seed, but let the plant extend the roots as it pleases, which truly goes for setting up a relationship with a customer. A business should introduce their product or brand to the customer and then let customers explore what the company has to offer and find what they want.
