Question: Our product has a wow factor when it”™s in your hand. That wow factor doesn”™t come across online. In fact, our product looks pretty boring when sitting in a display. We fear that online, the product doesn”™t get the attention it deserves. What can we do?
Thoughts of the day: Marketing is all about creating excitement and drawing people in. Think about who buys your product and why. Testimonials in the online environment can be very dramatic and engaging. Make a splash and get the Internet to do your work for you.
Whether online, in print or at trade shows, it”™s the exciting, interesting and unusual that catches people”™s attention. Look to be thought-provoking, creative, even thrilling. Arouse your audience to get them to take action. Give them a challenge they can”™t ignore.
Whatever challenge you put together, make sure it”™s audience-appropriate. Knowing who buys your product ”” and why they buy ”” will help narrow the field of possibilities. Do some investigative work if you”™re not sure.
Ask current customers what they like about your product, where they bought it and how they came to decide it was time to buy. Hang out where your customers hang out. When they pick your product up to look at it or walk to the register to make a purchase, ask them for a minute of their time.
Engage in a dialogue to find out what motivated them. Ask: What caught their attention? Did they plan to buy something? Or did they make a spur-of-the-moment impulse buy? Is the purchase for them or for someone else? Treat these new customers like the friends they are ”” now part of your world because they bought your product ””and get to know a little bit more about what moved them to action.
Once you know what interests your customers, use marketing to put it out there in pictures. Try posting videos to YouTube. Take pictures of your product being used. These pictures can bring your product to life, make it jump off the page and into your customers”™ hands.
Did you find out that customers look up to stars, but you can”™t afford a star to promote the product? No problem. Affiliate by dressing and acting the way the star dresses and acts, putting your product out in the environment in which the star usually is seen.
Do something relevant and at the same time unusual in order to grab people”™s attention. Brainstorm all the ways your product gets used and then put something odd or unconventional into the picture ”” not enough to take over, just enough to make people think, “Well, I haven”™t seen that before.”
To get someone”™s conscious attention you have to interrupt their thoughts. To keep them looking you have to engage their emotional side. Arouse feelings ”” passion, excitement, thrills, quivers, even shock can work for you ”” as long as it doesn”™t turn your audience away.
Get the media to do your work for you. Get a buzz going about what you”™re doing with your product. Whether in print or online, it”™s all about getting others to talk about your stuff. Start by getting the attention of people who talk to people ”” the influencers. Electrify them, then watch as they help you spread the word.
There”™s tons of advice posted on the Internet discussing how to “go viral.” Do some reading. One of the better posts I saw said start with a marketing plan ”” so that you”™re working with intention. Good idea!
Stay true to your ideal audience, your customers, by making sure that when they see your marketing piece it resonates with them. Be willing to try, fail and try again at grabbing attention. Make sure that anyone who does see your marketing pieces can also figure out quickly how to get in touch with you. Don”™t be shy about prominently including your contact information.
Looking for a good book? Try “No B.S. Direct Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses” by Dan S. Kennedy.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., strategyleaders.com, a business-consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurial firms grow. She can be reached by phone at 877-238-3535. Do you have a question for Andi? Send it via email to AskAndi@strategyleaders.com. Visit AskAndi.com for an entire library of Ask Andi articles.
