March 8th, 2010 | 
Author: Let’s not cut around any corners, and get right down to business. WIIFM (”What’s in it for me?”) this is the reason customers buy, but instead of focusing on their customers, some small businesses unknowingly commit the sin of advertising about themselves. Many small business owners, and sometimes their advertising executives can’t tell the difference between the two.
The thing is, you’re not alone. When it comes to small business advertising, you are definitely not the only one committing this “sin”. Actually the majority of your competitors are also. This is why you would fail to achieve the results you’re looking for when you mimic your competition’s advertisements.
There is hope. You can make your small business advertising much more effective by turning this way of advertising away. And by changing the message you deliver and how you deliver it to your potential customers, you’ll be able to “steal” your competitor’s customers away! By using subtle and effective changes to your advertising, your competitors wont be able to tell why their clients are suddenly after your business.
As I’ve stated, tell the customers what’s in it for them, that’s the key to small business advertising. In other words, tell them why they should use your business or service or buy your product instead of another businesses. Many small business owners think they answer this question in their advertising, because they tell customers that their service is the “best” or the “cheapest” or the “fastest” but often that just comes off as bragging and being self-centered.
To be blunt, customers don’t want to hear you or your business brag. They don’t want to know why you think you’re so great. They want to know what’s in it for them if they do business with you.
So make a subtle change to your advertisement to where it explains the customer’s One very popular home supply store doesn’t advertise that they’re the cheapest. Something more like “You save big money!” would tell the customer their benefit. They show their focus is on the customer that’s reading or listening to the advertisement. It’s personalized just for them.
It’s very easy to make a few subtle changes to the words in your small business advertising. Instead of using “we” and “I” and “our” – you should use – “you” and “your.” Speak directly to your customers in easy-to-understand language and tell them how they can have the things they want in their life by buying what you’re selling. “Your dreams will become a reality with abc.” with “abc” being your product or service.
It takes a bit of practice to do this every time, but you need to continually examine your small business advertising messages and adapt them as needed to make this distinction. As these adjustments are made, you’ll begin to notice an growth in business. Clients probably wont take too much notice to the little differences while on the way to your store, but you’ll know that it’s cause you’ve focused on them, and not bragged of yourself.
Posted in Marketing and Advertising