Have you ever tried to draw an E on your forehead?
Take your finger, pretend it’s a magic marker, and write a capital letter E on your forehead. Don’t think. Don’t read ahead. Just do it.
Now, for the fun part.
Did you draw an E or an Ǝ? In other words, did you write it so it makes sense to you, or did you write it so it makes sense to someone facing you?
American professors Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer devised the five-second ‘E’ trick, which they believe separates those who are boss material from those who aren’t. Those who wrote the E so they could read it are more self-focused, a common trait among top leaders.
Legendary business mogul Jack Welch disagreed. He mused that those who draw the Ǝ — who are believed to be more community focused — value collaboration, which is more likely lead to longevity in leadership.
So what did you do? And, what does that have to do with marketing strategy?
When Communicating Your Brand, Write an “Ǝ”
Marketing firms tend to think in terms of how they can show potential clients that they’re the best. These tend to be agencies that are well-awarded and have awards all over their office, website, or social media. This is not an audience-first strategy.
Sounds good in theory, right? Sure. And there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this, except for one big snag—clients aren’t really interested in you. They’re interested in what you can do for them, or, more specifically, what problem you can solve for them.
But how can clients know you’re really good at what you do? You have to demonstrate something about what your business does, right?
Let’s look at an example that demonstrates the difference between telling clients about you in a way that’s not very helpful, and telling clients about you in a way that communicates what you can do for them.
Consider the following business description:
Acme toy company is family-owned and operated and all of our toys have batteries included.
This information is just information. It’s not completely useful. It reads a lot like this: ƎƎƎƎƎƎƎ
Now, take a look at this variation, which shares the same information, but is worded differently to really speak to the audience:
Acme toys can be enjoyed right away because we’ve included batteries. We’re family-owned and operated, so we get it.
EEEEEEEEEE!
This slight variation puts the focus on the target audience (the parent or gift giver) and the sub audience or recipient (the child). The second line leads with the benefit (enjoyed right away) and demonstrates that your business is considering their needs.
So What Does an Audience-First Strategy Look Like in Real Life?
Of course, this snazzy example was helpful. But let’s take a closer look at how this would play out in your own brand messaging in real life with some tips.
- Provide value in everything you share with your clients. How? Make your audience feel something! Make them smile, laugh, think, or even cry.
- Be consistent about the value you deliver. Your audience will only come back if they expect you to continue giving them something.
- Always communicate in such a way that you highlight the benefit that you deliver to your audience. Remember, it’s not about you—it’s about them.
You have an opportunity to do this in nearly every correspondence you have with your audience, whether it be a social media post, an email, or a blog article. Put their needs first and watch how this transforms your relationship with your clients.
Are you ready to begin demonstrating your worth to your clients? Contact us at GoBeyond SEO to discover more about our strategies for your digital marketing success!
