Turnaround Issues - Why Marketing Materials Fail

A friend of mine Lewis Green has an excellent blog that covers a wide variety of issues, many having to do with communication in one form or another. Occasionally, we comment and build upon each other’s posts. Recently, Lewis posted a message about “Why Marketing Materials Fail”. It is excellent and I wanted to share it here as one of the issues I see in turning around companies to get them profitable and keep them profitable. Clearly companies want to get all they are able from their investment of scare dollars in revenue building.

This is what Lewis wrote:

When I see a poorly designed marketing piece, usually it fails to do the following, which, to look at another way, are the very things we should avoid.
1. It talks too much about the product or service.
2. It is written from the company's perspective instead of the buyer's.
3. It is too long.
4. It is poorly designed.
5. It identifies functions instead of buyer benefits.
6. It doesn't tell me the two or three reasons why I should purchase the product or service (WIFM).
7. It fails the readability or usability ease of understanding and navigating tests.
8. It screams at me and isn't conversational. (Static (non-social) pieces should also create conversation, except it occurs in the buyer's mind.)
9. It is boring.
10. It is mass marketing that isn't about me. (Marketing pieces should always be targeted, including advertising that fits that description when it has been carefully placed.)
11. It hasn't been and still isn't listening to me, sharing stuff I don't care about.
12. It contains no call to action.
13. And it doesn't aid sales in selling.

That's my Baker's Dozen of typical marketing collateral mistakes. There are more and each of the above doesn't always apply.

Creating Winning Marketing Pieces
Nevertheless, to end on a positive note, here are a few ways to create winning marketing pieces:
1. Use only the words necessary to tell the right story to the right customers.
2. Include visuals or videos or audio that jump off the page.
3. Create credibility and trustworthiness by using customer's words to explain why they love your product (or inspire them by creating opportunities for them to say those things).
4. Include the two or three messages that persuade me to buy.
5. And show me how to buy, quickly and easily.

If you are not getting the results you need after the cost cutting and are asking “what’s next?” perhaps Lewis Green or I could help.

Thanks

John


John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management