How do you stand out, in a crowded marketplace?
"Find a USP", they say.
"Tell everyone your why".
"Be authentic, and let people get to know the real you".
All of these can be great. But, they can also send small business owners scrabbling to think up what to say about themselves. And this can lead to 'bare minimum marketing'.
What's 'bare minimum marketing'?
It's when you haven't been able to think up anything that makes you truly stand out (and, there will be something, you just haven't connected with it), so you try to elevate things that are a client's bare minimum expectations. Particularly on your website/About You info.
For example:
- you're a photographer and say "I've always had a passion for photography"
- you're an accountant and say "I've always loved numbers"
- you're a gardener and say "I've always been green fingered".
Vaguely enjoying, and actually being good at, what you do - these are the bare minimum things a client can (and should) expect.
Along with:
- I am fully trained/qualified
- I/we offer a professional service
But, but, other people in your industry are half-arsing it
I know! Annoying, aren't they?
I fully appreciate that in any business or industry, there will be those amongst your competitiors who truly do not make the grade.
They don't have a passion for...anything.
They're not good at what they do/thorough/professional/safety conscious.
You want to make it clear that you are not them.
A client, though, is most likely completely unaware of these general shortcomings, in which case confirming their bare minimum expectations is not telling them anything at all.
Don't make 'bare minimum marketing' central to your efforts (or website), when realistically, these things are a footnote to a prospective client.
How do you spot it?
Read through your site. Is there anything that a prospective client could say "well, obviously!" to?
If so, see if you can reword it, remove it, or move it - actually, your blog can be a great place to be able to expand on that 'bare minimum', and really show that it's not bare minimum at all, in cases where it's genuinely quite important (eg matters relating to health and safety).
The rest of the time, concentrate on telling people things they actually want to hear.
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