Today is my last day working for Aramsco as a content marketer. Next week, I'm starting a new opportunity as a Brand Manager at CAO Group Inc. I wanted to take some time to share with you my favorite lessons that I've learned about marketing while working at Aramsco.
Let's jump right in!
Me, enjoying life.
Humans are Primarily Emotional Beings
We live in an age of scientific revolution. In the 21st Century, the scientific method is one of our major worldviews that everything gets filtered through. We want proof, we want evidence, and we want to make sure that we make rational decisions. Yet, at our core, we are emotional beings. We make decisions emotionally, and then justify them with logic.
Emotion gets a bad rap. People frequently tell us, "Quit being so emotional" or "Think about it logically". Yes, we do want to be logical, but emotions are so powerful in human beings. If we use them properly, they help us make good decisions. Thousands of years of evolution have enabled our ancestors to hone their emotional capabilities, so we can get better at using our emotions to make better decisions.
When it comes to marketing, you should help your customers make good decisions with their emotions. Humans have a natural aversion to filth or dirtiness. We like clean environments. Make sure to sell the emotional benefits of a clean environment that people can enjoy with their loved ones.
A clean environment provides peace, security, less stress, and comfort. When people think about getting their homes cleaned, they first imagine how this environment will feel. They don't hire you to clean because they are just using pure logic to think about the chemistry or truckmount that you are using.
Key takeaway: When you are marketing, help your customers make good emotional decisions by providing powerful emotional benefits.
Never Manipulate People, Be Authentic in Your Marketing
There are plenty of people that act differently in their business dealings than they do in their personal lives. I've never fully understood this bifurcation.
Marketing sometimes gets a bad reputation in popular culture because people are skeptical that a product or service will deliver on its promises. This does not need to, and should not be the case.
At its core, marketing is targeted communication that adds value to a product or service. Marketing is about telling memorable stories about your business that builds trust and forges lasting relationships. Customers vote with their dollars. Every time that they cast a vote for you with their money, you should be able to fully deliver on the promises that you make.
- Don't make promises that aren't true
- Don't use hyperbole or make something sound unbelievable
- Don't use fear, anger, or outrage to get somebody to do something that they will regret
- Don't get a customer to make a decision that isn't in their best interest
- Be human in your communications. Always have a conversation and a two-way dialogue with your customers
- Always build trust in everything that you do.
A promise received is a promise believed. If you stand behind this principle, both your customers and you will be rewarded heavily.
Key takeaway: Talk to your customers like they are real people, treat them with respect, and don't manipulate them. Add mutual value to your relationships.
Meet Your Customer Where They Are and Create an Experience for Them
The most powerful marketing happens when you meet your customer where they are. We use our phones every day to search Google and find answers to our questions. If a customer searches for "local cleaners near me", you want to be top of mind. Customers also appreciate a well-designed website that answers their questions and builds confidence in your services.
How is your website doing? Is it user-friendly? Have you written blog posts that answer questions about the services that you provide? Does your web page have well-designed, easy-to-read content with an FAQ page? Does it have pictures that allow your customers to experience the services that you provide?
Of course, all of these pieces of content take time to write and design, but they create a powerful experience that customers will remember. All of these activities are an exercise in branding. If you do these things correctly, your customer will find you when they are ready.
You should also advertise, but permission marketing (marketing activities like email, where you receive your customer's permission to contact them) are more powerful because they are based less on interruption.
Key takeaway: Contextual marketing, marketing where you meet your customer where they are, is the most powerful type of marketing. If you meet your customer where they are, it's much easier to build a relationship with them, and much easier for them to understand the value of your services.
At its Heart, Business is All About Building and Maintaining Relationships. We Do This By Telling Stories.
Relationships make life meaningful. I wouldn't want to live in a world without relationships. Good marketing is about telling stories that move our relationships forward.
Our species have always told stories to teach important lessons. Stories are the easiest way for our brains to make sense of complicated information. We don't remember data and facts nearly as much as we remember stories. Some might view this as a human weakness, but it is all about efficiency. With a story, you can package a lesson, facts, people, and a tale of growth into a transferable medium that people can place themselves into.
Whenever we read a story, we experience the details of the story like they are happening to us. To simplify, we should use marketing to tell stories about our business and services and grow relationships with our customers.
Key takeaway: Relationships aren't based on facts, they are based on the stories that we tell each other. Tell effective stories about your business and services to improve the relationship that you have with your customers.
At my last powerlifting competition, I squatted 490 pounds, a personal best.
Thank You For This Opportunity
I'm sad to leave Aramsco, but I'm so excited about the new opportunity that lies ahead. It's been an honor to serve you. It's always been my goal to create content that inspires, challenges, and creates connections. I hope that what I have written has done that for you. May you have continual success in growing your business and creating the best marketing content possible for your customers!