Companies built by people

Brands and businesses are not built overnight and there’s a story behind every company. “Who are you? Can you solve my problem and Why should I choose you?” – Your Leads

People are in a hurry, people are your potential leads. You don’t have much time to grab someone’s attention in today’s world so you need to tell your story and make it clear and concise. When thinking about how to market your business, think of how you make purchase decisions. Before we buy anything we are usually asking questions like these:

• What do you do, how you do it?
• How can you solve their problem?
• What makes your solution different?
• Why should I care, what are the benefits?

Place yourself in the eyes of your customer and think about the process from the start, also known as the “Buyer’s Journey“. Before making a purchase there are 4 phases of the buying process you move through.

• Problem or need / desire.
• Research phase, the right solution, details.
• Recommendations & reviews, qualifying the solution.
• Purchase intent, local / product search

It’s about them, not you

More than not we see website page design with sales copy written in terms of talking about ourselves too much. While explaining what it is that you do the sales copy must be intended to speak to the 4 points above, especially 1 – 3. By the time they have reached your sales page or called your company for a sales consultation or purchase order means they are ready to purchase so you must have passed the first 3 points; Problem, Discovery, Reviews.

By creating content ideas based on the journey of your customers allows you to tell your company / brand story while enjoying a high conversion rate. Centering your sales content around answering your common customer questions allows you to appear in the early stages, win their trust while building authority.

How to Tell your company story

You should tell your story in separate areas. Each area becomes an opportunity to make a sale, generate a lead, or capture information for re-marketing / follow-up. Instead of cramming it all onto one website page break up the story into relevant sections and build upon them. Here are some common ways to organize all of that information:

• FAQs Page, for commonly asked questions and helpful resources.
• Advantages, what separates your product or service from the market?
• Resources, what documents or sales materials can be used to amplify conversions?

In conclusion, people buy from other people and we all have stories. Your company story leads to offering something useful to the market and the customer story is what lead them to buy from you. If you can create content and sales copy that meets in the middle of this journey you will benefit from many sales. Some useful ways of telling your story are:

• About, Resources & Advantages Pages
• Low Risk Website Offers
• Customized Lead Funnels
• Email Marketing & Lead Nurturing
• Blog Content, Videos product demos, etc

Still need more info? Here are a few extras from Small Biz Trends

Relate to Them

Consumers want to know that you understand them. By understanding them, you are better equipped to serve them. If your company was founded because you had a personal problem and you created something for yourself to solve that problem, that’s relatable.

Everyone has problems but not everyone is equipped to solve them. The fact that you have an MBA from Harvard may be the thing that equipped you to solve your own problem, but the masses won’t relate to that.

They will relate, however, to someone identifying a need and taking matters into their own hands to meet that need. It is something they wish they could do for themselves, but will accept your help now because you’ve already paved the way.

Ethics & Advantages

Back to that group of consumers that want their buying power to make a difference the world – they chose companies that align with their personal ethical views. They are looking for companies that treat their vendors and employees fairly, that have robust corporate social responsibility programs in place and that give back to their communities through charitable actions.

Creating a Timeline

If part of your company’s draw is the long history it has in its area of expertise, use a timeline to show that history. Timelines are impactful because they give a visual representation of how far your company has come and garners trust in your products and services because you’ve kept your business open for a long period of time.

Using Data

You can tell your company story by using data pertinent to your business and presenting it in a quickly and easily digestible manner – also known as an info-graphic. Info graphics can be used to show customers how to get the most of your products and services, how well you know them by providing demographic information or to share your company’s success story.

When you tell your company story face to face, virtually of course, it can be incredibly powerful. Again, it all hearkens back to the consumer’s need to feel a human connection. Reading words on a computer screen can be a cold and lonely experience, but watching a video complete with emotive background music and the faces of the storytellers is inclusive and inviting. Social media makes sharing videos easy and very cost-effective.

YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Periscope all allow businesses to connect with consumers of all ages across the globe for little to no cost. The weight behind online shared content can make any business an overnight global success.

Making It Personal

Does your company have a mission, service or product that draws in employees and customers alike? Get your employees out in front of your customers and allow them to share their personal experiences working for the company. Letting customers see the real people behind the scenes that are providing their products or services allows for a trustworthy connection.