Previously, I talked about how advertising is the price of being boring. One reason why some individuals and organizations suffer from bland marketing is based on using the wrong focus. They promote their product, rather than promoting the valuable content within their product. Consider the big difference between these two approaches.
When you focus on promoting a product, your marketing language will be about the product, which reduces your options for a catchy hook, compelling pitch, and exciting word of mouth. You limit yourself to essentially telling people, “Please buy my widget or service.”
In contrast, when you focus on promoting valuable content based on your product, you enable yourself to use better marketing language. You get more options to create a clever title that catches people’s attention and offers something they’ll appreciate. You’re able to send the signal, “Here’s an example of how my product or service can help you,” “Here’s a great sample you’ll love,” or “Here’s something you’ll like that you can share with friends.”
Content-based marketing means taking a slice of your product and making it the focus on your promotional pitch. For example, if you’re an author, take the best slice of text from your book, develop a zinger title for it, and use that piece as the attraction to your book. If you run a non-profit or business, create a compelling story or how-to guide based on your service or product. Use that content, along with an attention-grabbing title, as a means to break down people’s skepticism and demonstrate the value that you offer.
People get bored listening to advertisements and product pitches. But, they wake up and take notice when you give them interesting free content that meets a need. Don’t push your product. Instead, push your best content. It’s like caffeine for your marketing plan.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Rob, so much of what you have shared applies mostly to “how to” type books. Do you have any tips for marketing creative non-fiction? I have written a book that people cannot put down once they start reading it. At first, I had to do an independent publish because nobody in the Christian publishing world would take it because it offended their politics, even though it was a true account. Now I may have a regular publisher very soon. What kinds of things do you recommend to get people to read an exciting non-fiction story?