Marketing has evolved tremendously over the years. I'll never forget when marketing had a strong focus on banner ads, hoardings above buildings that can be seen from a drive on the highway, to ads in newspapers.
The current landscape of marketing has moved away from all of these forms, and has focused intentionally on other types because they are the most effective. Now, the focus has shifted to content marketing, SEO, video, and even influencers!
But no matter what marketing you do, your marketing should be about the value you are providing to a prospective customer, and not about the product!
Here are 2 major reasons why your marketing needs to deliver value, not a pitch.
1. Customers hate being pitched
Do you remember the last time you picked up a phone call to here the astonishment of someone pitching their TV cable service to you?
The real question is did you end up buying from the telemarketer?
I can almost promise you, the answer is no.
The fundamental reason was because you like being served a platter of options and having liberty making a decision on your own time, and pace, versus getting a pitch shoved down your throat.
Think about Apple, and the success it has had with sales. In 2016, Q2 was a record breaking season for them. Why can't other brands compete?
A majority has to do with their products, but a large portion of it is associated with the way the products are presented, and the layout of the store.
Even for your business, the focus needs to be delivered first hand through informing the customer early, and not just selling to them.
2. People want benefits
Have you ever tried pitching yourself to the CEO of a business, and successfully gotten the job right from that pitch?
Similar to the concept of "customers hate being pitched" CEOs feel the same way. An easy way to provide value to the end consumer, which in this case, would be the CEO, is to simply send an email with content that would be relevant to that CEO.
This sounds simple, but an important element to focus on is to critique something, and do something that adds value to them, for free.
Conclusion
Marketing is changing and developing as we speak, and is becoming all the more dynamic every day. The focus with your marketing should always be focused on delivering as much up front value as possible, because that means that you are winning over the customer, their trust, and not just the sale.
What kind of value will you deliver in your marketing?