MARKETING WITH PRECISION
Wednesday, August 9th, 2006In the town where I live, the local newspaper distributes packets of advertisements free of charge each week to households that are not subscribers. These ad packets come in a distinctive pale blue bag and in some neighborhoods you’ll see them piling up under bushes, on porches and in driveways where homeowners obviously have no interest in them. Here’s the punchline; the packets are emblazoned with the logo “Precision Marketing.”
Irony aside, how do you “market with precision” when your message going out in blanket form; not in blue bags, but in the message you send to every person who calls, visits your web site or stops into your business? You can be more precise in your marketing by developing a unique selling proposition (USP). The USP clearly answers the question, “Why should I do business with you instead of your competitors?”
Some of the most famous USP’s are considered mere slogans, but it’s more than just a catchy phrase. When Domino’s Pizza promised fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less, or FedEx was ready to deliver when your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight, those were unique selling propositions. Perhaps the first USP was for M&M’s — the milk chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hand.
What do you provide that sets you apart from the others in your field? That’s precisely what you should be marketing. If you can’t answer that question, it might be time to look for some way to stand out from the rest of your business peers in the products or services you offer. Otherwise, your message runs the risk of being ignored like all those unopened blue bags that promise “precision marketing” but don’t deliver.