The BV Blog

I was inspired by this piece from Jacquelyn Ottman. She’s the founder of J. Ottman Consulting, “a marketing and new products firm committed to meeting consumer needs sustainability.”

It seems that, sometimes, we Americans can forget what we’re capable of doing. During presidential election season, for instance, we invest so much hope in our candidate, as if he or she is the lone messiah capable of leading us to the promised land. But, the fact is, the solutions to our problems are in all of us, not just one leader.

In her article, Ottman writes that we, as marketers, can have a huge effect not only on how people perceive our environmental issues, but how they will be addressed. She shows that we don’t need to wait for a single scientist to come up with the big answers to our climate and energy questions, but that you and other marketers - yes, marketers - can make a difference in a million different ways. Please read it, then apply your imagination to your own sustainability questions.

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These days, there aren’t many jobs more difficult than doing PR for an oil company. (Now that the tobacco companies are down for the count, these are the folks we really love to hate.) So hats off to Chevron and their new “Human Energy” campaign. It’s subtle yet thought-provoking and re-frames the debate while clearly stating their mission and why we need them. And those are elements that can be put to work with any product. Check it out and see if your attitude doesn’t change a bit, even for only a moment. That’s the power of effective marketing.

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If you read the April 2007 issue of The BusinessVoice Marketer you may have seen our thoughts on focusing your marketing copy on your target audience. Here’s the piece:

What would you rather read about in this space: our company’s most recent accomplishments, that shiny new plaque I just accepted at our industry’s annual conference, and the new headquarters we just built?

Or would you prefer to spend your valuable time reading something that’s about you and your needs; an article that will help you get ahead or improve your company’s marketing?

Because you’re a human being with natural human tendencies you want content that’s directed at you. Right?

Once you understand that about yourself, it’s easy to see that your customers and prospects are more interested in sales and marketing materials that appeal to their specific needs; content that will help them see how your product or service will solve their problems and ease their pains.

So, when you’re writing copy for your website, your next print campaign or even a customer service letter, use pronouns that are directed at your audience. When you change the focus from “we” and “us” to “you” and “your”, customers will find it much easier to see the benefits they’ll reap from doing business with you.

Here’s more on the subject from this week’s issue of The Marketing Minute, Marsha Yudkin’s newsletter:

I recently came across an interesting precept from the Meisner Technique for acting: “Put all your attention on the other actor.” By responding to the other actor rather than focusing on yourself, your emotion, gestures, body language and tone of voice become more convincing for the audience.

This caught my eye because it corresponds to a shift that results in more convincing marketing writing, too. Instead of writing “I, I, I…” or “we, we, we…,” you write “you, you, you…”

What happens then goes far deeper than a change in pronouns.

Using the word “you” forces you to consider and speak to the perspective of the buyer. Instead of what “I” or “we” want the buyer to know, you naturally think and write to the reader’s emotions, wants, interests, needs and doubts. You probably feel more comfortable talking to “you” than about “I” or “we,” so the tone also becomes more genuine.

When the reader encounters the “you” copy, rapport occurs.

To get a message across, forget about yourself and put your attention on the reader.

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