2025 is upon us! With it comes the hope of a fresh start.
It’s important. We all need something to help us get up and keep trying. Having a calendar rollover to a new year is one of those things.
Another can be your company’s marketing efforts.
Done right, it can benefit your visitors and your company.
Here’s how.
1. Start by understanding whose pain your company helps solve and how.
You should be doing this anyway.
At first glance, this seems obvious. But… That group is always more specialized than it first appears. For example, if you sell shoes, it might seem that you solve the problem of everyone who has feet, but that’s not true.
Each kind of shoe is for a specific type of use, and you need to know what group will need the shoes you sell. Is it athletic wear? If so, what subgroup do you serve? The budget-conscious? The high performers? The pro athletes with chronic foot problems because of the demands of their sport?
2. Study this group.
You need to learn about the problems related to their shoes. Even if the shoe is for one use, your customers may buy it for a different use. What physical, mental, and emotional needs are they attempting to meet when they buy your shoes?
3. Frame your marketing around your product’s value in meeting those needs.
If you sell work boots, are your customers buying them for style and fashion? If so, your marketing should highlight the boot’s social benefits.
Shoes associated with aging offer a unique opportunity. Show how those shoes can relieve foot problems and still be part of a stylish wardrobe.
Depending on your industry, you can do this with Case Studies. Case studies show how previous customers overcame problems with your product or service.
Example: Imagine you had a website selling forklifts.
- A case study might highlight how one of your customers had 15% more productivity with your forklift due to its durability.
- Or it might show how they qualified for a lower insurance rate because your forklift has a particular safety feature.
Even if you can’t use case studies, you can achieve this with the words you choose on your website. For example, Imagine a Dentist’s website:
- Instead of “Book an Appointment Now,”
- Choose “Imagine You With a New Smile.”
This simple word choice frames the same idea much more positively. It suggests you are there to help them, not simply to get something from them.
4. Clearly show the path to success.
Here’s where many businesses drop the ball – so here’s where you can get ahead!
Lay out the entire process in plain, easy-to-understand language. Delineate how your visitor benefits from your offer.
Keep your promises realistic. We’ve all seen those ads promising you’ll be making thousands of dollars per week within a month if you follow their system… we’ve all seen them and scrolled past them because over-promising shatters hope.
Be honest and admit challenges. Success takes effort, but the effort is worthwhile. Your clients will respect your honesty.
5. Use positive visuals and storytelling.
Positive visuals, such as before-and-after pictures, help your visitors see themselves as successful. The same is true for storytelling. See the Case Studies in #3 above.
6. Frame yourself as their ally, not their savior.
Everyone needs to feel that they have overcome their problem. So, do everything you can to position yourself as someone who wants to help them be the hero of their own story.
7. Celebrate small wins.
Big goals can feel overwhelming. Celebrate the small steps your customers can take. Show that progress is possible and sustainable.
Share updates from other clients to show that success is ongoing, not a one-time event.
8. Use hopeful language.
Avoid fear-based marketing that highlights what customers stand to lose. Instead, emphasize what they stand to gain.
Keep the tone upbeat without being unrealistic. Phrases like “Your best days are ahead” or “We’re here to help you reach the next level” are effective.
Ask yourself this: Who do you feel most welcome around? It’s the one who makes you feel understood and offers help. When you are with that person, you hope your life will improve.
It’s the same with marketing.
Embed hope into your marketing, and you inspire your customers to believe in their ability to achieve more with you as their partner in progress. This approach builds strong emotional connections and fosters loyalty and long-term relationships.