Individuality: Use Your Voice to Emphasize
What Makes You Special in a Crowded Marketplace
When you begin to
create marketing materials and send them out into the world, one of the
most important aspects to focus on is your voice. You can describe
"voice" in marketing in many ways - from the word choices that
you use to the feeling that you're trying to unlock in your target
audience. Even if you're operating in a crowded marketplace and competition
is incredibly stiff, we believe that your voice is one of the best
opportunities that you have to emphasize what really makes you special to
your readers. By not shying away from this built-in sense of individuality,
and instead, embracing it head on, you can really do wonders for your
marketing return on investment at the same time.
The Impression That You're Trying to Create
One of the most important things to understand about your voice in
marketing is that it isn't necessarily something that you can artificially
create. It's something that you're going to have to find as your business
continues to grow and evolve. Once you do discover exactly what that is,
however, you'll want to grab onto it, use it, and refuse to ever let it go.
Consider the example of Nike as a recent example of a powerful voice in
action. Nike's "Find Your Greatness" campaign played up the idea
that amazing things typically have small beginnings and sometimes you
really only need a simple "push" to unlock your full potential.
Obviously, as one of the premiere footwear manufacturers on the planet, the
thesis of the campaign itself is, "If you want to be a great athlete,
your journey begins with a pair of Nike shoes." But, the use of Nike's
voice as a reflection of their own brand and individuality is unmistakable:
what Nike is telling its audience is that the shoes themselves are not
necessarily great, but the combination of the shoes and the undying will
and perseverance of the individual are what will accomplish great things.
Nike's voice in this case has created an emotional connection with its
audience. They aren't saying, "Buy these shoes because they're the
comfiest or longest lasting shoes that you will ever have." They're
saying, "If you want to accomplish the impossible, step one is buying
a pair of Nike shoes."
Is it bold? Yes. Is it almost brash in its confidence? Absolutely. But
regardless of whether or not you buy into the marketing line as a consumer,
you can't argue with the fact that it is a startlingly simple campaign that
distills what makes Nike unique into one positive message of empowerment.
Your Voice is as Unique as Your Business
Never forget that the form your voice takes depends on the impression that
you're trying to create. If you sell shoes and you want to come off like a
friendly neighbor who just happens to be a clothing manufacturer, you would
want your marketing language to take a much more casual and flowery
approach. If you want to come across as a professional expert, you would
essentially go in the other direction and prove yourself trustworthy through
word choice. The key is experimenting and finding the voice behind your
company and then using it to separate yourself from the rest.
These are just a few of the key reasons why embracing your voice and
emphasizing what makes your business unique in marketing are so important.
It isn't necessarily what you sell that makes you successful - it's how you
choose to sell it. There are a million different companies that sell
widgets out there, but what is it that really makes people want to buy YOUR
widgets above anyone else's? The answer is your voice. If you can master
that, everything else will fall into place.
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