Quick Content Strategy Fix: Shift the Spotlight to Your Customers

This video from entrepreneur Marie Forleo has some really excellent advice on shifting the focus of your website copy away from yourself, to focus on your customers' needs and wants.

You can head over to Marie Forleo's blog to read her full post.

Our Approach to Content Strategy

When we start working with a client on content strategy, we advocate taking a similar approach. We often start with the following types of exercises:

• Brand Positioning Statement: This exercise helps us craft a simple statement that says what you, or your company, does, how you do it, who you do it for, and how you're solving the problem uniquely in comparison to your competitors.
• Value Proposition Statements: We frequently help our clients complete a value proposition canvas that identifies the needs and wants of each of your target customers--this is exactly what Marie Forleo is talking about in the video above--and how those match up with your products and service offerings. (The canvas is available for free! You can download it and fill it out for your business).
• Talking Points and Key Messages: The next step in the process is to take what we have learned to craft a set of 3-5 statements that concisely describe yourself or your company, and the main benefits of what you are doing to your customers.

Outcomes of Foundational Content Strategy

Once you have a set of talking points or key messages you can use them in a number of different ways: you can use them verbally, when you are giving interviews or an elevator pitch about your business.

You can use them in headlines and other prominent places on your website. As Marie Forleo suggests, this work can also influence the labels you use in your website navigation. You can also use them when you're describing your business in a press release, and so much more.

Case Study: ONVI

When we started working with ONVI on the creation of a marketing system to promote their innovative Prophix toothbrush, we started with these exact exercises. 

A year later, we found that the results of these simple exercises were still helping us write focused, consistent copy for everything from packaging design, to a booth at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Source: ONVI website: https://www.getprophix.com/

Read Our Case Study

Putting Your Customers First

Whether you decide to tweak your copy on your own, or work with a consultant like us on your content strategy, putting your customers first and tying their needs and wants back to your products and services is the best strategy for increasing sales or other conversions, while also fostering trust with your customers.

Sarah Best

Founder / Principal of Sarah Best Strategy, a boutique agency that makes social media work for you.  Award-wining social media strategy, social media advertising, content strategy & marketing consulting services. Follow us on Facebook, connect with me on Linkedin.