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Thoughts about marketing and hand-picked content that's worth reading

Stop talking about yourself. No one cares.

No one cares about how your technology works or all the great features.

What customers care about is themselves. How will your product make them richer, healthier, happier, faster, etc.?

You need to be blatantly obvious about what you do, who you serve, how it’s unique, and value delivered.

And it has to happen quickly. No confusion or ambiguity.

Brand positioning and messaging underpin your marketing. They establish clear and consistent themes and stories about why someone should care.

They ensure that marketing reflects your customers’ problems, needs, and aspirations.

My advice:
* Take a long & honest look at whether your marketing is 100% customer-focused.
* Test your current positioning to see if people get what you do and why it matters.
* Ask your employees how they think your product delivers for customers.
* Talk to your customers to discover why they use your product, key benefits, and why they selected it.

Bottom line: brand positioning matters more than ever. It is a powerful weapon in a competitive landscape at a time when capturing the spotlight is hard.

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Marketing & Sales

Are we in the midst of a content marketing revolution? Steve Watt asks whether it's time for better, more insightful content. LINK

I'm a big believer in the delight factor; the idea that brands should quickly meet the expectations of new customers. LINK

Attracting an audience is challenging. Here's how CognitiveFX attracted 70,000 pageviews a month in 14 months. LINK

Lenny Rachitsky looks at how the fastest-growing B2B companies attracted their first 10 customers. LINK

I love Grammarly; the product and its marketing. Dayana Mayfield talks about what she's learned from Grammarly's marketing emails. LINK

Looking to get your marketing teams more organized. Check out these 10 Kanban board examples. LINK

It's hard to believe sometimes but branding is as important as data. Alex Kracov looks at how to build a SaaS brand. LINK

If you were uncertain about TikTok's potential as a marketing channel, it has launched a self-serve ad platform for all businesses. LINK

Interesting

Larry Brilliant is one of the world's leading epidemiologists and a pandemic expert. In Wired, he talks about the fight against COVID-19. A must-read. LINK

Gary Larson (aka author of The Far Side) is back. LINK

Amid the growing backlash against Facebook, here's a key question: what is Facebook can't be fixed. LINK

Kara Swisher looks at how Mark Zuckerberg never fails to disappoint when things get tough. LINK

Your employees should have benefits. Orchard Benefits helps make that happen. [learn more]

Get your product or service in front of nearly 2,000 entrepreneurs. There are different ways to make that happen so contact us.

Marketing Spark Podcast

I recently launched a new podcast featuring 15-minute interviews with marketers and entrepreneurs in the trenches. Here are the latest episodes.

Believe it or not, print is alive and well

Print isn't dead or going away. In fact, it's a powerful channel that digital marketers can leverage to drive campaigns. LINK

Brand and Revenue: A Delicate Balance

Steve Watt talks about how marketers balance the demands of building a brand and driving revenue. LISTEN

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This newsletter is curated by Mark Evans, a B2B marketing catalyst who drives client success with brand positioning, marketing strategy,, and hands-on tactical oversight. You can read out my blog, listen to my new podcast, or check out my latest book, Marketing Spark.

ME Consulting

109 Melville Ave. Toronto
Canada

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