Over the years, I worked with the greatest product experts and innovative engineers. It’s inspiring and enjoyable listening to them talking about the new benefits and features they build in the products, even their innovative vision for 10 years and beyond. Until…

We need to communicate to the market. 

Almost all the products and services have dozens of new features and benefits, we are reluctant to leave any selling points out; we want to please as many customers as we can, the broader, the better; and give them as many reasons to choose our brand as possible. 

The truth in marketing is:

When you try to be everything for everyone, you accomplish being nothing to anyone. 

When you are boarding a flight, how many times do you look at your gate and seat number before you are finally seated? We can barely remember this simple information without looking a few times. 

Customers are overwhelmed with options, and they want to quickly understand what makes one product or brand different from another. 

We feel better by listing every selling point because we are proud of our products and services. because it feels like we are targeting more people and solving more pain points. 

What we actually end up with is watering down our value propositions in the attempt to be as broad as possible. 

We become so vague, that the customers can nearly remember what we have marketed and communicated. We end up accomplishing far less than we planned. 

Every marketing communication needs a unique selling point with these 3 elements:

1️⃣Be customer-focused. It must tell what customers value and want. For example, given so many competitions, ConvertKit is recognized as the best email marketing tool for creators to connect with audiences and earn a living. 

2️⃣Be memorable. Words like ‘quality’ ‘reliable’ or ‘ innovative’ are too generic to differentiate and be remembered. When the MacBook Air was pulled out of the envelope, we remembered to this day, that it’s slim and lightweight. Sure, MacBook Air also has a long list of sell points. Besides, the thinnest laptop, did you remember any of the others?

3️⃣Be tangible. Founded in 1927, Volvo is still associated with the safest cars, backed up by its full set of airbags, safety features, and driver assistance systems.

It takes discipline and sacrifices to run a successful marketing campaign. If you are about to forget everything you have read so far, remember KISS😘, Keep It Simple, Stupid.