What truly sets you apart from all the other people who offer the exact same thing?
If this question has you stumped then read on……….I’ve got news for you.

 

But first, let me share with you a personal story.
A few weeks ago, while on a Q&A call with the one and only Alex Beadon, an online business coach, she made an observation that I must admit made me question every single thing I had done so far. She had been watching me over time and while my social media feed was incredibly informative, it was not clear. Basically everything was there, but she really wasn’t quite sure who the information was for…….a budding entrepreneur, someone who’s in corporate, maybe someone in mid level…..the value was not the question here….i.e the ‘what’ of my business was clear, it’s the ‘who’ that was confusing.
Here I am giving all this value, but persons weren’t properly receiving it because they weren’t quite sure it was actually FOR them.
Imagine, me the ‘Marketing guru’ making such a rookie mistake……..I had to laugh at myself. I realized then and there that although you might think you are being clear and you’re busy giving all this information, it takes someone on the outside to tell you that somewhere along the line, what you’re saying is lost in translation.

 

So this brings me back to my original question: What truly sets you apart?
Well it’s knowing who your ideal target is AND speaking their language. By language I mean one that they can completely understand and makes sense to them and only them.
So now the question becomes ‘how’ as in how do you develop the language of your ideal customer well let’s delve in shall we?
First, knowing your brand’s personality is crucial. This determines who is drawn to you and the type of experience they can expect to have when they do business with you
This sets apart from the numerous others products and services exactly like it.
Take for example: Pepsi & Coca Cola: on the surface the same, but look closely, you will see that their personalities are all different. The language they use, even the imagery used is all different and appeals to a certain segment. Another example, is Dove and Degree antiperspirants. At first glance you know that both products are targeted to women.

But look deeper:
The Dove woman wants to feel beautiful and comfortable in her own skin. She is more concerned about appearance and needs a product that will enhance her beauty. Using Dove gives her that feeling of self love as of being pampered (much like that of being in a spa). She feels happy and free to be who she is.
The Degree woman is very much on the go, rushing from place to place. Her life is filled with anxiety. She rushes from work to school to home. She knows she needs to take care of herself so she is involved in some type of extracurricular activity maybe dancing, gym, riding, hiking, walking, anything to keep her going. Her concern is having a product that can keep up with her hectic lifestyle.
Now you can see that if these products were actual women, they would look vastly different, speak differently and act differently.
Both products have their male equivalent which are Dove men +care and Degree men, which too are greatly different from each other
Both brands are grossing in the billions worldwide, because they took the time to get very specific about their target
Get it?
Give yourself a test to see what your brand’s personality is like. If your business was an actual persons what would they look like, how would they dress, act or speak? Really dig deep.

 

Next, what are your target’s challenges? What keeps them up at night and causes them extreme pain that only you can provide a solution for? It’s from this standpoint that you communicate. People are emotional beings and it’s important that you connect to their heart. Let your content and your copy speak directly to the heart and soul of your target’s deepest darkest desires.
Let them know that you understand you care and that you are here to help them.

 

Then develop your own unique brand voice that makes you stand out. Business doesn’t have to be boring and professional doesn’t have to be formal. It’s also not necessary to be edgy or provocative (unless of course that’s what your target craves) Just be yourself and present your authentic self and your ideal audience would be attracted to you. Speak directly to them in a way that makes them want to work with you and speaks directly to their innermost desires.

 
So there you have it, three simple steps to developing a love language for your ideal target audience. The trick is to keep reminding yourself over and over again of who you truly want to serve. You can get lost as you go through your day to day activities, so here’s a little bonus tip that worked for me: Create a vision board for your ideal customer to keep yourself on track. Visualize who your ideal client is and draw (if you can) or cut out pictures of people who you believe fit your ideal client avatar. Stick it up where you can see and focus on this whenever you do your content, blogs, or marketing plans.

 
Try it and let me know how it goes and comment below if you think that this information is helpful.
It would be great to hear from you. Plus for additional support join my private Facebook group The New SMS: Strategic Marketing Specialists for even more free training and advice.