Business Today
A recent article in MoneyWise featured a survey ranking the perceived trustworthiness of various professions. Nurses, military officers, and doctors were considered the most trustworthy. Advertising professionals were much closer to the other end of the spectrum, coming in 6th from last, one spot ahead of newspaper reporters and one place behind state officeholders. Survey respondents were three times more likely to give advertisers a “low” honesty score than a “high” honesty score.
Why? Advertisers and marketers have earned this reputation with manipulative and misleading tactics. While some of these methods can be successful for a little while, they rarely deliver long-term value. Businesses and organizations who want to avoid deceptive and misleading advertising and marketing have alternatives. In order to be successful, they must have three key foundational elements in place to generate leads and sales with integrity.
#1: Know Who You Are. Marketing with integrity requires self-awareness. Identify the products or services you can deliver with efficiency and excellence, and focus your marketing on these areas. Organizations that try to be “all things to all people” can lose their focus and create marketing that damages the way they are perceived.
#2: Know Who You Serve. Businesses that advertise with integrity know who they serve. They understand the problems, challenges, and opportunities their clients face, and they know how they can help them achieve their goals. When you approach marketing with empathy for your client, your organization will establish trust.
#3: Define Your Brand & Your Message. Most businesses and organizations have some misalignment between how they represent themselves, who they are, and who they serve. It takes effort and intentionality to unify a team around a clear, concise, and accurate message, but it is the key to ensuring everyone on your team represents your brand with integrity.
Visit www.electromarketing.com/brand to download our free ebook on branding and design. This short ebook provides nine clear steps to improve the way you communicate your brand message.
Sharpen Your Tools. Once these three foundational elements are in place, your business or organization will be positioned to produce marketing with integrity. There are a few essential tools that are necessary to get the message out.
- A website optimized for your audience AND tracking results
- Active and optimized social media profiles
- An email marketing tool and a contact list
- A strategy for coordinating traditional and digital marketing efforts
Do you need help laying a marketing foundation or sharpening your marketing tools? Visit electromarketing.com to schedule a no-obligation strategy discussion and get your company on the right path.
-Jamie Parris
Founder, Electromagnetic Marketing
Birmingham, Ala. www.electromarketing.com
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