Choosing from the marketing menu

Here’s a rundown of collateral assets you might already use. But as times change, you may need to alter your marketing mix to appeal to the shifting needs of your audience.

Regardless of the material, however, remember that marketing and sales speak to individuals, each of whom has individual questions, needs and challenges.

When you’re adjusting your marketing materials to address client needs in this time of pandemic, it’s important to keep these questions in mind: What do your clients want to know about your products? When do they want to know it? And why?

And it’s important to choose carefully from the types of materials that are available.

• Social Media

  – for spreading your message quickly and driving clients to your website or other collateral where they can learn more:

Goals this platform can achieve: Platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter provide immediacy, reaching clients where they are right now.

• Blogs

  – for creating a casual conversation that can help build client relationships:

Goals this platform can achieve: Written with a personal tone, a blog can provide a voice that reaches the community at large with ideas that are impactful to both their and your business.

• Webinars

  – for providing clients with a “deep dive” into your products or industry issues when they cannot attend a conference in person:

Goals this platform can achieve: Used to build relationships by putting a face in front of your audience; provides an informal introduction to the in-depth information provided in a white paper.

• White Paper

  – for clients who are just becoming aware that they may need to make a purchase:

Goals this platform can achieve: Addresses the industry / cultural / economic trends that are creating a need for any new solution. 

• Solution Brief

  – for clients who have decided they need to make a purchase but who still need to align solutions with their specific needs:

Goals this platform can achieve: Introduces a way to meet a critical need, with the business / functional benefits your solution can provide.

• Brochure

  – for clients who respond to collateral that includes more graphics and a writing style that sells a little harder:

Goals this platform can achieve: Provides a multi-page format designed to present multiple similar solutions that address slightly different needs.  

• Case Studies

  – for clients who want to see how a product can be used in a real-world situation:

Goals this platform can achieve: Shows how your other clients use and gain benefits from your products; by spotlighting a satisfied client, provides you with one of the strongest selling tools available.

• Data Sheet

  – for clients who are actively selecting a product and a supplier:

Goals this platform can achieve: Delivers technical information that answers the question: “What is this product and how does it work?”

You can think of these materials the way you think about a restaurant menu. You don’t choose randomly from Column A and Column B. You choose Appetizer, Entrée, Dessert – all in a specific sequence for a specific reason.

If you choose right, you and your clients will both be more satisfied for it.

This is part 3 in a blog series from DeLaune and Associate to help companies address marketing needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Business as we know it has changed and your marketing materials and strategy need to change too.

DeLaune and Associates is always ready to partner with technology leaders to craft digital marketing assets. Click here to get started!