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Have you ever looked at the marketing promises made by your competitors?
- Your most unreliable competitors will promise to deliver on time, every time.
- Your lowest quality competitors will promise premium quality at low prices.
- Your least competent competitors will promise a highly professional service.
- And they’ll all have testimonials. Testimonials that are often the opposite of what a real client or customer will experience from them.
It makes sense.
It’s horrible, but it makes sense.
After all, they’re hardly likely to admit that working with them or buying from them is a total nightmare. You see, the mindset that says it’s okay to produce low quality work and charge over the odds for it, has no problem being dishonest in other areas of their business.
What does this have to do with you?
Your prospective clients or customers have been lied to before. So, the claims you legitimately make in your marketing will only be treated seriously, if you back them up.
Here are a couple of ideas, to help the truth of your marketing stand out.
Adding credibility to your marketing
One way to add credibility, is to link from your website to external (preferably independent) sources. For example, link from your website to external reviews or positive press / media coverage on news sites. (Here’s how I do it). Similarly, if you’ve been accredited by a respected organisation, link to the page on their website, where you’re mentioned.
Another way to add credibility, is to show up regularly with useful information, via a blog, vlog, podcast or on social networks. By providing genuinely useful, informed advice, you demonstrate your knowledge. You also have an opportunity to show your personality. By demonstrating your knowledge and allowing your marketplace to get to know you, you create a potent marketing mix, which helps build trust.
In short, be aware that today’s marketplace is highly sceptical of unsubstantiated marketing promises. And use as many credibility assets as possible.