You Need to ____. We Need The Money.

"Best food since 1970. You need to eat. We need the money." One of the smartest signs I've seen in front of a restaurant. Why?

1. It's memorable and sparks curiosity.
2. It's making a bold claim. (Best food since 1970. That's a long time.)
3. It's direct and honest. (We need the money.)

As business owners, we're all essentially saying the same thing every time we talk to someone about our product or service. Every email campaign, commercial or billboard, every piece of print collateral or packaging either subtly whispers this statement or screams it right into our eyes or ears. People need to eat, play, explore, shave, drive, etc. Businesses need to create meaningful connections that lead to making money. Here's what we'd put on a sign outside our office: You need to connect with the right people with the right messages in order to grow your business. We need the money.

Emotion. Value. Trust.

For any brand, the goal is to create something positive, and something memorable. What causes people to remember something? Emotion. When we experience things that make us cry, laugh, fear, feel nostalgic, envious or elated, our emotions can drive us to act—to go into that restaurant, buy those shoes, take that course, choose that brand. First, brands need to spark curiosity or intrigue around what they have to offer. Something that triggers emotion. That's where marketing comes in. For example, that restaurant caught my attention with their sign and made me curious enough to want to go in there. It also intrigued me enough to want to write a blog post about it. Second, brands need to deliver value. They need to meet or exceed the expectations created in the minds of the people they've succeeded in attracting. Third, in any relationship, if there's no trust, there's no hope of long-term success. Brands (just like people) need to be honest. If we make promises we can't (or never intended to) keep, the result is bad sentiment and disdain.

Let's do this.

OK, restaurant with the awesome sign. It's pretty clear that you've got my attention, and I'm thinking I might just act on the curiosity you've created. You want to create brand loyalty? Well, let's just remember that while it's true that I may 'need' food, we both know there are plenty of options. And we both know that our first experience together can go one of three ways—good, bad, or whatever—and that in business, two of those results are negative. So I'm either going to walk out of your restaurant feeling like you rocked my world (and that your sign is justified) or I'm going to feel suckered and lied to. See you at lunch.

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Here's a solid marketing strategy that will give you more overall structure and piece of mind. Check out the e-book for a closer look at the overall process. We've also included a few more resources to help dive a little deeper into specific topics.