All too often, the way brands try to motivate a prospect towards purchase — is to show the product — and then encourage the sale… by touting a long list of features and benefits.
Indeed, the world is full of messages that shout: “buy me!” However, messaging that leans heavily on continual self-promotion, runs the very real risk of causing a potential customer to simply tune out.
In marketing, we talk about potential customers traveling on a journey through a sales funnel. Customers start their path to purchase with the first step in the funnel, “awareness.” From there, they progress through interest, consideration, intent, evaluation… and finally arrive at a decision to purchase.
Must this pattern always be followed? Or, instead, can a potential customer enter the sales funnel at one of the interim steps?
And when a prospect gets distracted — along any of these steps – will they be lost, altogether?
Bring Them to You
There’s another approach that our team is experiencing great success with… and it’s called Attraction Marketing.
Attraction marketing is essentially an inbound marketing approach that uses — you guessed it — attraction, rather than overt promotion to sell a product.
Instead of claiming why a prospect may need something… attraction marketing shows them via both content and programming how other people have solved similar problems using a particular product or solution.
Or, put another way, it educates potential customers about the desirability of a product before a building product brand ever suggests that they purchase it.
When audiences consume blog posts, watch webinars or engage in workshops — they will be more informed about a brand — and, as a result, likely more attracted to that brand. And more motivated, when they are fully ready to buy.
Let’s consider, for example, an attraction marketing-based approach to introducing a new flooring adhesive that has been tested and is ready to launch into the channel.
What if, instead of developing and placing print ads, the campaign featured a series of videos — released on a dedicated YouTube channel — that showcase flooring professionals using the new product on the jobsite… all saving time with the revolutionary, new adhesive? Or, perhaps, the product is featured on a well-known industry podcast.
Or from a highly recognized industry influencer, positioned as a dedicated Brand Ambassador. Who records a video testimonial with their thoughts on the product that can be shared in an email and on a landing site.
How to Make Attraction Marketing Work
Following are just a few tips for creating an effective attraction marketing program.
Define the audience(s). It’s essential to take the time required to clearly define each of a building product brand’s target audiences. For B2B marketers, audiences will be made up of many more influencers — beyond the sole individual — who will have a role in the purchasing process and determining whether an order gets placed.
So, consider who the various decision makers are… and think through how to most effectively reach each of them. Making sure to leverage the different forms of media that each decision-maker prefers to consume.
After determining “who” to reach… the next step is to create a strategy for how to reach them.
Understand audiences’ biggest challenges. Once target audiences have been determined, it’s important to “walk in the prospect’s shoes.” And align with audience members’ biggest challenges and pain points.
Empathizing with audiences… will guide in the creation of content that truly resonates. And demonstrates how a product can overcome specific, real-world challenges. It can be helpful to develop buyer personas — and to use those personas to develop more focused messaging.
Be authentic. Attraction marketing requires an authentic voice. The goal is to help prospects trust a brand — and they will only do so when the message breaks through the noise and clutter and gets to the heart of their concerns. A brand that attracts, must really “earn” that connection. Again and again.
Develop a plan to create and distribute content. Remember that, with attraction marketing, customers wish to “get to know” a Building Product Brand better without being told to buy. So, a variety of messages may be required — across a number of platforms — to reach potential customers. Some content types to consider include: blog posts, webinars, podcasts, videos as well as online or in-person classes.
Keep in mind that many types of content can be leveraged — and then repurposed for use on other channel platforms. For example, video filmed during an in-person training class can be turned into content for a YouTube channel. And a transcript of that class then can be re-worked into a post on a brand’s blog.
Be social and responsive. Of course, social media will play a significant role in virtually every attraction marketing strategy… and makes it easier to amplify media reach and audience engagement. Why not help to humanize each product or service to make it seem more authentic? And make a vital connection that is based, on trust.
Encourage followers to send messages and inquiries via social media pages… and then make sure to respond promptly. Create content that encourages sharing. And make it easy to do so.
The Law of Attraction
When attraction leads a marketing plan, the rest of the campaign will flow more smoothly. And programs will be more effective. This approach also can help to differentiate a building product brand from its competitors. And create loyalty. After all, customers will realize additional value from their interactions with a brand — which will increase retention.
Remember that the goal is to “guide” audiences to purchase, by developing and nurturing relationships with them… to build trust. This makes it much easier for prospects to proceed through each step in the sales funnel… and become a customer.
If you’d like to explore further how Attraction Marketing can help your brand stand apart… we’d love to connect with you. Send an e-mail to sk@kleberandassociates.com to get the conversation started.
