By: Jason Swenk, PR Reimagined Panelist
PR opportunities are everywhere and I think a lot of businesses are missing one right under their nose. Long gone are the days where traditional PR methods can make much impact on business growth. Potential customers are bombarded with a variety of forms of messaging. They are consuming tons of information and “news” every second of every day. Often times “me too” businesses just get lost among the clutter. I believe PR can be reimagined in the way businesses position themselves. A huge PR opportunity is in distinguishing a business as “the choice” instead of just “a choice.”
A business’ positioning can be thought of like a story. I see a lot of business websites that tell their story by including the product/service offering, pricing, mission statement, employee bios, company awards and statistics. The story is all about them. In the story, the business is the hero and the site visitor is just the hero’s sidekick, along for the ride. In other words, businesses are making themselves into Batman while their prospective customers are Robin (…and no one wants to wear those ugly green tights!)
The shift that must occur in a business’ approach to positioning is making the customer the hero. Whether product or service oriented, businesses need to stop positioning themselves as the hero and instead put the focus on the customer. Make the customer be Batman. With the customer as the hero, the business can position themselves as a trusted advisor who helps the hero achieve success. If the customer is Batman, a business positions itself as Alfred.
Think about it – Alfred is reliable, supportive and trustworthy. That’s the positioning that will open up opportunities for business. By positioning in such a way, customers feel as though the Alfred is along with them on their journey as they achieve success from their current challenge, issue or problem. See, people don’t buy based on price or an impressive list of accolades. They look for a business that can help them achieve successful results. Their purchase decision is based on emotion and intellect. They are asking themselves, “how can this business help me?”
Or “what’s in it for me?”.
4 Key Points to Positioning like Alfred:
1- Display empathy and an understanding of the hero’s current situation.
2- Demonstrate the authority and qualifications to help the hero.
3- Hold the hero accountable for taking action to achieve the results they want.
4- Have a plan for helping the hero have a successful ending to their story.
I advise my clients to write a positioning script that embodies these four elements. Then incorporate this script in every facet of their marketing, from their website to their elevator pitch.
Proper positioning can have an amazing impact on business growth. When a business positions itself as an Alfred, it establishes authority and builds trust. With a solid foundation as a trusted authority, other more traditional PR opportunities tend to follow — media interviews, speaking opportunities, etc.
About Jason Swenk
Jason Swenk is a Digital-preneur having spent the past two decades in the digital space. After a brief stint in the corporate world as a web developer for Arthur Andersen. with 12+ years founding and running a successful digital marketing agency. He’s spent the past three years he lending his experiences to other entrepreneurs so they can grow and scale their business.
Jason is a business advisor, podcast and YouTube show host, author and speaker who helps businesses implement effective strategies to help get them to the next level. He shares what works and what doesn’t so his clients can meet their growth goals. Jason’s method is to blend marketing and technology to achieve the desired results. He’s got a passion for his craft and a gift for delivering lessons through storytelling while instilling meaningful takeaways. Learn more at JasonSwenk.com
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