I once had a client tell me he hired my landscaping company not because of my experience but because of my honesty about my lack of experience. It turns out honesty and a little humility go a long way when you are short on ways to grow your business.
Marketers struggle with transparency because they fear appearing too vulnerable — or worse, lacking expertise. Think about when you meet someone. What makes the biggest first impression? Is it their intellectual smarts or expertise in their field? Or is it the fact that they are interesting and interested in you?
Marketing used to lead with credentials, experience and proof of capabilities. While those qualities are still relevant, they matter less than most people realize. The traditional marketing equation has been flipped.
To get noticed, it’s now necessary to lead with deeper and more relatable content.
Buyers today want access to the top contractors who are in short supply. To find them, they aren’t Googling, “Who’s the absolute best landscaper?” They’re thinking, “Who can handle my project and will not ghost me during the process of getting it done?”
Most buyers will resist engaging with a business until they have a personal connection with somebody within it. How often have you visited a website looking for a way to connect without finding it? It’s as if business owners went to great lengths to conceal their identity. In addition to missing SEO opportunities, they are turning away leads and potential business partnerships.
When you put stories in front of your business, you create a compelling narrative that invites buyers to inquire further. This is much easier than using marketing to explain every little thing about how your products and services will make their lives better.
People are complicated. We all have our hot buttons and personal priorities. It is impossible to address all of them, but the right story can suggest the capabilities that will resonate with your prospects. Buyers may not be savvy about landscaping and lawn care, but most are smart about people, so they can infer what they need to know from a true story.
Please don’t give up on using marketing to be helpful. Instead, change your perspective. Market to your audience like they are already friends or customers. What you say matters less than how you say it because your personal touch may soon be your only distinction in contrast to AI-generated content.
Ask yourself why Netflix and other streaming services lean on credibility hooks like “based on a true story.” These companies are tasked with satisfying an insatiable demand for streaming content that resonates with audiences.
Consider thinking about your marketing channels in this way. Instead of promoting products and services, share interesting client or employee stories. This type of nuanced content will likely inspire deeper and more meaningful business narratives.
If you need a storytelling formula, here’s one I learned from a Hollywood screenwriter: “Somebody does something, and it works out.” That may seem simplistic, but Hollywood films are hopelessly formulaic. So, don’t overcomplicate this. Just develop a process for curating the true stories your team members bring back from the field and use them to make more compelling marketing that rings true.
