Don't Cross The Streams

Whatever you do, don't cross the streams! 

Now that's not just a fantastic line from an 80s classic movie, it's a really important point we make in marketing to our clients about their messaging. 

What do we mean by streams? 

Well any company can talk to its prospective audience about one of three things.

1. Before you need us. 
2. How we help you. 
3. And what life looks like after we helped you. 

So if you're going to buy a car, then before you need the car there is a ton of content that you can create as a car manufacturer, or a car retailer around why you need a car, what you do with a car, why this is the best car, why these functions, why this technology is a groundbreaking shift, and you need to use this car because it will change your life. 

Obviously in the process of buying a car and also driving, and using the car, one can clearly create different messaging that speaks to not why you should buy this car, but you've bought this car. You're now an owner. You're a member of this club. How can it benefit you? 

So that's during, if you like, the process of buying the car. 

And then once you've bought the car, you are the owner of that car, and what would your life be like living, working and driving. Using that car. 

And the key here is; Before, During & After. 

Like every good story there is a beginning, a middle and an end. 

And in marketing serving from TepFu's perspective, we absolutely coach our clients, when creating content, to separate out; before, during and after for one very, very important reason. (Actually two reasons!) 

First of all, it's really, really clear to the customer what part of their journey you're talking about. Not only a car journey, I mean their purchasing journey, or your marketing journey. They're either in need, they're either being served by you, or they are living in the glorious universe where they've worked with you and they've solved the problem, and now they just have a fabulous car to drive around in, to identify with, and to live their life. 

And here's the second reason why we say, just beyond clarity, not just about clarity, I mean if you combine before, during and after, it turns it into a sales pitch! What I mean by that is, you need a car, you use our car, buy our car. Or you need a car, when you're driving our car, by connecting those two sentences together it really creates a problem-solution statement, and the problem with problem-solution statements is they're always sales pitches. 

There's no getting away from it. 

So whatever you do, don't cross the streams! 

Either focus on the beginning, the middle, or the end!