Shopping for Clarity Amid Marketing Confusion

A Tale of Two Buyers

Sam pushed his shopping cart into Grocery Store Location B, his 9-year-old daughter Lily tagging along beside him. He had decided to stop at this store, conveniently on their way home from a soccer tournament. Even though it was part of the same chain where he usually shopped -- Store Location A, the significantly different layout immediately disoriented him.

"Daddy, can we get Fruity O's cereal?" Lily asked, tugging on his sleeve.

"We'll see, sweetie. Let's first get some fresh vegetables and fruit, then find the breakfast aisle."

Sam scanned the overhead signs, but couldn't spot the usual markers he was accustomed to. They wandered the produce section for a while, Lily growing increasingly impatient. Sam discovered that there were neither regular nor organic green onions on the shelf – a bad start to the trip, even though he did find both types of tomatoes on his list. After backtracking a few times, they finally found the cereal on aisle 12, across from the soups and canned pasta of all things. Sam grumbled in frustration, precious minutes of his Saturday morning ticking away.

Meanwhile across town, Ben rubbed his temples as he clicked through yet another marketing agency's jargon-filled website on his laptop. He knew his bookkeeping business needed to do more promotion to attract clients, but all the talk of inbound funnels, CTRs and CX optimization went over his head. One company offered "data-driven strategic ideation", while another promised to "supercharge your brand synergy".

What did any of that even mean?

Ben sighed. He actually did have some ideas of what he wanted, like an explainer video breaking down his services in simple terms. But he wasn't sure if he needed a marketing consultant, advertising firm, or video production studio. The more he researched, the more confused he became about what exactly he should be looking for.

Back at Store B, Sam consulted his shopping list and realized he had no clue where to find half the items. Things that were usually stocked together, like pasta and sauce, were now aisles apart with no apparent logic. He had to circle back multiple times, only to discover his sought-after rice vinegar was inexplicably stocked in the Asian food section, not with other vinegar varieties. This served only to add to the mystery, like why some produce displays were laid out in a zigzag.

As Ben continued his own fruitless search online,

he could have easily empathized with Sam's mounting shopping frustration. He felt just as lost in the confusing universe of marketing services – unsure where to start, what he really needed, and how much it would cost him. If only there was a way for companies like this to make the buyer's journey easier, he mused. Some clear guidance, transparent pricing, and packages tailored for small businesses like his would surely help.

Spotting his chance, Ben typed out an exploratory email message to videoGROWS, a firm that at least seemed to specialize in his industry. Their founder’s LinkedIn profile featured some helpful information that explains marketing concepts in plain English. He figured it couldn't hurt to see if they could point him in the right direction for marketing his firm.

The first thing that Ben noticed, and decided to pursue, was revising his LinkedIn profile to better inform people about what his firm can do for them. He had left his resumé-styled information in place, not having considered what his current audience might want to know.

Continuing to consider his audience, he decided to connect with more people who would likely have an interest in his services. He vowed not to push them to buy on the first outreach, like he was seeing from so many sales chasers on a weekly basis. On that note, he realized that developing great content for attracting new clients was likely a necessity. He intended to find out more about content creation -- across the spectrum of readable and watchable.

How was Sam doing? Two hours and a tantrum from Lily later, Sam finally wheeled his cart of groceries out to his Audi sedan in the parking lot. “I need to prioritize going to a couple of different locations more often. That way I will know where things are,” he muttered to himself. For the most part, he would stick to his trusty “muscle memory” Store A where he could get in and out in a third of the time. Recognizing the value of options, however, Sam deemed familiarity and ease to be well worth intentionally driving extra miles on occasion.

How would you like to make your potential buyers’ experiences more like Store A than Store B? When marketing a service, it pays to put yourself in your buyer's shoes. Help them cut through the noise with:

• clear information,
• transparent pricing, and
• content tailored to their needs and level of understanding.

Most importantly, make it stupidly simple for them to find and buy the solutions they're seeking. Build a sense of familiarity. A bit of empathy, guidance and streamlining goes a long way.

If you feel stuck on a marketing merry-go-round of spending money, time, and effort with few to no growth results, reach out to me, Sandra Connor , with any one B2B Marketing-related question you may have about leads generation, content creation, or business videos.

?? Send your question to me via a Direct Message or post a comment on this newsletter. Let's untangle your confusion and get you headed in the right direction for you and your business: choice A, choice B, or otherwise.

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What did Sam and Ben learn

What did Sam learn about marketing?

• Familiarity and ease of navigation are important for a positive prospective buyer experience
• Inconsistency in information or physical layouts can frustrate and disorient potential buyers and waste their time
• The importance of exploring options due to changing conditions or circumstances
• Logical product placement and clear guidance help probable buyers to find what they need efficiently

What marketing planning actions should Sam plan to do next?

• Stick primarily to his trusted "muscle memory" procedures to save time and minimize his own frustration
• Begin considering how clear communication and product placement can be applied to his business practices
• Recognize the value of exploring tactical options, and be willing to “go the extra mile” for a better buyer experience

What did Ben the Bookkeeper learn about marketing?

• People in the marketing sector use confusing jargon that may be difficult for small business owners to understand
• Unclear service offerings and pricing make it hard to determine what kind of marketing help is needed
• Finding affordable marketing services that fit budget constraints is a challenge
• Small businesses would benefit from clear guidance, transparent pricing, and tailored solutions
• Putting himself in the shoes of his target clients is key to providing the information they seek

What marketing planning actions should Ben plan to do next?

• Revise his LinkedIn profile to better communicate what his firm offers to prospective clients
• Connect with more people who are likely to need his bookkeeping services
• Avoid pushing for a sale in initial outreach; focus instead on providing value
• Develop helpful content across various formats and channels to attract clients
• Continue researching B2B marketing strategies for lead generation, content creation, and marketing videos

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