How to catch the customer’s attention in marketing

In one of our recent blog articles we talked about the top challenges facing marketers in 2023. It included 24 different challenges marketers believe will haunt them as they sleep this year. However, the number one biggest challenge was catching the customer’s attention. Competition is stiff these days. Heck, go to the grocery store and see how many different types of hot sauce exist, or search online for alternatives to google analytics… the gist? The competition (no matter your industry) is insane right now.

To help you (the marketing genius you are) tackle catching your customer’s attention, we made a list of seven ways to differentiate yourself in marketing:

 

Seven ways to catch your customer’s attention with marketing.

Jump to:

1. Create Eye-Catching Visuals (Creative)
2. Offer Promotions or Discounts
3. Leverage Influencer Marketing
4. Personalize Everything
5. Rely on Content Marketing
6. Engage with Social Media Marketing
7. Make use of Email Marketing

 

Now this list isn’t in a specific order (e.g. creative isn’t more important than email marketing). It’s more of a checklist of things. And a few might not apply to you (although I’d argue that regardless of your industry, I can make the case it will or should).

So, in the spirit of this list not being a ranking or prioritization, we’ll begin in reverse with email marketing.

 

Use email marketing to catch the attention of your customers

There are two main ways you can use email marketing: warm and cold.

– Warm email marketing are lists that you’ve naturally obtained through people giving you their email through newsletter sign-ups, promotional sign-ups, etc. They’ve willingly opted into communications with you. You usually manage these lists through third parties email platforms like Klaviyo or MailChimp.

– Cold email marketing is just like it sounds, cold email lists you’ve obtained through list acquisition services. This might be prospecting efforts where you specify a specific target audience and then send these prospects emails without them knowing they’re a part of your campaign to get more leads/sales.

You might be engaging in both tactics (a lot of companies do). Regardless, here are some details on how to make your email marketing campaigns stand out vs. the competition:

• • Include personalization – Addressing the recipient by name and tailoring the content of the email to their interests and preferences can help to make the message more relevant and engaging. One of my favorite things to due with email marketing is dynamically adjust the date. For instance if you’re asking someone to hop on the phone for an intro call, ask them to hop on the call 2 days from now with a dynamic tag that adds two days from the current working date.
  • Catchy subject lines – Using a subject line that is attention-grabbing and relevant to the content of the email can increase the likelihood that the recipient will open the email. This should be a no-brainer, but again, use this as a checklist for your efforts.
  • Provide compelling content – Creating content that is valuable and interesting to the recipient, such as exclusive discounts, new product announcements, or helpful tips and advice, can keep them engaged and interested in the business. The operable word being “value,” provide value!
  • Visuals – Including eye-catching visuals such as high-quality images and videos can make the email more visually appealing and increase engagement. I think only outlook blocks images anymore. So get a bit more creative with your emails while respecting common html coding practices.
  • Mobile optimization – Emails are read on a mobile device more than ever. Why do you think email templates are usually so skinny? Making sure that the email is optimized for mobile devices can ensure that it is easy to read and navigate, increasing the chances that the recipient will engage with the content.
  • Have a clear call-to-action – Including a clear and prominent call-to-action that encourages the recipient to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter, can help to drive conversions. After all, what’s the point of your emails? Even in cold email sends, what the heck do you want the people to do?

Use this checklist as your minimum to stand out from the competition and catch the attention of your customers; increase engagement and drive conversions (and sales).

 

Utilize social media marketing to stand out vs. the competition

It’s all about creating a unique, valuable, and engaging presence on social media. Try the following list at a minimum to achieve this:

• • Be Consistent – Consistently posting high-quality content that aligns with your brand message can help you build a strong and recognizable  identity on social media. For new brands or new accounts, we recommend posting 10-ish times a week with highly valuable content.
  • Have visual appeal – Using high-quality images and videos that are visually appealing can help you catch the attention of your target audience and encourage them to engage with your content. If you’re a b2b company, leverage LinkedIn’s file upload for PDFs (hint: it turns them into a slideshow and gives a little bit of extra attention on people’s timelines).
  • Be authentic – Being authentic and genuine in your social media presence can help you build trust and credibility with your audience. Build a community with long-term relationships and increased customer loyalty is important regardless of your niche or industry.
  • Engagement – This might be the hardest for smaller or newer accounts. Engaging with your followers by responding to comments and messages, asking for feedback, and running contests or giveaways can help you build a strong and loyal community on social media. It’s also hard and time consuming to do. Create your own perfect balance with this one (but reply to comments and likes at a minimum).
  • Influencer partnerships – Partnering with influencers who have a large following on social media can help you reach new audiences and build brand awareness. Some platforms like Instagram have great features for influencers and brands to work together on the platform.
  • Paid advertising – That leads to paying to get ahead of the competition. Utilizing paid advertising options such as Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, or Twitter Ads can help you target specific audiences and increase the reach of your social media marketing campaigns. Eventually we all hope your community grows and becomes your promotional arm on social. Until that starts happening, you might have to boost your posts with dinero.

 

Rely on content marketing to beat the competition

What does your customer need that neither you or your competition is providing (that content can help solve). Maybe it’s video tutorials on how to change out a part, or recipes to leverage your best product (ingredient)? No matter what it is, find it! For example, this article. This article is something for our clients to leverage. It’s a simple, valuable checklist for marketers to use to try and make sure their implementing (at a minimum). It’s not the greatest list ever created, but we think it will help people.

Content marketing is the research, the creation, and the amplification of content. And no, amplification doesn’t have to mean “paying for views.” To explain further, checkout this list of ways content marketing can help:

• • Establishing thought leadership – This is extremely crucial. How do you become the authority in your industry? By creating high-quality content that provides valuable information and insights to your audience! Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, this will help you build trust and credibility with your audience (which will lead to increased brand recognition).
  • Improving SEO – There are a lot of bad apples out there in the SEO agency world, but don’t be dissuaded. Optimizing your content correctly for search engines can improve your website’s search rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find your business when searching for relevant topics or keywords.
  • Building brand awareness – By creating content that is informative, engaging, and shareable, you can increase brand awareness and reach new audiences on social media (and other digital channels). Don’t know what that means (“other digital channels”), reach out and we’ll explain it (no charge, promise).
  • Providing value to customers – Seeing a trend yet? Maybe start by asking what will provide value that I can create? Then create content that provides it to your audience. We mentioned it in the opening paragraph; think tutorials, how-to guides, recipes, educational content… whatever. You can build stronger relationships with your customers and increase their loyalty to your brand by providing content of value.
  • Making better content that your competition has already created – This is my favorite thing to do. Take something ranking well by the competition and create it bigger and better. By creating unique and original content that showcases your brand’s personality and values, you can differentiate yourself from competitors.  Build higher quality, provide more value, and win the day.

By investing in content marketing, you can build a strong and loyal customer base that can drive growth.

 

How will personalization in marketing help a company stand out vs. the competition?

Personalize everything. I really don’t need to make a list here (smiley face). Tailoring marketing messages and offers to specific customers can help your company stand out and make customers feel valued. Here’s a couple ways this helps you stand out:

• • Improved the customer experience: By tailoring your marketing messages and offers to the specific interests and preferences of your customers, you can create a more personalized and enjoyable experience for them. Think of specific life events your customers are going through. If you’re b2b, think about specific time/seasonal use cases instead. Doing so allows personalized messaging. Maybe you sell baby strollers, running promos in July and August with personalized messaging welcoming births would make sense right? As august is the leading month for babies being born every year. This level of personalization will not only increase satisfaction with your brand, but think about repeat purchasers, increased conversions, and authentic communications.
  • Increased engagement – By personalizing your marketing messages even with just demographic information (or first/last name) will increase the likelihood that your customers will engage with your brand and respond to your calls to action. Want to get advanced with it? Go down the quantcast route with psychographics information for advance personalization.
  • Better targeting – Speaking of demographics – by using data and analytics to better understand your customers, you can target your marketing efforts more effectively. And a lot of marketers are having problems with GA4 being too complicated, so check out alternatives to Google Analytics 4 to ensure your tracking continues later on this year. Reach the right people at the right time.
  • Have a review feedback funnel to increase loyalty: A major bi-product of personalization –  providing a personalized experience for your customers can build stronger relationships and increase their loyalty. You cared, they noticed, everyone wins. This is extremely important if your products that rely on reviews. I’m saying your customers care that you care about them, so make sure you’re asking for a review when the experience is positive.

Personalization can help your company stand out from the competition. Invest in personalization and your customer base will thank you (not to mention the long-term growth and success you’ll achieve).

 

Some influencer marketing tactics you can deploy to stand out versus the competition.

Partnering with influencers on social media can help businesses reach new audiences, drive conversions, and build brand awareness. You’re leveraging their pre-established communities that believe in their authenticity to drive your marketing efforts. Here is a checklist of tactics to consider to win-the-day against the competition:

• • Partner with niche influencers – Instead of partnering with influencers who have a large following but may not be relevant to your brand, consider partnering with influencers who have a smaller following but are highly influential in your niche or industry. These influencers are usually called micro or nano influencers. This can help you reach a more targeted audience and establish credibility with potential customers. This is extremely valuable with b2b influencer campaigns.
  • Develop long-term partnerships – Instead of working with influencers on a one-off basis, consider developing long-term partnerships. Grow together, create content together, synchronize your messaging together, and more. Create more engaging content and drive greater results with this type of marketing methodology.
  • Focus on storytelling – Name a brand that failed when they created wonderful storytelling that was engaging to their audience (and non-offensive)? Instead of simply promoting your products or services, work with influencers to create engaging and authentic stories that showcase your brand values and message.
  • Leverage user-generated content – This might feel “old-school,” however, encourage influencers to create user-generated content, such as reviews, tutorials, or how-to videos. More times than not, it helps showcase your brand in a more authentic and relatable way.

Influencer marketing tactics can help your company stand out from the competition (even in B2B marketing). If you can, invest in influencer marketing and spend some brain power thinking of creative ways you can leverage the power of influencers at every level. Trust me, they’re open to whatever craziness you come up with.

 

Offer promotions and discounts to beat your competition:

Do we need a list for this one? It’s pretty self-explanatory right?!?

• • If you’re competition offers 10% off, offer 11%!
  • If they’re offering “buy one, get one free,” offer bogo plus some loyalty points!
  • If they’re offering a free consultation, offer a free consultation and analysis!
  • Introduce “fear of missing out (FOMO)” with a limited time offer – e.g. buy a shirt, we’ll throw in a limited-edition hat with a rare creative we’ve never used before. If you provide a service, find where your margins can fit something custom.
  • Got a loyalty, affinity program? If not, why not?

The gist? Win if you need to beat your competition, Defend if you don’t. But since this is an article all about beating your competition for customer attention. Just win.

 

How to create eye-catching visuals (creative) to beat your competition for customer’s attention

Eye-catching visuals are those that are visually appealing and can quickly grab the attention of the viewer. They are designed to stand out and make an impact on the viewer, often using bright colors, bold typography, and striking imagery. This can be difficult sometimes in the confines of brand guidelines (or web styleguides), but usually working with your art or creative director for the brand, you can achieve some latitude to express differently for the sake and advertising.

Think of using unique creative in your advertising (of course), but also your social media posts, website design, and product packaging (or service information). Focus on creating the ultimate (positive) first impression. Attract attention to a product or service, and communicate key messages in a memorable way.

 

 

Why stand out vs. the competition using marketing as a tool?

In a world where people are constantly bombarded with marketing messages, these tips can help a business stand out and capture the attention of their target audience.

It’s all about winning-the-day, driving more conversions, and creating a high-level of return customers. Use this as a checklist of things to do at a minimum to stand out.

 

And as always, shoot us a message if you have any questions.