What's On Your Label? 6 Rules for Improving Your Brand's Communication with Customers

Consider what your business offers and how your customers might describe it to their friends. What do they describe?

As a business owner, you know what your business offers. But do your customers understand it just as well? If you're not sure, your brand might have a communication problem. The challenge many of us face with running our own business is that we're so deep in it, we forget that what's obvious to us, isn't so obvious to our audience.

David C. Baker explains it well: "You're inside the jar and can't read the label." You know what goes into making the jam, but don't know if you're Smucker's or Welch's—and if you don't know, how will your audience? They certainly won't sit around to read the list of ingredients.

So what do you do? Figure out what your label says, then make it obvious to everyone else what it says too. That way customers can clearly articulate what you offer to everyone else.

Here are some tips and examples to help you effectively communicate your business offerings:

1. Keep it Simple and Clear

Use simple language and avoid jargon when describing your products or services. Your customers should be able to understand your offerings without any confusion.

Example: Dollar Shave Club offers a simple and straightforward subscription service for razors and grooming products. Their messaging is clear and easy to understand.

2. Focus on the Benefits

Instead of just listing the features of your products or services, highlight the benefits they provide to your customers. This will help them understand the value of your offerings.

Example: Slack promotes itself as a platform that "makes work life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive." They focus on the benefits their product brings to teams and businesses.

3. Use Storytelling

Share stories about how your products or services have helped your customers. This helps potential customers relate to your offerings and understand the impact they can have on their lives.

Example: TOMS shares stories of how their "One for One" model has helped provide shoes, sight, water, and more to people in need, making customers feel good about their purchases.

4. Create a Compelling Tagline

A memorable tagline can help your customers quickly understand and remember what your business offers.

Example: Nike's tagline, "Just Do It," is simple, memorable, and conveys the brand's message of motivation and empowerment.

5. Leverage Social Proof

Share testimonials, reviews, and case studies from satisfied customers to demonstrate the value of your offerings and build trust with potential customers.

Example: Mailchimp showcases customer success stories on their website, allowing potential customers to see how their email marketing platform has helped businesses grow.

6. Offer Demonstrations or Trials

Give potential customers the opportunity to experience your products or services firsthand. This can help them better understand your offerings and see the value in them.

Example: Spotify offers a free trial of their premium service, allowing users to experience the benefits of ad-free streaming and offline listening before committing to a subscription.

By implementing these tips and learning from the examples of successful businesses, you can improve the communication of your offerings and make it easier for customers to understand and share the value of your products or services. In turn, this can lead to increased word-of-mouth referrals and business growth.

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