How to Use the Number One Small Business Advertising Sin to Steal the Competitor’s Customers

Let’s not beat around the bush. When it comes to small business advertising, the number one sin most small businesses unknowingly commit is talking about themselves or their business in their advertising-instead of recognizing that with customers, it’s all about WIIFM (”What’s in it for me?”)-and they should be focusing exclusively on their customers. This is usually because the owners and their advertising executives that help them make their ads, don’t know the difference.

The thing is, you’re not alone. You are not the only one in your small business advertising that’s committing this “sin”. On the contrary, your competitors are doing it, too! So if you mimic your competition’s advertising, you wont get the results you’re after.

If you can cease that way of advertising, then you will be able to make you small business advertising much more effective. Also if you change your message and delivery, you’ll be able to “steal” your competition’s customers! By using subtle and effective changes to your advertising, your competitors wont be able to tell why their clients are suddenly after your business.

As I’ve stated, tell the customers what’s in it for them, that’s the key to small business advertising. Tell them why they should turn towards your businesses product or service as opposed to any other business advertising. Being the “fastest” or “cheapest” or the “best” typically makes the business seem like they’re self-centered, rather than answering the customer’s question.

Nobody likes to listen to others brag, business or not. They don’t want to know why you think you’re so great. They want to know what’s in it for them if they do business with you.

Subtle changes to your advertising to where it explains the benefits to the customer is all you need. For example one business doesn’t put in their ads that they are the cheapest. Instead, in order to answer the customer’s number one question, they could put “You save big money!” They turn the focus around to the customer-to the “you” who is listening to or reading their advertisements. They see that it’s personalized for them.

Changing your message with just a few subtle words makes a lot of difference for your small business advertising. It’s all about changing your message from “we” and “I” and “our” to “you” and “your.” Easy to understand messages that speak directly to the customer about how your product or service is what they want is the goal. “Your dreams will become a reality with abc.” with “abc” being your product or service.

It takes a bit of practice to do this every time, but you need to continually examine your small business advertising messages and adapt them as needed to make this distinction. As you make these changes, you will see an increase in your business. They may not catch on to the subtle differences in your ads while heading to your business, but you’ll know it’s cause you avoided bragging, and answered what’s in it for them.