Authenticity is a powerful weapon, says marketing expert

Oct. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- Plainfield, Indiana -- To be convincing and unique in today’s crowded marketplace, businesses should focus on being themselves, advises veteran copywriter and marketing consultant Scott Flood of Scott Flood Writing.

“You need to take pride in what you do well, and display that to your customers and prospects,” says Flood.

“Authenticity has always been a powerful approach, and it’s even more so when you’re trying to sell to post-Baby Boomer prospects or consumers,” Flood adds. “They’ve been raised on an overload of media, and the actions of corporations and celebrities have made them cynical. They also have an uncanny ability to spot and see right through artifice.”

There are several ways in which businesses can take steps to ensure that their public images are authentic, Flood notes. “The most important is to make sure their marketing materials sound exactly like who they are. Using big words and highfalutin language in your ads and brochures is about as effective as the college freshman who thinks that filling his term paper with five-syllable words from the thesaurus will make him look smarter.”

It’s also important to be consistent, Flood suggests. “If you’re presenting one image one day, but something different the next, prospects won’t know who you really are. From design to tone and voice, every contact with the outside world should reinforce what your company is all about. That kind of consistency becomes increasingly powerful over time.”

“Most of all, resist the temptation to look at a competitor’s website or brochure and say, ‘This is exactly how we should sound.’ Your business is unique, and they way you present it to customers and prospects should be unique, too.”

Scott Flood Writing (www.sfwriting.com) provides effective print and online copy to companies and other organizations."The Smarter Strategy for Selecting Suppliers" can be downloaded at http://sfwriting.com/freeguide.

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About Scott Flood Writing: We develop effective print and online copy for companies and other organizations.