What's the Essential Question?

by Alex Schnitzler

When you want to launch a business, create a website, begin a blog, offer a service, your first impulse is to explain the “what.”

“Here’s this amazing thing, product, service, experience that I have to offer.”

Or… “I have this unique, amazing, singular vision to bring to you.”

When you want to “brand” your business that’s where the problems begin.

In this scenario, you’re leaving the hard work up to the consumer.

You’re assuming they know “why” they’re seeking your product in the first place – an assumption that seems reasonable.

But when you’re building content to attract clients, you want to get ahead of that.

You want to help your audience understand why they’ve arrived at your business in the first place.

That's your job.

Why Questions Drive the Building Blocks of your Marketing Plan

This part of the process is really “pre-branding” (if that’s even a word), and it’s the most challenging aspect of selling your experience.

You want to let your readers know that you recognize their need in a tangible and trustworthy narrative.

I worked with a client who was the CEO of an international organization. Over the course of five years, he built a multimillion-dollar brand. While a large part of his success was his willingness to take risk, his brand was founded in something deeper – his capacity to level the playing field and remove hierarchy from his workforce.

His marketing efforts communicated that effect to his audience. Instead of engaging with a corporation, he wanted his clients to know they were joining a family.

At that time, he anticipated the deficit that was driving consumers away from businesses of a similar nature: a corporate culture that negatively impacted shareholders, executives, accountants, office staff, all the way down the line to the client.

His branding effort became less about offering a service (which it did), and, instead about identifying a need which was disengaging the consumer from his industry.

In order to anticipate an underlying need of your target consumer, you want to – quite bluntly – get out of your own way. If you’re writing a book, consider why someone would want to read your book in the first place. If you’re marketing a business, consider (beyond your services) what unmet need may bring someone to your unique services.

The entire process begins with asking questions.

Then your content (and your marketing plan) takes shape around how you respond to those questions.

Ultimately, this approach may impact the entire sensibility of your business and reward your clients along the way.