Recently we launched one of our most challenging web design projects to date – our own.
We manage two brands – DropZone Marketing for the skydiving industry and Beyond Marketing for the world outside of the industry. This design was for our Beyond Marketing brand.
As an agency offering multiple services, I felt challenged in what I wanted to people to be drawn to when visiting our website. What do I want people to know about us? What’s most important?
Our office is on the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina and there are in excess of 100 marketing agencies in and around the city. How do we stand out in this sea of marketing agencies where we all offer essentially the same services?
Seeking inspiration, my team and I looked at hundreds of marketing agency websites from our region, around the US and the world. Many of the sites we looked at were incredible as agencies showcased all of their digital services with various animations, videos, and parallax displays. It was all cool, but the messaging from more than 90% of the websites we visited were the same.
Everyone touted what they did or how they did it. In my head, it was as if I could hear these marketers shouting loudly to the rooftops, “LOOK AT WHAT WE DO, LOOK AT WHAT WE DO! What became apparent to me was a key element that was missing that I believe and preach in this blog. WHO ARE YOU? Great marketing builds trust, but how can any company build trust when all we showcase is what we sell?
My approach to marketing is more about un-marketing. Don’t sell what glitters to win wallets, but rather connect with people to win hearts. To do this is to share our stories and be who we are and nothing more, because it’s enough.
To my colleagues and clients in the skydiving industry: it’s essential that you win the trust of your customers by showcasing your amazing stories, your people, your community and your guests. This is your differentiating value proposition from your competitor because in the eyes of the public, we’re all selling the exact same thing – a free fall and a landing. The public gives little thought to aircraft type or altitude. Today, low price tends to grab market share because so many DZs market themselves the same way: THIS IS WHAT WE DO – THIS IS WHAT WE DO! With parity in the messaging, the public believes that the product we sell is all the same, and we all know that’s not the truth. To stand out, tell your story better than anyone else.
If I were to impart three marketing tips it would be this:
- Invest in digital marketing to drive traffic to your website.
- Have your website tell a story beyond just skydiving. Personalize your brand.
- When people arrive at your DZ, exceed their expectations.
Below is the video we had produced for our Beyond Marketing website. I’m happy to report that since it launched, we have won clients who have repeatedly said to us, “this is more than what I had budgeted, but I see value in knowing we’ll be well taken care of.” When asked why they chose us, the reply we most often receive is that they had a good feeling about us. In other words, they felt a connection. We showcase what we sell. We explain how we do it. Most importantly, we share who we are.
Simon Sinek rightfully said, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”
Beyond Marketing Intro from Beyond Marketing on Vimeo.
