Value Proposition Design – Communicating Your Value Through
Digital MediaEnterprise University Course 236
Spring 2017 – Ed Mayuga
How many of you have been in my class before?
You will recall that I have spoken about social media and content marketing in the past.
There is need to discuss how to generate content to market to and
persuade an audience.
Are you currently creating online content but feel that there is room for
improvement?
At the end of today’s course, you will understand how to use content marketing
to persuade.
Use Value Proposition Design to author content for the audience to
know, like, and trust you!
The Art of Persuasion
Who do we tend to listen to? The Influencer / Maven / Insider
We seek the inside scoop on where to save money, solve a problem,
get a deal etc.
What is the first thing you do when you need a product or
service? You Google it.
We look for the information on the first page of Google results, social
media, or
We want referrals from a trusted source, someone with credibility, an
Influencer / Maven / Insider
We look for “social proof”
We ask our friends or family for referrals
Then, we may go to online sources for validation – i.e. Forums, groups, clubs etc.
We look for online reviews – Amazon, Yelp, etc.
How does someone become an Influencer?
Asks the same questions as you, but goes further
and shares that knowledge online.
Lets people know that what mistakes they have made as well
Being authentic online translates into trust, which gives you influence!
Persuasion is a Process. It is Marketing.
Persuasion is when You persuade someone to do something. (Marketing)
The Art of Convincing, on the other hand,
is when you convince
someone of something.
(Sales)
You need to understand their needs – PAINS vs. GAINS
Speak in the affirmative – let your audience know you have their best interests in mind
Be frequent and consistent with authoring and posting information online
Public relations are Earned Media, which persuades through building trust and
credibility
PR has more impact than paid advertising because it’s harder to obtain
PR takes 2, 3, or 4 calendar quarters to take effect, but is effective at
generating sales
If you want to find out more, check our Ann Marie’s EU Course 205: Public
Relations 101
Building an Audience
You can evoke an emotional response by demonstrating that you care about their
problems
Testimonials and LinkedIn Recommendations - You have an audience that can vouch for you
People can Google your name and find out what you know and discover
content that you share
BUT, in order to persuade effectively, your audience needs to be engaged
People have to know you
Are you a thought leader?
Are you responsive to online inquiries and comments?
Locally, does your audience see you on STLToday or the…
People have to like you
How do you know that people like you? Have you asked your inner circle?
Are you easy to talk to and approachable in public?
Philanthropy and charity
People have to trust you
Is the product or service that you are marketing reliable and a good value? Why?
Do you back up your product or service claims with your reputation?
Do what you say and say what you do!
Value Proposition Design
Let’s pretend you are going to sell to these celebrities…
Let’s Work on Your Value Proposition Canvas!
Look at the Handouts
Let’s start with the Customer Profile first
Then we’ll transition to the Value Proposition
Who would like to share their Value Proposition Canvas?
Tell us about your product
or service, then your
Customer’s Jobs
What is your biggest challenge?
Feedback from the audience?
Pain Relievers and Gain Creators
Do your Pain Relievers match the Customer Pains?
What type of content/posts do you think that your potential clients would like to see?
Don’t confuse your Product/Service with Gain Creators
How do you receive customer feedback? I.e. Survey Monkey, client
interviews etc.
Do your Gain Creators match the Customer Gains?
Let’s look at the positives that your Product/Service provide
Is there a correlation between Customer Pains/Pain Relievers?
Is there a correlation between Customer Gains/Gain Creators?
Does your product or service match the Customer’s Job?
What features/benefits would your potential clients want to see?
What additional benefits would your existing clients want to see?
Don’t confuse a product/service
feature with a Pain Reliever/Gain
Creator
How do we apply the Value Proposition Canvas to Content Marketing?
Sharing your knowledge
Long-form - an online article or white paper that demonstrates your thought
leadership
Short-form – Facebook posts, Tweets, or short blog entries to do the same thing
Case-studies – real-life examples of how your product or service has helped your
customers
Promoting Pain Relievers and Gain Creators
Where is your audience?
What is a simple social media post you can create today to promote these benefits?
Current marketing materials - Are you promoting Pain Relievers and Gain Creators?
Content Marketing Acronyms – WIIFM, TOMA, and FOMO
WIIFM – What’s in It for Me?
TOMA – Top of Mind Awareness
Through Social Networks and Digital Media
Persuasion through Social Media
Facebook / Instagram
User generated content – Keep in mind it is a “social” media site
Excellent for B2B marketing
Your posts appear on the Wall, similar to Facebook
Excellent tools for lead generation
Website / Blogging
Don’t build your brand on rented ground! Use a self-hosted website (Owned Media)
Content Management System (CMS)
If you blog, you can easily share that information through social media
Earned Media – Relationships with Industry Bloggers, Journalists, and Influencers
Enhances your reputation as an Influencer and thought
leader
Gives you credibility and TOMA
A Google search for your name will list press releases and news
Earned Media placements are hard to obtain, but are extremely valuable
Lives on the Web indefinitely
Placements Local, Regional, National, and Trade Press
Can be used in marketing materials
Affirmation from the reporter and publication
Reporters have a story to tell
Media relations will position you as an expert
Articles are shared on social media by the author and publication
Pay Per Click - Show up on the
first page of search results
Provides data that can help you with content authoring
Craft sales messages in-line with Facebook content
Remarketing - Ads that follow you around your Facebook feed
Generate your email marketing list
Capture emails on your offer pages
Increases qualified leads in your email marketing database
Convert leads into buyers with special offers for insiders
In Conclusion – What We Discussed Today…