Stop Talking About Features
I've been thinking about this lately.
Whenever we talk about our businesses, our first instinct is usually to explain what we do.
We talk about our services.
Our features.
Our years of experience.
The equipment we use.
The awards we've won.
And don't get me wrong, those things matter.
But I don't think they're the reason people choose us.
Most marketing today sounds something like this:
We're the best.
We offer excellent service.
Here's everything our product can do.
The problem is...
Everyone is saying the same thing.
After a while, it all starts blending together.
Imagine walking into a restaurant where the menu only tells you about the ingredients, cooking techniques,
and awards the chef has won.
Would you order?
Probably not.
You'd want to know what the food tastes like.
Whether it's worth coming back for.
Whether it's something you'd enjoy sharing with your family or friends.
In other words, you'd want to know what the experience is like.
I think brands work the same way.
People don't just buy products or services.
They buy what those products or services mean to them.
That's why I enjoy creating brand story films.
They're not really about listing features.
They're about helping people understand what a business feels like.
The Person Behind the Brand
One of my favourite things to include is the founder's story.
Not because every founder has an extraordinary journey.
But because every founder has a reason.
Why did you start?
What problem were you trying to solve?
What keeps you excited about your work after all these years?
Those conversations are often far more interesting than talking about product specifications.
Because people relate to people.
Not businesses.
The People You've Helped
Another thing I always think about is the customer.
Whenever we're about to spend money on something, we naturally look for reassurance.
We read reviews.
We ask friends.
We look for testimonials.
We're trying to answer one question:
"Will this actually help me?"
That's why hearing directly from a customer can be so powerful.
You're no longer asking people to trust what you say about yourself.
You're allowing someone else's experience to tell the story.
And I think that's far more convincing.
The Human Side
These days, it's becoming harder and harder to stand out.
Almost every industry has dozens, if not hundreds, of competitors.
Many of them offer similar products.
Similar prices.
Similar services.
So what makes someone choose one brand over another?
Sometimes...
It's simply the people.
The way they communicate.
The way they make customers feel.
The values they stand for.
Those are the things people remember long after they've forgotten a list of features.
Something I've Been Learning
I catch myself doing this too.
Whenever someone asks what I do, my first instinct is to explain the process.
The strategy.
The filming.
The photography.
The editing.
But if I'm honest...
That's probably not what people care about most.
They care about what happens afterwards.
Will this help people trust my business?
Will my customers understand what makes us different?
Will this bring us closer to the people we're trying to reach?
I think that's the conversation we should be having.
Because at the end of the day, features explain what you do.
Stories explain why it matters.
And I think people remember the second one a whole lot longer.
Thanks for reading!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.