Einstein once said “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
Simple is hard.
But when it comes to logistics copywriting and marketing, simple is a must. Here’s why.
Buyers of logistics products and services are busy people. They have short attention spans and, if we manage to grab their attention for a fleeting moment, they will remember one thing, or they will remember nothing.
So capitalize on that moment. Determine what that “one thing” is and focus on it over and over until the point comes when, should the prospect hear your company’s name, they say, “Oh, they’re the _______ guys.”
Just this past week, I talked to two companies who I’d describe as “the forklift management guys” and the “global TMS guys.” But that’s not what comes across clearly on their websites. Sure, if you dig into the sites, you could certainly infer these identities. But your prospects won’t take the time to do this.
Don’t force your readers to infer. Tell them, in plain language, what you do and how you can add value.
Avoid Jargon, Keep It Simple
If you create supply chain software, does your “cloud computing software leverage big data to facilitate collaborative processes and optimize the omni-channel supply chain?”
Or, more simply, does it “help retailers and suppliers talk to each other?”
If you liquidate inventory, do you “merchandise and sell distressed inventory in the secondary market through multiple channels, including direct, offline negotiation and online auction?”
Or, do you “find buyers for products that companies can’t sell?”
In logistics copywriting, sometimes you need to dumb ideas down before you build them up.
Expert sources for copy are engineers and operators whose job it is to design and execute – not to explain. They will communicate an idea to you in the way that they understand it. It’s your job to communicate it in a way that prospects understand it.
That may require new words with less syllables. And that’s OK. Keeping it simple requires confidence and humility. You don’t need to sound smart. In fact, as Einstein suggests, the smartest people are those that can simplify the most complex ideas.
Logistics Copywriting: Fine-Tune Your Message in 2016
Now that our Thanksgiving meals are fully digested, we can turn our focus to 2016 planning. Make 2016 the year you fine-tune and simplify your logistics marketing message.
Remember, marketing is about getting people you don’t know to notice you. It’s not about getting them to choose you. That latter challenge requires lots of conversations between lots of people over a long period of time.
So don’t worry about telling your whole story right off the bat, details and all. Worry only about getting your prospect’s attention and sparking their interest in a longer conversation.
That means communicating a simple, powerful message and repeating it over and over until you become “the ______ guys.”
