Many small businesses pour time, energy, and resources into their marketing, only to feel frustrated when they don’t see the results they were hoping for. Attracting quality leads can feel like a constant uphill battle, leaving business owners wondering what’s going wrong despite their best efforts.

Here’s the reality: as a small business, you work too hard to feel this way. Your marketing should be bringing in new customers, not leaving you stressed and discouraged. The good news? The issue often isn’t the amount of effort you’re putting in—it’s your messaging.

 

Small business marketing fails when messaging isn't customer-focused.

The biggest reason small businesses fail at marketing is simple: they focus too much on themselves. They use authoritarian language and center their messaging on their own products, services, and achievements. But, effective marketing isn’t about what you can do—it’s about how you can help your customer.

When it comes to marketing, shifting your focus from promoting yourself or your company to focusing on your customers can have a profound impact. At first, this might seem counterintuitive since you want to show your customers what you can do for them, but when you understand how buying decisions are made, it’s clear why this approach works so well.

Research shows that people make purchasing decisions primarily based on emotion and then back them up with facts. This means that starting with factual information about your business or service likely isn’t the most compelling way to engage potential customers. Instead, addressing their emotional needs is key.

 

What does authoritative vs. customer-focused messaging look like?

For example, imagine you’re a legal firm marketing with a statement like, "We are a team of experienced, trusted, and dedicated lawyers providing solutions for legal matters for half a century." While this highlights your expertise, it may not resonate emotionally with potential clients.

This kind of language creates a disconnect when it comes to helping people make a decision because it's about you, and your audience has to work too hard to figure out how you can help them solve a problem.

A more effective approach could be: “Solve your legal challenges with clear, practical solutions.” This language speaks directly to the client’s pain point—feeling lost or overwhelmed by legal matters. It positions you as a helpful ally, not just an authority.

Similarly, if you run a plumbing company and your message is, "We’re professional, licensed, and insured plumbers that have been servicing the community since 1953," you might emphasize your credentials, but this may not alleviate common fears.

A better message could be, "Enjoy a worry-free experience and feel confident knowing that your service will be completed by a certified plumbing professional." This directly addresses concerns about being taken advantage of and reassures customers about the quality of service.

 

Why does authoritative language fail in marketing?

Again, we understand the desire to talk about your products and achievements. You work hard and should be proud of the accomplishments you’ve earned and the service or product you provide.

However, when you lead with how great you are, you’re essentially saying, “Trust me because I’m an expert.” And, this type of messaging doesn’t connect emotionally. In fact, it’s like walking up to someone and saying, “Hey, you’re beautiful. I’m smart and attractive. Let’s get married.” It’s presumptuous and off-putting.

And, that’s exactly what you’re doing to people when you immediately tell them how great your products and services are—and then expect them to be excited and want to do business with you.

Authoritative language makes your audience work too hard to figure out how your expertise helps them. Instead of focusing on your achievements, you need to focus on their needs and position yourself as their guide.

 

Make your customer the hero of your marketing story.

It’s tempting to put your credentials front and center and to make yourself the hero in your marketing. However, as we’ve already discussed, this doesn’t address the needs of your audience or connect with them in a meaningful way.

Think about any great story or movie: the hero is often uncertain and seeking help. This means that by using authoritative language and positioning yourself as the hero, you’re not only lacking a connection with your audience, but you’re also creating an untrustworthy perception of your business.

Instead, If you want to connect with customers, you need to make them the hero of the story. You’re not the star—they are. Your role? The guide who helps them achieve their goals.

Take the classic story of King Arthur for example. Before following his destiny to become a king, Arthur was untrained and unsure. However, the older, wiser Merlin guided him forward through reassurances and instruction. Arguably without him, Arthur would’ve never taken the steps that led him to become king.

In this story, Merlin plays the role of the guide. The guide is the one with the knowledge and experience to help the hero succeed. In this position, you actually hold more power than the hero because, in any great story, the hero is the one who always needs help from a guide to complete their mission—and the guide is the one who is more wise, more powerful, and who has all the answers.

With all this in mind, if you want to grow your small business, you’ll need to humbly insert yourself as the guide who solely exists to help your clients solve their problems and find success.

When you do, you will:

• Show your ideal customers that you understand them and are there to help them.
• You’ll empower them to solve their problem.
• And, you’ll convert more prospects into paying customers.

By putting your customer at the center of your messaging, you create a marketing strategy that resonates with their emotional needs and builds trust. When customers feel understood and valued, they are more likely to engage with your business and invest in your services.

By shifting the focus from self-promotion to customer-centric messaging and making your customer the hero, you can create more compelling and successful marketing strategies.

 

 

Small businesses deserve to have a marketing strategy and partner that works as hard as they do.

Treefrog Marketing is a marketing agency for small businesses located in Lafayette, Indiana that builds effective marketing strategies and systems that help small business leaders take their companies to the next level. We specialize in marketing leadership, strategic marketing and advertising, digital marketing, graphic design, web design, SEO, and more. For more information, please visit our website. You can also connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.