Competition for professional services firms is fierce. But the bar for marketing in your industry? It’s surprisingly low. Clunky websites. Confusing messaging. Social media that goes nowhere. Most firms are leaving clients on the table because prospects can’t figure out what they do or why it matters. Every Tuesday morning, I send brief emails that help you create a clearer message, simple strategy, and start growing your business consistently over the long term.
When Your Expertise is a Curse
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Hi, Reader! 👋 "WE'RE LAWYERS, NOT G*D D*MN MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS!" This was yelled at me by an attorney in my first marketing gig. I was coaching them on writing blog content for their new website I had just built. ...it wasn't going well... I had spent a year as a personal injury investigator in the law firm. I talked to hundreds of clients and potential clients. I was well aware that the average education level wasn't high. Even if it was, people don't want to read doctoral dissertations on a law firm's website when they're in pain. At the time, I was using the Hemingway App to determine the grade level of their writing. This attorney? Graduate-level language. Not good. He could not understand why we needed to write on the client's level when he had a graduate degree and 40 years of legal experience. If You Confuse, You LoseIn the StoryBrand world, we often say, "When you confuse, you lose." This means that when people come into contact with your marketing message or content and are confused, you lose them. They bail and find someone they can understand. People trust what they can understand. Often, we don't realize that we're speaking above our clients' ability to understand. It's called the "Curse of Knowledge." The smarter we are, the harder it is to explain what we do in the simplest of ways. So, to help you, I've published a post on my website laying out 5 Ways to Avoid the Curse of Knowledge This will help you understand what to look for on your website, social media, and other marketing collateral to ensure you're not falling victim to the curse.
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Confusion Kills. Clarity Thrills.
Competition for professional services firms is fierce. But the bar for marketing in your industry? It’s surprisingly low. Clunky websites. Confusing messaging. Social media that goes nowhere. Most firms are leaving clients on the table because prospects can’t figure out what they do or why it matters. Every Tuesday morning, I send brief emails that help you create a clearer message, simple strategy, and start growing your business consistently over the long term.
Hi, Reader! Over the past several weeks, I've been rethinking what it looks like to work with us at Moonflower Marketing. A few nights ago, I was working on a puzzle with my oldest daughter, and something occurred to me. My 10-year-old working on a Coke puzzle that was just the right amount of hard. As you can see, it was a Coca-Cola puzzle, with lots of vintage ads layered together. Naturally, there is quite a bit of red and various similar Coca-Cola/Coke logos throughout. It's certainly not...
Hi, Reader! Complicated doesn't work. Complexity kills momentum. Too often, we think the more detailed our messaging is, the smarter we'll look.We think the more complicated our marketing strategy is, the more effective it will be.In reality, complexity just complicates things. 🤔If your messaging is too detailed and your strategy is too complex, no one can remember either.Your team doesn't execute what they don't remember.Your marketing starts strong and then falls off a cliff because...
Hi, Reader! I spent a few days away with friends last week, skiing in northern Michigan. It was a much-needed break from the chaos of January. We all arrived on Wednesday afternoon. Four couples who have all known each other half our lives or more. We always go out to eat the first night, because no one wants to cook after being in the car all day. Sitting at the table that first night, over a local IPA and great pizza, I got to talking with a friend who works in sales for an industrial...