In continuing to explore the fundamental principles for business owners who want to market themselves effectively, based upon The 16 Monumental Secrets of Guerilla Marketing presented by Jay Conrad Levinson in his national bestseller Guerilla Marketing, next up on the list is AMAZEMENT.

At the center of any successful marketing campaign—the foundation on which everything else is built upon—is your unique selling proposition, or what sets you apart from your competition. After you’ve pinpointed this, you’ll be better able to blow your audience away with your amazing offerings. Why? Amazement is the key to making a lasting impression on your targeted audience with your marketing message.

Consider Levinson’s example: “Although she takes much of her business for granted, she knows that her marketing must amaze people. So her marketing mentions that her custom-designed furniture is available at factory direct prices because she has her own factory. The prices are amazing, and so is the handmade touch. It enables her to custom-design furniture and offer it at an off-the-floor price. This element of amazement attracts attention to her ads.”

There are no mind readers out there folks– it’s up to you to dazzle your current and prospective customers; to compel your target audience to action with your unique qualities combined with a strong, consistent and amazing message. In 2015 the bar is set pretty high as far as amazement goes, so it can be tricky to find the best approach in setting yourself apart. The recent Super Bowl commercials are a prime example—despite the fact that the brands that have successfully elevated themselves to this level all have such a large budget and wealth of talent and resources coming together on each spectacular commercial, which you’d think would unequivocally result in amazement, some still didn’t hit the mark or weren’t well received.

So how can you harness the power of amazement to capture your audience’s attention and keep it most effectively? Start by considering everything about your business and offerings; be sure to leave no stone unturned. Even things that you’ve written off as just doing good business may be the very things that will amaze your prospects. Above all, focus on how to showcase your strengths in a way that will impress (and amaze!) your audience, command their attention in a positive way, and then motivate them to pursue your call to action.

Now just to clarify, amazement isn’t synonymous with overly busy. Don’t fall into the trap of excess–highlighting what makes you amazing is most often conveyed best in a message that’s surprisingly concise; it should be quick and easy to digest. Amazement doesn’t necessarily mean bundling together each and every one of your strengths and firing it off all at once in a glorious, in-your-face explosion of content. Remember that your goal is to draw attention to the areas where you shine the brightest. Once you’ve isolated the “best of the best” aspects of your business and put them at the forefront of your marketing campaign, I guarantee you’ll see consistently AMAZING results in the areas of growth and profitability.

by Paige Zutavern

Omaha/Lincoln – President

402-730-0096 | Paige@StrictlyBusinessOmaha.com