Now this is a bit random, so bear with me.
Recently, I came across an absolute gem of a book. It outlines an important metaphor for marketing that might just help you consider how you can break through the noise and secure your ideal client.
It’s a book that teaches you French, but instead of a generic French-for-beginners approach (excuse moi, madame, pour allez au discothèque!) absolutely everything in the book relates to cats.
Now, if there were a Venn diagram between cat lovers and people who are trying to learn French, then this book is purr-fect for them.
At this point, you might be asking yourself some questions… Such as, “Why is Abi talking to me about learning French? Is she going on holiday soon? Isn’t she a dog person? And, what does Monty think about this sudden feline obsession?”
What does this have to do with marketing?
To answer: no, I’m not going to Paris anytime soon; I am and will always be a dog lover; and this random cat-themed book about learning French actually encapsulates three really important lessons about marketing that I wanted to share with you.
It makes it clear
One thing I see often is businesses struggling to articulate exactly what they do. Whether it is on their website or their socials, businesses often describe themselves in a way that sounds slightly too complex or uses too much jargon.
So, instead of telling potential clients that you can help them learn French with cats, your website might say something like, We offer our clients “Feline-Facilitated Francophone Linguistic Acquisition Initiatives.”
Ummmm…excuse moi?
It kind of means the same thing, but the actual meaning is lost underneath a pile of incomprehensible jargon and unnecessary complexity.
This is a one-way ticket to audience members tuning out and turning their attention elsewhere.
What your business offers should be as clear as a Parisian sky. The easier it is for people to understand what you do, the easier it is for them to say, “Yes! That’s exactly what I need!”
It makes it fun
I learned a number of languages at school, and no disrespect to any of my teachers, but they were not always that fun 😅 .
There was something about rote learning and the type of content that put me off.
(What is a 13-year-old doing asking a stranger for directions to the discothèque anyway? Also, what even is a discothèque?)
But this book? It’s fun!
And creating a sense of fun around your message and how you describe what your business offers is a great way to cut through the noise and grab people’s attention.
Plenty of research shows that if you can create a fun, compelling story to tell your clients, they are far more likely to 1) retain your message and 2) share your message with others.
So, what are you doing to grab the attention of your potential clients?
It creates a real point of difference
Just like there are many ways to learn French (Duolingo, podcasts, apps, textbooks), there are also countless ways to articulate what your business does. The key is to find your unique angle.
In a world where every business is fighting to be heard, what’s your point of difference?
If you can position yourself in a way that makes your brand stand out — whether through a unique tone, an unusual offering, or a fun, unexpected twist (like learning French through cats!) — you make it easier for your ideal client to remember and choose you.
(If you haven’t worked out your Ideal Client yet – start here!)
So, take a page from this book (literally or figuratively): make your messaging clear, make it fun, and make it stand out.
After all, if a cat-themed language book can teach you French, just imagine what a fresh perspective could do for your marketing!