How to Use Metaphors for Powerful Marketing

If you’d love to invigorate your small business marketing, I’ll share an extremely effective strategy that will enhance your competitive advantage and make your marketing materials memorable.

Which of these is more compelling:

Our clients say that our spa services are among the most relaxing things they’ve ever experienced. The no longer see weekly massages as a luxury, rather they are a crucial part of their lives—making them more productive and happy.

Or

Our massages are like a cool glass of ice water on a scorching summer day—soothing, nourishing, and necessary. Like water, our massages help your body and mind to function at their best.

You’ll probably agree that #2 is more compelling.

The reason?

The metaphor (or in this case simile, to be precise) helps to make the message more concrete. Most of us can relate to that feeling of being hot and parched, and soothed by ice water.

We can picture it. You’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words and it’s true. If you can help your prospective clients or customers to think in pictures, you will achieve much better marketing results.

So how can you use the power of metaphors in your marketing? There are several ways. Here are a few:

1. Describe a benefit. The example above described the benefit of the spa services. Using a metaphor or simile shows your prospects what they can expect to get out of your services.
   
   This is particularly useful if you’re reaching a market that is unfamiliar with what you offer. The metaphor will connect the results of your product or service to something that is familiar and comfortable to them.
    
2. Describe the need. Using the massage example again, the need for a massage can be stated as: “Does your back feel like an old mattress with worn out springs? It is tired and can barely do its job to support you…”
   
   In this case, you’re using the metaphor to illustrate the pain or problem for why people need what you offer. It is a great way to show people that they need a solution, which is a perfect segue into your solution!
    
3. Describe the process. Metaphors can also be a wonderful way to show people what is in store for them if they work with you. For example, a consultant may use a sports metaphor for sports-minded clients:
   
   “The process that we will use is like training for a big soccer game. I’ll be your coach and we need to get the whole team on the same page and ready for the practice sessions. We take one step at a time because you wouldn’t jump into a big game without first completing proper training.”
    
4. Describe the change. I think that this is one of the most powerful ways to use metaphors because it can help people to do difficult things. As you may know, I help people to do the tough things that will lead to the best results. So I sometimes use the metaphor of habituating to cold water:
   
   “You know that feeling of getting into a cold body of water—it’s very uncomfortable, right? Well, what happens if you stay in the water for a little while? You start to get used to it. Similarly, I’m going to ask you to do some uncomfortable things and you’ll start to see that over time they get easier, not to mention more enjoyable and effective!”

In selecting a metaphor for marketing your business you must be aware of your audience. If your audience is not into the topic you choose, the metaphor will fall flat. If, on the other hand, the metaphor is a great match for your target audience, you can get very specific and really connect with your audience in a powerful way.

Think about the some metaphors for your business, and select the right one by trying them out with your current customers or clients. Watch which ones people respond to. Ask if it made sense and what they thought it meant. Fine tune your metaphor, and soon your core message will be much more moving and memorable!

Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA is a business psychologist who specializes in low-cost, high-impact small business marketing. Her tips are regularly seen in Entrepreneur and Inc. magazines. Get more articles under ‘Free Resources’ at http://www.pascoaching.com

Keywords:
small business marketing, marketing, core message, competitive advantage, marketing materials, metaphor for marketing