Savvy marketers grow and maintain a swipe file cataloged by winning marketing components (i.e. headlines, guarantees, offers, calls-to-action, email subject lines, etc.). Super-savvy marketers also grow and maintain a diverse “substantiation file”.
Your marketing stands and falls on its believability. Something you say may be true. But, if it’s not believed, it will not further your sales message.
In fact, if you make a true statement, claim, or promise, and it’s not believed, it can hurt the overall credibility and persuasiveness of your entire marketing promotion or funnel.
Always remember: There’s a big difference between something being true and something being believable.
This is why in marketing any product or service, the use of a substantial, diverse amount of proof elements is essential.
You must include at least one (often more) proof elements for every single claim, promise, or statement of benefit you give.
This is where the use of a “substantiation file” comes in.
A substantiation file is similar to a swipe file in that it’s a collection of marketing components… with the only difference being a substantiation file contains examples of proof elements – how marketers substantiated their claims, promises, and benefit statements.
You should not only have a general substantiation file with the general examples, you should develop a substantiation file for each of your product offers.
Every time you read something, hear something, or see something that can substantiate something in your marketing, put it into the appropriate product offer file. Over time, you’ll create a powerful file of proof elements and ways of substantiating all of your marketing. And, the outcome will be a powerful marketing message with a preponderance of rock-solid proof.
Question: How or where are you saving the marketing components you feel are powerful, for later reference? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
