There’s nothing more demotivating than coming up with a product you just know is the best thing since sliced bread, only to watch it gather dust and eventually expire right there on the shelf. Why didn’t it sell? What’s wrong with the thousands of shoppers that passed it by without a second glance? The answer is surprisingly simple – your labels just aren’t doing their job properly!
According to the experts at Days Labels, the simple and concise information presented by a standard product label represents perhaps the most powerful and valuable marketing tool on the face of the Earth. The reason being that even on the back of a fantastic advertising campaign or even invaluable word of mouth, a sale can and often will fall through the moment a would-be buyer sets eyes on a label that doesn’t exactly float their boat.
By contrast, a well-labelled product can sell in numbers even the most expensive TV marketing campaign couldn’t lead to – it’s a level of power that’s both unique and very much unwise to overlook.
So in terms of getting it right, here’s a quick overview of the five steps the pros insist must be followed for the highest possible impact:
1 – Know Who You’re Selling To
Before going any further, it’s crucial to have a good understanding of exactly who it is you’re trying to sell your products to. After all – how can you know what to give them if you don’t first know exactly what it is that they want?
It demands attention but isn’t all-that tricky to get right. If you’re marketing to nine-year-old girls, lots of pinks and sparkly bits might work. If it’s a product aimed at nature-lovers, lots of lovely greens, blues and browns do the trick. It’s basically a case of thinking of what it is you’re selling, who’s buying it and ultimately what they’re into. You can then use this as a blueprint from your resulting labels and chances are you won’t put a foot wrong.
2 – Know the Competition
Now, there are two very good reasons to check out and study the competition – one being to see what works and the other being to look for any gaps. In the case of the former, taking a look at what’s out there and selling by the boatload is pretty much marketing 101. You might not have billions to spend on marketing strategies, so feel free to take a few tips from those who do…just be careful not to rip them off wholesale.
As for the latter, think carefully about anything their labels aren’t getting across that you yourself could capitalise on. Maybe they’re failing to fully highlight one of the product’s most wonderful properties? If so, you have yourself a great selling point to work with.
3 – A Clear Window
The days of being able to get away with hiding food products until the buyer gets them home and opens the packaging are over – one too many nasty surprises have left the market rather jaded. By contrast, packaging that shows the product off in all its glory – i.e. clear packaging – is the new in-thing across most areas of the market. This should be taken into account when creating your labels as while it’s important to make sure they get at least a glimpse of what’s inside, it’s better if they can see the whole lovely creation in full.
4 – Don’t Scrimp on the Print
The only thing that’s worse that coming up with a poorly designed label is coming up with a brilliant label that’s then laid to waste by lacklustre printing processes. If your labels look as though they were printed using equipment that should have been retired three decades ago, it’s going to be hard for anyone to take you too seriously. Whether it’s faded, warped or just generally all washed out and unimpressive, a quality label design is pointless without quality printing.
Just remember that for every hour, minute and second you invest in the creation of a great product and a great label, you need to invest in similarly high-end printing or you’re effectively wasting your time…and money.
5 – Don’t Forget the Extras
Last but not least, try not to forget that along with selling this specific product on its own, you’re also looking to snare the customer for the long-term. This is made a great deal easier by making sure you remember to include as much information as needed to get them to your website, your store or simply to get in touch if they have any questions. Don’t go overboard cramming your life story onto the label, but do make sure to point them toward where your story can be accessed.
