What’s more important: what we say or where we say it? The noise from the where-we-say-it gang has been pretty deafening recently. Time for we content creators to get more of a hearing.
Sure, social media
has transformed the way that we communicate, as individuals sharing with
friends and as businesses building a customer base through trust and
recommendation. Little wonder that so much blog space is filled with ‘route to
market’ advice. But, hang on a minute, what is it that we are sending on the
chosen route? Content of course.
Communications Technology
and Data Management are specialist fields that have changed forever the way
that advertising agencies and their related services work. An over-emphasis on
media channels however can confuse and overshadow the keystone of your marketing
activities. Content of course.
There are only two
things that we can see on a website, facebook page, brochure or tablet of
stone: words and images. It’s the content that sells, not the delivery system.
Now, don’t get me
wrong – it’s vital that we get our messages to our target audience through
channels which will maximise the ROI. We content creators must shape our copy
style and structure to suit the intended platform. An integrated approach twixt
message and media is clearly essential, but, putting media before message is like sourcing transport before the goods are
ordered.
Whatever your
business, whether you offer products or services, think hard about your target
customers and your competitors. What sets you apart and will make you the
chosen one? Define your USP and your customer’s profile and you have found your
core message. This is particularly true for start-up enterprises. You need to
sell yourself from the get-go. Don’t let anyone persuade you that advertising
is a waste of money. Only bad advertising is. Good content is your best
salesman and he should always return more than he costs.
You’re an expert in your business but don’t hesitate to talk
to experts who know how and where to sell your offer. Beware of advice
that confuses and jargon that is used for cool effect. And beware the
myth-makers…
Myth 1: “Advertising
is dead.” Good advice from those who believe Elvis is alive and living on the
moon.
Myth 2: “The medium
is the message.” Wrong – no message, no medium. But this from Marshall McLuhan
who famously was paid a handsome fee by General Motors only to tell them that
automobiles were a thing of the past.
Myth 3: “Marketing
creates brands.” Truth – customer experience creates brands.
If you are a start-up
business wanting to get your story read, (and why would you not?) my advice is
to make sure it’s worth reading. Stating the obvious, yes, but attention spans
are short in the digital age. You need content that says exactly what you do,
(so many fail to do this with absolute
clarity) and tells your reader what’s in it for them. Your target customers are
not interested in you, only in what you can do for them!
Never talk down to
your audience. As advertising guru David Ogilvy said, “The consumer isn’t a
moron; she is your wife.” Using the right tone of voice to address your target
customers and to be relevant to the chosen medium is critical.
When your prospects
become customers do everything and more to keep them. If content is King in the
marketing realm, customer service is Queen. You have done the hard work to win
a customer - don’t lose her through shoddy after-sales service. Positive
word-of-mouth is good news but in an age of universal critics the reverse can
do untold damage. Negative comments on sites like TripAdvisor demonstrate this
point perfectly.
Writing styles and
language usage are continually being re-shaped in the rapidly changing world of
communications. Social media and website structure can impose tight disciplines
on the copywriter. Without discipline however, copy can lose focus, and the
reader’s attention. Effective content
is concise and targeted. Above all it involves the reader emotionally and calls
him to action.
From a very
different genre, Ernest Hemingway showed us in his shortest of short stories
how much could be said with minimal content: “For sale: baby shoes, never
worn.” Six brief words that conjure up a wealth of imagery in the reader’s
mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment