Or followers, fans, congregants, subscribers, etc.
You need to connect and communicate with your audience clearly. You want traffic, visits, likes, and shares. Perhaps you even want to be considered an influencer. You know what you want; you're just not entirely clear on how to get there.
Several years ago, I wrote a blog. In my mind, it wasn't any different than any of the others I wrote--and I wrote hundreds of blogs. I wasn't thinking about SEO, structure, or even readability. I was just sketching my thoughts out in the form of words. I had this bad habit of writing when I was angry or annoyed at the world, the church, or even my family.
It's nothing special, but you can read it if you want.
I wrote it, published it, and sat down to watch television with my wife. When I headed up to bed, I glanced at my phone and was slightly shocked that it already had several hundred views and multiple shares on Facebook. I smiled and went to bed. The next morning, I woke up to more than 2000 views, hundreds of shares, and emails requesting it be featured on another site.
In the end, that post landed me more than 30,000 views. It was as close to viral (I know, not really close) as I would ever get. What did I do? How did that happen?
I was clear. It wasn't perfect, but it struck the right cord with my audience.
Clear communication is the cornerstone of customer engagement and retention.
Content marketing offers a unique platform to convey your message effectively. Here’s how you can leverage it to communicate clearly with your customers.
**Disclaimer: I'm not guaranteeing results. People who do that are lying to you. Nothing is ever a sure thing. No formula is guaranteed to work. It's about following best practices consistently, not giving up, and continually working to get better. if you're on board with that, feel free to move on and read the rest.
Sure, being fancy with your words is fun. Little catchphrases are fun to write and might even hold some important meaning to you. But if your customers don't know what you mean, then it's fancy for nothing. If your website doesn't explain itself and you have to clarify things, then you've wasted time on the wrong things.
Here's an example of what I mean.
A fancy tagline for the new coffee shop on the corner might sound something like this:
"Make your Monday mornings magical."
The pastor in me is so tempted to get tricky with using multiple M's. It sounds fun, and it's even a little memorable (I did it again, another M).
Here's the same thing but with clarity.
"The cup of coffee you need for every Monday morning."
Communicate Clearly About Who Your Audience Is
Before crafting your message, understand who your customers are. Most businesses don't sell to every person. Instead, you're selling to an ideal person. And the more specific you get, the better. It's tempting, however, to want to sell to everyone. After all, the bigger your market, the more potential sales. And that means more money in your pocket. It's a little bit of psychology and a whole lot of relationship-building.
The problem is that when you try to write to everyone, you end up writing to no one.
So, the goal is to keep very specific people in mind as you craft your messaging. For example, perhaps your ideal customer is a 30-something mom of 2 girls who struggles to find time for themselves. Or it's the twenty-something man inching his way up the corporate ladder. These are called buyer personas, and they are incredibly helpful when crafting your message because they help you put yourself in the shoes of your ideal customer. It helps you understand them, their needs, pain points, hopes, and dreams.
Hubspot has a really cool buyer persona tool that will guide you through the process. Take the time to do it. It's worth it. Trust me.
Keep It Simple and Direct
Use simple language and a direct tone. Fancy and creative isn't always the best route. It might be a hard pill to swallow, especially if you're a writer, and your messaging shouldn't look like a piece of literature.
Avoid these two key errors:
Over fluff and too many adjectives. Don't over-embellish or overdo your descriptions of things. While there are some really cool brands that do a fun and creative job of messaging that are, at times, overly creative and sometimes cryptic. However, keeping it simple and clear can have dramatic effects on how people perceive your brand. For some ideas, check out this YouTube video from Brand Master Academy.
Avoid jargon and complex sentences that might confuse your audience. The goal is to make your content easily digestible. If you use industry jargon, all those new customers who don't speak your language yet are going to feel really dumb and bounce from your site as quickly as they arrive. Honestly, when I am searching for information or a product I'm not familiar with, I'm also looking to be educated. If you can't come down to my level, then I'll go somewhere else that will.
Clarity Is Also About Consistency
Consistency in your messaging reinforces brand recognition. Ensure your content reflects a consistent voice, style, and message across all channels.
Once you make the decision on your messaging, stick to it. Don't confuse it with multiple tag lines, different product descriptions, or different ways to say the same thing. yes, you will feel repetitive. But that's the point.
All of your social, website, and print should look, feel, and read the same.
However, consistency also refers to your brand voice. Are you trying to be reflective, sophisticated, humorous, or sobering? How do you want your customers to feel? This is all about your brand voice. Be consistent.
Examples
Insurance branding: Despite the sometimes serious nature of auto insurance, major companies like State Farm, Progressive, and Allstate have made humor a central part of their messaging. Can you imagine if you suddenly saw a serious commercial?
Fragrance: However, on the other hand, most major fragrance makers craft these odd, vague commercials that add a significant layer of sophistication to their branding.
The key is consistency.
Find Clarity By Telling a Story
Stories resonate with people. Use storytelling to make your content more engaging and memorable. A good story can illustrate complex ideas in relatable terms.
Several years ago, my wife and I decided to start a bakery business. Does that make you want to read more? Not likely. What if I told you the story of how I discovered I had celiac disease and my wife's ten-year quest to figure out how to make sure I didn't miss out on the foods I loved? What if I told you that once we started having kids, we noticed similar allergies in them? After we had our middle two daughters tested for food allergies, we learned that our entire house needed to be dairy, gluten, egg, and grain-free.
As a result, my wife got her hands on every recipe she could find. She experimented, failed, and learned every step of the way. Until she nailed it, she knew our hardships and wanted to help others. So, we started a bakery that made everything gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan.
See, the story made it better. It draws you in and creates a connection.
Story is the basic principle behind the StoryBrand framework. If you haven't checked it out, I would recommend you pick the book Story Brand and read it.
Conclusion
Clear communication through content marketing is an ongoing process. By understanding your audience, keeping your message simple, and using the right tools, you can ensure that your message is heard loud and clear.
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