The average American (not that I’m calling you average) is exposed to over 3,000 advertising messages a day including an ever-increasing number from social media which can be extremely targeted. When there’s that much noise in the marketplace, our typical response is, “I can’t hear you; I don’t believe you; or I don’t trust you.”
Strong marketing is all about cutting through that noise and connecting the right audience with the right message that demonstrates how your product or service solves their real problems. Here are three ways we’ve had success in doing this:
Add value by being a thought leader.
Stop talking about your products and services like you’re a walking catalogue. (Do our kids know what those are?) Your customers want examples of how successful people in their positions achieve and thrive. Write an article that challenges common thoughts or beliefs and provide new techniques to solve old problems. Don’t just talk theoretically though. Provide real life examples of your ideas. Doing this will put weight behind your words and build credibility.
Tell stories.
There’s a reason “The Princess Bride” is one of the most popular movies of all time. It’s a movie about a grandfather reading a story to his grandson. People love stories so much that they’ll watch a movie about a guy telling a story! The most popular TED talks are typically based around stories of people’s lives and how they overcame a seemingly insurmountable challenge.
Stories provide important context and humanize you to your audiences. They can relate to your challenges and they’ll want to hear how you persevered and overcame them. By telling a compelling story, you associate yourself, your company and your brand with overcoming challenges.
Use immersive media.
A picture is worth 1,000 words, right? We tried that on our professors in college and it didn’t fly, but in terms of marketing and being memorable, pictures make a world of difference. Infographics are a great way to present information and tell a story using visuals. And you’re more likely to hold someone’s attention with an infographic versus a 2,000-word paper.
YouTube is the second most used search engine behind Google. So, create short, fun explainer videos. With video, you’re able to create a bigger impact by using audio to help enhance the story you’re telling. Your goal is to capture attention and enable your audience to take in your content quickly and encourage them to join you in your journey.
What are some ways you’ve seen marketers cut through a noisy marketplace in the past? Have you overcome an interesting challenge? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.
P.S. We created a new course with my partner Hamid from The Linus Group. It’s called the Marketing Strategy Master Class and I’d be thrilled if you would take a look! Thanks for reading - Susan.
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