White Noise

How many emails do you receive each day?  What about phone calls? Voice mails? Pieces of mail? How many commercials do you hear or watch each day?  What about advertisements in trade journals?  Newspapers?  Magazines?  What about social media?  Are you engaging others on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter?  How many newsletters do you subscribe to?  Do you read them?

I ask you these questions because I’m curious as to how you feel about receiving all this information each day.  For example, what percent of this incoming information to you actually read?  Why certain things and not the others?  Is there a common thread?  Are they more interesting, comical, or perhaps, more relevant to you and the profession you are in?

When it comes to marketing, we can put a lot of time and effort into the various strategies we initiate.  Whether it’s a newsletter, blog post, mailer, or video.  While we may think we’ve executed it perfectly, what will our target audience think?  Will it be grouped with the rest of the “white noise” they receive each and every day or will it be part of that small percentage that they give attention to?

The key to a successful marketing strategy is the ability for it to stick and resonate with its intended audience.  But how can you ensure this happens?

• Use pictures to convey your message – 75% of people are visual learners.
• Create short videos, typically 60-90 seconds long – just enough to peak their interest.
• Scrub your newsletter email list periodically – to keep a strong foundation.
• Consider your strategies as a conversation with your audience – include a bit of humor if appropriate.
• Provide plenty of value without selling – that value will sell you.