In the previous article, we explored the power of the branding bare necessities. Communicating the emotion your solution leads to is show the other side of your brand in a language that’s easy to understand for them to see the upside of doing business with you.
Coupling this rule of thumb with these key elements gives the simplicity of your message the impact it needs to strike the right chord with your audience.
1. They have a problem, so start there
If you’re like most people, you don’t buy the best products or services at the best price. That’s what you think you do but in reality, you buy the products or services that you understand the quickest (from brands that you feel understand you the most).
When you speak about your business, you know the problem and the solution so well, that your eagerness to show you can help results in communication that’s overwhelming. Going in too heavy on detail leads to overwhelm, at which point their self-preservation kicks in and they’re gone.
It’s easy to forget why you have the chance to communicate with them in the first place, that is, they have a problem. If that’s the reason you have their fleeting attention, it must be where you start the conversation.
2. They are the prize draw, not you
This is the single most common communication mistake that businesses make. Straight away they jump into themselves and all they end up communicating is “look at me”.
When you meet someone for the first time and they talk about themselves, their achievements, their material positions etc., you’d likely tune out and have very little interest in getting to know them better. If on the other hand, they seemed genuinely interested and asked you questions about who you are and what you like, you would have far more interest in who they were and you’d likely reciprocate the interest.
Even if you have the best service and the best price but your communication says, “look at me”, your audience will tune out, as they can’t see themselves in your jabber. It’s only when they hear themselves in your communication will they slow down to digest your message.
3. Paint a picture – problem solved
Regardless of medium, whether it’s your homepage or a Facebook ad, if your audience is exposed to your message, the likely reason is that they have a problem (or need) that you have the solution for.
Their end goal is to have that problem resolved. Whether they’re actively looking for a resolution or not, that’s their desired outcome. When that problem is fulfilled, they will feel a sense of relief, or happiness or satisfaction and that, is what they want from you. If you can paint the picture of that end goal, through imagery or copy, you appeal to their desire for life without that problem and open the idea that the path to get there is through your brand.
Conclusion
There’s likely more than one reason your visitors are not sticking around on your site or dismissing your ads but it’s more likely related to your messaging not your offering.
One of the most inexpensive yet effective ways to shake things up is by bringing your communication back to the bare necessities. Make it easy for your audience to see both their problem and their solution in your message. If you get that right, you’ll earn the much-coveted attention of your audience.
Stephen Houraghan, Brand Creator, www.iconicfox.com.au
