- bpcreative2014
How To Overcome Marketplace Noise And Be Heard By Your Audience
Brands have the potential to do crazy things when they are frantic to be heard. They act different. They communicate in clearly desperate ways. They, sometimes, even try to goad people into reacting. By doing these things, brands are adding to the “Noise” in the marketplace and are simply being ignored time and time again. Learning how to overcome this noise and be heard by your audience is a difficult and ever changing process that if mastered, creates the potential to see an increase in loyal fans and a consistent stream of revenue.
I understand that all businesses, companies, organizations and brands are all trying to be heard. I understand that all of us are creating campaigns, designing products and developing web content strategies etc. All of these are powerful tactics, but without an audience that is LISTENING to these tactics it will seem that doing these things is a waste of time and resources. Here are three, let’s call them guidelines, on how to overcome marketplace noise and be heard by your audience.
Create/Develop in the places people are paying attention
In today’s fast paced society, people only go where they want to go. They read news and articles only where they want to. We do not have time to check six different sources and read 20 blogs per day. This is why data collection and market research are vital. Creating content is half the battle. The other half is knowing where to place that content in order to be “Heard.” Facebook and Twitter are not the only places content needs to be placed. Be creative. Be strategic.
Stop with the Antics
About six months ago I was sitting in a negotiation deal over a specific promotional product that our client was interested in. We explained how this product would immediately create a deep brand-to-consumer connection and would have an impact on overall sales over the life of the campaign. This product was a tech based product. The sales rep, eager to close the deal, had the client perform two extreme tests using this product. I could feel the tension and the uncomfortableness in our client. Our sales rep got his point across but did it in a stunt kind of way. Cut the crap. People can see and feel these antics the second they begin and that “trying to hard” sense creeps in as well. Be real. Be honest.
Would your customers catch you in a “Trust Fall?”
Think about the brands that you consistently buy from. Why is that you continue to do business with them? Trust is most common factor when answering this question and being heard above all the market noise. The top priority of any marketer or content strategist ought to be creating content that causes people to react and view your brand in a different lens than any of the other businesses out there. That is what I call being HEARD. Do your customers TRUST you? How can your brand increase customer trust? Be authentic. Be trustworthy.
By carefully considering and reacting to these three guidelines, your customers and potential customers will seek you out. They will find you, subscribe to and follow your content. Being heard sometimes is lucky, but more times than not, a strategic plan was the cause. Be noisy (strategically) Be heard.