In the last week I have encountered a plethora of misguided marketing messages. Here are 3 examples.
- On my way into work I heard a radio commercial begin this way: “What you are looking at is the finest in luxury jewelry…” It was as if they just took the audio right out of their television ad without thinking.
- On a country music station an ad came on for one of those doctor or lawyer (not sure which one) referral services. It was an auto-tuned rap song.
- An insurance agency in Iowa had paid to promote their Facebook page so it ended up in my feed. I am located in Virginia.
The reason I use those examples is to show that your marketing and advertising messages can be powerful, but they can either be very positive or very negative. So, what are you doing to ensure that your message is a) Correct and b) Appropriate?
Understand you
In order to send an effective message, you need to begin with your organization. What is the brand that you are trying to communicate? What do you want people to think about when they think about your organization?
Understand your audience
Much like selecting a target market, you have to fully understand that demographic. Who are they? What do they like? Where are the located? What are their habits? What are their biggest needs?
Understand your media
Do you have a highly visible message? Would sound or a jingle be appropriate? Are you looking to distribute content? All of these will affect whether you choose a radio ad, Facebook, billboard or website banner for your message. The important thing is to make sure you choose the right content for the right media.
Understand your goal
What do you want people to take from your message? What do you want them to do?
Once you’ve defined the goal and how to set it up, tell your audience what to do next. Should they call you? Email you? Visit a website or a store? A message without a call to action is virtually useless – you need to guide your audience to take the next step toward conversion (setting up a meeting, visiting your website, etc.).
All of these questions should help you determine what your message is, what you want people to think about you, the urgency to use your services or buy your product and how they can do so. Once you have that defined, all that’s left is to implement the plan. Just make sure it’s not a rap song on a country music station.