There is a tremendous amount of conversation around audience targeting these days. And, it is justifiable. But, I have a question. Does it really matter if you get your message in front of the “right audience at the right time” if your message is trash? We have to do better at developing content. An individual’s attention is a precious commodity. So, why do we keep retreading the same old messages? We need to approach content differently.
Content cannot be an afterthought. Here a few things to consider in developing an approach to content.
- You are not the audience– Stop developing content that tickles your fancy. You are not the audience. We must develop content that speaks to the actual consumer of our product or service.
- Give them a reason to care– Your content should speak to the value that your good or service brings to the individual. The client is less concerned with how you build your widget. They are concerned with the value, or the impact, that your widget brings to them. As the great Zig Ziglar said, people only care about what’s in it for them. So, soak every piece of content in the value that your good or service adds to the individual.
- Diversify your content– Be creative. Use different types of content (text, images, videos, etc.). Test, test, test, and test. When you are done testing, test some more. Determine the mix of messaging and content type that drives the desired engagement.
- Diversify your messaging– Think in terms of micro-content. Ask yourself this question. How should I adjust my messaging based on where the individual is in their interaction with my organization? A person who has already engaged with my content should not continue to see the same messaging as someone who is unfamiliar with my brand. So, diversify your messaging and don’t forget to soak your message in your value proposition.
- Continuity– There should be consistency in your content across all platforms. There is a message that you are trying to deliver. Ask yourself this question. What is that I want people to think of when they consider my brand? Once you discover that, then marry it to the value proposition. Now, push that message relentlessly in every piece of content on every platform. Now, this almost seems to contradict the idea of diversifying your messaging based on where the individual is in their interaction with your organization. But, you should always find a way to bake your brand message and your value proposition into any, and all, content. Everything that we do adds to the public narrative. We want to control the narrative (as much as possible) and make certain that we deliver the desired message. Everything, good or bad, is branding.
Final Thought:
The average individual has an extremely short attention span. There is a cacophony of voices vying for attention. Life is vying for their attention. It can be extremely difficult to break through all of the clutter. Start with the premise that an individual’s time and attention are priceless. Once given, they cannot be taken back, so once you get the privilege of their time and attention, make it worthwhile to them.
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