"Yeah, right." The common call of today's consumers. Face it, they're not buying your story.
According to the people who study this stuff, the average American sees over 3,000 ads per day. Everyone is trying to build a brand. Ads on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and web banners are ubiquitous. There are ads in your grocery cart, on your store receipts, in bathroom stalls, wrapped around cars, everywhere you turn! Consumers are so inundated that their first reactions is to ignore the message all together. (Name 3 web ad banners you've seen so far today. Not easy, is it?).
There was a time when consumers recognized the well-dressed spokesperson on TV or carefully read the nicely worded advertisement in the newspaper. Now, they don't need to believe advertising. Consumers have many choices when making purchasing decisions. Any little blip on their BS meter and you're relegated to the "Ignore" pile for eternity!
Read your own marketing materials. Are they full of buzz-words? Optmize, maximize, monetize. Best-of-breed, push the envelope, outside the box. Bandwidth, stickiness, repurpose, synergy. Let's take this offline. If you cringe at the sound, you can bet your customers do, too! The business English slung around the office is the WRONG thing to use in marketing messages.
The truth of the matter is that consumers don't want marketing messages at all. They want knowledge!
Consumers don't want overblown promises. Unless your product will make the bed, do the laundry, fold it and put it away, it's probably not really going to offer a life-changing experience. Tone it down!
The goal of you message should be to develop a connection. Earn trust. Give your clients a low-cost way to test drive your ideas or products. Invest the time to develop the conversation. Just because you are excited about the new ad campaign, don't expect your customers to share your enthusiasm. Strong relationships take time to develop.
Message on a human level. A perfectly polished corporate image is bound to set off the alarm. Share your challenges alongside your successes. Admit mistakes and turn them into opportunities. Transparency builds trust.
In a world filled with BS, it takes time for your honesty to be recognized as such. But you can be believable! Use straight forward language, share your knowledge freely without acting like the smartest person in the room. Tone down your promises.
Most importantly, make a commitment. Make a commitment to your customers and make a commitment to smarter business communications. Trust your initial instincts and give campaigns the time they need. Spread them across a variety of media. Don't expect miracles from the "killer ad" or the one-time ad blitz. Commit yourself to earning the trust of your customers over time. And once you've earned that trust feed it and nourish it.
Your customers may be jaded and skeptical, but you can win them over! The good guys can win!
