Every day our senses are bombarded with messages which we process and filter almost imperceptibly and in most cases you have only a matter of seconds to get your audience interested in what you have to say. 

 A well written and well presented piece of communication can make the difference between getting noticed and getting binned.  Sounds obvious doesn’t it and if you give it some thought and a little time you can stand out and be remembered (for the right reasons!).  If you keep these 10 steps in mind every time you pick up a pen or sit down at your computer, you’ll not go far wrong:

1.  Audience – who is going to read your communication: employees, job applicants, shareholders, the media, customers (current, potential and lapsed), suppliers, subsidiaries, partners, affiliates, local community, opinion formers, trade union, etc?  In most cases you will have a primary audience so always write with them in mind.  In some cases it may be more than one audience group so you may have to tailor your message to appeal to a broad cross-section.  Which leads me on to …

2.  Tone of voice – casual or formal? Don’t upset your audience by getting this wrong.  And if they think they’re being patronised they’ll switch off.  You need to convey an air of gravitas – you are an expert in your field and you understand the subject.  But don’t get too technical if it’s not a technical audience.  Again, you’ll lose them.

3.  Medium – there’s no point blogging or tweeting if your audience isn’t interested in social media.  Have they opted in to your email list or do they prefer hard copy?  If you’re not sure, ask them.  One medium they will be interested in is your website.  This is your “shop window” so neglect this at your peril.

Now for the content itself:

4.  Clear – what you write must be unambiguous to avoid mixed messages.  Stay away from jargon and cliché.  If you use acronyms make sure you explain what they stand for the first time they appear.  Don’t be tempted to use words or phrases you wouldn’t normally use to describe your product or service – you have to feel comfortable with your communication.  Check for spelling mistakes and always get at least one person to proof read it for you.  Better still, employ the skills of a copywriter – it will be money well spent.

5.  Concise – get to the point as quickly as possible; draw attention to the benefits (not the features) and leave your audience in no doubt as to what you can do for them.  Don’t waste time with waffle – if it doesn’t add value, leave it out.

6.  Cogent – all communication must be convincing, believable and relevant.  Don’t lie and don’t make promises you can’t keep – it’s always better to exceed expectations.  If it doesn’t stand up to rigorous scrutiny, don’t use it.  If it sounds contentious, libellous or might cause offence, definitely don’t use it.  And if it’s just plain wishy washy, then start again!

7.  Compelling – if you’ve observed steps 1-6 so far then you’ve followed the AIDA principle of awareness, interest, desire and action.  With any luck you’ve whetted their appetites so give them a call to action whether it’s to ring, email, text, order online, download a voucher, find out more …

8.  Consistent – whether it’s online or offline, internal or external, make sure that all communication is consistent both from the point of view of content and how it looks.  From business cards to purchase orders, invoices to an ad in the local paper, website to company brochure, be consistent.  Make sure that everyone in your business is familiar with the house style – any inconsistencies will be at best confusing and at worst make you appear amateurish and untrustworthy. 

9.  Distinctive – appearance matters.  From your branding to the font you use, think about the impression you are creating.  Excellent quality materials will say something about the quality of your company, product, service and people.  By the same token, if it isn’t visually appealing it could be telling your audience that you lack attention to detail.  This is not to say that your artwork must be flashy or worthy of hanging in the Louvre.  On the contrary, in most cases less is definitely more.  If you want to be seen as a modern, forward thinking, 21st century company then that should be the image you portray.  And be consistent.  Think of companies or brands that you admire – in some cases you need only see their colours or part of their logo to know who they are.  Admittedly, they have probably spent vast sums creating this audience reaction but you can still replicate it on a smaller budget.  It could be worth employing the services of a graphic designer – it doesn’t have to be expensive and, executed properly, would almost certainly be a good investment.

10.  Differentiating – often referred to as your USP (unique selling proposition), this is arguably the most important element and is certainly the most difficult to articulate.  You know in your heart and your head that you can beat the competition and you’ve no doubt spent time with your marketing colleagues working out your USP but when it comes to communicating this to your audience I would draw your attention to tip number 6 – it must be convincing and believable.  Be honest with yourself and resist the temptation to roll out the same old hackneyed words and phrases that everyone else is using. 

In a crowded world of “me toos”, “looky likeys” and “also rans” you have to stand out.  Whatever you say must sit comfortably with your business objectives and overall marketing plan.  Be clear about what it is you want to say and to whom.  It’s never worth rushing to communicate only to find that two months later your story has changed.

If you’d like to find out more, contact jayne@marketingwithzest.co.uk