In the year 2016, media constantly surrounds us on all fronts. We spend our time scrolling through social media, clicking through channels on our TV and streaming music online. In doing so, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements. While we might hide an online ad, change the channel during a commercial, or tune into a different radio station in-between a song, it is hard to get away from advertisements. With media constantly surrounding us, how can marketers reach their audience in a way that makes them stand out over all the clutter?
Consumers don’t need more media content thrown their way every time they turn on the TV or login to their computer. This leaves customers annoyed with both your advertisements and your company. What consumers really need to see is quality content in the media they are already seeing. The only way to make your advertisements stand out among the millions of other ads out there is to introduce your customers to higher quality content marketing. Putting ads on every site available won’t do your marketing strategy any good if the quality is lacking. Finding a quality marketing strategy that fits your needs as well as the needs of your audience is very important for your overall branding image. Without a true understanding of your customers, your business marketing will never be as effective as you need it to be. To be effective and fully understand your audience and their demands, I recommend using the 4 C’s of business marketing. Jayson DeMers, an author for Forbes, defines quality content marketing as, “what separates the winners from the losers online.” DeMers then goes on to say that high quality content is “what will help your site rank well in the search engines, what will naturally attract high-quality inbound links, and what will help you build trust, credibility, and authority with your audience.” In order to have quality over quantity content marketing, you just need to keep the content simple. Don’t present your audience with an entire novel about why they should buy your product. Keep it simple. Word count is an extremely important factor when trying to connect to and reach your audience. If content is too wordy, your customers might either forget what is said or they might be so uninterested that they tune it out completely. Not only should you keep your message short, but also keep in mind the fact that your audience might not understand the jargon of your industry. Simplicity is key when writing content for a mass audience.
Implementing graphics into your content is another way to keep your audience’s attention. Although text is definitely an effective tool in your marketing strategy, people are visual. Using images can spark an interest in your content that copy might not. Making your content visually appealing is just as important as what the content says. Creating high quality content and implementing it into your business strategy may seem like a daunting task. With all of the different media platforms available today it is easy to get lost among the clutter. Knowing your audience and where to place your content is very important to this process.
Choosing the right platform in which to place your newly developed quality content is highly important to the overall success of the marketing strategy. If you truly know your customer, then this part should be simple. For example, if you’re targeting an older audience, placing ads on twitter probably won’t catch their attention. For this demographic, marketing on TV might be more beneficial. You don’t have to be everywhere to reach your audience; you just need to be sharing the right message. If your business is trying to target a younger audience, you should implement a quality marketing strategy that caters to that demographic. When targeting a younger audience, using social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, can be highly effective. This allows companies to communicate directly with their consumers. Communication with your audience can greatly benefit your marketing strategy overall. Quality content can be hard to come by and will almost always grab the audience’s attention. This is key in convincing the customer to change their buying behavior. Once you have a clear understanding of your audience, it is important to put out higher quality work over mass quantities of content. This content should be concise, simple, and visually appealing to your audience. Now that you really know your audience and understand what media platforms to reach them on, whether it is one social media or through videos and webinars, you can begin to think strategically. You have spent time developing quality content, and now you need to be strategic about where to place it. Do you prefer a quality or a quantity approach in marketing? Tell us in the comments below. ABOUT CATMEDIA CATMEDIA is a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) firm based in Atlanta. The firm’s trademarked communications process, CATVANTAGE™, enables the team to deliver customized solutions to meet client needs in creative services, strategic communications, training and eLearning programs, and program management. For more information about CATMEDIA, visit CATMEDIA.com.
Great insight and summary! Short and pithy responses; relevant, appealing graphics; and accessible, targeted social media are definitively signs of high quality, uncluttered messaging.