How can you create a message that connects with potential customers? (2024)

Understanding your audience is the cornerstone of effective communication. By tapping into their needs and preferences through research and feedback, we can craft messages that resonate deeply and drive meaningful engagement. Tailoring our approach based on audience insights is not just strategic, but it's also respectful of their time and values.

🔍 1. Know 'em:First off, get the lowdown on who you're chatting up. Dive deep into their needs, wishes, woes, and whims. Use tools like surveys, feedback, or even chit-chats. Speak their lingo, match their vibe. 🎙️2. Tools to use:Exploding Topics: Catch trends before they're hot. See what's buzzing now, and what’s about to. A sneak peek into future faves. 🚀BuzzSumo: Spy on top content in your niche. Learn from big hits (and flops). Adjust your message for that home run. ⚾️Google Trends: Classic, but gold. Spot search patterns. Align your message with what's on the upswing. 📈SEMrush (or similar): Peek into keywords. What are folks typing? Echo that in your content. Don’t just guess what they want, find it and give it to them

Audiences, personas and such are somewhat overrated in their importance. You can go down many deep rabbit holes finding precise target group descriptions, only to find all off it makes little difference when it comes to the final communication.This needs two bold steps: one, finding a unique reason for the audience to connect with your product. And two, finding a unique way to advertise this connect.Unique what-to-say.And unique how-to-say-it.That's what it all comes down to.

Knowing your target audience is like having a secret blueprint for your brand's success. While this doesn't mean you won't cater to others, it narrows your focus to where you can make the most impact.A deep understanding of your audience's preferences, aspirations, and behaviours equips you to craft messages that resonate with offerings they can't resist. This insight illuminates their preferred platforms, the content they consume, and even their life challenges—serving as your roadmap for genuine connection.So, why does this matter? It's your fast track to creating content, products, or services that are not just seen but deeply felt. You're not casting a wide net; you're spearfishing for what matters most to your brand and its growth.

I believe brands should write in a way that aligns with their brands. When surf excel says - 'Daag Ache hai' they are brilliantly positioning themselves as a cleaning utility as well as a message of let not others dirt of opinions harm you. The best copy always resonates with audience and uplifts their mood by being interpreted in multiple ways!

Good listening, observation, analysis and testingThis is the complete equation that guarantees the success of your marketing funnelThe sale does not stop when the sale is madeBut a successful person follows through and learns from the experience his clients go through

The objective of all communication is to change someone's mind.What were.they thinking about you earlier, if anything. This is Point A.What do you want them to think about you now, after they see the communication. This is Point B, where you need to take them.Define Point A, and Point B. Then define why they will believe Point B. That's basically it. It's where you start the magic.

"Value proposition" is the politically correct official term for "non-bullsh*t reason why someone should consider picking you over all the other options in their life, including doing nothing."Which means "toothpaste X cleans teeth" is not a value proposition. As every toothpaste arguably does.Neither is "toothpaste X whitens teeth" any more. As now a few dozen claim to.Let's take "toothpaste X whitens more than other toothpastes". This can work if you can prove and demonstrate itand tell folks why, because of ingredient Y. Now you have a value proposition.

Maurice Saatchi , founder of global ad firm, once said, the main aim of advertising is to ensure brand’s core USP is conveyed in one word. For example - what comes to your mind when you hear “google”? If you answered, “search” then you have cracked the advertising code.

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Instead of spending on ads upfront, a better way is to test using organic content on platforms that give you free reach. Figure out what's working and then amplify that those creatives with money for scale.

People remember stories, not statistics. Craft a narrative that showcases how your brand has made a difference in the lives of customers. Use relatable, emotional stories when possible.

A valuable approach I've discovered is to consider the viewpoints of the product, customer success, and account executives teams when shaping the value proposition. They possess insights into what resonates with customers before the purchase, after the purchase is completed, and what keeps them engaged while using the product.

Let's say the brief or value prop is "toothpaste X whitens more than others because of ingredient Y"Sure one can write a headline like "Whiter than the whitest." But frankly it's boring. You can make it more interesting with a line like "A smile to light up the room. Literally."But frankly, headlines aren't usually the best way to do it. You might do better to think visually.Let's say there's a visual of teeth in a mouth with varying whitness. Copy now indicates which toothpaste cleaned which, and of course, brand X produces the whitest one. Now that's a persuasive visual.You can play with it. Add a line to a visual. Show a person lying down in shock. With a line like "Be careful when meeting folks after brushing with X".Better?

Audience preference for visual or auditory advertising demands a balanced approach for advertising.Eg Whiter cleaner teeth enjoy food more.

There's a whole lotta buzz that "no one has time to read long text". Which kinda implies that no one reads books, newspapers, web pages or menus any more. Which, as you'll see the point I'm making, is complete nonsense.People read well-written copy. As the adage goes, you will read every word of a 10,000 word long ad that is titled "This ad is about you."At this point I'm almost 400 characters into this piece and you're still reading it. The point again is that there are no bad readers. There are only bad writers.Don't be one. Try to develop a voice or writing style for your brand. Or even turn to ChatGPT and ask it to write in that tone of voice. And then improve it.But, hey, do write

I agree to that point!! there's so much content these days everywhere -- books, blogs, articles, office comms, intranet, FB, IG,LI, etc.. that you need a great writer to catch your interest.. else its just browsing!! scroll.. scroll.. Thanks for that note Mahesh!!

A clear call to action reduces the guesswork a lead has to go through to figure out next steps to take with your brand. The simpler it is, the better since people can get overwhelmed by the paradox of choice and turn their attention elsewhere.

Once you've effectively communicated your brand's value and piqued your audience's interest, the next vital step is to funnel this enthusiasm into tangible actions. Whether your goal is to schedule consultation calls, initiate purchases, or deepen product knowledge, your outreach strategy needs to guide people toward a specific outcome.Failing to do this is akin to painting a beautiful dream but leaving out the steps to realize it. It results in a disconnect, where the audience is inspired but directionless. So, always have a well-defined 'call to action' that aligns with your outreach objectives.In essence, a compelling message deserves a compelling next step. This ensures you don't just capture attention, but also catalyze action.

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A successful marketing message should address and include the following key elements:- Who your audience is- What you want them to know- Their pain points- Your unique selling point or proposition (your product's value and the problem it solves)- How you can fix your audience's problemOther elements, such as the message's tone, voice and style, will depend on your brand and target customer. If your brand has a clever communication style and targets individuals in their 20s, for example, use that youthful, playful tone in all your messaging.

In my opinion there is one more thing that is mandatory to connect a brand with audience: be real. Always tell the truth to create a trusting connection with people.Nowadays it’s better to say that you are sorry for something than try to hide it and pretend the brand is perfect.