Wednesday, May 12, 2010

White noise or powerful message?


I have a confession, and this is somewhat embarrassing, but I love talk radio. I have it on all day as I work. I don't actually listen; I just like having the background noise. I've tried listening to the radio, but I found myself singing along, which is distracting for everyone in my neighborhood. I think I like hearing the voices because it reminds me of working in a full office. Sometimes working from home can be very quite.

Which brings me to my point. Do you ever wonder how much attention is paid to your marketing efforts? Do people just pass right over it, like talk radio in the background?

The golden rule of marketing is that people have to be exposed to a message at least seven times before they even pay attention. If your message is inconsistent, then you will need to reach them more than seven times if you want to convince a potential client you have the solution to their problems. 

A concise, consistent message is key to cutting through all of the noise aimed at your ideal client. Using your business story to develop those unique talking points is a great way to connect with clients while staying true to your core values and showcasing your personality. 

Take some time this week to look over all of your marketing materials and jot down the key messages of each piece. Is there any consistency from piece to piece? Are the key points easily identifiable? Do they explain the benefits of your services, not just the techniques and details? 

Producing materials with key, clear powerful message points will prevent you from blending into the background noise.







9 comments:

Linda Pucci, PhD said...

Wow, Kristina. I hadn't quite thought about inconsistent messages as being "white noise." That makes sense and puts it into a totally different light. I'm going to spend some time this week and next looking at what I am communicating. Thanks!

Terri Brooks said...

I know exactly what you mean, I often wonder if people are just hearing me in the background. So I'll be taking your advice and giving my communications an overhaul.

Thanks!
Terri

Julie Hawkins said...

Kristina,

I loved your post! I've been saying for years that consistency and perseverance is the key to success. You totally reminded me that although I may be bored with my marketing others may not even be paying attention. Gotta get it to them the same way at least 7 times.
Thanks so much,
Julie Hawkins

Sandy Rees said...

I've been telling my nonprofit clients for years that they have to be purposeful and consistent about the messages they put out. I never thought about inconsistent messages becoming white noise. Thanks for the that!

Sandy Rees
Fundraising Coach
www.getfullyfunded.com

Dr. Jennifer Rozenhart said...

That is so true Kristina, I see a lot of marketing as background noise in my daily moving around. What we needed to focus on were the benefits to people being under care rather than what we do or how we do it...people don't care! They care about how they are going to be. feel, etc. because of your service or product.

Kristina Shands said...

So true Jennifer. People really don't care how things are done, they just care about the outcome and results. That is what we need to tell them about.

Santoshamo said...

Great post, Jennifer! I think it's taken me years and years to fully get this. I'm still not sure that I'm crystal clear, but I'm whole lot more clear than I used to be!

I love the idea of white noise in promotion and marketing. I'll be giving this some more thought. Thanks for that!

Melanie McGhee
www.peacefruit.com

Anonymous said...

Great advice that would SO benefit many solopreneurs. I love the idea of laying out ALL your marketing materials and making sure there are common threads and messages among them all. Spot on, Kristina!
Sue Painter

Dr. Karo Isajan said...


Very interesting , good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog.

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