Example Articles
Engage your Audience
When evaluating the best approach to effectively engage your audience, imagine standing on a stage with a microphone in your hand, in the largest auditorium you have ever seen, packed full of all of your potential customers.
All eyes are on you. What are you going to say?
Obviously, you will try to reach every audience member, but sometimes it is not possible. Often they can’t hear you clearly or don’t understand the point of your message, so they ask the people around them to explain, or they disengage and leave to find another speaker. Are you confident that the people who did hear you fully understand your message?
So, how do you make sure you have a clear message that will engage your entire audience?
The first step is determining who your ideal audience is, and what they are looking for. If you don’t know the answer to either, take a few steps back and reevaluate your approach. And don’t just research your audience on the internet, find the proper venue and speak with them face to face, observation is the easiest way to gauge a person’s emotional reaction.
Eye contact is important in creating trust in social connections, so what is the equivalent of eye contact in the virtual world? Connection with customers should involve relevant information and experiences that they can easily relate to their own situations. Let your site visitors know that you understand them, and you share their goals. Write to them in a conversational tone that gives them the impression that you are speaking to them directly.
Your message should be the most important element, not the SEO keywords, or the flash banner you have paid hundreds (or thousands) to insert on your homepage. SEO words only get your site in front of the potential customer, and people tend to forget the flashy movies when they are searching for the appropriate service provider.
Too much flash gives people the idea that you are trying to distract them while you pick their pocket. Give them exactly what they are looking for, on your very first page. Keep the key points strong and clear. Don’t muddle your message by trying to say too much. Pick a few key points to express. You have a short amount of time to grab your customer’s attention, don’t waste it by confusing your message and frustrating them.
In the days of door-to-door salesmen, engagement was alive and well. These hardworking salespeople were the human connection to the faceless corporate world. A lot can be learned from their experiences. Its easy enough to ring a doorbell, the hard part is convincing the busy person on the other side of the door (or monitor) that your product is unique, and will add value to their lives.
Your approach to engagement should be much the same. Don’t speak to your audience as though you are standing on a stage in an auditorium. Speak to them as you would if you were walking up to their front door and expecting to be let in for some nice cold lemonade. Make eye contact with as many of them as you can.
Here are some key points to remember;
- Make “eye contact” and speak directly to your customers,
- Share information or experiences they can relate to,
- Present a clear, relevant message about your product.
Audience engagement is not a new marketing concept. As a selling technique, it has been a tried and true method throughout the last 100 years, and beyond. It is not the method that changes, only the medium.
Just remember, if you don’t treat your customers as individuals, your competitor certainly will.
Pamela Weir
Copyright (c) 2008 Market to the Moment (March 2008)
