How many times have you been bombarded with advertisements or other marketing materials by a brand that you couldn’t even name, even if you wanted to? These unmemorable brands are everywhere – clogging up Twitter feeds and making weirdly avant-garde TV adverts. Be honest, how often have you been surprised to find the advert you were watching was actually for perfume and not an exciting spy thriller?
It’s happening far too often. Many brands are so concerned with getting their name in front of people, that they don’t realise their marketing is having a negative effect, by being too loud, frequent, and similar to what everyone else is doing.
In today’s digital world, customers are becoming overwhelmed with an overabundance of content. We have found, time and time again, that people prefer to be addressed directly, with relevant Key Messaging and clear marketing that cuts through the noise. It’s clear that standing out from the crowd requires more than just speaking loudly…
In this cluttered, fast-paced online landscape, clear marketing is a powerful tool that can capture the hearts and attention of your target audience. Not only is it important to convey your brand’s value proposition effectively, but it can also help foster meaningful connections with the people who interact with your brand.
Speaking of brand interaction, in 2016, Forbes reported on a Beckon study. It showed a surprising trend: despite a threefold increase in marketing volume in 2015, customer engagement remained stagnant. The study revealed that a mere 5% of all branded content generated 90% of the total engagement. These findings reveal the level of content saturation in the market. This is exacerbated by the fact that people have very limited time in their day – they don’t want to waste it on content that has no value.
A key takeaway for brands to consider is that only a limited amount of content is actually doing anything. In such a crowded landscape, the only way to truly break through is by being clearer.
And, it’s important to remember – style isn’t everything. Substance matters just as much, if not more. All too often, brands use flowery language in their tone of voice guidelines, in an attempt to obscure the fact that they don’t have a clear idea of what they actually offer. Because of this, their marketing often lacks evidence and a reason to choose them over the competition. We’re looking to change this.
Clear marketing refers to the way your brand communicates with its potential customers. More specifically, it’s about valuing quality over quantity in these interactions. That means really investing in the words your customers see and making sure they are easily identifiable with your brand.
Why is this important? Well, we’re pretty confident you don’t enjoy spending money on marketing that doesn’t get you anywhere. Clear marketing reaches the people most likely to engage with your brand and purchase your product.
Of course, clear marketing should also utilise clear messaging. This enables your audience to quickly understand and relate with your brand. By distilling complex concepts into simple, concise language, you make it easier for potential customers to grasp what you offer and know why they should choose your brand over the competition.
When your messaging is clear, it establishes trust. By remaining transparent and straightforward in your marketing communication, you’ll build credibility and authenticity. Clear messaging creates a solid foundation for stronger customer relationships by eliminating confusion and scepticism.
It’s all well and good saying that you should speak clearly – but how do you actually do that? To start, we look inwards (as pretentious as that sounds). Whether it’s slogans, taglines, blog posts, or social media content – to communicate effectively, it’s vital you understand exactly what your brand has to offer.
That means uncovering what your brand does that the competition can’t – maybe you’ve got the brand authority, an established name, or a truly unique product. Whatever you think it might be, you’ll likely find that it’s not immediately apparent to your customers (or team).
Oh, and you also need to discover who exactly your audience is and where your company sits in the wider market. Sounds like a lot, right? This is where a Key Messaging and Positioning strategy comes into play. Proof uses our tried and tested method, PRISM, to unpick what makes your brand tick.
This process gives you a complete understanding of your brand, inside and out, which is exactly what you need to create a clear marketing strategy. You’ll be in a far better position to target people more likely to engage with your brand when you (and your team) know exactly what you have to offer.
It’s certainly a tough question. How do you know when an agency truly cares about speaking clearly? Personally, we think they include it in big letters on their homepage (but that’s just us..).
Clear marketing is something we’re hugely passionate about at Proof – if that wasn’t immediately obvious. We’d love to help you discover how to make that 5% of branded content count and give you the words you need to launch your brand into the stratosphere.
Get in touch with us today and find out how the right words, in the right places, can make your marketing as clear as day.
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