Don’t Overload Their Content Cart
Imagine stopping by a specialty grocery store. You’re not familiar with the products, but you want to experiment with the unique foods you’ve heard about. You walk in and are immediately loaded down with several carts full of everything possible. The shop owners figure, it can’t hurt. They love their products, so why not let you know about every one of them?
Then, a few days later, you walk into another store. There, a friendly representative asks a few strategic questions designed to assess your unique needs, lifestyle and taste. Quickly, she shares a handful of thoughtful recommendations and a handy meal plan that also points out which aisles shelve the foods you need. Oh, by the way, the meal plans are also online so you can browse conveniently at home.
Which experience would you choose? My guess is number two. Why?
• The second experience doesn’t expect you to do all the heavy lifting. You don’t have to sort through piles of possibilities, most of which you’d never purchase.
• It’s also based on your needs rather than the store’s goals. There’s a sense that their recommendations are actually focused on you.
• And it provides tools designed to make your busy life easier. Who doesn’t like that?
These same premises hold true for writing effective communication. Recently, while preparing to write copy for a client, I put on my reporter cap and asked a few questions. Specifically, I wondered about their audience’s needs and desires. What did the client hope their reader would think, feel and do? Their answer was “I want people to know about my product launch.”
Isn’t this answer kind of like that guy at the party who incessantly toots his own horn and never asks about you. You feel like he has a laundry list of things he needs to say and get from you.
The biggest problem here is that your audience reads through your motivation before they even finish the first paragraph. If they see it’s all about what you need, they’re quickly on to the next item in their newsfeed.
Most of us are busy. We have finite hours in a day. No one in your audience reads your content, purchases your product or attends an event for your benefit. Why would we expect them to?
This philosophy may have worked in the past: More is better. In the earliest Internet days, the theory was, “Just pour as much information out there as you can.” The idea was, why not give your audience all the data you want them to know and let them decide. I’m not sure this philosophy ever really worked, but it certainly doesn’t work in today’s information-drenched world. In fact, it might be destroying your chances to connect with readers every day.
Your reader is likely scrolling through an endless newsfeed and pile of mail. Their email in-box is a daily battle. And they have thousands of viewing choices on websites, cable and Netflix.
Your message only has a chance if it offers truly useful and easy-to-digest material that makes a difference to the reader. Did I mention that you have a matter of seconds to convince them? The hard work it takes to learn the needs of your audience and write lean and engaging content is not only a gracious move toward your reader, but the only way the communication you desire has a chance.
“Stop the insanity of continuously bombarding people with more asks and more copy than they can keep up with, just adding to the pressure they’re already feeling from daily life.” Kem Meyer
A rendition of this piece was first published on LinkedIn.
Lisa Severson is a writer, editor and storyteller who loves to help others create meaningful messages that make a difference. This is just one of her many writing samples. Contact Lisa to learn more about working together.
