Competing for consumers' attention is becoming increasingly more difficult. There are more ways to reach people than ever before, which has both advantages and disadvantages. The good news is that a company wanting to advertise its goods and services can reach prospective buyers on websites, mobile devices, blogs, search engines, Instagram and other social media avenues, etc. The bad news? Because most of these marketing methods are accessible to anyone with a few dollars and a basic knowledge of computers, the competition is through the roof. How can you make your marketing stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of potential customers? Here are seven suggestions:
1. Find a way to make your marketing content tell a story
Consumers respond to engaging content, whether its purpose is marketing or not. Therefore, it stands to reason that if you can tell a story that is interesting, amusing, or otherwise engaging, you can capture people's attention.
"Tell your story in the way that your target customers want to hear it. That might be a live video, a social media post with a photo, a brochure, an animated video with cartoon characters…it all depends on your target customers," says GrowBiz Media CEO and President Rieva Lesonsky, writing for the U.S. Small Business Administration.* "You’ll need to do some research to see what type of content they like most. You can also track the results of your content marketing to see what gets the most interaction and engagement."
2. Appeal to emotion
One way to grab a reader’s attention is to appeal to emotion. The emotion you wish to elicit should be tied to your marketing message. It can be joy through humor or something heart-warming, it can be a sense of urgency, or it can be targeting a competitor, if you choose that route. Regardless of what feeling you're trying to evoke, you should consider the emotion that your marketing is likely to elicit from consumers.
3. Make your visuals count
In addition to consumers' emotions, you need to appeal to their senses. They're bombarded by content at all times, whether it's on television, their computer, smartphone, or other devices and media. Make your visuals pop to stand out. Choose striking images that catch the eye, and avoid dull ad copy. You need to get your message across clearly, but that message will be lost if you don't draw consumers' eyes into your content to begin with.
4. Don't underestimate the importance of a headline
Your headline needs to pop, as well. The first line of text or dialogue that consumers will see should be enough to make them want to know more. If you're offering a great deal on a product or service, it's generally a good idea to lead with this. Few things grab people's attention more than the chance to save money. If you don't have a special offer, come up with information that is both relevant to your message and to your target market's interests.
5. Consider authority
It's important to present your brand as an authority in its space. Back up claims and bold statements with recent facts and references to authoritative sources. The more often that readers consider your company as an expert in its field, the more attention they're likely to pay when you have a product, service or a message you want to get across.
6. Explore video content creation
Video content marketing is practically a must today. It's both easier than ever and has the broadest reach it has ever had, thanks not only to the Internet and social media, but also to the increase on devices in which web video is consumed.
"If you aren't creating video, you're likely falling behind," says HubSpot.** But don't fret. For most videos, the simpler and rawer it is, the more authentic the content seems … and that's what really matters to your audience. Better yet, video production is more cost-effective than ever — you can shoot in high-quality, 4K video with your smartphone."
How many times have you gone to watch a video on YouTube and had to wait for an ad to play, at least partially? There are few better ways to command a user's attention than playing an ad right before a video they requested to view.
7. Don't forget a call to action
Getting the consumer's attention is the hard part, but once you have it, make sure you direct it to the right place. Don't forget to have a clear call to action to ensure that interested consumers and potential customers know exactly what they need to do to take advantage of your offer.
* https://www.sba.gov/blog/how-create-marketing-content-gets-attention/
