Got a marketing message?
There’s an old adage that says “If you can’t write your idea on the back of a business card, you don’t have a clear idea.” No one really knows who said it, but it’s never been more true than in marketing. Make your marketing message complicated, and no one will understand it.
The short marketing message wins
According to Tagline Guru, the top 10 marketing message of all time are all short…and memorable. Do you remember these five?
“Got Milk?”
“Don’t Leave Home without it”
“Just Do It”
“Where’s the beef?”
“You’re in good hands with Allstate”
They’re short and you get the message…and probably still do. So why do so many seemingly great companies try to make their marketing message so complicated? Simplicity makes it possible for everyone with a 4th grade reading level to understand what you do. That’s important, unless you just want geniuses to buy what you sell. (that’s another bad marketing strategy)
Find a good marketing message and keep using it
If you want to go someplace quickly, you don’t wander. You find the shortest path and stick to it. The same discipline should apply to your marketing. Find the marketing message that your target consumers understand and can relate to. Then use it all the time. Reinforce it. Don’t confuse the market. Stake out a position in your prospect’s mind and claim it. You probably can’t afford the old “C&R” (creative and repetition) formula of “Mad Men” days, but a consistent marketing message that hits your prospect’s hot buttons doesn’t need to be repeated endlessly to be effective.
Where to use an effective marketing message
Everywhere! A strong and effective tag line that’s nice and short can be used over and over. It’s a headline for an ad. It fits on your card or your brochure cover. It works into Social media and your blog. It leads on your website, and your YouTube Videos use it liberally. And your “guerrilla marketing,” too, like direct mail, ad specialties, personal letters and messages on hold.
The most effective direct mail, letters and messages on hold use a short marketing message: attention spans are short, and you only have a moment to capture your prospect’s attention. Mark Twain said “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one.” Your marketing is the most important investment your business makes. So why not take as long as needed to create a short marketing message that really gets the job done right?
Not sure how to create a great short message? Call for a 15-minute (or shorter) strategy session, and lets see what we can come up with.