Let’s think of a world where there are millions of products for sale and people are being advertised to almost every minute of their waking lives. People can’t watch football, go to the movies or even use social media without seeing a few ads about the many different ways to spend their money. Well, unfortunately, this world is real and we’re living in it.
Today, Advertising for TV and web alone is a $100 Billion industry. Every day, brands viciously go to battle for our attention. Something is happening however that not many want to admit… There’s a revolution happening right now outside our doors.
What used to be simply putting up a commercial of your product on television no longer works.
People are becoming immune to this ad battle and simply ignoring most of traditional advertising. People are buying less printed material. People are cutting television cable. People are using ad blockers for mobile. The certainties of advertising are no longer a sure bet. You can no longer spend a bunch of money on media spots and just slap something there for people to flock to your product and quickly get a return on that investment.
People have become smarter, they’ve become more selective and they put more thought into what makes them part ways with their hard-earned money. However, with this revolution, one really interesting thing is happening right now.
People are placing a much higher value on companies that are able to connect with them.
People are placing a much higher value on companies that are able to connect with them. So, how can you make the necessary adjustments in your advertising to truly connect with your audience? Here are three things you must do.
- You must align your business to your audience.
- You must prove you’re trustworthy.
- You must speak from the heart.
Align your business to your audience
Understanding your target audience is extremely important. To know your audience you must have answers to these questions
- What are their goals?
- What do they need to reach those goals?
- What are their values?
- How can you help them along their journey for greatness?
It’s better to have a deep relationship with a few than it is to have a base level relationship with many.
It’s better to have a deep relationship with a few than it is to have a base level relationship with many. So, when developing a message or ad campaign, all this research should be used constantly.
Prove you’re trustworthy.
While you could incorporate the word “trust” on your website or in your video thousands of times in hopes that they’ll just believe it, it’s not that simple. Trust is earned, not given. A good rule of thumb here is to incorporate at least 2 of the following methods into your ads:
1. Honesty above all
Let’s start with an easy one. You must be 100% honest in your advertisements. Just like person to person relationship, if you lie once you might not get another chance. This also applies if you’ve done something wrong, admit it early and openly is the best way to protect the trust you’ve already established.
2. Give something of value
By doing this you’re showing your confidence in your business and care for your audience. The hard part is to decide what information to give away. Maybe it’s a how-to video, instructions or advice. There’s really no single answer here but it needs to be valuable, otherwise, you’re wasting everyone’s time.
3. Be authentic
The more authentic and transparent your business is, the more potential customers will be able to understand and ultimately, trust you. You should share your values, share your mistakes, share your goals and even share your growth.
4. Take the lead
Be more than a business, be a leader in the community and be a leader in your industry. Make sure though you’re leading for a cause that matters to you though, not just for the promotion.
Speak from the heart.
There’s no better way to connect with potential customers than by speaking from the heart. To get you started, here are a few questions to ask yourself.
- How/why did your company start?
- What explains the passion you have for your business?
- What are your personal goals for your company?
- How do you make a difference in people’s lives?
- What makes you different than everyone else?
When writing stories for our videos, this is often the starting point to create something meaningful. (notice how there are no questions about product specs here)
Conclusion
In this new revolution of “I-don’t-care-what-you’re-selling consumers” the only way to truly breakthrough is to rise above the noise is to tell your audience that you understand them, that you’re trustworthy and you have something to say beyond selling your product/service.
