This post comes from Charlie Antoine, an author in our series of guest bloggers. Learn more about him here.
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How many advertisements do you remember in a given day? My guess is not very many. Experts predict we’re exposed to 3,000 – 5,000 marketing messages every day. Not only is it traditional advertising like billboards, magazines ads and commercials, but we’re now being bombarded with digital ads on the internet, and logos are plastered everywhere you look. There are even talks of advertising coming to your favorite sports teams.
Marketing is changing rapidly.
The advertising landscape has changed so much over the last 45 years. In the 70’s, marketing messages were as simple as a slogan or jingle. During the golden age of television, a 30-second TV spot could reach up to 70% of the viewing audience. With technology advancing as rapidly as it has, marketers have access to more tools and platforms on which to send marketing messages. The variation in mobile web and social media make it hard to pinpoint where everyone is going. Wherever consumers flock to, that is where advertising must go. Now you find it everywhere!
Consumers are in much greater control of what media they are exposed to and how much. In other words, they will consume what they want to consume. This makes your marketing objectives and media choices absolutely critical. Read more about this in a previous blog I wrote called 3 Questions Every Marketing Campaign Should Answer.
How do you cut through all this clutter? The US Navy coined a term in the 1960’s: KISS or Keep It Simple Stupid. Why overcomplicate things when they don’t need to be? Don't complicate your marketing! Avoid unnecessary complexity in your marketing campaigns and you’ll see an increase in advertising effectiveness in no time! Here are some tips to help you simplify your marketing/advertising:
1. Cut through the clutter.
Be clean, crisp, short and sweet. Flat minimalist logos are the latest trend, like the new Microsoft logo. Short slogans literally don’t contain many words but their deeper meanings speak volumes (like Xbox’s “Jump Ahead”). Simple messages instill a sense of wonder. Make your audience think and want to learn more. That will also drive traffic to your website or social media pages.
2. Be memorable.
Develop something clever and creative to stand out. Don’t be afraid to be bold. Sometimes it can be risky but high risks tend to have high rewards.
3. Get your message across.
Ever sit through an ad full of fluff and jargon? If you’re like me, I love straight and to the point, not just as a consumer, but in a professional setting as well. Therefore, that’s how I communicate to others. In today’s technology driven era it’s hard to capture someone’s attention for more than a few seconds. It’s best practice to deliver your primary message within the first 10 seconds or first paragraph of your marketing message.
4. Targeting is key!
First, determine who you want your target audience to be. Personas are a great way to establish what their demographic information might be, their lifestyle, what social media platforms they use (if any) and how they consume marketing messages. From there you can decide what media to use and what your message should say to effectively get through to them.
Social media platforms offer cost effective paid advertising platforms that allow you to tailor your audience based on demographic info, interests, geographic location, etc., and they determine effectiveness based on your defined marketing parameters. Shotgun marketing is ineffective so make sure you’re aiming where you ought to be.
Simplicity is mutually beneficial for both marketers and consumers. It will save lots of time and money from developing an overcomplicated marketing message as well as be less invasive for your audience. The degree of simplicity is dependent on your company/industry, but it’ll help break through the clutter.
Looking for more marketing tips? Check out the marketing section of our blog!
