By: Kimberley Henderson, Contributing Author
To say that 2020 continues to be a challenging and difficult year is both a cliché and an understatement. We have all been impacted negatively in some way, and so have our customers and businesses. As marketing professionals, we still need to persuade our audiences to buy, but in an empathetic and subtle way that is not offensive or a hard sell.
Samantha Mehra, instructor of the University of Toronto’s Copywriting that Sells course, provides three tips to keep in mind when connecting with our audiences right now and into the future.
1. Keep your audience’s most pressing needs and ethics in mind
As we develop our messaging, we need to be aware of how our messaging may be scrutinized by a world with more pressing concerns than reading our ads. You can stay on top of what your audience may be experiencing by checking the daily news for major changes and controversy. If you find that your audience may be facing something sensitive, use your best judgement and remain tactful with the frequency and tone of your messaging.
2. Avoid clichés and overused phrasing
There are some phrases we have seen so many times this year, they are already clichés. There are other phrases that are actually untrue, once you do a deeper dive.
Although some repetition is good as it allows the message to stick, it can sometimes have the opposite effect if the phrase is overused by different organizations and brands. The repetition may, in fact, detract from the meaning of the phrase and decrease its intended impact.
Also, phrases are more impactful if they are in fact true. For example, if you are saying, “we’re all in this together”, question the validity of the statement by asking “How are we in this together?” and think about, “What concrete actions are we taking as a brand to support the audience?”.
Think about how you can re-position your messaging using the meaning behind it, and you may be able to differentiate your brand from competitors who are using the same language.
3. Avoid talking about yourself too much
Focus on your audience when you are writing about your products and services by using the word, “you” and by personalizing the messaging. You can do this by thinking about the internalized issues that your audience values and writing copy that provides a solution to the problem they are facing now. Not only will your audience feel like you truly understand them, but you will stand out from the canned messaging they hear every day, across all channels.
It’s important to continue staying aware of what is changing and connect with your audiences in an authentic and caring way. By respecting your audience’s special circumstances, unique needs and concerns, you can support your brand’s bottom line through meaningful advertising and marketing.