Studies show that the average person is exposed to up to 10,000 brand messages a day. Microsoft claim the average person now has an eight second attention span. That’s not even long enough to read this blog!
We are divided across so many different screens that the fight for our attention is tougher than ever. So, in a world faced with the overwhelming long tail of choice, how do you make sure your brand gets its fair share of the attention?
Here are some of our top tips for ensuring your content, products, and brand, shines through the murky waters that surround us in our everyday lives.
Be unique
If your messaging relies on clichés, it’s not going to resonate with your customers. Develop an image and voice that is wholly your own.
If you think of your favourite brands, they stand out. Whether that is down to their customer service, styling and design, or something about the way they make you feel. Memorable brands are created, and maintained, through their unique qualities, helping them stand out in the competitive landscape.
Be authentic
Your brand needs to demonstrate a degree of sincerity. If you respond to all your customers on social media with the same copied and pasted response, you run the risk of looking like an automated robot or machine.
Instead, look to invest in the “personality” of your brand and speak to your customers. Start genuine conversations and forge relationships built on mutual understanding and benefit. If your brand is passionate about global issues, local community initiatives, or any other kind of personable activity, show it! Get involved in those areas and allow your brand to engage in topics that mean something to its core identity, it should be done consistently and over time, not just when a crisis comes around.
Be willing to invest in your understanding
The best and most popular brands are the ones that truly understand their target audiences. They demonstrate this by creating messaging that is relevant for their target audience, not just going for the spray and pray approach.
Demonstrate a degree of sympathy and instantly make it easier for that audience to connect with you. Whether that is through detailed research you commission or speaking directly to your own database of loyal customers, there is so much knowledge available from customers that you may well be sitting on a gold mine.
Be bolder, braver and even more curious
In branding, risk is one of the only paths on the route to reward. The boldest brands aren’t afraid to experiment with new techniques or take a stance on controversial issues within the industry. They also encourage more loyalty and respect. Keep asking, what else?
If you’ve reached a stumbling block in your creativity and out of the box thinking, call in the reinforcements! Ask around the wider company, not just your sales and marketing department, for ideas. Hold a company away day with blue sky thinking that opens you up to possibilities you’ve never considered before. You never know where your next best idea is going to come from, embrace the unknown.
For more information on gaining the right attention for your brand, contact Custard.
