Communicating online? Think like a consumer

In the digital world, we can find answers to just about any question in an instant. We can travel the world virtually, and follow news on anything or anyone we wish. We can find the best price on those cool shoes we’ve been dying to have.

There is so much content pushed at us, on so many devices, by so many entities – we find it amazing how tolerant consumers are. They’re conditioned to deal with the enormity of it all. Consumers don’t disregard communications because they received them on their phones, tablets, or notebooks. They disregard because the messaging isn’t right. They scan the messaging and determine if it’s relevant to them, then determine whether or not to give it their valuable time.

As marketers, we have tools to navigate the digital world. We can conduct tracking studies for searches, blogs and websites. We can use analytical tools for user information and content to better understand consumers’ emotions.

But tools can’t do it all. Marketers still produce communications that are likely to be overlooked. To avoid that, messages must emotionally engage, and engage quickly. If communication is more about the tangible —what we do for them — consumers are likely to jump ship. If it’s about how we make them feel — emotional factors — consumers are far more likely to engage. It’s about them.

Digital messages have to communicate something meaningful and viscerally connect with the recipient. Messaging must catch the consumer’s attention quickly and create a call to action that drives your business initiative.

So the next time you create a digital message, think like a consumer.