Not too long ago marketing communication was pretty much a one-way street. Now with things like product reviews, social media venues and online brand engagement, it has quickly evolved into a multi-lane highway where the customer’s voice is an integral part of the equation.
No matter what the goal of your communication efforts if you keep these 5 C’s in mind and you will stay on target.
Clarity
Powerful messaging has clarity. You should always have your ideal customer in mind when creating your marketing communications. Content should have a conversational tone and be easy to read. Using too many buzzwords or jargon will only make it seem like be talking to your peers —not your customers.
At most focus on one or two thoughts or important takeaways. Be thoughtful. Be specific. Above all value your customer’s time.
Credibility
Good communication creates value with your clients and prospects by telling your story in a compelling and memorable way. The goal should be to communicate to clients and prospects in a manner that will leave a lasting impression about your area of expertise. This can be done through traditional media — or through community building activities like event speaking, article writing, blogging, podcasts, videos and other social media.
Building credible communications will bring you visibility in the marketplace and with visibility comes opportunity.
Connecting
In some ways connecting with your customer has never been easier. In other ways it has become more challenging than ever. Consumers now have the power to engage with you more than ever before. The single most effective way to make a connection is to position yourself in a prospective customer’s mind as someone who is all ways looking out for their interests and concerns. Let your prospects know that you are really listening and that you care about helping them solve their problems.
Most marketing or advertising efforts make the mistake of doing of trying to connect with customers only when they are focusing on sales. While sales may be the ultimate goal, the psychology of salesmanship starts far ahead of the point where you are trying to close the deal. The idea is not to be seen as a salesperson, but an expert or industry leader and establish a strong foundation of trust with your target market.
Consistency
Marketing success depends on communicating the right message to the right people on a regular basis so they are encouraged to do business with you. You must be in regular contact prospects if you wish to convert them to clients.
It takes time to build momentum. The key is to create a workable integrated marketing plan that allows all of your marketing communications to work together as a unified force, rather having each one work in isolation.
Context
Today the medium is the message. Your marketing efforts transcend across many types of media for multiple purposes. Take for example writing for the web. It is far different than writing for print.
Your customers will respond differently to communication even in the same medium. Creating a presentation for a pitch book is different than creating one for an on-screen presentation. Writing a press release is different than writing an article. Content for a mobile site is different than a corporate site.
To be effective you must take in to account your medium and your message.
The goal of all well-crafted communication is to build relationships with prospects that lead to more sales. The key to success is developing a clear message and an optimal channel to deliver it. Each channel or type of media, has its own unique characteristics, much like the people who use them. In other words, find out what your audience is interested in and tailor your piece accordingly.
Use the 5 C’s of: CLARITY, CREDIBILITY, CONNECTING, CONSISTENCY and CONTEXT as your guide.