Communications Strategy

Are you mixing your messages?

How many mixed messages do you encounter in any given day?

 

The speaker who says, “I’ll be brief.”

 

The link to a podcast that says, “Click ‘Read more’ to listen.”

 

The recording that tells you, “Your call is important to us,” when you’re stuck on hold for an eternity.

 

When it comes to communications, it’s easy to get sloppy and undermine our own messages.

 

It can be small things, like using acronyms or language incomprehensible to anyone but insiders. 

 

It might be a failure to match your website to your audience.

 

Case in point: AARP, whose mission is “to empower people to choose how they live as they age,” uses tiny type on its site.

 

Or the marketing email whose subject line reads, “It’s been awhile, [name]…”

 

Yes – so long that you’ve evidently forgotten my name.

 

I hate to be repetitive and I may be oversimplifying but it’s all about following one simple rule: If you value your audience(s), write and design for them!

 

That means you must

 

  • know your audiences and speak their language.
  • be consistent. 
  • respect your readers’ intelligence.
  • design for your intended audience, not for what’s trendy.

 

People's short attention spans give us a small window to connect with them.

 

But audiences are savvy and can tell who truly values their attention.

 

Make sure you’re one of them.

 

As always, thanks for reading!
 

Amy M. Mayers

Communications Strategy

amymayers.com

Have a project or a problem you'd like to discuss? Get in touch! 

Amy M. Mayers

  o: (202) 363-2537

  c: (202) 236-7328

amy@amymayers.com

amymayers.com