With new technology presenting every day, sometimes it’s hard to know how to communicate your message clearly and effectively to your audience. With product placements, pop-ups and so many more advertising distractions around, there’s hardly any moment that your customers aren’t asked to buy this or download that.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. There are some things you can do to engage your audience and make sure you deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.
First thing first, target the right audience!
Don’t make the mistake to think that the same message goes to your entire contact database! Your customers are not all the same and a broad approach will only hinder your campaign. Instead, use any information you have (whether it’s on your CRM software or messaging application) to segment your audience into groups and narrow your focus.
This way your messages will be more relevant – and relevant messages get better results. Then, take into consideration the following.
Be mindful of delivery times and frequency
One of the fastest ways to upset your customers is to send them messages at the wrong time. A payment reminder at 2 a.m. is a sure way to make them lose their sleep and, probably, unsubscribe. Mobile is a channel that people can be reached with at any time of the day, so it’s important to be respectful.
Not too early in the morning and too late at night is a good start, but it also depends on the type of your industry and context. You should also have in mind not to violate your customer’s personal space. That’s why you should take into consideration the frequency of your messages. But how much is too much? Since this is not an exact science, start maybe with 4-5 per month and experiment until you find your sweet spot!
Be personal
The days of spammy marketing are long gone. Consumers get turned off by mass marketing messages; they want to know that you make the effort to know them personally.
Personalisation is the number one thing that will drive you to high engagement and conversion rates. So, try to give your messages a personal touch! To achieve this, pay attention to your customers’ personality, preferences, and passions and take them into account.
Focus on solutions
Personalisation goes hand in hand with added value. Each time you communicate with a customer state the real value that you bring. This is not always the product or service you provide, but the value your customers get from their perspective.
Focus on discovering their needs and give solutions to their problems. In other words, stop selling and start helping! Delivering messages that acknowledge your customers’ challenges and help them with useful content will enable you to build a long-lasting relationship with them and stand apart from competition.
Speak your target audience’s language
Knowing your target audience is essential. What is more than essential, though, is to communicate your message in a language that your customers feel their own. Age, gender, occupation, income, social status are all parameters that you need to familiarize yourself with if you want to deliver the right message.
For example, Millennials and Generation Z are quite familiar with abbreviations, emoticons and pictures. Force them to read long descriptions and you’ve lost them! On the other hand, plain language without slang vocabulary works way better with older people, who are not brought up by the Internet. Finally, always remember to speak conversationally – like humans do, not brands.
Focus on a specific call-to-action
Having people read your message is great. But it also has to motivate them to act. That’s why your message should contain a clear, specific and easy to understand call-to-action that inspires customers to take immediate action.
Depending on the nature of your business, the user might be downloading an e-book, making a purchase, subscribing to your newsletter or getting a free trial. A call to action should be the finish touch of your message that pushes your audience to the right direction.
Every time you send a message to your customers, you have the chance to build a trusting relationship with them and turn them to loyal customers. Loyal customers are the cornerstone of your business growth. So, make sure the message they get is the right one!
