How to Make Your Message Heard Above the Noise

by Guest Contributor, Lisa Valuyskaya

We keep hearing that it’s so difficult to get noticed.

We are bombarded with marketing messages from every possible medium, in every possible circumstance.

There is no escape

As a way to cope with this, we have developed an immunity of sorts. We block out anything that remotely resembles a sales message. Before it even has a chance to penetrate our subconscious. We flip the page, flick the channel, click the back button. We look the other way.

We stick our fingers in our ears and shout,

“I am not listening!”

We glance at the typical image of a smiley business man shaking hands, and discard it, as something we have already seen. A message we have heard before. Nothing new, nothing interesting.

Nothing that matters to us.

Unless, of course we happen to already be looking for whatever it is that’s been advertised. Then we might pay attention. Especially to sales messages and incentives.

But does that create anything other than a short-term interest? Moreover, do you really only want to speak to those already shopping?

Sales and incentives could be a part of your strategy, but they shouldn’t ever be the central part of it. And most certainly not the only part.

Because I am sure you have something more important to say.

And if you think that 50% OFF is the most compelling argument you can present, let me ask you this: what would happen if your competitor offers a better incentive, or a lower price?

Not a pleasant thought, is it?

So how do you get your real message across, past that immunity to anything that sounds like a sales pitch? If nobody ever pays attention to marketing messages (unless they are already shopping), how do you get across yours?

The answer is so common sense that it will probably sound too easy.

But here it goes anyway:

There is no rule that says your marketing message
has to look like a marketing message.

David Ogilvy, a self-made advertising man, knew this. And while this was true over 50 years ago, it’s even more true now.

Back then, they had print and television. That’s it. Think of all the options we have today to spread our messages. Surely there is one medium that your message can integrate with, almost seamlessly?

The very best TV advertisement often look like short movies, or documentaries.

In newspapers, ads that are informative and contribute to the surrounding content are a lot more intriguing to the audience than simple salesy headlines with pictures.

There are even annual reports that look like comic books, or photo albums.

All of these are in the minority, of course. Not everyone has the guts to stray that far from the crowd. But if you do, and if you do it well, it will pay off.

And no wonder blog posts when “done well” are so popular. After all, a thoughtful article or a well-presented personal opinion is much more interesting to read than a sales pitch. Building credibility instead of launching into an elevator speech in a room full of strangers might be a less immediate strategy, but the results are well worth it.

(Of course, due to this popularity everyone wants to get in on the action and, nowadays, there are way too many blog posts that are not much more than sales pitches in disguise. But those who choose that route are underestimating their readers and potential clients. And there is absolutely nothing I can say that will help those who want to trick people into buying.)

A word of caution

The line between creative solutions and gimmicky ones is somewhat blurred, and oh-so-easy to overstep. (this is why the word creative itself has such a questionable reputation in the purely marketing circles.)

One way to make sure you don’t end up with a gimmick is to always keep your core message in mind.

But I am getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? Let’s talk about what your message is first.

The core message

Every communication piece should start right here. It’s not about the shape or the form, not about the design or voice, not about research, or demographics, or strategy, or anything else that has that ring of marketing to it, and that sounds reassuringly complicated and follows some kind of a formula.

The beginning is about simplifying

Finding your core message. Nothing more.

But also nothing less.

It may sound easy, but it isn’t. And that’s probably why so many get distracted by the details, leaving the most important part till the last minute. And then throwing together a variation on a competitor’s headline, hoping to somehow come across looking better than the competition.

It’s such an elementary mistake, yet I see it happen over and over. Maybe because it’s such an unfamiliar territory. There are no rules to follow, no procedures, no research that will help you with this part.

I can’t give you the formula that’s been proven to work. There is no formula. However, there is a way to approach your communication materials that will help you achieve better results.

So, where do you start?

One place where you shouldn’t start is by studying similar materials.

I realize that the easiest way to start creating any kind of a marketing material is by looking at similar ones. Likely the ones from the competitors.

But, as with most easy solutions, the results will not be anything special. They will probably be OK. Much like everyone else’s. But are you willing to settle for just OK?

(If you answered “Hell no!” or something to that effect, congratulations! You’re already on the right path. Believing in yourself, your business, your product, and being willing to stand up for it is the most important requirement.)

So what then?

Again, this is going to sound very simple, very common sense, but I have seeing this starting point ignored often enough to think it’s worth stressing, again and again:

Simply figure out what it is you are trying to say first

You are not trying to come up with a catchy headline or a humorous and smart paragraph. Not yet.

Just a short statement describing what you are trying to communicate, and why it’s important.

The main message; not a sales offer, not a general “we do this” announcement. Something that matters to your audience.

Your USP, the benefit, whatever you want to call it.

Not about you—never about you! About them. Your audience, your clients— both existing and potential.

This is true for any kind of communication materials. Blog posts, brochures, packaging and postcards. Each of these should convey a message. A message for your audience. And about them.

Decide what you are trying to say before looking at examples, before studying the competition. It’s so easy to get distracted by the details, try to get something just perfect, and end up forgetting what the main message is, or leaving it till the last minute. And then, at the last minute, editing your own piece to mimic the overwhelming mainstream voice—forgetting all about your own.

So the very first step should be just that: a plain, easy to understand statement of the one main thing you want to get across. No bonuses, no other details at this point.

If you have a good idea of what your main message is, but are not quite sure if it’s clear enough to others, here are some tips that will help you evaluate it.

Convince a friend

Think of it this way: if you were trying to convince a friend to try your product or service, to switch from his preferred brand, or to sign up for your newsletter, or whatever else the aim of this specific piece is: What is the strongest argument that you could make for it? In one short sentence.

Take away unnecessary adjectives, dry statistics and flowery comparisons. It’s not the time for that yet. We are just trying to get to the core message.There will be time to frame it later.

Explain it to a 3-year-old

You know those kids that keep asking “Why”? Go grab one of those. If you don’t have one of your own, I am sure a friend will gladly let you borrow theirs.

Now explain your core message to them. Tell them why what you do, or sell, is better. Be prepared for a storm of “why” and “so what” — if you can get through all of this, you will be left with some very interesting – and refined – material.

Explain it to your grandma

Or to someone else’s. Older people generally don’t try to be diplomatic, and will tell you clearly if something doesn’t make sense. And if you manage to convince her, you can be quite certain you will convince others.

Don’t try to follow a creative brief template

Often, the creative brief that follows a set formula, never gets to the point of clearly stating the core message. It may dance around it for a while, or mention a few key points, but it never makes it perfectly clear. And even if it’s in there, it’s hard to get a clear statement from all the marketing speak.

Get some outside perspective. Preferably from a professional

It’s one of those things that might sound simple, but isn’t easy, and sometimes it can be helpful to get some perspective. Because what seems important to you, might not be very relevant for your clients and potential clients. Because you are simply too close, or because you suffer from the curse of the expert. Believe me, this is much more common than you can possibly imagine.

Often, all it takes is just one or two questions to get you on the right track.

This is why every single design or marketing project should start with a question and answer session, to find this core message, and to simplify it as much as possible.

You got it! This is it, the core message

…now what?

Now, just write it down and put it aside for a while.

This piece of paper is what you will refer to throughout the process. Especially when indecision strikes. Whichever choice is closer to that core message—that’s the right one.

Shaping your message

You are ready to start thinking about how to present this message, how to make it as compelling as possible, how to capture the attention of people who aren’t shopping for your product, of those who may not know they need it, how to present your argument in such a way that will leave nobody indifferent.

Or, to quote the man who showed that interesting, creative, compelling messages did sell more than just plain old repetition:

The truth isn’t the truth until people believe you, and they can’t believe you if they don’t know what you are saying, and they can’t know what you are saying if they don’t listen to you, and they won’t listen to you if you are not interesting, and you won’t be interesting unless you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly.

- Bill Bernbach

A strong concept, a powerful idea

That is what you are looking for at this stage. A way to present your core message in such a way that makes it impossible to stay indifferent. Something that is instantly clear, something that makes an impact.

This is the part that many prefer to give up on before even starting.

Yes, even the multi-million dollar businesses that have teams of creatives working just for them, ready to produce idea upon idea, concept upon concept.

“That is too powerful,” they say. “What if we offend somebody? Let’s just keep it neutral, pleasant, likable.”

Can you guess what the result is? That’s right, boring. Bland. Flavorless.

Trying to please everyone is a terrible place to start. It’s perfectly all right if some people hate it. Actually, that’s a good sign. It means others will love it. Hate is a strong reaction; and strong reactions are exactly what you are looking for. Strong reactions mean you make a strong point. And remember, you will never be able to please everyone.

So where do you start looking for the ideas then?

You are ready for some inspiration

But wait, don’t look at the competitor’s materials yet!

Instead, search for inspiration elsewhere. In words and images unrelated. In things you see around. In everyday situations, both funny and serious. In anything that interests you.

Picture your own product or service as a protagonist of this situation. How would it change it for the better? Even if it doesn’t fit in at first glance. There might be a twist you are missing.

Let your other senses into play. Sounds, smells and textures that remind you of something. No matter how strange these connections may seem, don’t discard them right away.

Look for anything that reminds you of your core message – and take notes

If you have to do this often enough, it might be useful to keep a file of ideas just like this. Situations and stories, smells and textures, things that interest and intrigue you. To flip through when you are stuck. (It helps if you have a natural curiosity about all sorts of topics.)

Sketch, doodle, write, scrapbook, whatever. It doesn’t matter. As long as the ideas are coming from somewhere else than your competitors brochure, they are worth exploring.

I am sure that you have heard the claim that there is no such thing as a new idea. Everything new has already been done.

While that’s a rather skeptical way of putting it, it’s true, in a sense. Ideas are nothing more than new combinations of already existing elements, images and thoughts. Some of us are inherently better at finding these new combinations than others. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t get better at it, with practice.

There is an actual step-by-step process described by James Webb Young in his book, A Technique for Producing Ideas.

Again, it’s a technique that seems fairly common sense. But everyone who has ever tried it (me included) swears that it works. And there are countless others who follow a similar process, instinctively.

According to Young, gathering the materials related to your product or service is the first step. Gathering general materials is also important — though this is not so much a step as an ongoing process; the sort of thing I was referring with the idea file.

These are the materials you will use for brainstorming. Ideas, or combinations of them, are not born in a vacuum. The brainstorming is done by “feeling” these bits and pieces; trying to fit them together, looking at them in a new light. (Index cards work very well for this exercise — if you have a bit of information, an image, a phrase written on each of them, you can simply pull out two at a time, and see if anything clicks.)

Generally, you will come up with many possibilities during this stage, though it is likely none of them will be right on target. And at this point, taking a break is a must. (And that is probably why movies always show creatives with their feet up on the desk, doing something completely irrelevant to the task at hand.)

If you have done enough research and thinking in the previous phase, even better ideas that were in your subconscious will start showing up at this point.

Of course, they still have to survive the next stage, the evaluation, after the initial excitement wears off. I can’t help you with that. But I think you will know it when you find something worth shouting, something you can stand behind, something that represents you.

Something ready to share with the world

Once it has been refined and prepared for its final form.

But please keep it simple and recognizable. Keep referring to your core message. Don’t add anything superfluous. Simple ideas are most effective.

Often we overdo it, thinking that adding a meaningless adjective will amplify the meaning somehow. Or use a dry business voice that we have been taught to use. Or try to mimic someone else’s voice because that is popular.

This will likely sound false.

I believe everyone has the ability to make a persuasive statement. In their own voice.

Images can help you say it

Words and images should work together. This doesn’t mean that the headline should say the same thing as the picture. This means they should complete each other.

Take away one of the two, and the meaning just isn’t the same anymore.

We hear this often enough. And it’s true, in a sense.

You can appeal to emotions with just one image, awaken feelings, evoke smells and tastes, remind of cherished memories and offer a bright sliver of hope. To do this with only words, you would need paragraphs, at least. Well-written ones.

I think many tend to take this to mean: any picture you throw in there is good enough.

It isn’t.

Bland, boring, predictable. Images suffer from this as well.

Go look at some of your industry websites. What images do you see? I bet they are all in the same category. The most obvious, easiest to come by. Smiling business people. Shiny new houses. If they are coupled with an interesting headline or statement, or quote, the overall impact just might be intriguing.

But if the words are as bland as the images… well, consider it lost in the sea of same-looking, same-sounding competitors. (unless you want to compete on price only. But let’s not go there.)

The shape

Who says it has to be a brochure? Or a newsletter?

If there is something else that seems a better vehicle for your message, then by all means, go for it!

Writing in chalk on the sidewalks, or creating a flash game; leaving a wicker basket on the doorstep of every single one of your clients, or writing a poem… whatever feels right. (keep checking that core message!)

Have fun!

Best ideas come to us when we are enjoying ourselves, not when we are stressing over a problem.

It’s OK to take a break. It’s fine to say

“what if…?

followed by the craziest idea you can come up with.

It may turn out to not be so crazy after all.

Don’t set the limits when brainstorming. You can always set them later.

Ask for feedback

But don’t take it too seriously. Many feel compelled to make specific suggestions, even if they don’t really have much to contribute. Again, refer to your core message before making your decision.

Embrace strong reactions

Positive or negative. Indifference is the worst reaction you can possibly get, not dislike.

Above all, never settle!

Don’t aspire to just be average. Don’t settle for the ordinary. You are better than that.

Don’t be afraid to shine!

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In addition to Italian, Russian and Dutch, I speak fluent Marketing, Advertising and Design, and am happy to translate any concepts and terms into plain English.

I am also very quick at picking up new vocabularies and will be fluent in your industry-speak in no time.

Lisa can be found working at her specialties of Branding & Design at !DEA stylist.

Download Lisa’s free eBook, Is anybody reading your brochure?

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