May I Have Your Attention, Please!
Never before have we been so inundated with messages vying for our attention. Email, texts, blogs, radio, TV, direct mail, print, Twitter, LinkedIn updates, Facebook and more! Add to this the immediate access we have to a virtually unlimited amount of information via the web. It can be overwhelming.
The challenge we all face is how to get our message heard by the people you really want to hear it. It isn’t easy to be heard over the din and it’s not getting any easier.
When I face this complicated task I strive to simplify it. Who needs to/wants to hear your message? What exactly is your message? Why does your audience want to hear it? And last should be, in my opinion, what is the strategy to get the message out?
Conversations I overhear include, “You have to Tweet!” Or, “You don’t blog? Are you crazy?” Or, “What do you mean you only have three connections on LinkedIn?” Or, you get a puzzled and demeaning glance when someone learns you aren’t on Facebook or have a fan page. Personally, this sounds arrogant and elitist.
Don’t get me wrong. Those are all great tools. The recent Influence Insiders Blog Talk Radio Show reinforced the power of new media channels. It also forced me to think critically about what is right for me and, more importantly, what is right for my clients. If you are wondering how to get attention so your message is heard, the show is worth a listen.
Relative to engagement of employees or customers, I think you should go where they are currently. That will pay short term returns. And for the more leading edge media, even if your audience isn’t there, consider being there when they get there and weigh the benefits of helping lead them into new media types.
From a practical perspective, this means that building engagement with your audience needs to be a thoughtful and deliberate effort. And, if you’re not there yet, fully vet new digital communication channels to maximize your impact. The best way to do this is to get involved in new media channels and just listen. If you’re not doing that, “what are you thinking!”