Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Business is people, after all. Yet many brands forget this basic truth when trying to make connections with an audience.
Here at Mahalo, we believe creating a true human connection is vital to successful engagement. When crafting communications on behalf of clients, we like to keep these guiding principles in mind
Cut the Corporate Speak
There’s no faster way to lose someone’s attention than a jargon-filled presentation or an email riddled with buzzwords. Sentences like “Synthesizing a number of various approaches leverages key learnings and yields a more impactful ROI” work against you.
If that example makes your eyes glaze over, you’re not alone. It takes clear, concise, consistent messaging to make an effective point. Everyone appreciates straightforward information that’s easy to understand.
So when creating content, ditch the jargon and just be real. Your audience will thank you.
Be Authentic
Recent studies show that people, especially Gen Z, crave authenticity from businesses and their peers. Being disingenuous or generic not only does a disservice to both you and potential clients, but also erodes your brand. Check out these cringe-inducing tweets from corporate accounts.
To get someone’s attention, focus on connecting in ways that explain how your company’s values and services can provide real benefits to them. You’ll gain your audience’s respect and promote trust, rather than invite ridicule by trying to piggyback on the latest trend.
Give to Get
Imagine walking up to someone and saying, “Nice to meet you – will you marry me?” Skipping too many steps is never a good idea. That’s the whole philosophy behind a Buyer’s Journey. Remember that fostering a personto- person relationship takes time, but builds that needed trust and respect over the long term.
A good way to make it happen is putting into play what we like to call the “give to get” approach. It means giving something of value to a prospect before you can expect – or even ask for – their time, their attention, or their business. Share an informative infographic as a bonus for a webinar registration. Or offer a free e-book or industry report to someone in exchange for an email address. You can always find a way to add a little value and create a little goodwill that could snowball into a revenue opportunity.
