Time Is of the Essence

Time is something no one — including your clients — ever seems to have enough of.

It’s a face-paced world. Text messages, emails, and social-media posts (along with ads and notifications) grab most of our attention. How can your brand compete in this overstressed environment?

Follow these five guidelines:

1. Define your audience.

What’s their daily routine? What’s important to them? Find out what they like and when to engage them. What formats do they use? Is there one format they use most?

2. Less is more.

Craft your content for easy, quick digestion and rich understanding — regardless of format. Keep things simple; write less and say more. Always have a copy editor in the loop.

3. Maintain hierarchy.

There are three types of readers: the hyper-fast, the intrigued, and the detailed. If your layout has good hierarchy structure, it will allow the hyper-fast reader to skim the headings and pictures to grasp the overall story. Intrigued readers can scan and quickly read sections that relate to them. For the detailed reader, make sure the copy flows well.

4. Use a memory hook.

A memory hook can be many things — an image, a story, or a humorous anecdote. Strengthen your memory hooks with your branding colors, typography, and design. Anchor your message into your audience’s memory. The more anchors the better — but only if the information is necessary.

5. Make it shareable.

Create an easy way to let your audience share your message with friends and colleagues. You never know who might become your biggest cheerleader. Consider features like AddThis, Get Social, or ShareThis. Allow your audience to share over many networks.

Competition for attention is fierce today. To stand out, develop a message strategy that makes your audience effortlessly give you their time.