“Fueling” your Messaging – Ingredient #5 ”Keeping Content Fresh and Relevant”
We’ve spoken about a good many things over the last several weeks, and all our topics have been important “Ingredients” in the quest to “fuel your messaging” as you use digital signage technology. Our next ingredient just might be the most important one that we’ll discuss.
First, a question: Does “fresh” content equate to “relevant” content? I’ve read many an article that speaks of keeping content “fresh” to be relevant, but I’d like to go a step deeper. If you regularly change your content to appear “fresh”, but neglect to understand what your target audience needs to “engage” with you, then you’ve missed a very important point. To be effective, “fresh” content needs to have relevance to your audience.
It’s been said that humans are fast losing their attention spans. With social media and the recent explosion in how we all have almost instant access to news, images, trends, etc., it’s easy to see that we are fast becoming a culture of “goldfish”. For a message to be effective, it must first be recognized. And to have your message be recognized, you need to capture your target audience in the first 3 seconds or so. Any longer, and you’ve probably passed into the realm of the “unimportant”.
Today’s consumers have far more choices before them than ever before. They are literally “bombarded” with messages vying for their attention. To be one of the few…the “chosen” so to speak… you must understand what it is that they want to see. In other words, give them the reason they need to decide to engage with you!
Here’s a few ideas that I think can help you as you travel down the “content creation road”:
Always understand and communicate your primary screen message with as much clarity as possible. Once you’ve determined the focus of what you feel your audience would appreciate seeing, keep your actual message simple – Ask yourself “Would someone know what the purpose of this message is – and find it useful – in the first 3 seconds of viewing it”? Easy readability is key!
Avoid making your message too “cluttered”. Using tools such as motion graphics can yield great results, but the core message needs to be communicated first, and in simple terms, before the dynamic elements of digital messaging can be used effectively.
Do you know what reaction your message is seeking from those who see it? What would you like them to do? Is there a clear “Call to Action” that’s associated with it?
Whenever possible, use quality images – there’s nothing worse than images that are outdated, grainy, or miss the messaging. If you can afford to hire someone to take customized photos, great. If not, try an online service that is a lower cost alternative for providing professional looking images.
Change your messages frequently, but always with another message of relevance – and make sure “dated” messages are taken out of rotation when no longer applicable. The easiest way to become irrelevant is to have people see outdated information when you do manage to capture their attention.
Think about creating a “content calendar” as a reminder to refresh your relevant content – It make take a bit of effort in the beginning, but it will save you time – and money – in the long run.
Remember – people will respond to and appreciate messaging that they feel is valuable to them. Understand this simple concept, and you’re a big step closer to creating the kind of content that gets results!
Of course, you can always talk to our team at Quast Media if you’d like to simplify the process. We stand ready to help you with content strategy as well as execution. Click this link to find out more!
Next week, we’ll take a break from our list, and reflect on a simpler concept a bit more in tune with the season…. Stay tuned!
