Marketing your business online is a challenging task. Entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs, often struggle to reach their target audience. Nobody is an expert at it right away, resulting in customers being bombarded with subpar content constantly. This content fills up their inboxes, clogs their social media feeds, and becomes overwhelming.
“We humans simply do not have the time or mental capacity,” emphasizes marketing strategist Ethan Beute. “Just consider all the digital noise and pollution that will exist five years from now.”
To assist brands in succeeding, Beute and Steve Pacinelli, the chief marketing officer of BombBomb, joined forces to co-author Human-Centered Communication: A Business Case Against Digital Pollution. This manual is designed for businesses looking to create engaging messages and humanize their marketing efforts.
While most businesses strive to engage with customers online, there are obstacles preventing them from truly connecting, converting, and expanding their audiences.
Put your audience before clicks, sales, and revenue.
While it’s essential for your business to have a strong online presence, it should not come at the cost of your audience’s peace of mind. People can easily discern when a company is solely focused on quick sales or generating thousands of clicks.
“We often fall into the trap of thinking, ‘Oh, I need to boost sales this month, this quarter, or this year, and I’m running out of time. What should I do? I need 15 sales,'” Pacinelli explains. “It all begins with your needs and desires.”
The solution? Rather than rushing into the future, start by working backward. Effective communication shifts the focus from your business to the customer, so ask yourself one question: What is currently important to my audience? For instance, are they working professionals dealing with holiday stress or investors looking to purchase virtual real estate? Before sending another email or posting on social media, pinpoint these underlying desires.
Market your business without contributing to digital pollution.
The internet is saturated with unappealing content. According to Statista.com, 45.1% of emails are classified as spam. Most individuals hesitate before downloading files as they may contain malware. There is a general sense of distrust regarding online content, posing a challenge for entrepreneurs. While it’s crucial to engage with customers and build trust online, digital pollution can act as a barrier between you and your audience.
“Digital pollution refers to the cumulative impact of unwanted digital distractions—anything that interrupts, slows down, confuses, frustrates, or even threatens you,” Beute clarifies. “These are what we classify as digital pollution when operating in digital and virtual environments.”
The best course of action is to refrain from adding to the clutter. Beute reiterates that your audience will determine what pollutes their digital space, not you. If you come across a post that is borderline toxic yet garners a significant number of likes, it doesn’t mean that the author has polluted the platform on which it was shared. It simply indicates that the message is aimed at a community you are not part of.
When you contribute to actual pollution, your audience will signal their disapproval by disengaging. Pacinelli suggests the following to establish an authentic connection:
- Don’t stress over people avoiding your content. Think about why they are doing so and devise strategies to address their needs.
- Identify the core value behind your messages. Do they align with what your customers want to receive?
- Evaluate your audience’s response to your content. Are they eager to interact with more of it?
Lastly, don’t celebrate minor achievements; continue to target a wider audience.
“If you relentlessly push out messages and say, ‘Yes, I got some engagement,’ but fail to focus on the 97% that you are missing out on, how does it impact your business? What are the repercussions when they start to ignore you?” Pacinelli questions.
Video is popular, but adapt to your audience’s preferences.
Posting on platforms like TikTok or YouTube Shorts is not a guaranteed path to marketing success. Despite the dominance of video content on social media, it is crucial to consider your audience. Both Beute and Pacinelli stress the importance of meeting people where they are, not where you are. While video platforms may be suitable for some audiences, they may not be the best choice for others.
“If you are a seller and prefer a certain digital, virtual, or online approach, but buyers do not share the same preference, it is unlikely to be successful,” Beute explains.
Emphasizing human connection is more crucial than following trends. However, if your audience enjoys video content and you excel in emotional storytelling, Beute suggests that video marketing, with its audio-visual appeal, is the most effective means of expressing customer appreciation in 2024 and beyond.
