For decades, marketing copywriters performed in “push mode” – writing copy for one-way messaging that was delivered via mass media such as newspapers, magazines, TV and radio. With the advent of the internet, marketing is now a two-way affair, with consumers having the ability to respond directly to marketers/brands.

Despite this interactive state, many marketers are still crafting their messages in push mode. How can you make your messaging more engaging?

• Subtle is better. Let’s face it – most people don’t like advertisements or sales solicitations. And if you’re pushy with your messaging, they really won’t like it. Think of some of the recent campaigns that got people talking lately. In general, those messages have appealed to the senses or sentiment. For example, who doesn’t love the kids from Shriners Hospitals for Children? So, tone it down and find ways to really connect with your audience.
• Talk like your audience talks. While flowery, complex prose has a place in some circumstances, marketing messages are not one of those circumstances. In the healthcare space, messaging can be challenging when clinicians get involved and want to emphasize achievements and results in a format that sounds more like a post-doctoral dissertation. One way to learn how your messaging resonates with your audience is to get feedback from lay people. You can do this informally by using family and friends or you can utilize focus groups in a more formal setting. Bottom line: people don’t like being talked down to or trying to interpret overly complex messages.
• Listen first, then write. Who is your target audience? What are their concerns and priorities? What kind of vocabulary do they use? Some ways to learn how to speak to your intended audience include:
  • Reviewing social media interactions - look at how the most frequent and most enthusiastic commenters express themselves.
  • Publish surveys that include open-questions. Review the manner in which those questions are answered.
  • Solicit questions from your followers on all channels. What are they asking about? How are they asking? What are their priorities and concerns?
  • Check your online reviews. See what people are saying about
     your organization and how they’re saying it.
• Make your audience feel more included by asking questions in the title and body of your content, and by telling stories that are relevant to them.
• Show that you are human by being approachable and authentic. While you strive to be accurate at all times, sometimes a mistake slips through. Own up to your mistakes in an open, honest manner.