Getting Heard above the Clamour

Businesses, ministries and churches all have one thing in common.  The desire to communicate their message effectively to their community.  RISE Magazine highlights the challenges we face in getting that message across.
Article by WENDY RUSH

We live in a world where there are many competing messages.  Before we even leave the house we are impacted by radio, television, magazines, newsprint and packaging.  And when we do walk out of our front door the barrage of messages expands with advertising, information and images on the side of buses, on billboards, bus stops and shop fronts.  And that’s just the beginning.

Our letterboxes are filled to overflowing with catalogues and fliers and carefully personalised letters that almost fool us into thinking the sender knows us.  Even our telephones are no longer quarantined from the marketing hype, with landlines and mobiles subjected to the occasional recorded phone call or text message.

If we are in business, leading a church or running a ministry, we know we have something important to say.  But when you have something important to say, how can you be sure that people will listen?  How do you get noticed above the clamour?

One of the key things that will help you to communicate your message to your community is a strong, discernible, professional image.  Yes, even ministries and not-for-profit organisations can, and should, have a brand – an image that is clear and consistent.  We all recognise the Uniting Church’s fiery dove, the Salvation Army’s shield and World Vision’s star.  The symbols portray a story about who they are and why they exist.

Logos, stationery, brochures, signage and your website should all be designed to complement each other.  From the brand will flow all your other promotional requirements, including the look and feel of your website.

Avoiding a tangled web
Let’s consider websites briefly.  When it comes to an online presence there are two schools of thought.  One says that we all should have at least one – the other says that the world doesn’t need any more of them.  But if you are offering some kind of product or service and you don’t have a website are you serving your existing customers as well as you could?  And can potential customers find you easily?

The first thing people will do when they want to find you or find out more about you is to ‘Google’ you in the hope of locating your website.  So if you don’t have one and your competitor does, customers will find them before they will even bother looking for you.

But wait…before you jump in feet first.  Constructing the right site for you and more importantly for your customers is not a “one size fits all” scenario.

You firstly need to come at it from your customer’s perspective.  How will they use your site?  Will it be a loyalty generating site, an e-commerce (or internet sales) site or merely a source of information to help them find you and to remind them about your products and services?

The one golden rule when designing a site is to put yourself in the shoes of your customer at all times.  Who are they and where are they?  Demographics, geographics and psychographics (who they are, where they are and how they view the world) will determine how often and how easily they can access the internet.  If they are corporates located in the metropolitan area then you can afford to experiment with more functionality like audio, video and flash graphics.

If they are your ordinary consumer or are located in a regional area you might find they rely on dial up connections, which means you need a simpler framework, fewer graphics and forget the video.

Easy navigation is extremely important.  How many websites have you visited, looking for information you know is there but you just can’t find it?  Make it simple, make it logical and try it out on some “test dummy” users before you launch it.  If your friendly test dummies get confused or frustrated, then your customers certainly will.

Be seen – and be heard
And be prepared to take a step back if you don’t have your branding established.  If you don’t have a logo or an image that can be used effectively across all your marketing and promotional activity then the first step is to invest in developing your brand.  Take time to work through a brainstorming process with your colleagues and, if possible, some of your customers.  Think about who you are trying to reach, the messages you are trying to convey and how your customers view you (or perhaps how you would like them to view you).  Identify anything about your organisation that stands out as symbolizing the work you do or the vision you have.

This process will inform the development of your brand.  And if you have trouble relating to the word “brand” because it sounds too secular and too much like marketing jargon, try thinking of it more along the lines of a way that people can identify you, an image or similar that tells a story about you, something that – at a glance – tells them who you are.   With the right brand (or whatever you want to call it) it is possible to quietly rise above the clamour and be seen.  Once you are seen, you will find people are more likely to listen.

Article courtesy of Two Fish Media Pty Ltd.  www.twofishmedia.com.au.