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Engage. Don't sell.
July 22, 2008
Successful web campaigns are a lot like a good novel: they instead of telling. It campaign or web site guides and engages the mind instead of selling the customer on the concept. Think of it this way: Which would you rather read:
Scenario 1:
It hurt when I hit my knee on the table in front of the crowded restaurant and I was embarrassed.
Scenario 2:
Running through the crowded coffee shop, I stumbled slightly, striking my knee on the edge of table. Sharp pains raced toward my nerve endings and twisted my face in agony, causing the redness that grew across my cheeks to mix with the tears that formed quickly in the corners of my eyes. My date looked on with disbelief, disappointment flickered across his face, and I felt awkward as everyone in the room stared in my direction.
That's the number one mistake many companies make. Companies think telling their customer who they are and what they do is enough to not only get the consumer interested, but make them want to do something. But why would a customer run out to buy your product if it doesn't hit them at their core being; doesn't cause a reaction that races toward their nerve endings and prompts their feet to move in your direction?
It's a simple concept pounded in writers' heads time and time again: Show. Don't tell.
Or in this case: Engage. Don't sell.
People buy based on an emotional need, whether it's loyalty, desire, want, stimulation, etc. They will get something in return for buying your product: they'll be smarter; their job will be easier; they'll be more attractive; they'll live longer; their quality of life will be better...are you supplying that in your ad campaigns and on your web site?
Look at your website and your ads objectively. I found that most businesses market to themselves and what they like, not to their consumers' needs. It can be a catch-22: It's tough for businesses to not like their own advertising, even when their customers respond favorably to it.
5 tips for creating engaging sites and ads:
1. A call-for-action is not just words: Request they click on something.
2. Use words carefully: The less words the better to create an emotional response.
3. Don't use large text. It might make it easier to read, but it makes the scrolling that much longer.
4. Use multimedia to draw people in or evoke an emotion: video, audio/podcasts, quizzes, games, etc.
5. Avoid clutter on the page. Simple fonts. Simple pictures. Liberal use of white space.
Posted by Suze Bragg on July 22, 2008 | Comments (2)
