Creating a Lasting Impact Through Messaging

This week I want to share with you some tips about how to write social media content that people will remember. When we create lasting content, customers think about us not just while they’re not social media, but when they log off. Why is this important?

We want to make a lasting impression on everyone that comes in contact with us. Everyone we come in contact with will not end up being a new customer, but even if they aren’t interested in our products, they will recommend us to someone else, who will then recommend us to someone else. Word of mouth is powerful! We want to remain in the forefront of our target audience’s mind by communicating to them using language that is of substance.

Recently, I read a book called Made to Stick: Why some ideas survive and others die by Chip and Dan Heath. This book provided some wonderful strategies we can use to share sticky messages with our customers. Sticky messages are messages that people will remember. Sticky social media content would be a post or caption that shares information that a customer thinks about days after they see it, or even weeks later.

The social media content you share has to be intentional for it to help generate income for you, so you can use these 6 strategies from Made to Stick to help you create a lasting impact on social media:

1. Strive for simplicity.

The famous author Mark Twain once said, “I would have written you a shorter letter if I had more time.” You should work to be concise and brief in all communication you share with your customers. Simplicity is not about stripping your business down to nothing, but rather about prioritizing what's most important for your customer to know about you. Your entire social media profile needs to be simple. Your customer should be able to identify you and what you do with a single area of focus. A confused mind can’t shop with you.

If you need tips about how to narrow your focus to achieve simplicity, check out Episode 12 Why your social media content isn’t delivering and how to fix it! (3 Reasons Why your Social Media Content is not attracting paying customers in 2019)

2. Unexpected content can be memorable.

Sometimes, breaking patterns is an effective way to make a lasting impact on our customers. Think about what your customers expect of you. Every now and then, break their pattern of expectation and do something out-of-the-box that still aligns with your values.

I follow a YouTube guru on social media who recently shared effective pattern-breaking content that was unexpected. She typically posts impactful quotes, and business advice, but this time she shared a really personal video of her in tears to exemplify that entrepreneurship is hard, and discouraging sometimes. The vulnerability she displayed in that moment was unexpected and made a lasting impact on her followers.

3. Our captions should be concrete.

Concrete content is clear, simple, yet memorable. Sometimes we have a lot to say, but instead of writing a book, we can try using a single phrase or one simple example that speaks a thousand words.

4. We must establish credibility.

How can you communicate to your audience that you are a credible source of information? Do you have customer testimonials? Say less and let the value of what you do and have to offer speak for itself!!! Stop trying to convince people to shop with you and let your credibility speak for what you have to offer.

5. Sticky messages appeal to emotion.

Mother Theresa, the famous Roman Catholic nun and missionary, once said, “If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at one I will.” We can feel for one, but it’s difficult to feel for many. Paint a picture for your audience about how your products or services positively impacted ONE person. We can put ourselves in the shoes of one person, but if you tell us you impacted 1,000 it’s more difficult to resonate with the experiences of an overwhelming amount of people.

6. Stories help us to create a lasting impact.

Stories should be relevant to the people you’re speaking to. Allow your audience to imagine themselves within the story by using details and vivid imagery to reinforce ideas.

You’ll see that these six strategies spell out the word SUCCESs. This acronym is fitting for this discussion about sticky messages. You can either continue to post on social media consistently, without much thought and hope on a whim and a prayer that something eventually works, or you can decide today to approach what you post about from a place of intentionality. It’s time to choose success boss!

So, use this information to your advantage and apply it to your marketing strategy. Focus on making a lasting impact on your customers.

I hope these tips help you in your journey as an entrepreneur. If you’re reading and want to connect with other bosses, join my Facebook group called Hustle with Purpose.

I hope you have a great week, and continue to move onward, upward, and forward. Until next time.