We probably all accept that getting a marketing message in front of someone is only the first hurdle; we need our content to engage the reader for maximum effect. Buying the right advertising spot or focusing on the correct keywords is important, but real effectiveness (and ROI) requires an advertisement or article that is interesting to the reader.
Traditionally, we try to do this by reflecting the interests of our target audience, but research shows that there is an additional consideration that can add significantly to the effectiveness of our communications.
Recent research has identified that customers of a brand or service (or even a whole market) often share similar personality traits and we can tailor our messaging to increase its appeal to them. Nathalie Nahai, a web psychologist and author wrote recently in Marketing Week that there are five main dimensions for personality. Whilst we all have a mix of these traits, one or two will generally be more important to customers and prospects.
She quotes research which shows that each of the five dimensions is associated with different motivations which can be triggered by particular words. Using these words in our messages can elicit greater engagement and response.
When you think about your customers, is there a particular trait that dominates? It might be interesting to review your messaging to see if it reflects the associated motivation and uses associated trigger words.
Chris