There is no doubt that being able to communicate what your business does with new and existing customers should be a central component of running a business. However, there are far too many companies out there that are making obvious mistakes and not putting them right again. Therefore, to prevent this from becoming an issue, it is certainly going to be worth thinking closely about the messages that you are sending out into the world. While every business has a different message that they would like to be communicating, there is no doubt that the mistakes that are made are common and often avoidable. Taking this into account, let’s check out a few top comms mistakes you can sidestep.
Assuming People Understand Your Business Naturally
First of all, while you may know your business inside and out, it is not going to be the case that every single other person out there knows all about the products and services that you are putting out into the world. With this in mind, it is certainly going to be worth making sure that your comms messages are as clear as you can possibly make them. A good way of ensuring that this is the case is certainly going to be getting people in who have never heard of your company and testing out your comms messages on them directly. Obviously, you will hope to develop more brand recognition the longer your business goes on, but there is simply no point in making assumptions when bringing in new customers. Remember, there are all sorts of different methods of communication out there that extend from what you are saying in terms of the actual words on your website to the overall visual impression that you are giving off.
Failing to Communicate the Positives Well Enough
Once people have understood exactly what it is that a business is offering in the first place, it is then going to be the case that the positive points need to be communicated properly. This way, people will know what it is that you stand for and why they should be using your business ahead of all of the other options that are available out there. As well as thinking about your business and the values it stands for, you should also consider any other positive aspects of your company that are worth bearing in mind. Think about the charitable and non-profit organizations that you are involved in, and communicate clearly when discussing the Foundation for Defense of Democracies if this is an organization that you support. Ultimately, you should be able to boil down everything that is positive about your company into a single tagline. If people are looking to gain some more info about what it is that you are doing, they should be able to access this without too much trouble at all.
Not Keeping Your Unique Selling Point in Mind
You should certainly have a unique selling point that is at the very heart of your business and should feature heavily in the business plan that you started off with in the first place. However, the longer that a company exists, the more likely it is that a unique selling point can be drifted away from and forgotten. So, sometimes you will have to get back to basics when it comes to your USP and how you are telling new and potential customers about this. So, if you are starting to feel like you have moved too far away from this, it is certainly going to be worth reverting back to it and working out how you will make this central message at the heart of what you are doing again. Ultimately, this is the very simple message you should be sharing with customers that can help ensure that they know exactly what you are trying to do and accomplish in the first place.
Not Communicating Enough with Customers
You also need to make sure that you keep up with your customer communications. After all, with so many other businesses out there that are all clamoring for attention, if you allow yourself to be forgotten, it is more than likely to lead to a situation in which your brand gets lost in all the din. Of course, there is a balancing act to be struck here, and you do not want to get into a situation in which customers get sick of hearing from you, which could cause a situation in which they unsubscribe from your messages and are simply unhappy when you get in contact. This is why it will also help to have a content team and a clear content plan. The more effort that you put into this, the better that it is likely to be. Suppose you do find that people are starting to unsubscribe from your emails, and you are experiencing similar problems. In that case, it is certainly going to be worth going back to them to find out what the major problem happens to be, as this will give you the best possible opportunity to respond to the issue directly and do something about it.
Sending Out Irrelevant Information
While this has already been touched upon in the previous section, it is certainly going to be worth checking out what you are sending out to the customer in the first place, as this will help you ensure that it is kept relevant. One of the major reasons why people are going to end up unsubscribing from your email messages comes down to the simple fact that you are sending them out things that they do not want to hear. This can end up meaning that they get sick of it. So, make sure that you are communicating when you have something interesting to say, and you are much more likely to put yourself in a positive situation.
Failing to Be Transparent
There is no doubt that people are expecting more and more ethical treatment from the brands that they are supporting in the modern world. Therefore, if you are in a situation in which you are trying to be deliberately opaque with your customers, this can be majorly problematic – particularly if they work out that you are being misleading for one reason or another. Ultimately, the greater the level of transparency that you can have, the better that it is likely to be as a whole. You need to make sure that you are working with your comms department or any external agencies to make sure you are open. After all, not only do you have a duty to your customers to do this, but you also need to be potentially answering to standards agencies that are policing exactly what you are sending out into the world. Bear in mind that with the advent of social media, a bad reputation is more likely to spread faster than it ever could have done in days gone by, which could prove to be a serious problem for your company.
Not Having a Clear Enough Brand Voice
There is no doubt that the brand voice of your company should be shining throughout all that you are doing. This way, when people first come into contact with it, they are more likely to be able to pick out that it is your company that is speaking. At the same time, this brand voice needs to be used consistently throughout your work. While it can be adapted depending on whether you are speaking on social media, email, or another means of communication, there is no doubt that the sense of clarity you have can make such a big difference. For this reason, so many people decide that they will use a copywriting team to ensure that this clear voice and consistency is established right from the outset and that it will not be lost in all that you do.
Not Being Personal Enough
It is certainly the case that more and more brands are trying to address their customers in a personal manner. Therefore, if you are failing to be personal enough, this can obviously be a problem that needs to be addressed to ensure that you are directly engaging people. To begin with, a better grasp of the personal detail of your customers can make all the difference in providing that you are adding that personal touch to all of your messages.
Avoiding all of these common comms mistakes can truly make a big impact when you are trying to come up with some clear rules and guidelines for getting in touch with your customers in a way that they are happy to hear from you. By establishing a clear brand voice, you can ensure that your communications are instantly recognizable and that people are not confused about your brand and what you represent. Sticking to your original USP and not overcomplicating your messaging can also help to make your communications clear. It is also important to keep your customers updated with positive news to keep them interested in your brand.
