Know How Technology Works

When driving North on I-65 I came across two billboards each a mile apart. The first was for a local mom and pop diner. On it was a picture of food and a call to action - the restaurant's phone number. From what I could tell it wasn't the type of joint you would need to call ahead for a reservation, so why was the phone number featured so prominently?The second billboard was for Burger King. It also had an image of food but in big bold letters it read: Turn right at the next exit. Followed by an arrow. Burger King nailed it. Granted they probably had a support of a large agency,  but they clearly understood how the medium (a billboard in this case) worked.

Whether it's a poorly placed QR code or a text heavy Facebook post, people often fail to think about how the medium is being used by their customer. Here are two key questions to ask yourself when developing a campaign:

1. What is the information your customer needs to know?

2. What is the best way to deliver that information on the particular medium you are using?

If you are using mobile use wide ranging methods to reach your customer -  less QR codes and Apps and more use of mobile web and SMS. Mobile search is often searching "in the moment" or "on the go." What types of information would your customers need to know as they are heading out to shop, eat, etc?

If you are using social be conscious of which platform you are using. Twitter behaves differently than Facebook which behaves differently than Pinterest. Make sure you are in the right space to reach your customers. On social media, what social currency can you give your followers so they'll help spread the word? Maybe it's a coupon, maybe a recipe or perhaps a bit of trivia. Think about information that is interesting and useful for your fan base while still helping you achieve your business goals.

No matter what the medium, it's important to understand how people are using it and to identify the critical information they need so you can make a sale. Sometimes it's as simple as a big yellow arrow pointing toward your next Whopper.

Know Your Audience - Don't Text a Facebooker

In this age of multiple devices and ways to reach people, I find it curious how my friends have attached themselves to one preferred method over another. If you want to reach Kristin - text is a 50/50 shot but Facebook will guarantee a response. My friend Sara on the other hand is a text junkie, I know that will warrant a response much quicker than a social network ping. My husband loves his blackberry so he'll respond quicker to an email, even more so than a phone call for some reason, perhaps I should take issue with that. And finally, my friend Amy is one of the last few people I know that will respond to a phone call with a phone call back the same day.I don't have this written down anywhere. I just know. After trial and error and seeing where they spend their time and whether they do or don't respond to one method, I've sorted it out in my head. You should do the same with your audience. Find out where people are talking about you, where you get the greatest response when you put out a message and be there. Don't build an iPhone app if your audience is all on Blackberry or hasn't made the smartphone transition. Don't put a lot of effort into one social network just because you've heard other people using it. Know your audience, know how they like to communicate. Figure this out and you are one step closer to getting them to listen.