Perhaps the owner’s manual for your proprietary technology is more than 100 pages long. Or maybe helping prospective clients understand the process they will go through with your company before crossing the finish line is cumbersome and confusing. Complex organizations have great stories to tell – from case studies to tales of product inception. The key is finding ways to build “bite-sized” marketing campaigns and components that will make the mission, vision and impact more accessible to the target audience(s).
Data-rich organizations should embrace Infographics
How can you broaden the appeal of a lengthy research report? How can you help prospective buyers understand impact in an easily digestible format? Infographics embrace consumers’ love of visual content and provide companies with a dynamic format for sharing compelling facts and figures. Infographics are also easily shared, allowing businesses to expose their content to a broader audience.
Show your impact
It may have taken a decade to break ground on the dream location for your corporate headquarters expansion, and the build may have taken another few years, but is the journey what will serve as a driver in recruiting talent and building consumer trust in your brand? Or, does a video showcasing what it is like to work at your company, that tells the stories of those you employ and those you serve, a more impactful way to share your message?
For organizations with complex processes and multifaceted businesses, it is often easier to engage stakeholders by leading with impact. By focusing on outcomes, you clearly communicate the proof points necessary to build trust and a strong reputation in the marketplace.
Think outside the box
Drawing parallels between widely understood concepts and complex concepts can help make content more digestible to the end user. For example, did your company’s recycling program collect enough bottles to span the entire state if laid end-to-end? Is your proprietary sensor smaller than a dime?
While educating consumers about the ins and outs of your products and services plays an important role in generating high levels of customer satisfaction, it is equally important to ensure your audience doesn’t get lost in the details. Embrace creative thinking to find new ways to present your most salient message points and the information that is critical for driving customer acquisition and retention.
Embrace contributed articles
Do you find it challenging to get a reporter up-to-speed on the ins and outs of your business during a short phone interview? Are misinterpretation and the spread of misinformation challenges your company often faces because audiences have a difficult time grasping the depth and breadth of what you do?
For companies working in highly specialized industries who seek to maintain a consistent PR/media relations program, guest columns and bylined articles can be an effective tool for getting ink while ensuring the facts and figures that go to print are 100 percent accurate. These articles allow companies to showcase thought leadership and maintain a media presence while avoiding some of the challenges that come with being interviewed. Beyond media, consider how membership and trade organizations with which you have affiliations can also play a role in helping to spread this content to reach the right audiences.
For companies with proprietary technology and/or working in complex industries, informing audiences without overwhelming them can be a challenge. By identifying ways to break content into smaller, more digestible piece and embracing more dynamic formats for sharing information, these businesses can deploy effective ongoing marketing campaigns that attract new audiences, bolster client retention, engage partners and foster word-of-mouth referrals.
