As business owners and marketers, we have endless tools to reach our consumers. It can be tempting to take advantage of every platform, tactic and technology to build that optimal, omni-channel strategy. But sometimes, keeping it simple can be a more effective strategy than doing it all. 

Breaking Through the Advertising Noise

Consumers, we know, are inundated with messaging. In fact, Americans on average see between 4,000 – 10,000 ads PER DAY. This volume has led to a distrust and dislike for advertising among many, and has caused marketers to think differently.

When not communicating the brand message isn’t an option, how do we break through the noise and reach the audiences who can best use our product or engage with our service? 

The approach taken by some is to be the MOST – the most interesting, loud, strange, repetitive, unique or shiny message in the space. But there’s an alternative to this that’s just as bold as it is plain — keep it simple. 

Ease Consumer Decision Making with the Two C’s

If diamonds have 4 C’s, marketing has 2: clarity and call to action. Get these two right and you aid in consumer decision-making.

• Clarity: What are you trying to say in your message? Is it clearly understood? Is it easy to read and comprehend? Is it scannable?
• Call to Action: What do you want the audience to do next? Is there a clear path to take action? How difficult or easy is it for them to take the next step? 

Making it easy to make a decision works in any brand’s best interest. Harvard Business Review quotes a consumer research study that looked at the “decision-simplicity index” of brands, that is, “how easy it is for consumers to gather and understand (or navigate) information about a brand, how much they can trust the information they find, and how readily they can weigh their options.” This study found that the higher the brand scored in that index, the more likely consumers were to consider them — in fact, “brands that scored in the top quarter of the study were 86% more likely to be purchased.”

Focus on the User Experience

To create clarity and emphasize the call to action, take a look at all facets of the user experience you are creating. In UX design, simplicity is a principle. Why? Because if a user can’t understand it, they can’t act on it. 

Evaluate your copy, design, format and platforms running through a checklist that covers topics like:

• In addition to what your brand is saying, is it easy to understand who your brand is for?
• Is your product/service/pricing clearly explained?
• Is your language accessible to your audience (no industry jargon)?
• Do you show up where people are searching?
• Is it easy to locate the relevant information about your brand?
• Are you sending/sharing messages where your audience is most likely to be receptive to them? 

Answering these questions will help you hone in on your primary audience and the most important formats and platforms to use when reaching them. This can help you stay focused and keep it simple, rather than trying to be everywhere and reach everyone.

Avoid Measuring “All the Things”

As important as data is for a strong marketing strategy, it can also be a distraction. Instead of aiming to measure every data point, identify a few key metrics that map to your business and marketing goals and hone in on those – don’t get distracted by other, potentially irrelevant data points, just because you have access to them. 

Choose metrics with this in mind:

• Does this metric relate to our primary goals?
• Is it saying something about our primary audience?
• Can I take action on this metric?
• Will I be able to monitor this metric over time?