Cutting Through the Noise
5 Tips for Communicating in a Distracted World
By Amanda
Slack. Email. Text. Instagram. LinkedIn. Asana. Monday.com. Netflix, virtual reality, Kindle — not to mention cute animal videos on YouTube!
Do you ever feel like a magpie, turning from one digital platform to the next? With all the distractions, it’s not easy convincing an audience to pay attention to your message.
How can you cut through all the noise?
Here are five tips to help you do just that and ensure your important messages land, even in a highly distracted world:
Get to the Point
Not all information is created equal. When it comes to capturing — and maintaining — the attention of your target audience, it’s best to start with the most relevant and important information before providing additional details for deeper context. In journalism, this is called the inverted pyramid. Here is an example of where we tried to do this on behalf of our client, the Global AIDS Policy Partnership.
Write or speak clearly
There’s no reason to make your communications more challenging to understand. Avoid passive voice, unnecessary jargon, long sentences, and extra words. If you’re not sure whether your message is clear, a good editor can definitely help! (We have a few of those on our team, for what it’s worth 😊).
Make written communications skim-able
People are much more likely to read your message if they can do so quickly. Format your writing to make it easier to skim using bullet points, headings, numbered lists, bolded font, different colors, and other strategic options that emphasize the most important points. The latest newsletter from our client, Global Health Council (GHC) might offer a useful example.
Include visuals
The right visuals do two jobs when it comes to messaging. First, by choosing images or videos that are curious or interesting, the audience is more likely to pay attention. Second, by including graphs, charts, and images that support your point, you make your message easier to understand. Both lead to the same result: a message that’s more likely to stand out with your audience. Check out the 25th anniversary blog we created for our client, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE)’s 25th Anniversary Blog to see the difference well-placed visuals can make.
Read, watch, or listen to your own message
Whether you’re communicating through email, social media, video, or another channel, this last tip is absolutely essential. Consume your own message. Ask yourself, “Would I pay attention?” and be brutally honest. If the answer is “No,” it may be time to re-consider your strategy.
And, of course, if you need help, let us know! As the examples above show, we are working to cut through the noise with messages that grab attention every day. We’d love to use our experience to support you.