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As I walked through the expo hall at the Search Engine Strategies conference this week two things struck me. One, the businesses there put a lot of time and energy into their brand. Their names were clever and catchy. Their booths were professional and eye-catching. And the free stuff they were giving away was mostly worth keeping. And two, I have no idea what 90% of those companies were about.
Those companies suffered from a disease that has become almost epidemic, particularly online. They all spent loads of time and money on the means of communication and very little time on the message. A lot of companies today go out of their way to grab people's attention, and for good reason. They have unusual or memorable names and over-the-top visuals. In a media saturated culture those things are often needed. But once they get your attention, they don't clearly present what they are.
I stared at booth after booth trying to wade through the stock photography and oversized web addresses looking to glean any information I could about what each company had to offer me. More often than not, I ended up walking away because I could not figure it out. And I know I'm not alone. I saw other conference-goers doing the same thing. They would sneak in for the free frisbee and sneak back out just as quickly.
What is the lesson? Start with your message. Start your story with who you are and what you have for the consumer. If your product is something that people want, it will sell itself. If it isn't, no amount of flash will help ... at least not in the long run.
If you're writing, by all means grab the reader's attention early. But once you have it, don't waste their time. If they don't understand your message by the end of your article, chances are they aren't reading your next one.
If you're selling something, use the one chance you get to share your vision with the customer. You want them to leave thinking about you and your product, not the shiny pen you gave them to get their attention.
And, for heaven's sake, if you have a booth at a conference or a trade show, please let people know why you're there before they ask. Because if you don't, they won't ask!
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