We all love to talk. We may not be extroverts, but about the right topic, we all like to talk about something. We are also all listeners, but what do we listen to if not the sound of our voice.  

If we all have opinions of what we want to talk about, then how do we communicate. How do you get people to stop talking and start listening to what you have to say? This is even harder with digital communication. Just like it's hard to talk to someone who is already talking to someone else, Digital communication is a lot of little conversations happening all around us. We call that noise and too much will lead to people just walking away with nothing.  

Keeping people fixed on your message is getting harder the more conversations that are around us. These messages exist everywhere from billboards, tv, radio, social media, and the web. How do you keep people engaged with what you have to say? Here are three things you can do to keep people engaged with your business or product.  

Know your Audience

Getting to know who you are targeting will help you talk to them at their level. What problems do they have daily? What stage of life are they? What’s their family life like? Your business can help solve a problem, but whose problem does it solve? If the solution doesn’t apply to someone they will tune you out, scroll on by, or walk away. Knowing the person and what they are dealing with will help you clarify your message. Knowing other details about them also helps, like age, demographic and income level. If your product is for young mothers, then why would a middle-aged man be interested. Know your niche so you can clarify your message even easier.    

Entertain your Audience

People like to be entertained. If something is interesting or even remotely funny they start to lean in and listen. There is a reason why America’s Funniest Home Video or Wipe Out are popular shows. They are funny and they entertain. People are busy, stressed, and overworked, and a light-hearted funny video will be just what they need and they will stop scrolling and watch or read what you have to say.  

Entertaining might not promote any products, but with all the marketing messages people see every day. People like businesses that relate to them and have a more personal and human touch. Humor brings everything down to a human level and a less corporate one.  

Educate your Audience

Knowledge is power. Whether that is a new skill, hack, or a simple tip people love to learn new things. What can you do for your audience? Share valuable tips you have learned throughout your life, that they again, can apply to their life or business. These could be productivity hacks and workflow tips or maybe your favorite vacation ideas for summer break. We all have something to share so make it valuable to whoever is watching or reading. How does your message profit your reader? Why should they read or watch your content? We all have experience with something and sharing that experience with others will help others learn or gain an appreciation for areas of society that they might have never heard of.  

Communication doesn’t have to be complicated. We know how to talk, but do you talk well, with respect, and treat your listener as the hero. Communication is a two-way street. No one likes someone who only talks about themselves. Enter in and ask questions. If you don't know what your audience's problem is then ask. Create mini conversation pieces in your content and respond to them in the comments or through email. If people like to talk about themselves then get your audience to talk about themselves to you so you can learn about them and use that to solve any problems that they might have. 

Get their attention, listen to them, and then provide the value that you have.  

Need Help? I would love to help clarify your message so you can grow your business.