How Much Content Do You REALLY Need?
Wondering how much content you should build into your webpage,
print ad, or direct mail appeal?
Today’s readers have shorter and shorter attention spans, so you’d assume that short form advertising is a sure bet. Sorry — no dice.
If you offer products or services that people like to spend time researching before they buy, long form advertising trumps short form advertising.
When products and services have a higher price, consumers put in more time to understand what it is they’re getting for their dollars. They want to feel informed about the features and benefits your product or service provides. To avoid having “buyer’s remorse,” they're willing to read your documentation to feel secure about the decision they make.
Products that are usually bought on impulse, however, should use short form advertising.
These types of products need fewer words and more visuals to communicate their value. Consumers of impulse items won’t spend time reading a lengthy offer overstating all the benefits. If you want to sell candy, showing a picture of a mouth-watering, chocolate-covered Snickers bar and the one-word reminder “Satisfies” is enough to get the job done.
When deciding how much you need to say about your product or service, think about what your customers need to know to make a decision. Then follow suit . . .
- Are your customers already familiar with your brand/product/service and just need a quick reminder?
- Is your product or service complex, needing details to distinguish you from the competition or to justify your price tag?
Be sure to check out my next post: “Picking the Right Marketing Channel for Your Product or Service” tomorrow — I’ll reveal just which marketing channels you should choose when using long and short form advertising.
Remember: You need to play your cards right to win big.
PS: If content development isn’t your strong suit, give our team at Cultivate a call: 414.373.4000.
Our digital media experts are ready to stack the content marketing deck in your favor.