Hitting the marketing jackpot with the Audience Theory

Written by SOCIATE’s copywriting intern, Shanice Chrisel

 

Desperate attempts at creating content could flood your search history with “How-To” websites, only to compile a seemingly fool-proof checklist that reads: a humorous message, vibrant hues and a call-to-action. The weeks fly by and the charts reveal that your advertisement has not brought the numbers up. 

 

Standing out in a media-consumed world is not easy. 

 

The Audience Theory solves the unequal ratio between great content and average responses. The puzzling mystery, solved by think-tanks of the media industry, pointed out that the audience of a media message could either be active or passive in nature. An active audience chooses to analyze the words in blog posts, listens intently to the lyrics of jingles but a passive member may “watch” ads as they complete a routine check-up of their socials. 

 

Studies show that all media messages have approximately eight seconds to nab attention. Ask your team these three questions to counter-check whether your message will serve its purpose:

 

• What’s in it for our audience? 

Identify where their interests lie – are they looking for information, for inspiration or for a quick getaway from their 9-5? Tailor your content accordingly to make it easier for them to resonate with your message. 

 

• Will they grasp what we’re trying to say?

Once published, your content is open to all for interpretation. Providing context can help your diverse audience grasp your message in all its glory – run it by your co-workers and address every hand raised. A single question could represent a lingering doubt in a thousand minds once released onto the big screens. 

 

• Will they respond? 

Encourage your active audience to respond by providing them with a clear and effortless call-to-action. Put yourself in their shoes to see whether they’d prefer to send in a quick DM or ring up a number on the screen.

 

If you’d like to play your cards right with those eight crucial seconds, connect with our Marketing black-belts at [email protected].