Here’s a quick one for you- have a think about every piece of communications collateral that crosses your path each day from emails and social media right through to customer experience. Some will have an indisputable impact on you, others you will barely register. Want to know the difference between the two? One is supercharged through strategy, the other is scattergun.
Communications is simply the means by which people become aware of your brand in the context of creating a desired response. Put even more simply- you have a goal, you have an audience, communications is what brings the two together. The bridge you might like to say if, like me, you love a good metaphor in the morning. The more thought and strategy that goes into the communications, the more effective it will be, the less likely the bridge is going to do a Speed-like drop off into nothing. OK, enough with the bridge metaphor!
When we identify a product or a service that will make our clients’ or customers’ lives just that more sweeter and just damn good, the question becomes how can we communicate that simply, clearly and effectively? How do we make sure the story we’re sharing with them is set up for success? This is where taking the time to align audience and message to communications in the context of the broader goal really comes into play. Of course, I have the perfect acronym for the process, one which has driven more than a handful of clients to distraction due to how hard it is to say without undue spitting:
G.A.M.T.E.R.
Goal- Audience- Message- Tactic- Evaluate- Refine.
Ah, poetry in motion, am I right? Let’s move our way through it:
Goal: what is the goal for this specific thing in your business? eg sell out a new program
Audience: who is the most appropriate person to that it’s directed towards? eg women who see themselves as people-pleasers
Message: how can we share in the clearest possible way what we want people to know? eg my new program shares practical strategies to remove that awful jolt of resentment we experience when our people-pleasing tendencies stop us living our best life.
Tool: what is the best way to deliver that message to this audience to meet this goal? eg webinar, speaking at target audience events.
Evaluate: how’d we go? Did our audience connect with our message to the point where we sold out our program?
Refine: What should we do next time? Was the webinar a big fat flop? Did the mention in the weekly newsletter trigger a flurry of sign ups?
That’s it- GAMTER- and spending a quick 15 minutes before you send anything out in the world to think against each letter is a powerful way to give your communications a head start on packing a punch. It’s a clear framework that gives clarity- clarity of audience and of message. As I’ve said for a long, long time to the point where I had it printed on postcards, clarity looks gorgeous on you.
Tell me, do you apply GAMTER thinking to your communications? I have turned GAMTER the acronym into GAMTER the worksheet- let me know if you’d like a copy and I’ll shoot it through. Anything for gorgeous, clear communications!
I love writing about communications, writing, life in business and life in general! If there’s something specific you’d like me to cover in my writing, please shoot me an email or give me a buzz, and I’ll do my best to help, or address it in an upcoming blog post or on my social media platforms.