By Kirsten Robinson
What happens when someone zones out of a conversation? Their nods of agreement go on auto-pilot. Their eyes glaze over. Their mind wanders. Why? Because they’re not engaged in the discussion. They’re being talked to, not with. It’s the opposite effect your team wants to have on your audience.
Your messages should not solely inform—they should trigger a response. These rules of engagement don’t just apply to verbal communications. Writing is even more difficult. Messages can be well-written, but if they don’t engage, stakeholders will zone out. It’s not enough to have the mechanics of language down pat, or even just to craft a message on a topic that stakeholders care about. Engaging people so they’ll respond requires taking a genuinely stakeholder-centric stance.
As you’re mapping out a new message, ask yourself, How can I make my communication more…
- Relevant. What role do your stakeholders play in the subject matter? Don’t make your information the meat of the message and then only touch upon audience wants and needs in the intro and closing. Make it clear that connecting with them—and not just regurgitating company info—is your primary concern. See how a zone-out-worthy message was reframed into something engaging.
- Unique. Is your subject matter one-of-a-kind? Or have your stakeholders already read similar content? If they’ve seen it once, twice, or multiple times, people won’t be interested in reading it again. Create a new angle that inspires a different line of thought. Research shows that people are more likely to share content that is surprising.
- Memorable. People read hundreds of messages every day. Generic writing will be forgotten, but memorable messages—whether by humor, surprising facts, or storytelling—will still be talked about down the road. Ford effectively uses storytelling by sourcing stories from the very stakeholders they want to engage.
- Emotional. Does your writing strike a chord with your audience? If it’s indifferent, stakeholders won’t care enough to respond. But, if you trigger an emotion (e.g., hope, fear) readers will be far more likely to share the message.
- Naturally Worded. When discussing a topic, how do your stakeholders talk? Speak to your audience in their language. Intuit outlines corporate speeches with “bumper stickers,” or memorable phrases of 10 words or less, based on the natural language of employees. Apply this tactic to your written messages.
- Motivational. It’s no secret that people are motivated by a desire to look helpful, smart, or cool—use this knowledge to create messages that stakeholders will want to share.
- Approachable. Does your company come across as open in your messages? How well do you convey sincerity and humility? Stakeholders won’t make an effort to engage with companies that come across as unapproachable. Express genuine interest in inviting dialogue—simply adding a “contact us” link at the end of your message won’t suffice.
Have you applied any of these principles in your writing? In what ways?
CEC, members check out some best practice examples of engaging audiences with communications collateral:
Engaging Audiences with Communications Collateral
This collection of collateral represents strong examples of moving beyond just information sharing and awareness to drive stakeholder engagement.
Press release
Annual report
Internal blog posts
Internal memos
Speeches and Presentations
Newsrooms
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