Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise

Identity crisis: some thoughts about corporate identity

• Fragmented identity equates to lost identity. Where's the purpose in that? Ask yourself, is there one common message and feeling that is present and consistent across every communication tool that touches your audience (online, in-person and in-print). Everything that touches your audience contributes something; the key is to make sure it positively reinforces the message you want to send. (Of course, it helps if you know the one message you want to send.)
• Don't confuse volume with effectiveness. And, don't get sloppy just because you're overwhelmed. If you can't can’t do it right, don't do it. The secret here is that the less you put out there, the easier it is to get it right. Well developed identities are concise and deliberate. (Starbucks=a great coffee experience)
• Audit your touch points. Sometimes it helps to get an outsider's perspective on this. A few years ago, we spent a couple of days with a team from AspireOne and we are still using the information they helped us uncover then - today. It was a great investment. I think this image from the Integrated MarComm blog breaks it down best into three phases
• Touch point 1: Awareness/consideration (pre-purchase)
• Touch point 2: Trial (purchase)
• Touch point 3: Loyalty/advocacy (post-purchase)

This is a great tool to evaluate how all your “parts” play play together nicely as the “whole”. Use this tool to evaluate your programming, facilities, media, print pieces, people, words and actions. You might be surprised with what you find.

Are you talking too much and saying very little?

Maybe you need to “Divorce the details that excite you but alienate your listeners.”

Great post from Blog Decker about being in the weeds.

Why some organizations succeed and others...

You want to maximize response? You have to minimize options. Will a picture help? Lucky for you, I just happen to have one from Stuff Happens.

Does it get you thinking about how you do things in your organization? Think about your print pieces, web sites, processes, voicemail...the whole shebang. There's always something you can simplify. In fact, I had one meeting today about simplifying our web site and have one scheduled for tomorrow about simplifying our volunteer sign-up process. In both cases, our current solution makes sense to us internally, but is stalling out externally. Instead of defending why we do it the way we do, we're going to figure out what needs to change. That means we have some work to do.

Simple is smart and it's hard work. Complicated is ignorant and it's lazy. Just sayin'.

Fight Information Obesity. How to simplify your marketing...

Recently Guy Kawasaki invited me to share a few words over on the Amex Small Business Blog. Inside scoop? He edited my original submission because he said it was obese. That's ironic. Made me laugh. And, he was right. You can always cut words. And, then you can cut again. Here's the edited article. Better than the original.

Fight Information Obesity...How to simplify your marketing.

Information overload occurs when we receive more information than our brain can process. Even if it’s good information, too much of a good thing isn’t good anymore. Whether you’re an information addict or Zen advocate, information overload affects us all.

If you’d like to contribute something of real value that improves quality of life, it’s as simple as dialing back your own volume. Here are five ways you should be looking to help reduce the stress for your customers.

1. Stick to the facts. Don’t over-sell, over-fluff, over-explain or over control. Just provide the information someone needs to self-sort and self-decide. People don’t need a page on the philosophy for every business, product, or event. They do need to know who it’s for, what it is, when it happens and how to get it.

2. Stick to the point. Start with the end in mind before you take action. If you know the purpose behind your letter, brochure, or meeting, it makes it easier for you to stay on track and focused. Otherwise, it’s hard to recognize your own excess. Do you want people to show up, respond, or buy? What are you asking them to do? If you can’t answer that question easily, neither can they.

3. Consider the crowd. Does your announcement (printed or verbal) apply to everyone or just a handful of people? If it doesn’t affect the masses, it’s going to land like dead weight. Don’t punish the crowd to keep a few people happy (even if they are the most vocal). Find a way to talk about the 20% that affects 80% of your audience.

4. Don’t intrude. Unless they’ve asked for it, people welcome your mass emails as much as a salesman ringing the doorbell during family dinner. Respect personal space and put information in a place easy for people to find when they want or need it.

5. Deflate your self-importance. Are you more attached to what you have to say than to who you are talking to? People are more inclined to read and respond when something is delivered from their point of view—not yours. Work hard to think like your audience to find ways to connect.

Life is overwhelming enough as it is. Your business, church, school, or social cause shouldn’t be piling on more and adding to the confusion. Look at your own emails, mailings, brochures, web site, and identify where you need to turn down your volume. It’s the right thing to do for everyone.

I want to associate with organizations that have personality

Case in point... this simple form letter is so refreshingly original and unpredictable it makes me want to buy more. I'll recommend this company to people because of this email alone. How much money and time did it take to create a new fan? Slim to none.

There's not enough personality these days. Have some fun. Take some liberties. Loosen' up. Where are you missing these simple, small opportunities for big impact in your church?

7 Myths Marketers (& their bosses) Gotta Stop Buying...

I read an article this week that begs to be shared. Want to get the most out of marketing in today's world? Stop believing these myths.

• Myth #1 - "I'll just hire me one of them marketing superstars.
• Myth #2 - "If everyone just picks themselves up by the bootstraps and tries harder (or works smarter)...
• Myth #3 - "If we can just get some of that marketing automation, that'll solve our problems."
• Myth #4 - "If we can't quantity it, we shouldn't do it."
• Myth #5 - "I don't care what it takes, just get it done!"
• Myth #6 - "We can't spare a dime to invest in research."
• Myth #7 - "We don't have time to examine our own navels."

Read the full article on Chief Marketer.

Less Clutter. Less Noise. book tour happens today...

Today's the day I take the book on the virtual road and visit 28 blogs in 27 cities. The rules were simple. One question per blog all on one day. Some questions were hard, some were easy, some where short and some were long--all were good. Enjoy the tour! (It might take you more than a day, and that's ok. I about killed myself hitting all in one day. You might want to pace yourself.)

1. "Our church seems motivated most to attend events and activities when things are announced from the platform. When there’s no major push from the pulpit, how does one get the congregation excited and eager to participate in other things that are happening in the church using other forms of communication?"  Find the answer on Frank Chiapperino's blog. (Philadelphia, PA)
   
2. "What mistakes have you made in the past and how/what have you learned from them?" Find the answer on Curtis Stephens' blog. (Charlotte, NC)
   
3. "What are your top 10 (5 will do) ways to communicate effectively?" Find the answer on Dave Baldwin's blog. (Reistertown, MD)
   
4. "If you were to move to a small church with little to no budget for communications, how would you implement a system for communications?" Find the answer on Faye Bryant's blog. (Townsend, TN)
   
5. "If you had to start over again (you found yourself at a new church), with no staff and leadership not agreeing with your philosophy, what one thing would you focus on first?" Find the answer on Frank Deno's blog. (Latham, NY)
   
6. "We’re finding our families are extremely busy and increasingly unable to get involved in church events. What are you best practices for communicating and engaging busy families?" Find the answer on Jenny Smith's blog. (Dayton, OH)
   
7. "What are some principles and strategies for transforming a silo-structured communications environment, where ministries are allowed to compete for attention with your main message?" Find the answer on Jeremy Davidson's blog. (Tulsa, OK)
   
8. "What's been the most valuable lesson you've learned since working in ministry?" Find the answer on Jon Edmiston's blog. (Peoria, AZ)
   
9. "As I read about Granger's communication policies and practices, it's apparent both the medium and the content are designed to be uncluttered. How did this mindset come to be part of the DNA of the leadership of the church?" Find the answer on Kim Bontrager's blog. (Wichita, KS)
   
10. "Is it better to have one long blog entry or podcast episode, or multiple short ones?" Find the answer on Tim David's blog. (Orlando, FL)
    
11. "When it comes to building the buzz about a sermon series or event, how do you determine the amount of energy, communication pieces, and time it will take for the largest buzz to grow?" Find the answer on Mark Borgetti's blog. (Naperville, IL)
    
12. "What ways have you found effective to communicate to regulars, who like the way things are, why changes are necessary in order to better connect with guests? Find the answer on Matt Ames' blog. (North Augusta, SC)
    
13. "As part of a larger church staff, what do you find to be the one essential/non-negotiable ingredient for your team to consistently function at a high caliber?" Find the answer on Mike Gothard's blog. (Elizabeth City, NC)
    
14. ""What effect does church marketing and communication have on a church's children's program; do you think a communications team should collaborate with a children's ministry team on developing the program?" Find the answer on Nate Nakao's blog. (Morristown, NJ)
    
15. In the past, we've had NO communication strategy at my church. Part of my job is to create and implement one. In your experience, what is the best way to successfully walk the ministry leaders and staff through this transition without becoming a dictator of communication? Find the answer on Nick Asolas' blog. (Gilbert, AZ)
    
16. "How do church’s find a balance in utilizing new and old media in their presentation of the gospel?" Find the answer on Sam Mahlstadt's blog. (Winston-Salem, NC)
    
17. "How do we effectively communicate (vision, values, policies) with-in the multi-site model without adding layers of complexity?" Find the answer on Sam Luce's blog. (Utica, NY)
    
18. "We're a fairly inter-generational church with a good mix of tech and non-tech savvy people that worships 430 on a weekend in four worship services where all generations are represented. If you were starting from scratch in your communications strategy, what is the first communication tool you would tackle to reach the most people?" Find the answer on Sue Steege's blog. (Tonawanda, NY)
    
19. "Is social media the new wave of communication from the church to the unchurched? If so, how might we best use this medium to maximize impact in our cities?" Find the answer on Tommy Bowman's blog. (Kansas City, MO)
    
20. "You have a lot of great action items in your book, things to evaluate, then to implement some positive changes if needed.  Where would you suggest starting if there are many things that need attention?" Find the answer on Jody Wissing's blog. (Frisco, TX)
    
21. "Desert island. You, on it.  Choice of three books and three CDs.  What would they be?" Find the answer on Beth Brawley's blog. (Powhatan, VA)
    
22. "In a smaller church setting, where most of the communication material is from volunteers, what can be done to coach all of those volunteers to reduce clutter?" Find the answer on Matt Kerner's blog. (Springfield, MO)
    
23. "How does the local church ensure they are not adding to the 'noise' engulfing their congregation?" Find the answer on Adam Mashni's blog. (Plymouth, MI)
    
24. "Given the topic of your book, what are your thoughts on twitter?" Find the answer on Jim Kast-Keat's blog. (Grandville, MI)
    
25. "Our church likes to be (more than) a little edgy in our sermon themes, hoping to speak the language of our culture.  For instance, we preached a series on sex called Turned On. Can you suggest any guiding principles for choosing themes that are very relevant but don't cross the line of being in bad taste?" Find the answer on Robb Ryerse's blog. (Northwest, AR)
    
26. "I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook; I loathe the thought of Tweeting.  I see their value, but I also see so many people being sucked into these social networks, wasting hours of time playing games, taking quizzes, sending flair,  etc. which seems like the ultimate in clutter and noise. How can they best be used while subtly communicating "don't settle for status updates thinking you've experienced the real thing." Find the answer on Vanessa Ryerse's blog. (Northwest, AR)
    
27. "What would be your social networking advice for a church planter? Assuming he wants that added clutter and noise to his already busy life?" Find the answer on Guy Walker's blog. (Birmingham, AL)

LIVE VIDEO AFTER PARTY! (Just when you thought the fun was over.) Mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 2 p.m. EDT. Shawn Wood (Charleston, SC) is the host. You're invited. Don't miss it. Shawn's even better than Ryan Seacrest.

My favorite graduation gifts for 2009

[SPOILER ALERT: If you a a recent graduate I know and love...don't read this post if you want your gift to remain a surprise.]

For the rest of you ... Here are my top three graduation gifts of choice this year.

       

Five things to demand from design thinkers...

Some highlights from an article I read yesterday...I think it's important to absorb stuff like this in order to train our brain to think differently; to break our ruts and change our paradigms. The article shared ten things you need to know to make design thinking work for you...I'm sharing five.

Today we are facing many tough problems in business and our society as a whole. Design thinking is a problem-solving protocol that can be used on virtually any problem. Not just for the world of designers; left-brain, linear thinking, engineering professionals effectively ladder up on the idea, too.

1. Clarity about Equity Brand equity used to belong to the Madmen of Madison Avenue. But advertising simply doesn't work like it used to, and won't ever again. Customers, enabled by the Internet and social networks, are telling companies what they want through the truth of the consumer experience.
2. It's in the the Story A story has emotion, narrative, and memories built into it. In a world bloated with messages, a story is sometimes the only thing people will remember.
3. Design at the Beginning Design is more than aesthetics or attractive packaging. Before setting off on any mission, design thinking protocol asks us to step back and ask "Is this the right way to frame this problem?"
4. Keep Assassins in the Crosshairs "We did that here once. It didn't work." "That's not the way we do things here." Figure out a way to overcome resistance to new ideas or become a Designosaur.
5. Use Your Head Before Your Hands Look past a project to the next step, sideways to the tangents affected by the result and the investment required. No problem is solved in isolation.

Full article by Mark Dziersk in Fast Company.

Making a connection calls for change...

“The amount of change in marketing over the past 3–5 years
probably equals the amount of change over the past 30 years.” 
Robert Liodice, CEO, Association of National Advertisers

You don't believe it? Consider this truth. Three years ago Facebook didn't exist. Today it's the 5th largest "country" in the world. Here's some post highlights from “Marketing Technopologist” Dave Knox about today's reality.

What people want has changed dramatically over the past several years.  While functional benefits still play an extremely important role, people want more.  They want the brand to have a purpose and in many cases, they want to have an emotional connection with the brand.  These changes in attitude are being driven by a new generation:

• 40% more likely to “pay more for products consistent with an image I like"
• 59% of trend setter youth prefer to buy a $4 Organic Vegetable than a $2 Non-Organic Vegetable”
• 62% of 14 to 34 year-olds claim to have taken steps to “living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle”, including 14% who have bought environmentally conscious brands.
• twice as likely to claim to be “influenced by what’s hot and what’s not.”

Digital is transforming how people interact with brands and with each other.

Nearly half of US online adults are social media users, but 71% of online tweens and teens

• connect to a social network at least once a week.
• There are more Paypal accounts than Visa card holders.
• Americans sent 75 billion text messages in June 2008, a 160% increase from June 07.
• 70 million of the 90 million homes in the United States that are online have broadband connection speed and 37 percent of US Homes have Wireless or Wi-Fi.
• 9 out of 10 teens considers themselves to be “video gamers” and more than half play video games at least 3 times per week.
• 29% of teens would rather shop online than in a store.
• Consumers aged 18 - 26 are spending more time using the Internet (12.2 hours per week) than watching TV (10.6 hours per week) according to Forrester.

Read the full article.

What does this mean for you as you lead your staff, your business or your church? You have three choices:

1. Ignore the current reality and stick with what you're comfortable with.
2. Imitate new techniques that discredit you as a fraud.
3. Take the time to learn about what's gaining credibility with people today and why.