Scott Steinberg 

Organizations or brands looking to connect with current or prospective clients and audiences more effectively going forward face two key challenges. Specifically – finding ways to engage differing demographics that communicate in very different ways, and quickly helping audiences understand the value that they can offer them. Deciding which exact channels to base your communications strategy upon (e.g. email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) isn’t particularly difficult if you understand where your audience lives online, though. The real challenge is mastering the common thread – effective storytelling – which ties all together. Luckily, a slight shift in perspective is all it takes to change the message you’re sending, and create more positive takeaways when it comes to overall value perception. Following are seven tips that can help your organization or brand quickly grab audiences’ attention, and instantly paint a clear and compelling picture of the benefits of working together in their minds. 1. Focus on solutions. You can give yourself an instant boost in credibility by helping others meet the business challenges they face on a day-to-day basis by continually offering answers to their most pressing problems. Articles, videos, webinars, whitepapers, post-mortems, case studies and other results-focused content can quickly save audiences time, money and effort – and consistently remind them of the ROI you provide. The more you become a go-to resource, and faster you help audiences move from problem to solution, the easier you’ll find it to demonstrate your ongoing value and relevance. 2. Promote thought leadership. Don’t just be the leading source for industry news and happenings. Be the leading source for insight into them – and first place others turn when they’re determining how to best adapt to current or evolving trends. Remember: Equally important as providing others a peek into where the future is headed is helping them chart a path from here to there. You’ll always be in-demand if you design education programs and events to go beyond simply providing snapshots of evolving business landscapes to provide the specific tools, technologies and resources audiences need to chart a path forward. The faster and more readily you can equip partners to greet change, the faster and more easily comprehended the benefits that you provide will be. 3. Get people talking. Ask thought-provoking questions about topical issues and invite audiences to weigh in. Then use their feedback to craft more engaging programs and content going forward. Polls, surveys and questionnaires can also help you glean deeper insight into what moves current or prospective clients and partners – and simultaneously obtain original insights or data that your organization can also share or publicize as part of future programs. 4. Celebrate your community.  Rather than highlight yourself, highlight your employees, customers, or partners: Shine the spotlight on colleagues and their ideas, and provide audiences with a platform to offer their own insights, takes and feedback on topical items of interest. Tight on bandwidth for tackling new issues as well? Consider crowdsourcing advice, input, and even user-generated content from your community at large. Even the largest organizations only have so much bandwidth. Get your public involved, and you can bring far more people and resources to bear to tackle any given problem or topic, boosting the results of these efforts exponentially. 5. Be a trusted guide. Social networks and online forums are like cocktail parties:While everyone’s got something to say, no one wants to hear someone hog the entire conversation. When engaging in online dialogue, Business Insider suggests that you follow the 60/20/20 rule. This means that 60% of the time you should be spent proactively engaging your audience, 20% spent sharing content your audience will care about, and the remaining 20% should be spent talking about your organization. 6. Help others’ picture your benefits. Organizations often have no shortage of data, while audiences go unawares, or struggle to understand this data’s upsides, let alone make use of it. The use of simple charts and graphics can help you bridge this gap. Infographics, video clips, diagrams, and other visual assets can help you communicate complex information faster – and in such a way that current or prospective clients/partners can instantly recognize the value of the information being provided. 7. Find more ways to leverage every asset. Make content shorter: Break lengthy speeches, reports, or event recaps into brief articles, blog posts, social network posts, or newsletter updates. Make content longer: Anthologize blog posts and articles into eBooks, group video clips into online training programs, or build presentations based on the best tips and insights that staffers/partners/clients have shared on social networks. Finding myriad ways to repackage and represent material can help you find many ways to help and assist audiences in differing contexts while also using it to suit a variety of different purposes, creating a win-win scenario for both sides. 

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