How can your marketing bring less noise, more signal?

Lindsay Says

The goal of communication – including marketing communication – is for the listener to understand what you wish to convey.

Ever listened to music while on a road trip? As you approach a city, the radio signal becomes crystal clear - all music, no static. But leave the metropolitan area, and noise drowns out the signal until you're forced to change stations or give up entirely.

The goal of communication is to create understanding.

What does this have to do with marketing? The goal of marketing is to create something worthwhile and to let your audience know about it. The goal of communication – including marketing communication – is for the listener to understand what you wish to convey.

The more the listener must labor to understand, the less successful your communication. And the less successful your communication, the less your impact.

Be all-signal-and-no-noise.

When letting the audience know about what you’ve created, be all-signal-and-no-noise. Whether your communication medium is a website, a billboard, a social media post, a podcast interview, or a tradeshow -- convey the signal without noise. Convey the specific message and nothing else.

How do you get to all-signal-and-no-noise? By not starting with copywriting. Start instead with the singular meaning you wish to convey. Identify what precisely you want to convey before saying it.

Here are some examples of brands that do this, and that therefore are all-signal-and-no-noise in their messaging.

Brooks promises joyful running.
Nordstrom promises best-in-class customer service.
GORE-TEX promises waterproof fabrics.

The audience does not have to labor to hear the messages that these brands are communicating. They stand for something specific that all communication readily conveys. Their message is singular – all signal.

Good things come from lack of noise.

When our audience hears all-signal-and-no-noise, there are at least two happy consequences:

1. More effective messaging.

The audience is more likely to be spurred to action. If you have all signal, the audience is more likely to understand you and respond to you. Your marketing ROI increases.

2. More customer love.

The audience will have more goodwill toward you because you have created a more enjoyable, low-static experience for them. Your loyalty and NPS increases.

Seek to have a brand that is all signal, no noise. It will enable you to create messaging that is more effective. It will enable you to establish a stronger bond with your customer audience. It will afford you a North Star to guide intentional growth.