messaging Archives - Wellons Communications

Lean on simple messaging and graphics to tell your reopening story

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Wellons team

What’s the best way to re-establish commerce as we knew it before the onset of COVID-19?

Truth be told, no one has all the answers. And, there is no “one size fits all”. Whatever approach you adopt for reopening must be tailored to your audience and what you can communicate about your business.

And, whatever you convey about your business needs to immediately connect with your current and potential clients and possess relevancy to their needs, as well as your ability to deliver services.

So, what are some ways you can affordably and instantly cut through the clutter of COVID-19-related messaging to get your message across?

Use graphics to fast-track your message.

Lean on high-impact PR graphics to tell your story…graphics that present memorable, easy-to-understand information about you, and your service, at a single glance.

Something as simple as a postcard can re-establish that you are open and operating. A message like “We’re up and running”, accompanied by your name and how to reach you will immediately establish a key element of reopening marketing communications.

The same message can easily be reconfigured to a visual-centric email that can be viewed and understood in a single moment. It can also be adapted to a text message or posts on social media.

Make your graphics as powerful as possible

Make it easy for your target to understand you are up and operating.

Aim for high impact and a minimum of clutter and distraction. A simple message surrounded by white space, for example, can have the same power and impact as a costly billboard or a paid full-page ad in a newspaper (either the printed kind or their online editions).

A single, memorable graphic or combined headline-graphic, along with your company’s name and logo, can get your point across and immediately convey that your business is moving forward.

Your message has to be more than “We are open.”

As businesses reopen, one’s first instinct is likely to blurt out “We’re open” or “We’ve reopened.”

That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t exactly jump off the page. That’s because millions of other businesses are saying the very same thing. So many businesses are saying “We’ve re-opened” that it is difficult to remember who is who, what they are selling, and why it is relevant to you.

Your message has to be short. Simple. And different.

Creating short, simple messages that are different can be amazingly powerful. But it’s not as simple as it sounds.

It is a process that requires some hard thinking on the part of your communications team and discipline on your part.

In these communications-overloaded times, we have found that keeping it simple is a strategic approach that consistently works to cut through the clutter and enable our clients to stand apart from the pack.

It’s an approach we are ready to put to work for you.

We thrive on the challenge of creating simple but powerful messages and blending them with memorable graphics to convey your key marketing messages.

Creating short, simple messages and making your message different is where Wellons Communications can assist you.

If that’s the kind of fast-track approach you need to help get your marketing communications re-established, then talk with us.

We’ll listen carefully to what you want to accomplish with your messaging and work quickly, but thoughtfully, to provide solutions that can accelerate getting your business operating as much “back to normal” as possible in as short a time as possible.

Call me, Will Wellons, at 407-462-2718, or email me at will@wellonscommunications.com and let me put our team of messaging pros behind you

Social media check-up: Is your business healthy?

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Wellons team

With more than 2 billion people on social media, we’d be surprised to find someone who doesn’t think it’s important for his or her business.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a seasoned pro, social media inevitably comes with a lot of questions. Am I doing this right? Am I getting the most out of it? Where do I even start? We’ve heard them all.

And we can relate! Social media has been on our minds at Wellons Communications lately. Our CEO recently led a workshop on social media, and as a staff, we did a deep dive on best practices across platforms.

A short check-up never hurts. Below are five essentials for your business’ social media—so you can be sure you’re in tip-top shape.

Know your platform
There are a multitude of social media platforms out there, from Facebook and Instagram to LinkedIn and Google+. Each platform operates differently, attracts a different demographic, and has different requirements. For instance, Instagram is driven by visuals. LinkedIn attracts a more professional crowd. Twitter allows the use of hashtags. Understanding each platform and selecting the right ones for your business can set you up for success.
Set a strategy
Just like with any other marketing and public relations tactic, you must establish a plan. Jumping head first into social media without setting a strategy is like driving down a dark road without headlights. Eventually, you’re going to crash. Ask yourself what you want from social media. Do you want direct ROI? Do you want to be seen as a thought leader? Your goals will drive the strategy you use.
Craft your content
What you post on social media defines your company, just as much as a sales presentation or your website. Content shows viewers what your company is, what it does and what it stands for—so it has to support your goals. What does your brand want to convey? What is your aesthetic, visually and tonally? Do you post videos, photos, articles or something else? Take some time to set some brand standards. After all, posting to a personal account is not the same as posting to a business page.
Stay consistent
To effectively use social media, you have to be engaged. That means posting regularly (this is where that plan comes in!), responding promptly to comments and concerns, and actively listening to what is being said about your company on social media. Are you doing all you can to protect your reputation and keep your voice out there?
Keep up-to-date
The social media landscape is constantly changing and growing. It’s essential to stay in the conversation and up-to-date on the latest trends to remain relevant. Are you reading up on changes on platforms or best practices in your industry? At Wellons, we make sure to brush up periodically to make sure we stay sharp.

If you still have questions or want to ensure your company is getting the most out of this powerful tool, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to share our knowledge and expertise with you. Give us a call at 407-339-0879 or email Will at will@wellonscommunications.com.

Communication is all about consistency

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Wellons team

It’s fun to have a new toy for your business, and it can definitely feel like a win to finish a big project, like a website redesign. Knowing how you’re going to use a new tool – and how it’s going to work with your overall communications program – is half the battle. After all, what good is a new website if customers can’t find you or if your content is stagnant and stale? Communication is all about consistency, and that’s where we come in.

Using consistency to break through to your target audiences

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Wellons team

When you communicate what you do and how you do it, how consistent is your messaging?

When you describe your business – and the benefits you provide your customers – do you say the same thing every time? Is your message loud and clear? Is what you say understandable at a glance?

The competition for attention

Pause for a moment and think, “What do I really remember from everything I have seen this morning?” megaphone-150254_1280

In all likelihood, what you recall is a jumble of images, headlines, and thoughts.

That’s because from the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed, you (and everyone else) are subjected to a never-ending barrage of emails, telephone calls, tweets, news reports, commercials, ads and face-to-face communications.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of aiming and distributing your message toward your target audience without the context of what surrounds your message.

The fact is that your message – what you say about yourself and your product or service – competes with everything else in the world, not just within a bracketed marketing segment.

The value of staying on message

We encourage simplicity in communications. And one manifestation of simplicity is remaining consistent.

We believe that you need to say the same thing over and over to gain attention and be understood. Simplicity helps to cut through the clutter. And consistency helps to make your message understandable.

What needs to be consistent in communications?

Everything.

What you say. How you say it. How you visualize it. When you time your communications. Where you place your message. How you place your message. What materials you employ to project your message.

Won’t my target audiences get tired of “same old, same old?”

You may get tired of saying the same thing over and over again, but you can bet that your target audiences will not. In a kaleidoscopic world in which communications overload has fragmented attention spans, your message, delivered consistently and in an easy to understand format, will seem like an old friend; comforting, reliable, and approachable.

We subscribe to the notion of establishing a unique “voice.” Once you establish it, keep using the same voice. Your customers will come to expect a consistent voice in every marketing communication piece you deliver. And when you achieve that kind of relationship with your customer, you have successfully crossed that bridge that separates “noise” from effective communications.

So how do I develop a consistent and effective messaging?

That’s where Wellons Communications comes into the picture.

We provide an independent, marketing-minded point of view that examines and analyzes what you are currently communicating and provides candid, forthright feedback that positively identifies opportunities.

Allow Wellons Communications to respond with simple, consistent and affordable solutions that will help you cut through all the noise and positively impact sales.

In the spirit of simplicity and consistency, all you have to do is give me a call at 407-339-0879 or email me at will@wellonscommunications.com.

The Importance of Knowing Your Audience in PR

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Wellons team

So you got the new iPhone update which includes the new emoji keyboard and you’re really excited about it.

However, you wouldn’t send your grandmother a text full of emojis when you know that:

She doesn’t understand that means that you did not enjoy waking up this morning.
Her cell phone doesn’t receive text messages.

You would simply pick up the phone and tell her that information. It doesn’t make sense to send her a message she doesn’t understand through a medium she would never see.

The same is true in public relations. Knowing who you’re speaking to – knowing your audience – is a critical part of the PR practice.

No matter what strategy or tactic you are using, the best message in the world won’t be effective unless it’s in front of the right people in a way they understand. From collateral to social media campaigns and press releases, knowing your audience is crucial.

For example, when choosing outlets to send press releases to, we choose the ones most relevant to the client’s audience. A food blogger isn’t going to want to know about an upcoming marathon race. A CEO of a company probably doesn’t read or watch the same material that a college student does.

It’s important therefore to know where your audience gets their information and what channels they frequent. Facebook seemed like it was going to be the end-all-be-all of social media, but did you know that today’s teenagers don’t see Facebook to be as important as their parents do? If your product appeals to a younger demographic, it’s important to follow the trends of social media platforms. In the long run, these teenagers will hold major buying power 5-10 years from now. How will we adapt?

It’s also important to ensure that your message and tactics are appropriate for you audience. Messaging that is humorous isn’t always going to translate well for serious non-profits or business people. Similarly, a text-only ad for a children’s breakfast cereal isn’t going to communicate to toddlers.

In public relations and marketing, knowing your audience is step 1 in a successful campaign.