I am often surprised by how much overlap there is between my former career and my current one. Browsing through the marketing section of the Huffington Post, I recently came across an article entitled, Why Customers May Not Hear Your Message. Curious -- because hey it’s a serious problem if that’s happening -- I clicked and found advice very similar to that given to me as a developing counselor and educator. You have to know your audience, know what they will and may not understand, and maintain an open and accepting dialogue that allows for questions should miscommunication of any kind occur.
Working with kids -- especially at times volatile teenagers -- these steps were crucial, but I do believe that they apply across the board when seeking to reach and engage any audience. I would throw in one more thing not mentioned in the article that I think is useful too: reference points. Reference points, such as a local establishment, a cultural icon, a current event or a holiday that a majority of your audience will know and care about can all be incorporated into a message. Then what you are trying to communicate becomes both more compelling and much easier for your audience to grasp onto and engage with. People initially listen and understand better when what you have to say involves something that they already know about, care about and want to know more about.
As a counselor, I had more than one conversation start out about this or that pop artist that ended up leading to dialogue around several important youth development topics. As a digital community manager, I have used all the reference points I mentioned above to reach and engage with audience members. When it comes to getting your message across and reaching people, there is no harm in thinking outside the box a little sometimes.
Image via Huffington Post
Working with kids -- especially at times volatile teenagers -- these steps were crucial, but I do believe that they apply across the board when seeking to reach and engage any audience. I would throw in one more thing not mentioned in the article that I think is useful too: reference points. Reference points, such as a local establishment, a cultural icon, a current event or a holiday that a majority of your audience will know and care about can all be incorporated into a message. Then what you are trying to communicate becomes both more compelling and much easier for your audience to grasp onto and engage with. People initially listen and understand better when what you have to say involves something that they already know about, care about and want to know more about.
As a counselor, I had more than one conversation start out about this or that pop artist that ended up leading to dialogue around several important youth development topics. As a digital community manager, I have used all the reference points I mentioned above to reach and engage with audience members. When it comes to getting your message across and reaching people, there is no harm in thinking outside the box a little sometimes.
Image via Huffington Post
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