The other day, someone asked me, “Joe, what are the three most important things to consider when marketing my business? I mean, how do I convince people to buy from me?” I thought about it for a few seconds and replied, “Marketing is simply communications designed to promote something. It’s a lot like having a personal conversation with someone, but done on a larger scale. Let me ponder this some more, and maybe I’ll write about it.” So here goes, my written reply.

It’s fairly self-evident that the battle for everyone’s attention in life is fierce. Whether you are marketing a brand, looking for information, or seeking out “design inspo,” there are many things out there vying for attention. Every brand, organization, and influencer competes not just to be seen but to be remembered and acted upon. I’m not immune from this, and sometimes my biggest challenge of the day is to just stay focused on one thing.

So, how can you avoid the marketing and communications mistakes many people make? What can you do to make your messages rise above the noise? I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I believe it’s three things: style, substance, and statistics. Let’s explore how these three alliterative elements work together to create professional communications that are not only eye-catching but also meaningful and measurable. Personal note—I wrote the title, not AI. My high school teacher Mrs. Prante would be proud of my use of alliteration in the title!

Style: The Art of Attraction

First impressions do matter, and it may not be fair, but people do tend to judge a book by its cover. The visual appeal of your communications (cover page, website, picture, video, sound, etc.) is what will initially draw your audience in. Be creative, but use a sense of style. Many people (you and me included) sometimes only look at the picture and form an impression about the whole message—that’s why internet memes are so popular (and dangerous).

    

 Style is more than the image or video; it encompasses the design, color schemes, typography, and overall aesthetics of your communications medium. It’s about creating a visual identity that clicks with your target audience. For example, I’m an early Generation X’er, and I am automatically drawn to things from the 80’s (especially the music, because we had the best music).

Style is also about creating an emotional connection with whomever you’re trying to communicate with. If you’re marketing, then a well-designed campaign should evoke feelings of trust, excitement, or curiosity. If you’re interviewing for a job or trying to sell a house, then ensuring everything looks good does matter. Style is the first step in capturing attention and sparking interest.

Substance: The Heart of the Message

Once you have your audience’s attention, you need to keep it. This is where substance comes into play. Substance is the depth and relevance of the content you provide. It’s the information, stories, and messages that add value (or entertainment) to your audience’s lives.

We are all bombarded with superficial content, which is increasingly being generated by AI (yuck). Substance is what differentiates meaningful engagement from fleeting interest. Your content should have depth and address the needs, pains, interests, and desires of your audience. It should educate, inspire, or entertain them in a way that communicates what you’re trying to say. Yes, humor counts because who doesn’t love a good cat video?

Substance requires you to understand what you’re trying to say and match that up with the interests of your audience. What are their challenges? What do they care about? What is their mood? By providing content that is relatable and relevant, you build trust and establish a connection with your intended audience.

Statistics: The Measure of Success

Style and substance are critical, but without statistics (aka metrics or analytics), you’re flying blind. Statistics help you understand if you’re reaching the right audience and if your message is being heard. Beware of vanity metrics if you’re using social media for your communications. If you’re into marketing like I am, there’s a whole bunch of things you can track. Analytics tools allow you to track a wide range of metrics, from website traffic and social media engagement to conversion rates and customer retention.  

Focus on these three essentials:

• Reach – How many people see your message?
• Engagement – How many people react to your message?
• Conversions – How many people take the action you want them to take?

The above metrics can be applied to marketing campaigns but can also be applied to a small group of people. Professional marketers might review statistics on an analytics dashboard. A homeowner’s association might make a pitch to a small group of people and immediately take a vote on something. The same three essential statistics apply regardless of the scale. By looking at the data, you can learn what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to refine your strategies and optimize your message for better results.

Statistics help you understand the impact of your style and substance. By regularly reviewing your data, you can make informed decisions that enhance your marketing and communications effectiveness.

The Synergy of Style, Substance, and Statistics

There’s a lot of great material out there about how to be an effective marketer and communicator. I’ve spent most of my career learning how to be a better communicator. But the more I think about it, it seems to me the essence of it lies in the synergy of style, substance, and statistics (alliteration again). When these elements are considered and combined, they create messages and stories that are not only attractive and meaningful but also impactful.

• Style captures attention and creates an emotional connection.
• Substance provides value and builds trust.
• Statistics measure success and guide improvement.

There’s a certain elegance in simplicity. Now, I challenge you to think about your own marketing and communications efforts. Are you incorporating style, substance, and statistics in your communications? Take a closer look at your next campaign or message. Ensure it’s visually appealing, filled with valuable (or entertaining) content, and then measure how well it’s doing. By giving thought to style, substance, and statistics, you’ll become a more effective communicator. I hope I’ve been an effective communicator in this article, and the statistics on this one are there for all the world to see (although popularity isn’t everything). Thanks for reading. 

Article originally appeared on The Citizen.