When it comes to marketing, it’s hard not to get caught up in visions of cool logos, attractive color schemes, and eye-catching imagery. Afterall, marketing creates the face of your business and you want that face to look as attractive as possible. It’s understandable because, more often than not, potential customers will meet your website or one of your social media properties well before they meet a single person from your organization. As the old saying goes: You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. So, your marketing materials need to help your company look professional, credible, and established – someone a prospective customer would want to do business with. But looks are only part of the equation. If your message isn’t making it through all that beautiful graphic design, it’s just a lot of eye candy and empty calories. For maximum impact, the look and feel of your branding should work in tandem with your company messaging. But, if you had to choose between looking great and having a clear message, choose the latter. Every. Single. Time.

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In marketing, if AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action) is queen, then content is king. Your message is the most important component of your marketing strategy. If the "who," "what," and "why" of your product/service isn't clear, your marketing communications will be all dressed up with nowhere to go. Too often companies make the mistake of trying to impress people with their artwork instead of placing their message front and center, expecting valuable would-be customers to do the extra legwork to figure out what they do. We've all been on the receiving end of that. It's frustrating. And with so many options available to your target audience in the way of your competitors, you can't afford to make that mistake. Because if who you are and what you do aren't immediately clear and instantly obvious, those potential customers will bail. They'll move on to the next company website, LinkedIn profile, Facebook page, etc. You'll lose those sales. And, worst of all, you'll never even know it. 

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So what does it mean to have a clear message? It's more than just a clever turn of a phrase, good grammar, or a collection of well-constructed sentences. To successfully pull potential customers into your sales process, you need to hold up a giant stop sign to let them know they're in the right place and that you do exactly what they're looking for. You don't have to get fancy. You don't need to be cute. Brief and concise will work better than the most poetically worded wall of text or the most beautiful collage of images. 

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One of the best examples of this is Google. When their search engine first launched in the late 90s, visitors to Google.com were greeted with little more than their now iconic multi-colored logo and a search box centered on a stark white background. It was a big departure from other search engines of the day that featured homepages teaming with content, photos, and links — an aesthetic not unlike the busy front page of a newspaper. But in the simplicity of the Google design and layout was an unmistakable clarity. You knew who they were by the rainbow of letters that spelled out their name and you knew precisely what they did by the uncluttered search box that beckoned your interaction with its clear and simple invitation to "search." 

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Of course, not every company can get away with being so minimal in their marketing communications. But the overall point should be clear. Make your message the star of the show. Place it squarely in the spotlight and don't bury it with overwrought text or have it compete for attention within a busy or flashy design. Nobody should have to scan a page, click a link, or do anything other than read a few words of text to learn what you do. In fact, few people will do any of those things. You’ll always be better off telling them and then telling them what you told them.

As another old saying goes: Don’t beat around the bush.