I saw a caption the other day. “Sometimes life throws you a curve ball…” next to the image of twins? Yup. That was me 18 years ago. Boys, no less. For this girly girl, the thought was terrifying. Now, on top of planning for one child, I had two of everything to consider…cribs…high chairs…double strollers. We had the internet back then, but nothing like today. (No Amazon Prime…sigh). You could get reviews, but they weren’t many. No mommy blogs. Babycenter.com existed, but robust, it was not. So, we used the force, trial and error and borrowing. Some stuff worked, some we threw out instantly, other stuff we plum got lucky and in the end we survived. As the years went by, I remember watching other friends and family through their pregnancies and thinking how lucky they were to have so many more resources and retailers available (I would have killed to have had Target maternity clothes!). Oh, they have it so much easier. That’s what I thought. Flash forward and my sweet, young cousin finds out she is pregnant, very unexpectedly. She texts me in a panic that this whole registry thing is way too overwhelming and she breaks into tears just thinking about it. In steps this sage “old” expert (me): “I’ll handle it,” I say with all the bravado of a women who has been there, reveling at ease that modern technology will afford me this time around. Ha! Within minutes, I too was overwhelmed. How many bottle/nipple types does one society need? Video on the monitor? Wireless capabilities? Even the baby tubs had changed and there were hundreds of them. Don’t get me started on the strollers. There were millions of reviews. How did I know which ones to believe? I did what every smart woman does, I went to an expert. My sister-in-law was expecting her 2nd. Together, we put together a list (a novel really…) of things she needed (more of this…less of that), books to read, things to buy now vs. later, advice to shop consignment – your baby doesn’t care if it’s new. You would be impressed, it was quite the work of art. My cousin said it saved her sanity. I know for a fact that list has made it into the hands of 2 more soon-to-be moms. Hopefully it saved their sanity as well. And, my guess is will become the modern version of a tattered old book, with notes in the margins and the wisdom of ages. Why tell you this story? Presumably, your company is in business because you are an expert at what you do. Your clients rely on that. As you update your website, your marketing collateral, your user manuals, any place you are taking all the knowledge and advice you have stored up in your head (or in folders on your email) be mindful of the end user and what they need to know. Look at your content from a fresh set of eyes. Even if your clients have been with you for years, it’s likely technology or your products or procedures have changed. Don’t assume that just because they are veterans, your new messaging will make sense to them. Marketing and content creation are classic pillars of business, but take care to make sure your messaging is clear – and give people the information they need. Just maybe it will become a manual for the ages. Wendy Peloquin is Chief Creative Officer of Pixie Fish Marketing. She has 25+ years experience weaving creativity with common sense to craft memorable messages and successful marketing strategies.
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About WendyFor my clients, I'm a storyteller, cheerleader, push-you-out-of-your-comfort-zone type of marketing consultant. Hopefully I can inspire you too. Archives
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