1 00:00:03,900 --> 00:00:06,300 Audiences are always hungry for 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:08,340 information. They will seek out 3 00:00:08,340 --> 00:00:10,507 information that educates and inspires 4 00:00:10,507 --> 00:00:13,359 them or exposes issues and tells them 5 00:00:13,359 --> 00:00:17,089 how to achieve things. For the sender 6 00:00:17,089 --> 00:00:19,208 of the message, knowing your purpose 7 00:00:19,208 --> 00:00:21,208 is a lot like deciding what kind of 8 00:00:21,208 --> 00:00:22,930 food you want to serve in your 9 00:00:22,930 --> 00:00:25,850 restaurant. Before you start cooking, 10 00:00:26,010 --> 00:00:27,677 make sure you understand your 11 00:00:27,677 --> 00:00:30,129 receiver's palate so your messages 12 00:00:30,129 --> 00:00:32,650 leave a good taste and your audience 13 00:00:32,650 --> 00:00:36,540 will always be craving more. Messaging 14 00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:38,762 that lands well with your audience is a 15 00:00:38,762 --> 00:00:41,130 bit like pulling off a five-star dinner. 16 00:00:41,540 --> 00:00:44,020 You need a menu that's flavorful and 17 00:00:44,020 --> 00:00:46,076 interesting with memorable bites and 18 00:00:46,076 --> 00:00:49,380 satisfying drink pairings. It's these 19 00:00:49,380 --> 00:00:51,540 details that will have your guests 20 00:00:51,540 --> 00:00:53,860 leaving positive reviews and recommend 21 00:00:53,860 --> 00:00:56,027 what you're serving to their friends. 22 00:00:56,419 --> 00:00:58,252 Let's dish some of the other key 23 00:00:58,252 --> 00:01:00,259 ingredients that make sure your 24 00:01:00,259 --> 00:01:02,592 messages suit the taste of the consumer. 25 00:01:07,419 --> 00:01:09,530 Messages should be customized for the 26 00:01:09,530 --> 00:01:11,639 intended audience. Without an 27 00:01:11,639 --> 00:01:13,861 understanding of who your audience is, 28 00:01:13,861 --> 00:01:15,639 what they care about and what 29 00:01:15,639 --> 00:01:17,695 motivates them to act, your message 30 00:01:17,695 --> 00:01:19,860 will fail to connect. Your 10-year 31 00:01:19,860 --> 00:01:22,019 wedding anniversary dinner has very 32 00:01:22,019 --> 00:01:24,309 different requirements and expectations 33 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:26,707 than your 10-year-old's birthday party 34 00:01:26,707 --> 00:01:30,150 does. Let's look at how a theme, 35 00:01:30,410 --> 00:01:32,632 the impact of military marriages on the 36 00:01:32,632 --> 00:01:35,019 workforce, was addressed two different 37 00:01:35,019 --> 00:01:37,186 ways with two different audiences in 38 00:01:37,186 --> 00:01:41,160 mind. In this article, the writer 39 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,199 addresses the impact divorce has on 40 00:01:43,199 --> 00:01:45,680 readiness. The message has a hopeful 41 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,736 tone to point out past problems that 42 00:01:47,736 --> 00:01:49,650 have led to divorce, but also 43 00:01:49,650 --> 00:01:51,761 highlights how the military has taken 44 00:01:51,761 --> 00:01:55,279 strides to address them. Conversely, 45 00:01:55,529 --> 00:01:57,751 this article on MarketWatch is written 46 00:01:57,751 --> 00:01:59,807 with less emotion and more empirical 47 00:01:59,807 --> 00:02:02,610 data. The intended audience is likely 48 00:02:02,610 --> 00:02:04,666 interested in the topic, but from a 49 00:02:04,666 --> 00:02:07,660 purely financial perspective. Both 50 00:02:07,660 --> 00:02:09,882 stories have their place and purpose in 51 00:02:09,882 --> 00:02:12,104 the information landscape, but each is 52 00:02:12,104 --> 00:02:14,327 meeting a different objective. Knowing 53 00:02:14,327 --> 00:02:16,271 who the intended receivers are and 54 00:02:16,271 --> 00:02:18,049 focusing on their interests and 55 00:02:18,049 --> 00:02:19,938 experience will help you meet the 56 00:02:19,938 --> 00:02:21,271 reader where they are. 57 00:02:25,419 --> 00:02:27,220 Every memorable message has a 58 00:02:27,220 --> 00:02:29,387 delightful tidbit that gets gobbled up 59 00:02:29,387 --> 00:02:32,380 with gusto. Finding that flavor bomb 60 00:02:32,380 --> 00:02:35,490 takes patience and an open mind. You 61 00:02:35,490 --> 00:02:38,250 may think it's the steak, but it might 62 00:02:38,250 --> 00:02:41,940 be the sauce. Let's take this 63 00:02:41,940 --> 00:02:44,100 story about Tashime Felder, a young 64 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:46,211 recruit celebrating his enlistment in 65 00:02:46,211 --> 00:02:48,899 the Army. As is, it's a perfectly 66 00:02:48,899 --> 00:02:52,250 good snack-sized story. But if you dig 67 00:02:52,250 --> 00:02:54,809 a little deeper and ask why he was so 68 00:02:54,809 --> 00:02:57,529 relentless, we discovered that Tashime 69 00:02:57,529 --> 00:03:00,970 Felder is a social worker who lost 110 70 00:03:00,970 --> 00:03:03,289 pounds to realize his lifelong dream of 71 00:03:03,289 --> 00:03:06,130 military service and working with PTSD 72 00:03:06,130 --> 00:03:09,850 survivors. With obesity rates 73 00:03:09,850 --> 00:03:12,050 disqualifying over 30% of youth who 74 00:03:12,050 --> 00:03:14,729 wish to serve, the additional context 75 00:03:14,729 --> 00:03:17,570 attracts a wider audience. Your morsel 76 00:03:17,570 --> 00:03:18,737 just became a meal. 77 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,789 Jargon is like salt in your food. How 78 00:03:27,789 --> 00:03:29,956 much you use depends on the audience. 79 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:31,938 If you're talking to a military 80 00:03:31,938 --> 00:03:33,960 audience, jargon builds trust and 81 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,240 rapport by showing that you speak their 82 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,520 language. If your audience is not 83 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,639 military, you'll lose them with too 84 00:03:40,639 --> 00:03:43,949 much jargon. The Marines have 85 00:03:43,949 --> 00:03:46,005 different social media accounts that 86 00:03:46,005 --> 00:03:49,029 serve unique audiences. This image 87 00:03:49,029 --> 00:03:51,229 serves a primarily military audience, 88 00:03:52,259 --> 00:03:54,592 so liberal use of jargon is appropriate. 89 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,111 But if you're sharing this beyond the 90 00:03:57,111 --> 00:03:59,399 military, less jargon would be 91 00:03:59,399 --> 00:04:03,220 appreciated. For example, this 92 00:04:03,220 --> 00:04:05,779 same image on Facebook, posted without 93 00:04:05,779 --> 00:04:07,740 jargon, connects better with the 94 00:04:07,740 --> 00:04:11,559 general public. Evaluating when 95 00:04:11,559 --> 00:04:14,080 jargon would or would not be effective 96 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:15,858 will help you connect with your 97 00:04:15,858 --> 00:04:18,024 audience. Use it when you need it for 98 00:04:18,024 --> 00:04:20,119 accuracy and eliminate it when you 99 00:04:20,119 --> 00:04:21,119 don't. 100 00:04:25,750 --> 00:04:27,917 Even the most well-trained chefs serve 101 00:04:27,917 --> 00:04:31,170 duds from time to time. That's where 102 00:04:31,170 --> 00:04:33,392 feedback can help refine your message. 103 00:04:33,649 --> 00:04:36,010 Reading the online reviews and comments 104 00:04:36,010 --> 00:04:39,049 can provide insight; analytics provide 105 00:04:39,049 --> 00:04:41,809 viewer data. Feedback invites you to 106 00:04:41,809 --> 00:04:44,320 the kitchen to tweak the flavor profile 107 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,320 by spicing it up or toning it down. 108 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,600 As the chef, your job is to understand 109 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,119 your diners and relate to their unique 110 00:04:55,119 --> 00:04:58,529 tastes. Find the right bits to 111 00:04:58,529 --> 00:05:01,399 spotlight, use jargon appropriately 112 00:05:01,730 --> 00:05:03,897 and be open to reworking the message. 113 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,269 Follow this recipe and you'll take your 114 00:05:07,269 --> 00:05:10,119 communication from bland to brilliant.