How To Ensure That Your Message Is Heard

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Communication involves the participation of at least two parties. Communication can be written, verbal, and even non-verbal. On a blog, you’re likely more concerned with written communication unless you create video blogs, in which case you’re using verbal communication that will include body language (non-verbal) and other cues to get your message across to the other person.
 
But the real key to ensuring your message gets across to the receiver is to understand that it’s your job as the message giver to deliver the message in a way that it’s understood by your audience. Here's how to make sure that your message is heard.

1.   Understand and Like Your Audience – Even if you are part of your own target audience, it’s important to get out of your own way and conduct real audience research to ensure that you know who they are, outside of your subjective experiences. Find out what they want, what they know, who they like, why they like who they like, what they need and the whys behind their needs. The more you know, the better you will be at creating messages that are heard by your audience.

2.   Let the Audience Know What You Want - One of the most important parts of your message is your call to action (CTA). If you don’t know what the point of your message is, your audience can’t be expected to know either. Be very specific about your CTA within your message so that there is no misunderstanding about your point.

3.   Spell Out Definitions of Terms – In order to get your audience on the on the same page as you, and to help further your message, be sure to spell out ambiguous terms within your content. Don’t assume that everyone understands what you’re saying. Instead, always fill in the gaps to ensure that your audience knows what you mean when you say a particular word.
 
4.   Repeat Important Points – Remember those high school essays that you wrote, and the speeches that you gave? You likely remember, if you give it some thought, your teacher lecturing about the idea of repetition. You’ve heard it said to “tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you just told them”. This works especially well with harder to understand concepts.

5.   Listen to Your Audience – Conduct a poll; ask questions; go where they go such as social media, forums, mastermind groups and so forth so that you can really listen to the needs of your audience. If your content on your blog expresses a true understanding of your audience’s needs, they’re more likely to understand and hear your message.
 
6.   Be Honest – In advertising there is a term called “puffery”; it means to exaggerate the effectiveness of a product or service to try to get across a particular message to the audience. While this practice is acceptable and legal in advertising, it’s better not to do this when it comes to blogging and monetizing your blog. Instead, practice complete, straightforward honesty.

7.   Check Your Facts – Keep trust alive by double-checking any facts that you provide your audience. This is especially important if you hire a ghostwriter, or use PLR without knowing if you’re using a good source. It’s not that people purposely deliver the wrong information, but having a double check helps. This is simply good communication and a good journalistic practice that you should learn.

8.   Write Like You Talk – Don’t try to put on airs when communicating with your audience on your blog. Write like you talk, and if you do a vlog, just be yourself. Whatever content you provide to your audience needs to represent who you are to the best of your ability. 
 
You can be heard by being clear in your intentions and your words, while considering what the words mean to your audience as you deliver your message. Finally, it’s also important to ensure many eyes see your message by promoting your blog posts via ever possible channel.
  
Did you like this post?  Was it helpful?  If you have a question or a comment please let me know.   You can put them in the feed with my blog post or email them directly to me at doreen@doreendilger.com.   You’re feedback would be greatly appreciated!