BLAH, blah, blah; that is what most marketing messages come across as. Same old, same old, bland, boring and uninteresting. But why do we feel like this?

Well, I have four reasons why this happens: 1. The wording is poorly written; it is long-winded, has spelling mistakes and doesn’t make much sense.

2. The wording is all about the business and nothing about the potential customer.

Neither you, nor I, care how long a business has been trading, or how they “pride themselves on their customer service”

(you must have heard this one lots of times).

3. They are speaking to the masses and broadcasting what they think potential customers want to hear, not what you want to hear.

4. They are throwing mud, hoping some of it will stick (most doesn’t.) But why do businesses write like this, and how can you ensure you don’t?

Firstly, know who your customer is. Until you truly know who your customer is, you can only be vague and hope that your wording is relevant to someone out there who might see your message.

For example, imagine Anne is a virtual assistant and she wants to work with web designers, marketing companies and business coaches.

She could create a generic email, letter or social media update to all these people in one go or, with a little bit of thought and planning, she could write to each different potential client and concentrate on how she might be able to help their individual needs.

The web designer will have a very different need to the business coach and more than likely need to be spoken to in a very different language.

Vague marketing messages will not get people to respond to you. However, a marketing message that clearly talks to an individual, overcomes a problem, or supplies a relevant service will get seen and inspire more people to respond.

The right message will start a relationship with a potential customer. You need to speak in their language and remember marketing that is designed for men, will not necessarily work on women, and vice versa. Keep your language simple and steer clear of the jargon of your trade.

Identify the problem, and be the solution.