Everything's in the Bagel

Complexities of Creative Writing in Digital Marketing

Have you ever stopped to ponder the intricacies of effective communication? It's not just about the words we choose or the tone we employ. There's a deeper, more intricate psychology at play, one that revolves around understanding and connecting with our audience on a profound level.

A Tale of Two Bagels: Imagine stepping into a bagel shop in the heart of North Texas, a place where the aroma of fresh and authentic breakfast bread fills the air. I know what a true bagel should be – handcrafted, boiled to perfection, then baked with a satisfying snap and chew. To my surprise, this Southern bagel store is owned and operated by authentic New Yorkers, from Brooklyn even.

Upon entering, I was greeted with a familiar attitude – friendly, yet abrupt and direct. "What do you want". It's a demeanor that might catch Southerners off guard, but it's quintessentially New York. The owners proudly proclaimed their bagels to be the best in the world, surpassing even those found in the Big Apple.

The Bagel Misunderstanding: But here's where the story takes an intriguing turn. The next customer after me requested a "plain bagel." The owner, in true New York fashion, asked, "Tell me about that plain bagel." Confused, the customer explained that they wanted an everything bagel with cream cheese. The owner promptly clarified, "You want an everything bagel sliced with cream cheese on it. That's not a plain bagel. A plain bagel is a bagel with no toppings, sliced down the middle with nothing on it. That's a New York plain bagel."

This interaction perfectly encapsulates the importance of understanding your audience and their persona profiles. It goes beyond age, demographics, or location; it's about grasping their background, language, and word usage. Are you speaking to someone married or single? A child or an established leader in a family? An executive or a business owner? Even seemingly minor factors, like their mode of transportation or work environment, can influence how you communicate with them.

The Corporate Conundrum: In the corporate world, this understanding is often overlooked. Creative writing is frequently critiqued based on the preferences of executives or leaders, rather than the intended external audience. While constructive feedback on conciseness and proper legal terminology is valuable, dismissing a piece of writing because it "just doesn't sound right" to someone who isn't the target audience is a misstep.

As marketers and communicators, we must champion the importance of persona profiles within our organizations. By clearly defining and understanding our target audiences, we can craft messages that resonate with them on a deeper level. This doesn't mean disregarding the input of our leaders, but rather finding a balance between their insights and the needs of our external audience.

The Art of Connection: In the end, whether you're ordering a bagel or creating a marketing campaign, the key to success lies in understanding and speaking directly to your audience. By embracing persona profiles, we can break free from the limitations of corporate culture and create content that truly connects with the people we aim to serve.

So, the next time you find yourself in a communication conundrum, remember the tale of the two bagels. Embrace the complexities of your audience, dive deep into their persona profiles, and craft messages that resonate on a profound level. Because, in the end, everything's in the bagel – or, in this case, in the art of understanding and connecting with those we seek to reach.

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