by Helena Kaufman
Your Image and Your Project Page
Photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid
We’ve seen that planning and preparing to present your project to the world is not a linear process. You are sure to revisit each component and to refine it, just as you would redraft and edit and refine any piece of writing attached to your project. You’ll always circle back, however, to the content of your message and the headlines and titles you choose. This ‘closes the loop’ and reinforces your essential message to help viewers focus and remember. This is your image – in words and pictures.
A well-defined image helps people to understand you quickly and to differentiate you from others. It makes you memorable. You have to start somewhere, so brainstorm with others or with yourself and write down catchy phrases and images that explain your project and will appeal to potential backers and ultimately customers and affiliates.
Your word picture is as important as your video voice. Your audience takes in messages in different ways. Your goal is to get your message across so that it captures and keeps the attention of visitors long enough to absorb it.
You want your words to help site visitors:
- Understand what you are doing
- Remember you
- Take the action you request
Remember that no matter how many clicks on your page, each visitor has a unique one-on-one experience of you and your message. Visualize your ideal contributor or customer and talk to them as you write your message. Consider it a direct face-to-face conversation and make it personal and compelling as possible.
Consistency Counts
Your message not only reflects the essence of your project, it must:
- Inspire action by potential supporters
- Compete and stand out from the thousands of daily messages that bombard your viewers.
My smart marketing tips and Kickstarter’s guidelines form this checklist:
- Choose the words, clips, pictures, and symbols that will convey your message
- Use those selections consistently and repeatedly to minimize confusion and maximize your standing out
- Title your project so that it is easily searchable and use the simple and specific words that are your actual project name
- Use everyday language to motivate, but stay away from words like: help, support or fund. You are offering experiences to value, not asking for a favor
More essentials:
Project description— Think ‘tweet’ size to quickly communicate what your project is about. Best to focus on what you hope to accomplish.
Write your bio— It creates trust and explains who you are, why you took on the project and can provide a record of previous work.
Your purpose is to engage and inform— Once you have offered sufficient information in a down-to-earth way you are on the road to influence and promotion.
Next time we’ll look at taking your promotional message a little farther afield.
Be creative,
Be in touch,
Helena
Helena Kaufman is a writer and communications trainer. In 1982, success at promoting, marketing and writing about 200 artisans launched Helena as an event publicist. The designers who sold at the Annual Manitoba Christmas Craft Sale exhibited original functional and decorative pieces in fibre, pottery, metal, oil, paper, wood, distinctive wearable art and more. Helena worked to raise their profile, bring media attention and increase their sales. She now shares some of that savvy in the Artisan Ally series. Helena’s writing and communications site can be found here.
