When it comes to creating small business marketing communications, telepathy is for amateurs.

I came across an ad on Facebook:

I’m a family guy always looking for a good dentist, so the ad isn’t poorly targeted. But I’m confused.

Why is there an image of someone on a bicycle? And, what is an eco-friendly dentist?

I decided to investigate (more out of interest as a marketer than because the ad motivated me). I clicked on the Learn More button and arrived at their homepage.

There was general information about the practice, again with the image of the bike-racer. So she’s a dentist who likes bikes, I guess. I’m not sure how that helps my teeth.

After bouncing around for almost two minutes (far longer than the typical lead would spend) I finally find a page about the “eco-friendly” aspects of the practice. I read through to see how they recycle, save electricity, etc. This appeals to me.

Then, at the bottom of the page in an almost lost bullet point, I see that this dentist offers discounts for people who bike to their appointment.

Wow, I think. That’s really cool. I live close enough that I could bike to my appointment. This is an enticing offer.

There is only one problem here. If I hadn’t taken the time (as a curious marketer) to find this information on her website, I’d never have known about it. Because there is no text on the ad that explicitly says you get a discount if you bike in.

The explicit truth

I’d like to think there was some clever strategy behind omitting the detail about the discount for bikers in this ad — that they were trying to draw people in so they could pounce with that awesome detail.

But unfortunately, that’s not the case. The affinity for bikes must be part of their message because it’s the central image. Just glancing over my news feed, I’d have thought this was a post about a bike race.

The problem is that the people who created this ad think that telepathy works. They know about this discount, and it will somehow be communicated — as if by Vulcan mind meld, Jedi mind trick or by Shining. But this ad doesn’t have science fiction hero powers, nor does it “shine.”

Okay, that’s a bit facetious. But, the point is real.

There is a great deal of marketing content in ads, websites and even videos, where the people who create the content appear to think that the most important details of the message will be communicated telepathically — that people will just get it.

It’s likely that the dentist who created this ad thought the point was obvious. After all, there’s a bicycle rider in the ad. However, when I finally discovered that they offer a discount for people who ride their bikes to the office, I was dumbstruck.

How hard would it have been to overlay “Bike to your appointment and save!” on the image? Why not have the ad go to a landing page with details about that offer (at the top of the page) and more info on their eco-friendly practice? Why don’t they communicate their message with clarity?

Empathy lost

I’ve been looking at house painting services, and another targeted ad found its way in to my news feed.

This ad was professionally designed by Marketing 360®. Compare it to the dental ad.

This ad doesn’t assume I’ll just know what the offer is. It explicitly details it.

• I see they have seasonal, winter interior painting specials.
• I get the exact detail on what I can save (15%).
• They provide a time frame for when the deal is valid

Underlying this is the ability to empathize. This business understands the value they offer and knows about their deals, but they realize that people thumbing through their Facebook feed don’t know any of these things.

Instead of hoping that their message will somehow be telepathically communicated via an image or catchphrase, like Where smiles come naturally (what does that actually mean?), this painter offers details for people who need to be oriented from the start, like they’re seeing all this for the first time.

This communication focus comes from empathy, just as the dentist’s vague ad comes from a lack of empathy.

We’re not trying to be cruel or overly critical of the dental office. We realize, of course, that the business doesn’t literally believe in telepathy.

But, they are suffering from the all too common problem of lost empathy. Many business owners get so involved in their own offer that they lose the ability to look at their marketing material as if they were seeing it for the first time.

This results in glaring omissions that make marketing material vague — and even incomprehensible.

You don’t actually believe in telepathy. Jedis and Vulcans are fiction.

But, is your ad so vague a person looking at it for the first time would have to be able to read your mind to know what it means? Have you looked at the details so often that you think they’re obvious?

Those details are not obvious. Empathize with those for whom this material is brand new. If the important details aren’t crystal clear, people won’t try to figure it out. Nobody has time to guess at what an ad means.

They’ll just scroll down that news feed, forgetting you even exist. A business advertisement can do no worse.

Originally published on 5/5/18