Human Lenses & Filters

People always see the world through their own lens..

Have you ever found yourself re-reading a message or something online, and realised that it could be interpreted more than one way??

The truth is as humans we will always see things through our own lens, and with applied filters we may or may not be aware of.

As business owners or marketers, it is super important to understand this, as it cannot only affect the impression of your brand and business, but also affect how you build and maintain relationships.

I another great example of this is mood related. For example if you were to receive something that could be considered upsetting or insulting, whilst in a good mood you may well easily brush it off, however if you were in a less amenable mood, it could have a much greater impact, and upset you much more than it would otherwise.?

When speaking to people, or even creating content for online it is important for us to consider both the fact that people are seeing things with their own filters and through their own lenses, and that we may need to customise these to ensure they land properly. As well as considering how peoples mood when seeing our content or hearing what we have to say my land with them, and be received or interpreted.

I have already blogged this year around the importance of making mistakes, and the fact is you will never get it right 100% of the time, but it is an important skill to hone how you deliver, both in your tone, the content itself, your timing, and even down to the specific words used.

There are some words, terminology or phrases that will instantly trigger certain people irrespective of their mood.

As a business what are you doing to ensure that you stay abreast of these changes and trends, and adapt your marketing accordingly?

There are times I have been guilty of mis-reading something, and if I did not have practices in place to review, take a break and review again before responding, I could quite easily have snap reacted, potentially damaging relationships and saying something I may have later regretted.

Does your organisation have anything in place to encourage people not to immediately reply, in a world where speed of response is held on a pedestal? Maybe just encouraging team members to discuss situations with other team members before responding could alleviate any friction or bad feeling created from a snap decision, or overly quick response.

We have certainly seen it in the media between Marks & Spencers and Aldi, where some people will see it as their game, and good banter, whereas others will see it as a direct attack, and completely unacceptable to mimic, poke fun at and dare I say it even copy.

The reality is, it is a crowded marketplace and many businesses will do anything to stand out, but where do you sit regarding your values, ethics and how much you are prepared to stick your neck out on the line in order to gain attention and traction for your business.

All of this of course comes down to the tone of voice of your brand, your industry, and your own internal beliefs and values, but one thing that is important is that these ethics and values are shared across the whole team, and communicated well to anyone joining that team.

Unfortunately there will always be times when mistakes are made, and these situations arise, so how well in power are your team around you to handle this themselves, or what processes do you have in place to help ensure that this is not a PR nightmare for your brand?

I strongly believe that education is the way to apply your own filter, ahead of those who are consuming your content, applying their own filters.?

This is possible with…

Education around global trends and sensitive topics.?

Education within your team, and around your own internal processes.

Education of your target market around your brand values and beliefs.

Everybody knows the?Aldi?is a fairly tongue in cheek brand online, and is 100% prepared to push the boundaries in order for a reaction and to gain traction. However?Marks & Spencers?are a much more traditional brand, targeting a very different market, based on high quality, and traditional values.

Ultimately as expressed by?Gary Vaynerchuck AKA @GaryVee

The market is the market;

They get to decide

And not a true word has been spoken.

If you want to capture the imagination of your market, and keep them engaged in an ever increasingly busy world on social media, then you need to be listening, paying attention and focusing on the things that matter most to them.

Let’s take Amazon as another example, some people will shop on Amazon because of the speed at which they can get nearly anything, and also how competitively they are priced on most things, however there are increasingly more customers demanding more ecological responsibility by large organisations. As you can see these are two very different segments of the market, however Amazon has adapted and has even started to feature and highlight items for sale in the market place that meet with their ‘eco-pledge’

They certainly are a company that is fast to move with what matters, and also prepared to potentially lose money in areas to test and try new ways of operating as a business. If you haven’t already I would highly recommend reading?The Bezos Letters,?(https://amzn.to/3HNH9la ) in which?Jeff Bezos?addresses shareholders, and the structure, systems and processes, core values and beliefs are broken down by the author,?Steve Anderson?(https://amzn.to/3qYJIKq )??[ 14 Principles To Grow Your Business Like Amazon ]?

Another way this is demonstrated in recent times, focusing around the eco-side of the business, is the option to package deliveries together, to reduce the carbon footprint of the delivery when items are coming from different places. Obviously this will appeal to those who care about the environment, however those who want the item shipped fastest may still opt to have multiple deliveries. The point I am making with this is that Amazon has listened to the audience and the general consensus globally, and put something in place that speaks to both audiences.

What is your business doing to show that you are listening and that you care?

A good friend of mine, and regular keynote speaker?Brian Fanzo ?AKA?@ISocialFanz? often uses the phrase and even hashtag?#ShowYouCare?to encourage those he speaks to, to do exactly that – Show their customers that they REALLY care, not just at a surface level paying lip service, but really genuinely deep down your business or brand cares about them!!

I would love to know if you’ve got this far through reading;

1. How aware you are of the principle I’m sharing here around people filtering things and applying their own lens to everything they read here and see?
2. What’s your business or brand is doing to ensure that everything is received in the best possible light by your target market?
3. [?HONESTY TIME – One for the BRAVE!?] Have you ever found yourself a snap reacting to something, based on your own lens, beliefs and values, without taking time to consider how it may have otherwise been meant???

Thanks for taking the time to read?#ImTristanGInsights?

My aim in 2022 is the publish a blog around my thoughts and insights every single day throughout the year.

You’ll be able to find these in ALL these places;?

• https://IN9.Media
• https://Linkedin.com/in/ImTristanG
• https://Facebook.com/ImTristanG
• https://Instagram.com/ImTristanG

So as I always say in my live streams, please do connect with me wherever you most like to spend time!?

Thanks again for your time & sharing your thoughts…?

Tristan Griffiths?AKA?#ImTristanG