How To Deconstruct Your Marketing (To Make It Better)

One of the most essential practices in marketing is asking how something could be misinterpreted. Marketing is meant to sell, but people will be hesitant to buy if they are confused. This practice separates marketers from people who just make stuff. 

In small settings, or on personal projects, simply try to come up with alternate explanations or interpretations for what you wrote. A little bit of deconstruction can help you fix the most major holes. 

Consider this sentence: 

Converse All-Stars come in a canvas and a rubber material, and have been known to be some of the most durable shoes around. 

Now let’s deconstruct it a bit. This sentence could be interpreted to mean that there are two kinds of Converse All-Stars–a canvas kind and rubber kind. In fact, converse All-Stars are made of both canvas and rubber. Also, the words “have been known” could imply that they are no longer known as the most durable shoes around. It’s also a bit non-communal. 

Let’s re-write the sentence:

Converse All-Stars are constructed with both canvas and rubber to create a light, comfortable shoe with high durability. 

Often in big projects we’re way too close to the work. We know too much to think objectively about whether or not our words make sense to an outsider. In this case, ask a few trusted friends to find holes. Don’t choose just any friend. Find someone who has delivered creative work before. They’ll be able to deliver solid feedback with grace. 

Your messaging will never be 100% clear. There will always be people who will misinterpret things, or point out things that don’t make sense. The wonder of the digital age is that you can take this feedback into consideration in real time, and make adjustments. In the world of print, what you printed is final. But if someone is confused by your website, you can keep iterating until people rarely reach out about it.

Happy marketing.

P.S. Guess what shoes I’m wearing right now.