We all have our own megaphone, which is to say, we all have a platform we use to share our thoughts, opinions, values, and important updates. We do this consciously and subconsciously. Websites, blogs, and social media accounts all serve as amplifications of our individual megaphones, in addition to our daily interactions offline.
We use our megaphones when we want to be heard, when we feel we have something of value to share with the world. However, if we do not wield our megaphones wisely, it can all just come out as noise. At Noteworthy Communications, we make it our mission to turn that noise into a cohesive story that keeps an audience enthralled. Every person and every business has a megaphone, but how we choose to use them can make all the difference in whether our message is truly heard or not.
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Amplify
Some people have louder megaphones than others and have the power to reach more people than the average person. There is a great responsibility in this, because what we say can cause ripple effects, both positive and negative. If we want to contribute to a conversation in a positive way, finding the right approach is half the battle. As a society, we have adapted to a continuous flow of content. We have twenty-four-hour news cycles and bingeable streaming services, so the competition for an audience's attention has never been steeper.
We have to utilize the megaphone that makes the most sense for ourselves and our business. A blog has a different impact than a YouTube channel. Publishing information through the press reaches a different audience than a targeted email campaign. Every entrepreneur needs to find the channels of communication that will amplify their individual message, their niche, in an otherwise crowded consumer market.
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De-Amplify
Sharing our particular expertise is how current and potential customers learn to trust our services. That is what our megaphones are for, and we should use them proudly. However, we all must learn how to tune our megaphones with intention. If someone were constantly screaming in our ears, we would find a way to tune them out so we could find a little peace. When consumers become inundated with constant updates or irrelevant content, they can easily choose to silence the noise with a push of a button. Unsubscribe. Unfollow. Block.
Our megaphones, as valuable as they are, hold a potential trap. We could dilute our own power by not carefully considering what we are choosing to say with that power. Oversharing, sharing low-quality or irrelevant content, or crossing boundaries between sharing personal content and professional content can all have the opposite result of our intention--accidental de-amplification. Before we use our megaphones, we must ask ourselves, does this specific content really need to be amplified and is my megaphone the best method to do that? If the content does not serve the higher purpose of our brand or business, our megaphones should reflect that.
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Listen
Sometimes choosing to mute our own megaphones in favor of hearing someone else's is the best thing we can do for our overall message. There is value in just listening and absorbing the point of view of others. With all that is going on in the world, it is impossible for any one of us to have the answers to everything. There is absolutely nothing wrong with admitting when we are not educated enough on a specific topic to voice an opinion. In fact, there is value in that honesty, especially when reactionary hot takes are a dime a dozen. The alternative is sharing a misguided opinion that we could regret putting our name to later. The internet never forgets, after all.
As entrepreneurs, sometimes our credibility is all we have. When we spread misinformation, even accidently, we forfeit that credibility. This is not censorship, or cancel culture, or political correctness, but rather the responsibility that comes with employing our megaphones. Seeking out education and choosing to reflect before we speak can make our megaphones that much more powerful. Thinking critically and searching outside of ourselves and our limited experiences can help increase our megaphones' overall impact when we do decide to use them.
As previously discussed in Chapter Seven: The Continuous Evolution of Language, we are all active participants in this evolution, generation after generation. We use our megaphones, both online and off, to share what we think is important. We all do it, even when we might not realize it. Words, and how we employ them, matter.
Every person and every business will utilize their megaphones in the ways that work and feel right for them. At Noteworthy Communications, we understand that no one's megaphone is identical, so neither is our approach. Communication strategies can only become impactful when we finely tune our megaphones while keeping our broader purpose in mind.