The average customer sees a staggering number of advertisements per day. In fact, a study from just a few years ago estimates it at up to 5,000 per day. When a human being is exposed to something at that sort of frequency, he or she becomes desensitized to it. In other words, the advertisements turn into white noise.

How often do you have a television on and are able to concentrate on something else while the commercials are on? It is easy to be distracted from advertisements, because we simply don’t care about them anymore.

This makes marketing especially difficult today. You need to cut through the clutter to catch the eye of the customer and keep their attention. The secret to doing this is to offer value.

Offer value to keep 'em engaged

Value is what will keep a customer from wandering away from your marketing message because they instantly have a vested interest in the information being presented. They are engaged. If they are getting something in return, they will be more receptive to the marketing message in front of them.

Here are a few ways to offer value in your marketing materials:

• A free gift. The classic method of offering value, the free gift still holds an incredible amount of power.
• Free information. Again, that word “free” grabs the attention. Free information that is useful and applicable to a customer will give the customer incentive to come see what you have to say.This can be presented in an educational brochure, report, or a blog with frequent, valuable updates. Giving away information may seem counterintuitive, but it establishes credibility for you with the reader, which is a major hurdle in marketing campaigns.
• Interactivity. Even if it is just enjoyment, a customer will be receptive to your message if you make it fun and pleasant for them. They will spend more time in front of you, giving you more opportunities to market to them effectively. Consider ways to create interactivity for your customer - examples include an online quiz, a waiting room video, or a customer survey.

Offering value is a secret that many companies are hesitant to implement in their campaigns because they don't realize the huge impact it can have. Focus on offering value and you will be impressed at how effective your campaigns will become.