Spark Joy. Eliminate Stuff. How to “KonMari” Your Brand’s Digital Presence.

Warped math workbook. Toss. Faded photo of best friend. Keep. Tweety bird overalls. Donate.  As a teenager, I repeatedly did my own Extreme Makeover by keeping the belongings I loved, and purging the stuff I didn’t. I had this habit despite indulging in shows like Pimp My Ride, MTV Cribs, My Super Sweet 16 that encouraged the wealth and maximalism so popular in the early and mid 2000s. The joy of new empty spaces in my room and scheduling an American Kidney Fund pickup for my donations satisfied me as much as new shoes would.

I became an adult as the recession and 9/11 ushered in trends of minimalism and frugality, evidenced by shows like Tiny House, Hoarders, The Buried Life, and Born Amish. My teenage compulsion became cool! Marie Kondo, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, remains a key influencer of these trends. Kondo believes that decluttering your space and only keeping the items truly meaningful to you can change your life. She urges readers to ask, “Does this spark joy?” when evaluating personal objects. If yes. Keep it. If no. Remove it.

This transformative strategy of tidying up isn’t just for domestic use. The “KonMari Method” can work for the digital spaces your brand occupies.

Apply the KonMari Method to your brand’s digital presence with these guidelines:

1.  Discover what kind of content and engagement sparks joy in your audience.

2. Uncover the story within your data to guide strategy.

3. Declutter your assets. Keep. Archive. Trash.

4. Organize the most cherished.

5. Create & schedule.

• Tattoo your brand’s heart to everything you do.

The personality of your brand must be stamped on every digital asset you have. Your brand voice and look should be dictated by what makes your audience smile and engage. Anything off-brand needs to be culled and removed.

• Digital tools are great servants, but terrible masters. Choose wisely.

From various social media platforms and analytics software to website builders, creative generators and ad directories, the array of available tools is overwhelming. Don’t feel like you have to use them all. Only use the channels, platforms and software that actually work for your business, brand and audience.

• Hashtags are like hot spices.  Use with purpose. A pinch is often enough.

Selecting a unique, trending or clever hashtag(s) attracts the right kind of attention to your brand. It’s one of many digital signals that helps guide eyeballs to your content. Too many hashtags can obscure your message, becoming lost in the noise. #hotsauceinmyblog

• The root of all evil is popups. Pluck please.

Popups spark anger not joy. Haven’t we all groaned as we anxiously tried to click multiple “Xs” to block unwanted popups; a Russian nesting doll digital nightmare that leaves us frustrated with a banged up keyboard. Don’t abuse the use of popups. Or just don’t use them at all. Distraction prevents engagement and ultimately conversion.

• Content is the star. Adorn her with great UX and UI design.

Neverending sliders. Wallpaper backgrounds. Paginated articles. Widget overload. Bloated copy. Pixelated images. Unreadable typography. Flash R.I.P.. Stop these mistakes. They not only slow down your platforms and hamper performance – they also do the same to your users. Use clean full width templates. Simplify navigation bars and menus. Have one focal item per page. Delight the eyes with crisp photos. Make your site mobile friendly.

• Just say no. Less is more with content.

Create compelling content that is appropriate for the delivery channel you use and resonates with the audience you have when they want it. Make your content concise and focused.  Excessive content delivery overwhelms. And irrelevant content wastes valuable attention.

• Save us from a wormhole of clicks.

Too many clicks to get to your contact page, hours of operation, signup form, product info, etc causes users to drop off. The remaining ones who persist through the wormhole are less likely to convert and even if they do, will leave your site due to digital fatigue. Max out at 3 clicks for critical information.

• Show first. Tell second. The power of visuals.

Nobody cares about your story until they know their problem can be solved with what you offer. So, focus on highlighting your “what.” Run an ecommerce site? Have Instagram love-worthy photos of your products. Run a non-profit? Showcase profiles of those impacted by your activism. Run a movie studio? Feature the video trailer of your next box office hit across channels. Utilize graphic design (color, texture, lines, placement, font) to draw emphasis to what your audience wants to experience and acquire.

• CTAs, CTAs, CTAs

Like in the real estate business, unless your target audience converts, branding means zilch. Calls-to-Action (CTAs) are the linchpin of turning a passive audience into an engaged one. The true test of whether the story of your product, service or idea worked is if someone acts. Poor CTAs or an overcrowding of them, stifles action. Place them strategically.

Don’t be afraid to do a KonMari cleanse of your brand’s digital appearance and communications. Toss the “stuff” and declutter. Spark joy with your brand and watch it light up your audience.