With the information bombardment occurring in today's society, it's no wonder we have trouble making decisions. Dozens of emails litter our inboxes every day and catalogs continue to jam our mailboxes, despite the attempt to go green and paperless. Tack on the countless images one sees daily on the Internet or television, and all this so-called "important information" becomes a blur.

The next time you are engulfed in an information-overload situation, note how many brands are applying the repetition theory and how many are just doing a "one-off." For example, do you see the same commercial three times during a one-hour block of television viewing or do you only get one shot to catch that 800 number and purchase the "As Seen On TV" product for $19.95? What about online? If your home page is a news source or search engine like Yahoo! or MSN, do you notice that over the course of time, some news stories rotate over and over again, where other headlining stories get top billing? And then there are the email newsletters and alerts attempting to drive you to a company's website. Which ones do you pay attention to? For example, Land's End has become known for its free shipping, and Borders offers awards via email, so nearly every two weeks you receive a coupon for 25 percent or more off a book purchased Thursday through Saturday of that week. If you're a follower of either of these brands, you know it's foolish to pay shipping or full price for a book because their offers appear frequently in your inbox.

There are three aspects to creating great content for your marketing materials. The first is how your content sounds to the reader or listener. It must be engaging and invoke emotion in order for the recipient-or customer-to react. The second is that the same message you used initially must be repeated over and over again. A one-time offer for free shipping may be nice. But if customers grasp that this offer is available more often, it will encourage them to purchase more frequently because they can easily get a "deal" on the shipping. The same holds true for the Borders coupons. Lastly, your content and messaging must appear linked across all marketing mediums, whether it's your website, brochure copy, email blasts, or a salesperson having a conversation with a customer. So how do you create a road map for controlling and creating great content? Let's take a look:

• Review your existing materials first. Reread the content on your website, in brochures, and in any other marketing materials as if you were reading it for the first time. What sounds great? What makes sense to a first-time customer? Where are the holes that need to be filled? What confused you? Take an audit of these things to determine what works and where you'll need to tweaking or even fully rewrite copy. Above all, determine whether or not each piece has a different voice or tone You want your marketing materials to sing as one.

• Keep the three C's in mind at all times. Clear, concise, and consistent. Your copy needs to dance together in unison, not as a solo artist. State your intentions and get right to the point. Then repeat the process all the time, regardless of the medium.

• Create a branding or position statement that can be used anywhere and implement it everywhere. All too often we see brands try to be all things to all customers, and as a result, their messaging gets off track. Create a solid message that says who you are. Then "copy and paste" the message from an original document to be consistent.

• Use emotion to connect with your reader or viewer. How do you feel when you read or see great content? It usually stirs up some sort of emotion, whether it's empowering, sad, exciting, or funny. While your products and services may not sound that exciting to the naked eye, what if-when they are implemented by the customer-they open new doors for that customer with increased sales, happier end-users, and fewer problems and headaches? That's something to cheer about! Write your copy so it zeroes in on how your customer will benefit from your solutions rather than just writing about a new printer or automated management system.

Consistency and repetition are key to creating great content. Throw in some emotion and you're sure to connect with your audience.