If you could pinpoint one underlying message you could share with your target audience, what would you want it to be?
Are you someone who has a lot of things to say or someone who struggles with finding one thing to say?
Brand messaging is probably one of the hardest things to clarify in your brand. It’s a combination of what makes you different from your competitors, tone of voice, and your promise. It’s meant to be motivational and something people will remember or relate to.
Your brand message is the heart of your brand. It’s something that people connect with to decide whether or not they want to be part of your brand. Another way to think about when you craft your brand message is what do you want your target audience to know, think, feel, say, and do after hearing your message?
Let’s take Dove for example:
"Dove is committed to helping all women realize their personal beauty potential by creating products that deliver real care. Dove believes that beauty should be for everyone because when you look and feel your best, you feel better about yourself."
Dove's strategy is to help women feel comfortable in their own skin and be themselves. They say it through their marketing campaigns by including and celebrating women of all different ages, sizes, and ethnicities. They encourage women on social media to show their natural beauty using the hashtag #ShowUs. Their goal is to build positive self-esteem and also to inspire women and young girls to reach their potential.
See how they take their message and incorporate it in different ways? It’s in their commercials, their presence on social media, the products they make. Everything encompasses their brand message.
Some businesses use their tagline as their brand message, although a tagline or slogan isn’t quite the same as your brand message but a way for people to remember you. We consider a tagline to be just one way to tell people your message.
When crafting your own brand message, there are a lot of elements to consider. There’s the way you position your brand, your brand pillars, your core values, who your target audience is, and your tone of voice. Your message is not listing out these things, but it’s the combination of all these elements will help you craft your message across every piece of content or platform.
The key thing to remember is that no matter how redundant you sound, consistency is key! You don’t have to say things over and over again (although it does help), but you deliver your message consistently in various ways.
Have you ever seen any of the viral videos going around, “Tell me you're organized without telling me you're organized?” How do you tell people what your brand message is without telling people what your brand message is?
Before you think on that for a bit…
How do you even craft a unique message for your brand—especially if you’re not sure how you stand out from everyone else like you?
Here are a few things to remember when crafting your unique message…
1. Say things the way your audience would.
Our message can tend to get lost by using industry jargon. It’s not even about trying to sound “smart,” but when we’re experts in a specific field, we tend to use language that’s generally used on a daily basis. But if our audience doesn’t understand it, it won’t connect.
So when you think about your target audience, you might understand their pain points and how you can solve their problems. But are you saying them in a way that resonates with them?
2. Use empathy and show that you know what it's like to walk in your audience’s shoes.
A lot of entrepreneurs can relate to their target audience. For many of them, it’s why they started their business in the first place. We understood a problem, saw a need, so we built a business to solve it. But what may seem obvious to you still needs to be communicated clearly and in a way that connects.
One way people use empathy in their brands is by writing a list of their audience’s pain points. They describe their frustrations and struggles and their desire to reach a certain outcome. You hear the phrase “getting from Point A to Point B” all the time.
How can you show, describe, or communicate that you know exactly what it’s like to be in their shoes?
3. Position your offer as the only solution — both functionally and emotionally.
So many people are starting online businesses these days—competition is fierce! So how can you communicate that you’re the only solution to your customer’s problem?
You could have a very similar message as your competitors, but you might be offering something truly unique. How do you share that unique solution in a way that makes people think, feel, and want your offer as the only solution they need? You could tell people what makes you unique, but it’s in the way we’re able to share our message that connects with them emotionally that makes you stick.
Think of your message as some of your favorite movies or books. You know, the ones you watch over and over again, and no matter how many times you’ve seen them, there’s something new you learn and walk away with.
As a reminder, consistency is key—no matter how redundant you think you sound! Your brand message could take people a while to understand, connect with, and actually take action when hearing it. What you have to say is not about writing your message on the homepage of your website and that’s the only place it lives. Your message should be shared and communicated across all your channels.
Need help with your brand? Sign up for our newsletter and get tips on how you can build a thriving brand!
Until next time,
Happy Branding!
