Build your brand message, and watch your profits SOAR.
If you want to add fuel to your bottom line, the fastest path is through your marketing message.
However, crafting a message that resonates with your audience can be difficult - and a lot of trial and error.
It can be challenging to create an ideal on-target message that hits your audience's pain points, highlights your unique products and services, and keeps your brand consistent.
But don't worry.
You will learn how to take all the information and data you have about your audience and create a message that resonates.
Here are the three key areas that can help you laser-target your marketing message and drive results.
Let's get started.
Identify (and HIT) Your Audience's Pain Points:
One key to tailoring your marketing message is understanding your audience's pain points.
Pain points are the problems or challenges your audience faces that your product or service can solve.
By identifying your audience's pain points, you can create marketing messages that speak directly to their needs and desires.
To identify your audience's pain points, start by conducting research through surveys, social media listening, and customer feedback.
Look for common themes or issues that your audience is facing. Once you have identified their pain points, you can craft marketing messages that address these challenges and offer solutions.
Pro tip: What words do your customers use to describe the experience of trying to fix their problem?
What frustrations do they talk about? What do they complain about? What have they already tried?
The closer you can mimic your audience's language, the more psychological alignment they will feel with your messaging.
Highlight What Is Unique About Your Product or Service (USP):
Your unique selling proposition (USP) is a statement that demonstrates to your audience the unique value that your product or service provides.
Your USP should answer, "Why should someone choose your product or service over your competitors?"
To craft a compelling USP, analyze your competitors and identify what makes your product or service different. Start with features:
- What sets you apart from the competition?
- What value do you provide that they don't?
- What problem do you "fix" better than anyone else?
- Are there proprietary parts of your product that no one else has?
Examine the WIIFM – What's In It For Me – element:
There is a lot of psychology around why some products attract customers and repel others. But it's usually true that customers buy something because it does something for them.
- What makes this a better deal, faster outcome, or more straightforward solution?
- Does your product or service confer a higher status?
- What will friends and family think if the customer buys your product or service?
- Why would a customer choose your product or service over a competitor?
Once you have identified your USP (unique sales proposition) and your customer's WIIFM motivation, incorporate it into your marketing messages.
Your USP should be prominently featured in your website copy, social media posts, and advertising campaigns.
Consistent Brand Voice:
A consistent brand voice is essential for building brand recognition and trust with your audience.
Your brand voice should be consistent across all channels, from your website copy to social media posts.
This consistency will help build recognition and trust with your audience and make your brand more memorable.
Once you have defined your brand voice, incorporate it into your marketing messages.
Here are some things to consider.
Brand Personality:
Your brand personality is the set of human characteristics that you want your brand to embody. It's the traits that your brand uses to connect with your audience.
For example, your brand may be friendly, professional, or innovative. You may use a lot of industry jargon – or none at all.
You might be formal or informal, humorous or not. Defining your brand personality can help guide the tone and language used in your messaging.
Tone of Voice:
The tone of voice is the attitude or feeling your brand expresses through communication.
For example, your tone could be playful, serious, or empathetic.
Customers may be confused if some of your messaging is cheeky and humorous while others are a brain dump of industry jargon.
Your tone of voice should be consistent across all your communication channels to build brand recognition and trust.
Vocabulary:
There are two parts to consider with vocabulary.
--The industry-specific jargon and technical terms relevant to your products or services.
You need to be consistent in usage and have a clear way for people who don't know the jargon not to feel excluded.
--Make sure your writing is clear and easy to understand.
If your vocabulary is dense and hard to follow, if your audience doesn't understand something, they will stop reading (and perhaps go to a competitor).
Bottom line: Your vocabulary should be easy to understand, and avoid confusing or unclear language that insults or excludes.
Messaging Framework:
Your messaging framework is just shorthand for all the foundational marketing messages you will create, including your USP—your unique selling proposition—your mission statement, and key messages such as taglines, statements of purpose, etc.
These messages should be concise and clear to communicate the unique value your brand provides.
Visual Identity:
Your visual identity is essential to your brand voice. It includes the colors, fonts, and imagery you use to represent your brand.
These visual elements should align with your brand personality and tone of voice.
Many businesses create a "style book" that includes logos, images, notes on fonts, hex color notes, links, and more. A style book makes it simple for your team to stay on brand.
Target Audience:
Tailoring your marketing message and brand voice to your target audience is essential.
Your messaging should be crafted with your audience in mind so that it resonates.
It must demonstrate to your audience that you understand their needs and preferences.
Your message and communication style should sync with how they speak about solving their problems.
So...how does all this impact profits?
Having a clear USP (unique selling proposition) lets customers understand how you are uniquely able to solve their problems.
Knowing exactly who your audience is - and speaking directly to their needs in a language they understand - builds trust in your business. You know their pain points and can speak with authority about solving them.
Being able to clearly explain WIIFM (what's in it for me) so your customers understand the benefits to THEM removes a barrier to sales.
Having a clear brand - your content, colors, logos, and voice - means customers recognize your business across all platforms.
Any one of these things can help your business. But when you put them all together, you build a pathway for your customers to say YES and buy.
