what the heck is brand messaging
october 15, 2024
Category: branding
what the heck is brand messaging and how do I create it for MY business
spoiler: it’s actually a really big deal.
Don’t get me wrong, as a brand designer I’m obviously a HUGE believer that good branding SELLS, however, what is it that keeps a potential client or customer scrolling through and reading about your services or products? You guessed it, brand messaging.
When you pair dynamite brand messaging with killer branding (based on strategy, hey yo!) you’ve got the complete package! You’ll walk away with a brand you feel FULLY confident in. One that showcases your offerings and deeply resonates with your target audience on multiple levels.
What is brand messaging?
At a high level, brand messaging is similar to branding in that it’s strategic and the BASE of all things that follow. With branding, you have set elements that you then use to create things like social posts, packaging designs, a website. With brand messaging, you have a set guide to help create any copy you’re writing for your brand — think newsletters, social posts, website copy, a thank you note, you name it!
In short, brand messaging is how your business presents itself and engages with the world from a written standpoint. It’s taking key aspects like your goals, strategy, and target audience, and creating a guide to effectively connect with those dream clients! It can help you connect with your audience by addressing their pain points and focusing on the outcomes they want most in a way that feels authentic to who you are as an individual or brand.
Your branding sets your brand apart visually. Your messaging is what sets your brand apart on a deeper level. It’s how you engage with your ideal clients, build meaningful connections, inspire loyalty, and drive growth.
It’s kind of a big deal.
why does brand messaging matter?
Here’s the thing, people are drawn to visually appealing things, that’s no secret. BUT what if you could harness this power of showing AND telling? Your branding can catch someone’s eye initially but if you don’t have the messaging to back it up, you could likely miss out.
Let’s look at the data, shall we?
A study from PR Newswire (yeah, we’re busting out resources here), shows companies with consistent branding can see up to a 33% increase in revenue[1]. Now, louder for the people in the back, this applies to brand messaging too! By defining your brand’s values, the tone of voice, and brand objectives, having a strong brand messaging strategy (that you follow!) is going to guarantee that you show up consistently across all platforms and interactions. And as we just read, consistently = more sales whether you’re a service-based business or an e-commerce one.
People want to engage with brands that are consistent and authentic! 86% of consumers say authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like and support[2]. EIGHTY-SIX PERCENT. How do you maintain authenticity? Spoiler, it’s the same way you maintain consistency. By creating a solid messaging strategy that can be referenced by anyone on your team. By having something to refer back to, you’re able to create a trustworthy and authentic feel that will foster a genuine connection between you and your target audience.
Last but certainly not least, 82% of consumers want to buy from brands that share the same values they do[3]. While communicating what you stand for is obviously a key component, it goes a bit further. You should discover what truly energizes and drives you and your brand, and weave those values into every part of your business. When you genuinely live out your brand values, people notice, and they connect with it.
With a well-defined brand messaging strategy, you’ll have clarity on who YOU are as a brand, who you’re speaking to, what to communicate, how to say it, and when to say it — effortlessly attracting your ideal audience. At the same time, it’ll help you establish your unique place in the market and move closer to big business wins. Need I say more!?
8 Ways Brand Messaging Is Impactful
If you’re not an in-depth facts girlie, no shame, I see you. Here are just a few ways quality brand messaging can help uplevel your brand.
Boosts brand recognition + identification.
Helps build trust + loyalty because CONSISTENCY.
Builds a community baby!
Helps you get rid of service jargon and bleh sales talk and authentically connect with your people instead.
Streamlines your responses + reactions.
Provides CLEAR guidelines to make delegating copy tasks a breeze.
Helps your target audience relate to your brand.
Gives customers + clients reassurance.
How to Create Your brand messaging
Alright, now that we’ve covered the what is and the why let’s talk about the how to.
The biggest component of creating your brand messaging is taking the time to step back and think about your brand as a whole and your ideal audience. What do you do? What’s your goal as a brand? What are your ideal (not necessarily current) audience’s biggest wants, needs, values? You get the picture. By having a concrete understanding of your business and goals + your audience, you’re able to really craft your message strategically for them.
Next, as much as everyone hates to, take a look at competitors. What are some ways you stand out from them? How do you serve your audience differently? Look at the things that make you different and your strengths and lean on those to craft a few key messages relating everything back to your client and customers’ specific wants and needs.
Then, add a little personality. How do you want your brand to be perceived? How do you want people to feel when they read a social post or your website copy? Answers to these questions can help determine what tone of voice you should take with your messaging. Are you going to be more witty in your copy? Super girly and friendly? More polished and professional sounding?
4 Phases to Create Your Brand Messaging
TL;DR. It essentially comes down to four phases.
Discover — Research, research, research. This includes what you think of your brand, what other people think of your brand, and a competitor analysis.
Define —Based on your research, define your audience and the opportunities you have to reach them.
Develop — Nail down a brand tone + voice rules for using your messaging. Make notes about your core values, vision, mission, unique selling points, value props, etc. This is the meat and potatoes phase.
Deliver — Updated taglines, an updated bio, social bios, website copy framework, etc. You did the work, now it’s time to update all your goods and let the messaging speak for itself.
All in all, alllllllllll of this will end up coming together to help you communicate your message, win over your dream audience, and make those sales!
Take the next step
Are you so close to your own business that it’s hard to convey what you do in a few words or less? Hi, that’s where we come in! We’ll help you create absolutely magnetic brand messaging that has you speaking to your target audience with confidence and celebrating major wins for your business. Sound great!? Cool, what are you waiting for!?
