Marketing Messaging Basics
Marketing messaging basics are the cornerstone of communicating about your company, your products, or services…yet this area of marketing often is overlooked by small business owners.
On a fundamental level, if you can’t clearly communicate who you are, what you offer, and what you stand for, how can prospects make the decision to purchase what you’re selling?
Marketing Messaging Basics 1:
What Is Marketing Messaging?
Marketing messaging involves the development of key messages that are created and communicated to customers & prospects that will help them make an informed decision to buy what you’re selling.
Marketing Messaging Basics 2:
Why Is Marketing Messaging A Necessity?
The application of marketing messaging basics is so important because this is the language that forms the basis of your selling messages, your website content, your sales collateral content & how you talk about your company, products & services in face-to-face communications. When you create & disseminate marketing messaging that is clear, understandable & stated in simple language, you build bridges to customers & prospects.
DID YOU KNOW:
63% of consumers are “highly annoyed” by generic, meaningless ad messaging.
(Source: Marketo)
Marketing Messaging Basics 3:
What’s The Process of Creating Strategic Marketing Messaging?
The process of creating strategic marketing messaging starts with being able to speak in down-to-earth terms about what you offer & why your offerings are better or different. Here’s a simple step-by-step process of creating marketing messaging:
Step 1: Make a list of the TYPE of messages you need to convey (see the following section on Types of marketing messages)
Step 2: Work with you internal team and/or third-party marketing professionals who can help you develop your key marketing messages.
Step 3: Identify your top 2 or 3 competitors & conduct a strategic assessment of your competitor’s messaging.
Step 4: Compare your messaging to competitors – and fill in any missing messages and/or develop messaging that addresses competitor claims.
Step 5: Test drive your messaging on some people outside the company to make sure what you’re saying is understandable.
Step 6: Consistently deploy the finalized messaging on your website, in sales collateral, and face-to-face pitches to prospects.
Marketing Messaging Basics 4:
Top 7 Marketing Messages You Should Develop
The most-used marketing messages you should develop include the following:
Message 1: Your Offering – A description of your product or service
Message 2: Ideal Buyer – The ideal buyer for your product or service
Message 3: Pain Points – How does your product or service address the “pain points” of your ideal buyer? Another way to look at this is to answer the following question: what problem does your product or service solve for these prospective buyers?
Message 4: Differentiators – What are the true differentiators that make your product or service better or different?
Message 5: Market Positioning – How are you positioned in the market? For example, are you positioned as:
- Premium experience or product?
- Cost-effective experience or product?
- The safest choice because of the longevity & stability of your company?…and so on.
Message 6: Vertical Markets – If you’re selling products or services to businesses vs. individual consumers, be sure to identify and target the specific industries that need or want your product or service.
Message 7: Aspirational – Simple grounded language about your mission, philosophies, or contributions to society, the business world, or the world at large
Marketing Messaging Basics 5:
The Most Common Mistakes In Marketing Messaging
Mistake 1: Don’t generate any messaging
Mistake 2: Don’t bother with a competitor messaging analysis
Mistake 3: Don’t use your marketing messaging, or don’t use it consistently in all your customer outreach (website, sales collateral, etc.)
Mistake 4: Don’t review & update your marketing messaging over time
Need help developing and/or maintaining your marketing messaging? Contact DeWinter Marketing & PR to help.
