Brand Messaging: A Comprehensive Guide From A Copywriter
Have you ever felt like a brand, business, or influencer understood you so well that you immediately felt connected to them? That’s the power of effective brand messaging.
We all crave meaningful connections. That’s why crafting a message that clearly communicates your brand’s values, mission, and story is essential in building authentic connections with your target audience. It’s not just about telling people what you sell. It’s about showcasing who you are and making an impact beyond your product or service. Whether you’re just starting out or refreshing your current content, this comprehensive guide to crafting powerful brand messaging will help you know your own story by heart and craft compelling content that authentically represents your brand.
Understanding Brand Messaging
What is brand messaging?
It’s not the same thing as your brand voice or your tagline.
It’s what showcases your value and unique positioning.
It’s what separates you from everyone else in your industry (and sometimes, there are a lot of people in your industry).
It’s what makes people in your target audience sit up and care.
To make it super clear: Brand messaging is strategically selecting the right words that make up your unique story.
That sounds great, right? You might be nodding your head, thinking, “Okay, sure, maybe I can start working on that in between projects, or the next time I get a break.” But I’m gonna tell you, your brand message matters so much that you need to start today.
Why Does Messaging Matter?
Messaging provides it all. The voice, words, and story that show your organization’s value (why it’s useful) and values (what it believes in) all fall into “messaging.”
A well-designed brand message gives current and potential customers a true understanding of your business’ products and services.
It conveys the value that your company offers by demonstrating how your company can solve a specific problem. In the competitive marketplace, messaging inspires customers into action.
Your brand messaging tells a story that gets people excited and invites them into your community.
And ultimately, messaging forms the backbone of your overall marketing strategy because…
Your message is literally THE ONLY THING that can show your audience that your offer is worth it before they commit.
Your message influences the words on a page, in a caption, and inside emails. And those words all need to get your audience to think, “Oh yeah this is exactly who I want to work with. She’s worth it!”
When your message is crafted intentionally and strategically, it does the heavy lifting for you. So you end up with clients who think it’s a total no-brainer to work with you.
Sound good to you? Let’s get into how to start creating your brand message today.
Developing Your Messaging Foundation
Behind every great brand is a fundamental brand message. It’s the mission that your brand is trying to accomplish. And it’s a story that declares your’s purpose, what you stand for, and how you stand apart from competitors.
Your foundational brand message is a well you can return to when you need inspiration or need to remind yourself what you stand for. And above all else, your foundational message makes people in your target audience sit up and care.
It’s important to go beyond profits (the results) and address the why (the purpose, cause, or belief). Always speak from that motivation because, as Simon Sinek said, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
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Why You Need Brand Messaging Before Starting a Copywriting Project
So, you’re thinking about hiring a copywriter (hi! )… But before you dive into a copywriting project, it’s crucial to fine-tune your brand messaging.
Why?
Copywriting may be the “what you say,” but brand messaging is the “how you say it.”
It’s the secret sauce that adds depth, personality, and resonance to your words. Without a solid brand message, your copy may lack the clarity, consistency, and impact necessary to truly resonate with your audience.
It’s like trying to build a house without a blueprint—it may look nice on the surface, but it lacks structure and strategy. Your brand message is what gives direction, clarity, and authenticity to your copy. It ensures that every word resonates with your target audience and aligns to your overall vision for your brand.
So, before you dive headfirst into a copywriting project— like revamping your website, launching a new product, or attracting organic traffic to your site through optimized blog posts —make sure your message is crystal clear.
How to Uncover Your Brand Message
1. Clarify Your Vision
Your vision s lay the foundation for your brand’s identity and purpose. Your vision informs where your business is heading at any point in time. Some questions to get to the heart of it are:
- What do you want to achieve?
- What impact do you want to make in the world?
- What do you believe in?
These may feel like big questions, and they are. Take some time to reflect and soul-search before writing the first thing that comes to mind. Because by getting clear on what you desire deep down, without the influence of what other people might think or say or what you think you “should” want, you can find the authentic, vulnerable, real you. And that allows you to set goals that actually matter to you and that align your brand message to what matters most to you.
2. Define Your Brand Voice
Your brand voice is how you communicate your message. It adds personality and depth to the content you create. So start by determining the tone and overall style you want to convey your messages. There’s a really easy way to do that: write the way you talk.
Are you from the South? Does “ya’ll” roll off your tongue? Or maybe you use short sentences and avoid long flowy adjectives in your sentences.
It’s these little quirks that help identify you as you. With or without your visual brand elements, someone will still be able to know you wrote that.
Your voice should also be geared toward your ideal customer. For instance, you’d probably use different tones when addressing young adults as opposed to retirees. They care about different things, and they communicate differently. So you want to understand your customers and apply that information to your messaging.
3. Organize Your Brand Values
Start by collecting what you already have for your brand. Then, if the list is looking short, or contradicts itself, take some time to brainstorm.
Here are some things to include:
- mission statement
- tagline
- core values
- punctuation preferences (oxford commas, parentheses, exclamations, capitalizations, etc.)
- favorite emojis
- common phrases
- a bank of favorite words
- word descriptors (i.e., cheeky, humorous, sarcastic, heartfelt, soulful)
4. Check For Consistency
This might seem obvious when we’re talking about your brand message, but it’s worth mentioning. Sometimes it feels like we’re constantly repeating ourselves, but that’s a good thing! It takes that kind of repetition for people to grab hold of it. Think of Nike’s “just do it.” It’s always on repeat, and it sticks with us as consumers!
5. Check For The Grunt Test
Now that you’ve started getting a feel for your brand’s message, you’ll want to test what you have. Some things sound cute and clever in our heads, but they aren’t as appealing when said aloud.
To test your copy, imagine someone has asked you about your business, and you say something from your brand guidelines.
Does it quickly answer the questions below (in a grunt)?
- What do you do?
- How does it make my life better?
- How do I get it?
If you can clearly answer these questions in short responses, you’re on the right track. This test helps you feel confident in your message before you share it with current and potential customers!
Need some help clarifying your message?
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting your business journey, one thing remains clear: crystal-clear brand messaging is a game-changer. It’s the driving force behind authentic connections, compelling content, and a standout brand in a crowded industry.
If you’re ready to level up your brand messaging, I’m here to help. Through my brand messaging strategy process, we’ll dive deep into your business and uncover what makes it unique and captivating. By the end, you’ll have an internal narrative that guides your messaging, defines your brand, and helps you stand out online.
