A lot of businesses who struggle to attract or keep customers blame it on flawed marketing tactics.
“Paid ads don’t work!”
“Email doesn’t work!”
“Passenger pigeons don’t work!”
But the real problem is they don’t have a clear brand message to make those marketing efforts work.
It’s like stepping on a car’s accelerator while it’s in “park. All the parts might work just fine, but until you engage the transmission, you’re not going anywhere.
The good news is if you can clarify just two components of your brand, your core messaging will be much easier to craft, and you’ll be able to get your marketing efforts in gear:
- Core Values: the principles and beliefs that guide your work. What do you stand for?
- Value Proposition: who you help and why it matters to them. What problems do you solve, and what is that worth?
Let’s look at each.
Brand Message Key #1: Know and Share Your Brand’s Core Values
Core values define the character of your company. Clarifying your core values is a great way to focus your brand message as well as prioritize your work and guide decision-making.
- What do you strive for around leadership and culture?
- What spiritual or philosophical views infuse your business?
- What causes do you actively support (e.g. ending hunger or ensuring global access to water?)
Communicating your values also helps your audience understand who you are and decide whether they like and trust you enough to engage.
For example, with climate change being an increasingly pressing issue, one study found that more than 80 percent of Americans favor companies that make bold environmental commitments. And almost 40 percent said they had actually taken time away from watching Stranger Things to “research a company’s support of social and environmental issues.”
There’s also the flip side to consider. As much as folks lean toward brands that align with their values, they also turn away from people and brands—no matter how beloved—that express values contrary to their own.
Take J.K. Rowling, for example, who has faced a strong backlash (and even death threats) over her statements about gender the last couple of years.
You can’t please all the people all the time, and sometimes you may feel compelled to take an unpopular stand. But sharing your values openly will attract those who are most aligned with you.
Oncer you have their attention, you need to offer something they value. That’s why it’s important understand the needs and challenges of those you most want to reach and serve,
Brand Message Key #2: What is Your Brand’s Value?
People do business with those who provide value by addressing their perceived problems and wants.
This should go without saying, yet companies often forget. They don’t listen to their customers, and even add problems rather than solve them (e.g. confusing website design or hour-long waits with crappy music to reach customer service).
Even in the golden age of customer data, companies have failed to listen to and understand the people they intend to serve.
Some tech-savvy companies like Amazon have grown at an incredible pace by using constant testing and near real-time innovation methods. Yet, even this behemoth has many aspects that rub people the wrong way.
This makes it ripe for disruption by someone who can offer comparable value without the downsides.
Use these questions to make sure you understand who you’re serving and what problem you’re helping them with.
- Who do you help and how?
- Why do they care?
- Are you solving an actual problem or fulfilling a strong desire?
- Are you just looking for somewhere to sell your cool idea?
If you don’t have clear answers, better do some research! Empathy is critical here—get to know what’s going on in your customers’ lives, what motivates them, what bugs them, and how you can best serve them.
Fix Your Brand, Fix Your Marketing
Your brand is much more than your logo and colors—it’s the heart and soul of your business. It’s also the foundation of your marketing that shows people why they should like and trust you.
Your brand is how people relate to you, so be relatable. Knowing and communicating your Core Values and Value Proposition shows people where you stand and how you help. That means they can quickly determine if you’re for them or not.
There’s a lot more that goes into crafting your brand message, but with these two keys, you’ll have a strong start for differentiating yourself from the competition and attracting the right customers.
