It’s commonly believed that making a good first impression is crucial, and this couldn’t be truer when it comes to how potential customers view your business. Research shows it takes just 7 seconds on average for someone to form an opinion about your brand. This means your brand messaging can either make you a success or cause you to lose out on valuable customers.

Whether you’re building a brand from scratch or looking to revamp your existing image, strong brand messaging is essential. It helps you communicate the most vital aspects of your business to your target audience in a way that truly connects. This comprehensive guide will cover everything you need to know about brand messaging, including building a framework to help you create compelling communications for your business. As a bonus, you’ll also get a free brand messaging template to help you get started!

Table of contents

• What is brand messaging?
• Why is brand messaging important?
• How to create a brand messaging framework
• When and where to use your brand messaging
• Brand messaging examples
• Brand messaging template

What is brand messaging?

Brand messaging refers to how you communicate your business’s unique value proposition, mission, and personality. It encompasses nearly all internal and external communications about your business. Your brand messaging framework serves as a roadmap. It helps you define your brand voice and ensures consistent messaging across all marketing materials. These materials include:

• Website and landing page content
• Email content
• Social media posts and ads
• Search ad copy and visuals
• Mission statement and core company values
• Video scripts and visuals for OTT advertising
• SEO and blog content
• Local listing content
• Slogans and taglines
• Live chat scripts
• And more! To give you a better idea, here are some of the most popular marketing avenues businesses use to deploy their brand messaging:

Source Kickstart your brand messaging with this free guide showcasing the 30 most effective ways to promote your business!

Why is brand messaging important?

Brand messaging plays a vital role in almost every facet of your business, making it an indispensable part of any marketing strategy. A strong brand messaging framework can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Consider these compelling statistics:

• 81% of consumers say they need to trust a brand before making a purchase.
• 88% of consumers value brand authenticity when deciding which brands to support.
• 77% of people prefer to buy from companies that align with their personal values.
• Maintaining brand consistency can boost small business revenue by 10-20%.
• 15% of companies lack established brand messaging guidelines.
• Nearly half of businesses admit to publishing off-brand content several times a year, if not more frequently.
• 13% of businesses fail to enforce their own brand messaging guidelines. These statistics highlight the significant role brand messaging plays in influencing customer decisions. A strong brand messaging framework can give you a competitive edge, especially in a landscape where many businesses fall short in this area.

How to create a brand messaging framework

Before launching your brand messaging, you need to establish a solid framework. Here’s a seven-step process to help you create an effective framework tailored to your business needs.

1. Begin with Your Brand’s Mission Statement

Crafting a brand messaging framework can feel like a “chicken or egg” dilemma. Your brand messaging should stem from your mission statement, yet you need a strong brand messaging framework to develop the most effective mission statement. That being said, start by defining your mission statement as it helps align your brand messaging framework with your core business objectives. Use this post on writing a mission statement to help you define yours. Once your framework is in place and you’ve started implementing your brand messaging, you can always revisit and fine-tune your mission statement.

2. Define Your Goals

Your goals will determine what you want to achieve with your brand messaging. Clearly outline your short-term and long-term marketing objectives to guide the development of your brand messaging framework. For instance, if your goal is to get more leads, your focus should be on directing more traffic to your website to encourage potential customers to contact you or complete a contact form. This could translate into a brand message that emphasizes the convenience of an entirely online process. Here are some common goals that drive most businesses’ brand messaging:

3. Understand Your Target Market

Effective brand messaging involves not just what you say but also how you say it and, most importantly, who you’re addressing. Knowing your target audience is crucial for crafting messaging that resonates with them, fosters a connection, and ultimately motivates them to choose your business. While it might feel a bit unusual at first, visualize your ideal customer. Consider:

• Their appearance
• Their lifestyle
• Their occupation
• Their income level
• Their family and social circles
• Their preferred devices and platforms, and when they use them
• Their location
• Their hobbies
• Their preferred types of content and brands Taking these target market factors into account enables you to tailor and deliver your brand messaging effectively. For example, if you run a home services business targeting middle-aged homeowners, you might opt for a family-oriented brand message, as your potential customers likely prioritize quality time with loved ones. Additionally, you could incorporate OTT advertising, like Hulu Ads, as a key channel within your framework, as this demographic is likely to watch home renovation shows.

4. Analyze Your Competitors’ Brand Messaging

Analyzing your competitors’ messaging isn’t about copying them or mocking their efforts in your own content. In fact, two-thirds of consumers find it irritating when brands resort to mocking their competitors. Avoid a defensive approach to competitor analysis when crafting your brand messaging framework. Instead, use competitor analysis as a benchmark. Examining how your competitors position themselves can provide valuable insights into industry standards and identify opportunities to stand out. Use these competitive analysis templates to steer your research:

5. Establish Your Brand Voice and Tone Guidelines

Your brand messaging framework serves as a set of guidelines that shape your marketing communications. This requires setting clear standards to ensure your team consistently adheres to your brand guidelines. This includes providing notes or examples of your ideal tone and voice, adapting them to what resonates best with your audience. Refer to your brand kit for guidance on grammar, font choices, or design preferences that influence how your brand messaging is perceived.

6. Define Core Terms, Keywords, and CTAs

To maintain brand message consistency, create a concise list of buzzwords, keywords, or calls to action that your team can consistently rely on. This ensures your brand messaging remains unified over time, as you’ll be reiterating core terms that reinforce your business’s purpose. Ideally, your brand messaging should align with your SEO strategy, ensuring your online content ranks well for relevant keywords. Discover the best keywords to incorporate into your brand messaging using our Free Keyword Tool!

7. Embrace the 3 C’s

You might already be familiar with the 3 c’s for brand messaging. Let’s explore what these “Cs” represent in the context of brand messaging. They stand for consistency, clarity, and character. Here’s a closer look at each:

• Consistency: Your brand messaging should reflect your business’s style and emphasize its distinct personality. Audiences should be able to instantly recognize your brand, even when encountering your messaging out of context. Ensure your messaging remains consistent to enhance brand familiarity.
• Clarity: Keep your brand messaging concise, to the point, and easily understandable. With shorter attention spans and smaller screens, it’s crucial to convey your message swiftly and effectively.
• Character: Don’t shy away from infusing creativity into your brand messaging to help you stand out!

When and how to use your brand messaging framework

Once you’ve established a comprehensive brand messaging framework, it’s time to put it into action! Here’s a breakdown of how to do just that:

When not to use your brand messaging framework

Given that your brand messaging will naturally be integrated into most of your marketing endeavors, it’s simpler to outline instances when it might not be necessary. Let’s illustrate this with a couple of scenarios. Consider minimizing reliance on your brand messaging framework when…

• Collaborating with an influencer. While influencer marketing heavily relies on brand elements, remember that most influencers have their own established content styles. Audiences today can easily spot forced or inauthentic content. While you want influencer-sponsored content to align with your brand, avoid rigidly imposing your brand messaging framework on them. Instead, partner with influencers whose style organically complements your industry and trust their expertise in creating content that resonates with their audience (which ultimately aligns with your target demographic).
• Forming a partnership with another business. Similar to the influencer scenario, striking a balance is key when integrating marketing initiatives with another small business. Seek harmony between your brands, ensuring a cohesive message that encourages collaboration rather than causing confusion about each brand’s identity.
• Developing sensitive ad copy. If you operate within a highly regulated industry like healthcare or finance, or when communicating specific offer details, adopting a more conservative approach with your language is essential to prevent legal issues. Catchy brand messaging is excellent, but inaccurate messaging that overpromises or disregards audience sensitivities is detrimental. These are just a few instances where your brand messaging framework might not always be the central focus. In most other scenarios related to marketing campaigns and asset creation, referring to your framework is highly recommended.

This influencer put her unique spin on the traditional brand messaging of Glad, the garbage bag company.

How to use your brand messaging framework

As mentioned earlier, your brand messaging framework should be a go-to resource when promoting your business. Use it as a guide when crafting or refining marketing copy and creative materials. For instance, if you’re incorporating AI in your marketing and utilizing tools like Chat GPT for initial drafts or outlines, leverage your brand messaging framework to review and ensure the final copy aligns perfectly with your brand voice and messaging.

5 brand messaging examples to learn from

In addition to competitor analysis, examining brand messaging examples from other thriving businesses offers valuable insights. Let’s explore some notable examples across various platforms:

1. Brand messaging on social media: example from Liquid Death

Liquid Death, a water company, effectively targets a younger demographic through its bold packaging, strategic product placements, and overall brand identity. Their social media messaging, particularly on TikTok, further reinforces this image. Their mascot-driven TikTok video cleverly uses slang like “mid” (to describe other drinks) to connect with its target audience.

Source

2. Brand messaging in search ads: example from Under Armour

This example showcases how Under Armour conveys a distinct personality through its search ad copy. Directly addressing users with “you” creates a sense of familiarity, friendliness, and approachability, which is essential for a brand selling personal items like workout gear. Moreover, the consistent use of terms like “technology,” “tech,” and “performance” emphasizes their core value proposition of providing cutting-edge athletic wear.

3. Brand messaging in display advertising: example from Workday

Workday’s display ad exemplifies impactful messaging through simplicity. By using powerful words like “collaboration,” “integration,” and “insight,” they effectively communicate their value proposition.

4. Brand messaging on a website: example from Zapier

Zapier maintains clear and consistent brand messaging across its website. Similar to previous examples, they emphasize core terms that likely double as target keywords, demonstrating a successful blend of brand messaging and SEO. This example also highlights value-driven language, with Zapier’s messaging focusing on the benefits they deliver to customers.

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5. Brand messaging in live chat: example from HipLink

Believe it or not, your brand messaging extends even to live chat interactions. HipLink, a B2B software company, demonstrates this effectively through chatbot prompts that incorporate promotional language. They focus on two primary value propositions while maintaining a friendly tone.

Source

Brand messaging template

Now that you’re feeling inspired, get started on your brand messaging journey with this free brand messaging template:

Get the template here

Unlock marketing success with effective brand messaging

In the world of small business digital marketing, brand messaging is paramount. It can significantly influence how potential customers perceive your business. While establishing a robust brand messaging framework may require time and effort, the payoff of building a strong brand community is well worth it. If you need assistance in putting your brand messaging into practice, explore how our solutions can help you optimize your messaging across diverse marketing channels.

Here’s a quick recap of the steps involved in creating a successful brand messaging framework:

1. Start with your brand’s mission statement
2. Set goals
3. Research your target market
4. Analyze your competitors’ brand messaging
5. Set your unique brand voice and tone guidelines
6. Identify core terms, keywords, and CTAs
7. Try following the 3 C’s