Grow your digital audience using 5 aspects of your brand message

In a world of ever increasing content, getting your brand message heard above rising levels of noise remains a constant challenge.

What is your brand message? Why is it important? And how can you use it to grow your digital audience? 

What exactly is brand messaging? 

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Brand messaging is about using the right words to communicate the essence of your brand to your prospective customers. And it’s one of the most important ways in which to build a loyal customer base.

Because satisfied customers matter. Indeed, Harvard Business Review defines “Fully connected customers…as…52% more valuable, on average, than those who are just highly satisfied.”

Marketing experts, Hinge, offer the following explanation for brand messaging: 

“Every brand needs a voice. Messaging provides the words that help customers and prospects understand a firm’s value (why it’s useful) and values (what it believes in). 

“It articulates the brand’s promise and stimulates desire for a firm’s services. 

“Brand messages tell a story that gets people excited about your services and rallies them behind your flag. In the war for customers’ hearts, messaging leads the charge.”

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Why is your brand message important? 

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Wouldn’t it be great if, as a brand, we could sit down with every prospect and customer and explain in detail what we’re about; what’s important to us and exactly why they should buy from us?

The reality of course is that it’s just not possible to do this. And what’s more, whilst your product or service may well speak for itself, it’s your brand message that will really set it apart from the competition – and ultimately persuade someone to buy it over another similar offering.

Not convinced? Why not test yourself?!

If you can match the brands to these slogans, you can probably already see the value of strong brand messaging: 

• Just Do It
• Because You’re Worth It
• The Ultimate Driving Machine 
• Think Different

Your brand message is therefore critical to ensuring that your brand values are communicated consistently to all customers. 

What kind of forms can brand messaging take?

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Brand message can take a variety of forms, from slogans, mission statements, taglines etc. Brand messaging can also face internally as well as externally. 

It is worth starting the process of clarifying your brand messaging with your own team in the first instance. Work together to identify your core mission, vision and values. 

This will then lead to greater clarity when it comes to your external brand messaging and the creation of outward facing messages.

5 ways to grow your digital audience through brand messaging

1. Develop a clear core brand message

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A clear core brand message lies at the heart of every great brand. One which defines why you matter, what you stand for and how you are differentiated from your competitors. 

Your core brand message drives everything you do, make or sell and most importantly, it motivates your team as well as your customers. 

It is therefore particular important to define your core brand message as it will form the basis of all future marketing messages. 

And remember – it is benefits not features that count. Make sure your core message relates to the aspects of your brand that most matter to your clients.

2. Target your brand message to the relevant audience

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It is highly likely that you will have more than one audience – for instance you may be appealing to different industries or different job functions. 

Brand messages must be relevant to your audience. Not least because brand differentiation is essential for success. 

Having defined your audiences, you can then create brand messages for each that are concise yet easily understood. Trickier than it sounds!

3. Define your brand voice

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Tone of voice is incredibly important when it comes to deliver your brand message. 

Designers 99designs note that “Effective brand messaging is more than just what you say, but how you say it. Your brand voice brings the personality of your business to life.

“Decide whether you’re passionate, casual, funny, professional, or whatever fits your brand. Craft a voice with that in mind and consistently use it in your marketing materials so your customers will begin to emotionally connect with your brand.”

Why does your brand voice matter? Because people buy from brands with whom they have an emotional connect. Your brand voice is what brings your product or service to life and it has to resonate with your customer. 

The Stern Strategy Group consider it essential, explaining brand voice: “It works in the same way you might hear someone talking in a store or on the street and, without seeing the person, it quickly registers that it’s a friend you know. Brand voice is essentially your organization’s personality. It’s tone, style, behavior – be it silly, serious, cynical, inspiring or serene. While it sounds soft, don’t underestimate the power of brand voice on your bottom line.”

They go on to add “Brand voice shapes audience expectations of how your brand will interact with them; what a relationship is like in working with you or buying from you. It evokes emotions and compels engagement. As in any relationship, people seek connection, authenticity and trust. Your voice is what can project and build those things, nurturing the relationships that matter most to your business.”

4. Keep your brand message consistent

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Whether digital or print, online or offline, your brand message needs to consistent. 

Consider developing clear and agreed clear brand guidelines, which should be aligned with your mission and vision statements and which can serve as a sanity check for any messaging that your team might then come up with. 

Brand guidelines can cover every single way in which a team member might consider using the brand, and include guidance on such things as editorial voice; use of the brand logo in print and online as well as the use of fonts. 

And in this increasingly digital age, guidance on how to respond to customer engagement on social media is also important. 

Brand consistency is key and content marketing platform Clearvoice gives some helpful advice on the Importance of Brand Consistency: 7 Key Approaches for Keeping Aligned.

5. Support your brand message with a user experience that works

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Harvard Business Review noted in its analysis of a national fashion retailer that whilst its most connected customers say that using a computer to shop online is important to purchase decisions, in reality, “the ease and allure of the mobile site and the availability of services such as ApplePay have a far greater impact on emotional connection and spending levels.”

Which completely supports the importance of UX design in, for example, the creation of a mobile app.

Look for pain points in your customer journey and address them so that what you are trying to achieve as a brand filters through to every touch point for your customer. 

Looking for support to develop your brand message?

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Whether you are a small local business or a large corporation, Creative.onl can help develop your messaging in order to help effectively communicate the very core of your brand to your audience. 

We are a small and friendly team with expertise in the following areas: 

• App development
• Web development 
• UX design
• Digital strategy
• Responsive web design
• Graphic design
• Video animation 
• Content
• Marketing support 

And we would love to help you with your digital marketing strategy.

Whatever you are looking for, contact us to talk through the creative processes of any of our services and products.