Design, Digital Marketing, Process 10 Critical Steps Towards Communicating Your Brand Better
White Lion — September 01, 2016
Your words have the ability to repel or attract at a much higher velocity in today’s competitive marketplace. The problem we are addressing is how the words we use to entice and engage new customers are often not optimized to deliver the best results. A simple choice of words can have a prospect reject or accept what you offer the marketplace in a matter of seconds. All too often the words we use to introduce our products and services is a hodgepodge of content that has evolved over time like a word salad, rather than a well crafted chef’s special.
How to Fix Your Messaging Problem
The solution is to use a messaging system to help output a succinct story using the words and phrases that will appeal to actual customers. We call this system “Core Messaging.” When done properly, your Core Message will help drive more prospective customers to accept rather than reject your offering at a higher frequency.
Core Messaging Defined
Let’s outline the concept of Core Messaging, an essential building block of digital marketing. Think of Core Messaging, in part, like that of an outdoor billboard. Billboard content done well will communicate a complete idea with only a handful of words in a few, brief seconds. People today are busy, on the move, and don’t have much time to take it all in. Like billboard copy, core messaging represents 3-4 headlines designed to swiftly grab the attention of a prospective customer describing a problem, and a solution using the natural language of customers. The aim is to entice and hook a reader to pull them deeper into your more descriptive content.
Descriptive Content Tells a Story
The second part of Core Messaging is 3-4 paragraphs of descriptive “about” content which conveys three main components:
- What is the problem?
- What is the solution?
- What is the end result?
The Core Messaging “about” content tells the story followed by a call-to-action that moves the conversation towards engagement — like asking a visitor to provide an email in exchange for a piece of high valued content.
The Definitive 10-Step Core Messaging Process
Our Core Messaging offer is about creating a structured process that generally follows these key steps:
Leadership Survey
A survey is sent to the organization’s leadership team to discover key information about the organization, its customers and the competitive landscape.
Leadership Interview
The leadership survey results drive an interview of the organization’s leadership team.
Customer Personas
Identification and the documentation of 3 major customer “Personas.” A persona, which is also often referred to as an avatar, is a defined customer type which aids in designing relevant and targeted marketing campaigns. A persona is a given an identity with key personal attributes like age, family size, career information, etc.
Customer Contacts
Identification of 3 key customers who match each of the defined personas.
Customer Surveys
A survey is sent to each of the 3 key customers to better understand their awareness and engagement journey with the organization.
Customer Interviews
Follow-up interviews with the 3 key customers occurs to sharpen the insight discovered in the customer surveys.
Are you interested in seeing the list of questions we ask actual customers in the Core Messaging process in action? Get the Free Customer Survey!
Message Map Draft
A “Message Map” is created from the leadership input and customer analysis. A Message Map concisely tells the journey of a prospective customer in need of services you provide. The Message Map outlines 3-4 core messaging headlines and supporting about copy that tell a complete engagement message to prospective customers using the natural language existing customers.
Message Map Review
To refine the messaging, the 3 key customers and the leadership team review the Message Map draft and provide feedback.
Message Map Edits
Feedback from the 3 key customers and the leadership team is then incorporated into the final Message Map.
Message Map Final
The final Message Map is delivered to the leadership team to then be incorporated into key marketing copy.
Core Messaging Case Studies
The following examples showcase aspects of the Core Messaging system in action.
TARC Technology Solutions
TARC provides managed IT services to organizations in the greater Austin area. The White Lion Digital Marketing team was engaged to create core messaging designed to improve lead generation campaigns. In addition, White Lion delivered a new homepage and landing page to optimize conversions.
Gray Wolf Proactive Lane Workshop
graywolfworkflow.com/workshop/
Gray Wolf helps individuals and team members be more productive. The White Lion Digital Marketing team crafted core messaging and service offering content to improve sign-up conversions.
Average is Over
Average is Over organizes high quality productivity content to help today’s professionals thrive. The White Lion team delivered home page core messaging to help draw visitors into the categorized content and increase free subscriptions.
