The world has changed. And so, too, has your brand. The way that people shop today is drastically different than it was even two years ago, let alone five… And with this fundamental change in how people see the world, you need to make fundamental changes to your brand’s identity and consumer experience.

When you find yourself shifting gears, it's important that you keep your brand messaging aligned with where you're headed. If you're redirecting your business to reflect a shifting marketplace, you need to reshape how your customers perceive your brand. Industry changes are often followed by changes in consumer behaviour. When this happens, brands must adapt by shifting their own messaging to meet the needs of the new marketplace.

What is brand messaging?

Brand messaging is more than just what you share on social media. It's the thought process behind your content. It's your unique value proposition and how it translates into brand tone of voice. The way your products are presented in their packaging, the feel of your physical store, all of this comes together to create a customer experience that can't be replicated by any other company on the market.

Building a brand is hard — and we're not just talking about how many hours it's going to take. The process of building a brand requires a dedicated strategy, expertise in the field, and a team-effort from you and your marketing partner. Implementing powerful messaging will help you to prioritise your company's objectives and refine your messaging efforts accordingly.

We're going to share some tips with you on how to write killer brand messaging — and get it out into the world! By the end of this blog, we hope that you will be armed with some new tactics that will help get your business noticed and grow sales.

Authenticity is more important than ever

This trend of prioritising honesty and human connection has grown in importance in recent years, as businesses adapt to the new normal. Customers want a chance to know a company's background and purpose before investing their time or money, and communication is important for this. It helps them feel more confident about who they are buying from, and it's proven to increase retention rates.

As huge, shared uncertainty continues to affect global communities, we seem to be moving towards a future shaped by empathy and unity — and authentic human interaction. The world is changing and we should embrace this transition as something positive.

Uncertainty and anxiety make people yearn for stability — for people and brands they can trust. A good bunch of consumer behaviours come out of the way we cope with this sense of unease. Two of them are trust-building and solace-seeking. The former is the process whereby potential customers open up to your business, which in turn leads to brand loyalty.

Authentic messaging is made up of three components: transparency, honesty and clarity. This kind of messaging feels genuine and trustworthy and can win over audiences and customers alike. The best advice we can offer is to just to be yourself.  It's easy to get caught up in the copywriting and marketing aspect and forget that customers and fans and followers can sense when a company is trying to "be" something it isn't. That's not who you are — so if you're feeling pressure to say or be something you aren't, take a moment and ask yourself if it's worth it.

Avoid virtue signalling

Virtue signalling is the practice of taking superficial actions designed to show off your brand or group's morality or ethical standards. Whether it be donating to a charity, organising an event, including socio-political messaging in your business, the key is to do so in a real way that can improve your business and not merely for the sake of looking good.

Don’t waste your customer’s time with meaningless marketing messages about how virtuous your brand is. Actions speak louder than words, and if you want to show off what your brand is all about, you need real-world actions that deliver value to your customers.

Keep your brand messaging up-to-date. If you're achieving goals or following a specific strategy with your customers, update the purpose of your brand, including every message you use with customers, to reflect this. Let your customers know how they can get involved with what you're doing.

Don’t assume customers know about your brand

The transition to brand loyalty comes with the shift in consumer loyalty. Shoppers are more open to trying out products they're not familiar with thanks to the accessibility of new brands and products they find on the Internet. Meanwhile, they're also more hesitant to try out new brands after being burned by cheap substitutes, so every business must work to ensure that their marketing strategies are solid.

Your copy must do more than describe your company. It must be customer-centric, selfless, and welcoming. Get rid of all assumptions about your customers. Your words should reflect the people you see. When you write copy, always put yourself in the shoes of a new visitor who doesn't know anything about your industry.

Good brands understand how to market themselves. Whether it's through the copy you use in your website, your email marketing, or your social media posts, you need to be crystal clear about what you do and why customers should care. Don't hide behind buzzwords — tell customers exactly what you're all about clearly and concisely.

Create clear and consistent strategy driven messaging

You can ensure that your brand messaging is effective by creating a plan for how you want to connect with your customers. Every business has its own unique brand story to tell, and the best way to find resonance with your target audience is to map out the steps you'll take to engage them. This is sometimes called the brand messaging framework; it includes the tone, language, and purpose of your communication.

Key elements of a good brand messaging strategy

Brand promise - Your brand promise is your statement of what your business will provide to the customer. It should convey your values, vision, and story as a company. Your brand promise can include elements such as your business's mission, competitive advantage, target market, and values. By crafting a compelling brand story that resonates with both your employees and consumers, you can create a strong emotional connection between yourself and your customers — an integral, long-lasting element in any business's success.

• Brand positioning statement - Your brand positioning statement explains how you're different and better than the competition and it should be a condensed (yet complete) 'elevator pitch' for your business.
• Your brand elevator pitch - When your brand is developed correctly, it becomes an extension of your business. That's where your elevator pitch comes in. Your elevator pitch is how you introduce yourself to brands, customers, friends and even family members who are new to your company. An elevator pitch describes your brand in less than a minute — it should be short enough that someone could tell it while riding up one floor to their office at work.
• Brand voice - As the world evolves, so too must your brand! But to evolve, you must first have an identity. Whether you're still in the ideation phase or are launching your business out into the wide world, having a clear identity is key for growing your brand into something that can weather any storm.
• Your brand's personality will help you to develop your brand voice and tone of voice. This will be the key to ensuring that your brand remains consistent everywhere, from Facebook to Twitter, from your website to your product labelling. Your customer wants a consistent experience, so take the time to ensure you stay on track.
• Brand mission - Before you can begin to create and amplify brand messages, it's important to understand what your brand is and your purpose. Brand values and mission statements come in many shapes and sizes — the important thing is to have a true sense of what your company stands for. It's necessary to align all of your marketing activities around a consistent set of values, so that everyone on the team is working toward the same vision of the company.
• Your target audience - Brand messages must never lose sight of the target market. There's a fine line between creativity and discomfort — a line that is infinitely crossed with consumers who feel as though a brand has lost its way. Most importantly, focus on people rather than on products, because people don't buy a product or service from your business — they buy from you. And they want to know more about you. They want to connect with the person behind the brand.
• Your unique selling proposition - Ultimately, a unique selling proposition (USP) is the one thing that you are able to offer that no one else can. Your USP is what people will tell others about when your business name comes up. A carefully crafted USP should convey an accurate portrayal of your service or product, its target market, and why potential customers should choose it over competitors. It's all about marketing.

Change is the only constant

If you can't recognise that your brand is out of touch, then you're already behind the eight ball. Businesses that are able to recognise new trends and adjust their brand's messaging are more likely to survive in today's marketplace. We've seen countless brands make the mistake of sticking with outdated marketing tactics or stubbornly staying with one marketing strategy even though it doesn't work anymore.

Change is the only constant in the universe. And, in today's landscape, change occurs faster than ever before. When you review brand messaging, your brand conveys your forward-thinking mindset and commitment to an updated customer experience.

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Hootsling 06/11/21