Crafting a Strong Brand Message: A Comprehensive Guide

What is a brand message?

Brand messaging is how you communicate your brand to convey your value proposition, selling point, and overall brand identity to your target audience.

This includes taglines, key messages, and other statements related to your brand that you're using across all marketing channels and touchpoints.

So, brand messages aim to strengthen your brand and make it memorable. That's how you can stand out and differentiate your brand from your competitors.

But wait, don't confuse brand messaging with brand positioning. Here are their differences.

Brand messaging vs. positioning

Brand messaging refers to how you convey your brand to your target audience. This is how you communicate and how your brand speaks.

While brand positioning is how you position your brand in the market. This includes what makes your brand solid or weak and what makes you the best.

To sum it up... Brand messaging and positioning work hand in hand.

Because brand positioning is what makes you stand out and how others perceive your brand. While brand messaging conveys the right message to let people know why and how you stand out.

So, what makes brand messaging important?

Importance of having a strong brand messaging

A strong brand message can result in...

1. Improved brand recognition

If your brand message is unique and easy to distinguish, people can recognize you even in the littlest ways. Let's give an example. Do you recognize this?

Just do it.

Yep, it's from the brand Nike. That is a famous slogan from the brand that is inspirational, powerful, and sums up what they stand for.

So, whenever people hear or see the tagline "Just do it" and the checkmark, they immediately know which specific brand it is.

2. Consistent messaging

Having consistent messaging across all your platforms can strengthen your brand identity. And having a proper brand message strategy will also help you craft compelling designs, copy, and more.

You will also have consistent messaging on all your marketing channels.

3. Increase trust and loyalty

And if you have consistent brand messaging and improved brand recognition, it will be easier for target customers to trust you.

Whether or not they have purchased from your eCommerce store, they would know your business is authentic through brand messaging.

Also, this is one way to indicate if your values align with theirs and establish a connection with them.

So, now that you know the benefits... Let's discuss the steps you need to take!

Understand your target audience

Before crafting your brand messaging strategy, it's essential that you fully understand your target audience.

This will help you develop a brand message that aligns with their interests, values, and needs. So, they should be in your mind.

Why is it important?

Understanding your target audience is crucial so you can deeply understand them. You don't need to assume things because you've done your part.

It can also help you find which tone of voice to use, which we'll discuss later. But it will help you find the right tone of voice to engage them.

And lastly, you can determine their needs if you understand them. As a result, you can craft an excellent brand message and offer the best products for them.

But... how to understand them?

Conduct an audience research

Conducting audience research will help you get to know your target audience. Not only will you learn about their interests, but essential details as well, such as:

• Gender
• Location
• Income
• Job title
• Race
• Educational status

You can still learn more variables, like behavioral, psychographic, and demographic data. Knowing these will avoid biases toward them, and you can be more inclusive in your brand message.

You can also create a user or buyer persona to make your research more detailed. Here's an example of a user/buyer persona:

As you can see, it's very detailed. It has the user's basic information, but you can also see their interests, challenges, problems, and personalities.

Understand their needs, values, and pain points

After learning about their details, you must understand their needs, values, and pain points. Doing so will make it easier for you to align your brand with them.

Wondering how? There are different ways to understand how your target market feels. You can...

• Conduct surveys
• Conduct interviews
• Use existing research by other brands

When you know your target audience, it will be easier to conduct surveys and interviews. Since you have a user persona, you can utilize online platforms to find the same people.

Now that you know your target market, it's time to...

Define your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Before anything else, let's discuss...

What is UVP or Unique Value Proposition?

A UVP is what makes your brand unique. This should answer the question, "Why should they choose you over hundreds of your competitors?"

UVP also focuses on how your product can benefit your customers. To sum it up, this sets you apart from your competitors. And this is the reason why customers should purchase from you.

How to create your UVP?

UVP stems from your product. It means brainstorming the products you sell. You should already know how they benefit your customers, your target customers, and what your competitors do.

But even if you know the answers to these things... They will come to waste if you don't communicate them properly. So, here's how to craft an effective UVP and differentiate your brand from others.

1. Determine your unique features

First, you need to identify what makes your product unique. This can be the product features, customer service, pricing, etc.

2. Craft your UVP

This is where you will create a statement that communicates your uniqueness. And here are some things to consider when crafting one:

Focus on the benefits: Your UVP should communicate the benefits your customers will receive from choosing your brand rather than simply listing features or characteristics.

• Be specific. Make sure your UVP is specific and tailored to your brand and audience. Don't be vague.
• Be relatable. Your language should resonate with your audience so they will understand your brand.
• Be unique. Again, this will set you apart from competitors.
• Be customer-focused. Your UVP should focus on the needs and desires of your customers and how your product or service can help solve their problems. Don't make it totally about you.
• Be memorable. You want your audience and target market to recognize you easily. So, your UVP should be memorable so that it sticks in the minds of your customers.

Following these tips will help you to build brand recognition across all messaging platforms.

To give you more ideas, here are some...

Examples of compelling UVPs

First, we have...

(Source)

Apple released an ad in the early 2000s about the iPod. MP3 was one of the most popular listening music products during this time.

This is a simple and straightforward UVP because think of it... Who doesn't want a thousand songs in their pockets, right? Especially when some devices back then required too much work to operate.

This ad is genius because it doesn't focus on talking about them. It focuses on what it can do for you... which was having a thousand songs in your pocket.

Next, we have Debutify Reviews.

Debutify Reviews' UVP also focuses on its benefits. Because with Debutify Reviews, eCommerce brand owners can generate more reviews in less time and effort.

And these features set Debutify Reviews apart from other review management platforms.

Once you know what makes you stand out, it's time to...

Craft your brand message

This is the most exciting part because now, we will craft your brand message! To make it easier for you, let's discuss...

The critical components of a brand message

The key components are what define and complete your brand message.

1. Brand identity

Brand identity includes the visual elements and tone of voice that define your eCommerce brand. It also includes your brand name, color scheme, typography, logo, etc.

2. Unique Value Proposition

Again, UVP is a compelling statement that communicates what makes your brand unique and different from your competitors.

3. Mission statement

A mission statement is about the brand's purpose and objectives. It can be your advocacy, concept, etc. This answers the question, "why are you doing this?"

4. Brand story

Your brand story communicates your brand history, values, and mission. Sometimes, a brand story has an emotional appeal, which makes your target customers support your brand.

5. Positioning statement

As discussed earlier, a positioning statement makes you the best in the market.

These key components can help define your brand message. And with these, you can create a compelling brand message that's memorable and appealing to your target audience.

Best practices for creating consistency and cohesiveness in messaging

Now that you have your brand message, it's essential to create consistency and cohesiveness in your brand message.

1. Create brand guidelines

Brand guidelines will guide you in standardizing all aspects that make up your. Having one will help you create a consistent and cohesive brand across all your channels.

The brand guidelines should include instructions on logo usage, color palette, tone of voice, and more.

2. Use a consistent tone of voice

One way to create cohesiveness in your brand messaging is by using your brand voice across all your channels— eCommerce website, social media platforms, advertising, blog posts, etc.

3. Use consistent visuals

Consistent visuals will strengthen brand recognition. Whichever platform you use to post, more people will instantly know it's your brand.

So, use consistent visual design in all your channels.

4. Align your messaging with your brand values

Brand message goes beyond your visual identity. Because it should also align with your brand values to create robust external brand messaging.

5. Involve your team

Your team members should be involved in implementing cohesive brand messaging. They can be your customer service, social media, website development team, writers, etc. That's how you can ensure everyone is on the same page.

So, you already know how to make a strong brand messaging framework and the best practices to make it consistent... You need to learn how to...

Communicate your brand message

Communicating your brand message plays a vital role in your brand because that's an important way to implement the tips we talked about.

And communicating your brand message using different channels to reach your target customers will help you reach your goals. So, here are some ways you can express your brand message:

Channels for communication

1. Website

Your website is one of your primary digital platforms. That is your storefront, so you must ensure your website is well-designed. Here's how:

• Choose the right and best eCommerce theme. This includes installing a theme on your website that allows you to customize and personalize your site. That's how you can showcase your brand identity.
• Use product photos that align with your brand. Your product images should look and feel like your brand. Your images should have that vibe, too. For example, if you have a funky brand identity and bold messaging...
• Don't neglect the web copy. Like your images, your eCommerce site's taglines, product descriptions, CTAs, and other web copy should sound like your brand.

You see, your website is the essence of your brand. That's where target customers and prospects spend most of their time before purchasing. Make sure your brand personality is popping!

2. Social media

Social media is an effective communication channel for engaging with customers. Moreover, it's one of the best places to share your brand message. Here's how:

• Choose the relevant channel. You should choose the best social media channel. Take note of your target audience and see which platforms they use the most so you can convey your brand message to make sure that the right people receive your brand message well.
• Optimize your posts. This means your social media copy, images, videos, scripts, and brand voice should be aligned with your brand message. These details make up your brand.
• Optimize your profile. You want your target customers to know who you are when they land on your page for the first time. So, include some personality and add your brand positioning statement to introduce your brand.

Having excellent social media marketing will benefit your brand. Make sure you're paying attention to these details.

3. Advertising

Want to reach more but a targeted audience? Advertising can help you. You can use different types of online advertising, such as search ads, display banners, social media ads, video ads, etc.

A few things to remember when your advertising is:

• Choose a suitable medium. You need to advertise on the channels that will help you achieve your goals.
• Set the proper budget. You don't have to go all out and spend thousands of dollars if you can't. But you need the right amount depending on the objectives of your ads.
• Optimize your ads. Set your preferred budget, target the right people, and select the right objective.

But whatever medium you choose, the rule stays the same. You should use your tone of voice, brand identity, and positioning statement in your advertising materials to get your message across.

4. Content marketing

Content marketing refers to creating content that resonates with your brand and audience. This is another effective way to communicate your brand message.

Here's how to smash your brand's content marketing strategy:

• Create high-quality content. High-quality content is one way to present your brand. If potential customers see that you're producing valuable content, that will affect your brand image.
• Optimize for search engines. Optimizing for search engines is crucial in reaching more prospects. When a prospect searches for a product and your eCommerce site comes up first, that will amplify your brand. Think of it this way...
• Be consistent. Being consistent doesn't only apply to using your brand identity across all platforms. It also includes producing content with a consistent schedule so your audience knows what and when to expect your content.

Lastly, don't forget to promote your content. Because you can reach more people if you know how and where to distribute your content correctly.

5. Influencer marketing

Yep. Influencer marketing can make or break your brand message. For a refresher, influencer marketing involves collaborating with public figures or social media influencers to promote your brand.

Influencer marketing can be an effective tool if you use it properly, and you can do it by:

• Collaborating with influencers who align with your brand values
• Working with influencers who can help you convey your brand promise
• Finding relevant influencers in your niche to deliver your brand message

Influencer search tools can help with finding those influencers who are relevant & reach your target audience.

If you do it right, influencers can create hype around your brand and products. And that means more reach and sales for you!

So, by using these communication channels correctly... You can reach and engage with your target audience. As a result, you can get across your brand message from whatever medium you're using.

Measure the effectiveness of your brand message

It's essential to measure the effectiveness of your brand message to ensure it's working. It's also one way to see how well your target market resonates with your brand.

Not only that... But tracking metrics makes it easier to identify what's working and what's not on your brand message. Then from there, you can refine it.

What are the metrics you can track?

Metrics to track the performance of your brand message

Some of the metrics you can track are...

1. Brand awareness

Brand awareness refers to people who are aware of your brand and your brand message. You can measure social media mentions, analytics, and other third-party tools.

2. Engagement

Engagement means measuring how many people interacted with your brand. This applies to any platform, like social media, blogs, etc.

Luckily, built-in social media tools let you view your engagement rate and other social media analytics.

3. Sales

Sales are proof that your brand message is compelling. It means you can convince your prospects, and they believe in your brand message enough to purchase from you.

But before anything else, make sure you know what you're trying to achieve by setting goals and Key Performance Indicators or KPIs.

Doing so will give you clear insights into how much you're achieving and make data-driven decisions for your brand.

To sum it up, you'll know if your brand message is effective by measuring these metrics. And from there, you can adjust and optimize it based on your findings.